Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Medications - Are They Safe While Breastfeeding?

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Medications - Are They Safe While Breastfeeding?

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) medications: Are they safe while breastfeeding?

Many mothers take physical and mental health medications during pregnancy and breastfeeding. But it's important to remember that just because a drug has been approved for use in pregnancy doesn't mean it's safe to use while breastfeeding. This is because medications enter your baby's body differently through breast milk and during pregnancy.

About ADHD medications

ADHD is commonly prescribed for children and adults who have short attention spans and hyperactivity. Treatment options for ADHD fall into two categories:

Stimulants. These are the most widely used medications for ADHD as they usually give excellent results.

Non-stimulants. These drugs are newer and were first used in 2003. Although they are not as effective as stimulants, the effect can last up to 24 hours.

The prescribed dosage depends on your age, height/weight, and physical or mental needs. You can also use an immediate release capsule or an extended release capsule, whichever provides the best results for your needs.

Medications and breastfeeding

It is important to remember that all substances, including vitamins, supplements and medications, pass into breast milk. When babies are born, their digestive system is not yet able to metabolize drugs and remove them from the body.

According to studies on the use of various drugs and drugs during pregnancy, side effects mainly occurred in infants under the age of two months. They rarely occur in infants older than six months.

For this reason, newborn babies are more susceptible to the side effects of drugs that pass into breast milk. As kids get stronger, their bodies are better at filtering out what they don't need. For this reason, your doctor may recommend that you reduce your dose or stop taking the medicine for some time after your baby is born.

Medication Dosage Recommendations

As with all medicines, your doctor will need to consider your general health and that of your child. Talk to your doctor before starting or continuing to take any medicine. Generally speaking, ADHD medications are approved for breastfeeding as long as you don't exceed the recommended dose}:

  • Methylphenidate - 15 to 80 mg
  • Amphetamine - 20 to 35 mg

If possible, stay closer to the lower limit of the recommended dose. Remember that becoming a mom or adding another child to your family takes a toll on you physically and mentally. You may need to decide whether it is best to offer formula to your child and continue taking the medication. Your health is just as important as the health of your child.

Plan your medication

You can time your medications while breastfeeding your baby. When you take an immediate-release capsule, the level of the stimulant in your bloodstream peaks within 1-2 hours and then slowly declines.

If you take extended-release tablets, blood levels of stimulants gradually increase and remain stable for 6-8 hours, after which they begin to decrease.

In tests done on breast milk, the amount of ADHD drugs found in breast milk was directly proportional to their levels in the mother's bloodstream.

Other considerations for ADHD medications

Want to know more about ADHD? It's perfectly normal to feel unfocused, have trouble concentrating, or feel more active than usual. However, many people with ADHD experience more frequent and often more intense episodes.

People with symptoms of inattention may:

  • People with symptoms of inattention may:
  • Overlook details that seem careless
  • Have difficulty sustaining tasks for a long period of time
  • Not seem engaged in conversations
  • Be easily sidetracked or distracted
  • Not be able to multitask
  • Lose things frequently

People with symptoms of hyperactivity and impulsivity may:

  • Fidget and squirm or always be moving
  • Feel the need to get up and move around
  • Talk a lot and interrupt during conversations‌

Why take medication for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder? Although some women take ADHD medication to treat ADHD symptoms, there are other reasons why ADHD medication is given to adults. Many ADHD stimulants increase the effects of antidepressants. In other cases, the drug is prescribed to patients with narcolepsy. 


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