On Fri, 23 May 1997 20:27:16 +0200, Lilli Olivares wrote:
>I need your help! What do you recommend a mother with asthma who needs
>Sultanol (Albuterol)? What differences exist between pregnancy and
>lactation? Do you know alternative medication?

I've only seen this once, but I've been offline so long, I just had to
respond!  A
mom in my prenatal class had been using albuterol (Ventolin) by MDI (inhaler)
throughout her pregnancy (G1).  (Her OB had told her to continue using it when-
ever she needed, even during first trimester.)  I looked it up in Hale, told her
that absorption from MDI use would probably be too small to effect baby, but
suggested she ask her allergist to discuss it with the pedi.  The pedi said the
same thing, but the allergist got her off albuterol (it had been prescribed
by GP long before she became pregnant).  She had only been seeing a GP & OB -
when she saw the allergist, she was told albuterol was only for crisis
management!  It's an irritant, is quick cure for wheezing, but makes asthma
worse in the long run.

The allergist told her she should only use albuterol if she had trouble
breathing.
She (Dr) put her (client) on routine cromolyn sodium and beclamethasone, both
by MDI.  After a few weeks, she didn't need albuterol - her peak air flows with
the new drugs were 50% higher than they had been with the bronchodilator.

Mom delivered an 8#2 girl in March, the midwife put baby to breast right away,
and by the time I saw them (the next morning), baby was suckling like a
champ, and mom was grinnng from ear to ear!  She intends to nurse until baby
weans
herself, is breathing better than she remembers ever doing before, and says
she has more energy.

Jonathan

  Only G-d knows the formula for mother's milk

          L. Jonathan Kramer, P.E.
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       Graduate Breastfeeding Counselor
         Student Lactation Consultant
      Certified Medela Nursing Bra Fitter