Ibuprofen and breastfeeding: Dosage during breastfeeding
If you are taking ibuprofen and breastfeeding your child, single doses of a maximum of 800 milligrams are permitted. Even when taken twice a day, i.e. with a daily dose of up to 1600 milligrams of ibuprofen, the infant is not exposed via breast milk.
Only very small amounts of the active ingredient and its degradation products enter the milk. Even when taking the relatively high daily dose, the pain and inflammation inhibitor is therefore not detectable in breast milk. Nevertheless, you should try to limit the intake of ibuprofen when breastfeeding and try non-drug options first.
Even if you are not breastfeeding, you should take painkillers for a maximum of ten days per month. Otherwise there is a risk of a drug-induced headache.
As a general rule, women who use ibuprofen in low doses and for a short time can continue breastfeeding. In the case of higher doses and prolonged use, it is advisable to consult a doctor about the possibility of discontinuing breastfeeding.
Ibuprofen and breastfeeding: When does it help?
Ibuprofen helps on three levels: In addition to its pain-relieving (analgesic) effect, it has anti-inflammatory (antiphlogistic) and fever-reducing (antipyretic) effects.
- Headache
- migraine
- Toothache
- Symptoms of flu
- fever
- Painful milk stasis
- breast inflammation (mastitis)
- Muscle and joint pain
- after a caesarean section
The anti-inflammatory effect of ibuprofen is particularly beneficial after operations. However, paracetamol also helps very well with flu symptoms and fever.
Ibuprofen is also useful during breastfeeding in the case of painful lactation or breast inflammation, particularly because of its anti-inflammatory effect. Sometimes even a low dose can alleviate the symptoms to such an extent that the affected women can continue breastfeeding. In any case, in addition to the therapy, breastfeeding management should be checked by a midwife in order to get the breastfeeding problems under control. Long-term, high-dose therapy with ibuprofen while breastfeeding is not a solution!
Furthermore, ibuprofen also helps women who are breastfeeding externally, for example with muscle or joint pain. Only in the breast area (especially the nipples) should you not use a cream or ointment containing ibuprofen when breastfeeding. Otherwise your baby could absorb the active ingredient in this way when drinking.
Ibuprofen and breastfeeding: How does it work?
The active ingredient is metabolized in the liver and excreted via the kidneys. Approximately one to 2.5 hours after ingestion, its concentration has dropped to half again (half-life).
Ibuprofen and breastfeeding: Side effects in infants
When breastfeeding, mothers should prefer ibuprofen to other painkillers from the NSAID group, such as diclofenac or naproxen. Ibuprofen is therefore the first choice for pain during breastfeeding. The combination of ibuprofen and breastfeeding is well tolerated. No side effects have been observed in breastfed babies whose mothers have taken ibuprofen occasionally and in low doses.
Further information on the effect, dosage, side effects and interactions of ibuprofen can be found here.
