Adderall

[SommerRose]

My doctor has put me on Adderall and Toperall XR. I am having such a hard time getting this from my pharmacy. Is this a sign that I shouldn't take this stuff? Isn't Adderall highly addictive? I nurse my baby, is this going to hurt her? Is anyone else on this med and how does it effect you?

I'm already on Midodrine and this screws with me all day. I would appreciate the info if you have any.

[Merrill]

Hi, Sommerrose--Did you not talk to your doctor about the safety of taking these meds while breastfeeding? Seems like that would be a good idea; also, perhaps, talk to your baby's pediatrician.

I just did a quick web search and found this on Drugs.com:

http://adderall.drugs.com/

The drug is passed through breast milk ... it's a class C drug and it's not known whether it would harm a developing fetus (which means it would never be prescribed for you if you were pregnant).

You're smart to be asking these questions before you start taking them ... I wish I could offer more advice at this point (I don't have direct experience with these meds, but probably others do.)

Take care,

m

[morgan617]

the pediatrician is the best person to ask. adderall is not addictive, that's supposed to be the draw to it. it replaces drugs like ritalin. but if it passes through the breast milk, i would be hesitant to use it. if your pediatrician is not sure, go by your gut. or call a pharmacy you trust and ask to talk to the manager of that pharmacy. they know a lot and have a lot of references others don't get to see. adderall is pretty new, maybe your doctor isn't very familiar with it. sometimes they just don't take some things into consideration. it may never have occured to him that you breast feed. the best thing to do is ask. morgan

[ethansmom]

Hi and welcome to the forum! Adderall is a controlled substance, so that is probably why your pharmacist is using extra caution.

As a mom who has nursed and dealt with the complication of POTS and medications, I was hoping to offer some advice. I have a copy of a book called "Medications and Mother's Milk" by Dr. Thomas Hale, which is a reference that we use through La Leche League (I am in the process of becoming a lactation consultant and becoming a LLL leader). I looked up Adderall, and here's what I found:

It is a lactation risk L4, which means that there is a possibility of adverse reaction in the infant. (L1 would be considered safe, and L5 would be contraindicated). It's use may be acceptable for serious situations in which the benefits would outweight the risks- although a safer alternative would be preferable, especially with the wide array of meds used to treat POTS these days It has a half life of 6-8 hours, which means that by the end of 8 hours, only 1/2 of the medicine would still be circulating in your bloodstream. It is completely absorbed orally, whereas it would be preferable to use a medication that is only partially absorbed. Possible side effects to the infant include insomnia, sleep disturbances, and irritability, but in the actual studies NONE of these were reported. The dose to the infant would be 1.8% of the maternal dose, when looking at a dose of up to 60 mg per day.

My *personal* thoughts would be to talk it over with your pediatrician- but chances are he/she will not take the liability- with formula so readily available, many doctors don't take time to do research for breastfeeding purposes. Another important factor- how old is your baby, and how often does she nurse? This could make a big difference in how the meds are used. I went back on meds when my son was 8 months old- by then he was eating solids and nursing much less, so I was able to nurse and then take my medication which had a 4-6 hour half life- so I'd take it at night, and by the time he nursed again it was more than halfway gone from my system. I wish you luck and hope you can find a way to continue nursing and feeling great at the same time....it's a road I am very familiar with

[SommerRose]

Thank you all for replying. I am so scared of taking new meds. I always seem to have some kind of bad reaction. I have also heard that this med will make you not have an appitiete. This is not good or me as am y 134 lbs and 6' tall, POTS has made me lose 40 lbs in 6mths and I cant afford to lose anymore. My baby is 11mths and only nurses when she is ready to go to sleep. I want to stop nursing but I am having such a hard time with her. She still wakes 2-3 times a night and always wants to nurse. With me not able to sleep to begin with I give it to her. I also don't want to wake up the other kids with her crying. She does understand when I say "I took my medicine" though, she screams. Dr Kanjwal, who is Dr Grubbs partner, knew I was nursing and said as long as I only nurse in the night it would be okay, but this stuff is an XR doesnt that mean all day and night? My pediatrician doesnt want her to be nursing with this. I don't know if I can handle the stress of stopping her from nursing. Any suggestions? How about quiting smoking too? Do you know not a single doctor has told me to quit? What's up with that? I want to quit though and can't seem to. Cold turkey is what my Dad says. With four kids, 2 still in diapers, I am having a terrible time. Thanks again for everything.

[ethansmom]

It's definitely scary taking new meds, since most POTS patients do have some degree of sensitivity. I've heard a lot of good things about Adderall, though- it seems to be well tolerated overall. But then again we are all different

So, you take the med in the morning, and then nurse only at bedtime and through the night? Does she want to nurse during the day and that's when she gets upset? I hope you can find a way to continue and still take the medication, but ultimately that has to be your decision. Night-weaning may prove to be difficult at this age, but I will still give you this link to try, this site has some great ideas on night weaning gently:

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/weaning/weaning-night.html

But if you are taking the medication once per day in the morning, then you are limiting her exposure by nursing at night, so that may be the best way to continue. After all, she is looking to you for her comfort, and you are doing a great job

As far as smoking goes...I'll skip the lecture on smoking and POTs and/or smoking and nursing, lol I smoked for several years (pre-POTS) and was able to quit by tapering off gradually- I went from a pack each day to 19 cigarettes for a few days, then 18, and so forth until I was down to one per day, which was the hardest to give up! Cold turkey has never worked for anyone I know...definitely not for me.

I think you are amazing for having four kids and coping with this illness- I hope you are handling things ok and doing well. I have one toddler and that's tough on it's own!!

[SommerRose]

It has been very chalanging at times with my kids. My 13 yr old refuses to except that her mom has problems, wants me to do more than I can, my 7yr old boy I think understands more than she does, helps me out with his baby sisters. The 2yr old well, shes 2, into everything, picking on the baby, ect. My husband is the greatest, works all day, comes home and cooks supper, cleans the house, it makes me feel guilty though. He is always telling me I worry to much. Thanks or the link I'm sure it will help lots.