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Is It Safe To Take Trandate Pills For High Blood Pressure While Breastfeeding?

Posted on Wed, 27 Mar 2013

Question: hi, i have a 3 months old baby and i want to know if i could take trandate pills for high blood preasure while breastfeeding? Furthermore, i had taken these pills before getting pregnant, and while pregnancy my blood preasure went down to 90/70, all pregnancy, if i stop eating with salt and doing exercise, do you think my high blood preasure could go down without these pills, my preasure at this moment is 160/100. Thank you.

Answered by Dr. Y V Siva Sankara Murty (23 minutes later)

Hi,

Thanks for writing to health care magic.

Trandate (labetalol) is passed into the breast milk and it's exact effects on the nursing baby are unknown. So it is not advised to continue breast feeding while on this medication.

Yes blood pressure comes down with measures like reduction of salt intake, exercise, yoga, meditation etc. So you may try these measures for control of your blood pressure. But continuous monitoring is required and medication should be restarted when it shoots up.

Hope this helps. Let me know if you need clarifications.

Take care

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad

Follow up: Dr. Y V Siva Sankara Murty (20 hours later)

Hi,

Yesterday i had to take one trandate and today as well, because my blood preasure was still high, but after i took the one today it went down to 125/85, do you think is wise to stop taking it to see what happens, now that i started to eat with no salt since yesterday, now that it went down?

Thanks for yuor answer.

Answered by Dr. Y V Siva Sankara Murty (1 hour later)

Hi,
Thanks for writing back.

If your BP is high it is unsafe to suddenly stop the anti-hypertensive you are on.
The manufacturer of trandate recommends that Trandate should not be used by nursing mothers. My previous statement is based on this.

As per American academy of Pediatrics Labetalol (trandate ) comes under maternal medications usually compatible with breast feeding. The reported signs and symptoms in infants and its effect on lactation is stated as NONE. I am also enclosing a reference link of the statement for your reference.

WWW.WWWW.WW
Request you to go down this web page and see regarding labetelol which is the composition of trandate.

Practically speaking in our day to day practice we ask mothers to continue Labetalol post partum (after delivery during breast feeding) if they are hypertensive. (Except in preterm babies)
So consult your doctor and continue anti-hypertensive medication as advised by him.

So I request you to not to stop anti-hypertensive suddenly. Please continue life style changes so that the general health improves. Exercise, meditation, low salt diet definitely improves the blood pressure over a long term.

Hope this helps.
Take care.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T

Follow up: Dr. Y V Siva Sankara Murty (28 hours later)

Hi,

I decided not to continue taking the Trandate, because my high blood preasure is stable again, nevertheless i am waiting to see a doctor, here in Canada is not that easy, we do not have paid clinics where it could be faster, but for the moment i stoped it, just because it's been good and my baby needs to be breastfed, my question to you is the following: My last pill I took of Trandate was yeasterday at 8:30 am, today i did not take it, can i now breastfeed my baby, how long do i have to wait for my baby not to be affected, taking in mind, i only took it 2 times, one of 200 mg on Sunday aroud 4:30 pm and another 200 mg on Monday as i said at 8:30 am, please tell me if now i can breastfeed.

Thank you for your answer.

Answered by Dr. Y V Siva Sankara Murty (1 hour later)

Hi,

I appreciate your decision to breast feed.

As a Pediatrician, I feel very happy when one decides to breast feed their babies. It has got so many advantages. It helps in brain growth, prevents infections etc. It has got the right things in right proportions.

Half life of Labetalol is around 6 to 8 hrs. So most of the drug is eliminated from your body by now. So you need not worry about that part.

I also explained regarding the American Academy of Pediatrics opinion in this aspect and also regarding our day to day practice.

Please take care of your blood pressure and monitor it regularly.
Please go ahead with breast feeding and exclusively breast feed your baby. I congratulate you in this aspect.

You may contact me with further details on the following URL.
WWW.WWWW.WW In such scenario the questions are directly forwarded to me and I can answer your queries regarding you and particularly your kid online regularly.

Even asking a addition follow up question using the same thread will help in directing the question to me.

Hope this helps.
Take care

Dr Y V Siva Sankara Murty
M.D.(Pediatrics)
Associate Professor of Pediatrics

Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T