I had an interesting conversation with my husband yesterday that I just wanted to share with everyone. He has a Master's Degree in toxicology (Tom Hale's specialty) and works for Eli Lilly in drug research and testing. I posted yesterday for information on a medication (not a Lilly drug) and got
good information from several sources, including info from Frank Nice on what the drug actually does in the body. The upshot of his info was that most of the medication shouldn't even get into the milk supply because it is 99% protein bound and is widely distributed in the body. I got an idea,
thinking my husband (2nd marriage and not the father of my children, but he is a believer in breastfeeding) knows how all this works and could explain some things better for me and potentially be a source of information himself. So I emailed the drug info to him asking if he'd explain it to me
further and secretly hoping to loop him into this informational process. He came back with the party line! He went to that drug company's website and told me this was a dangerous drug and not recommended for breastfeeding (he cited Zyprexa which is a Lilly drug in competition with Geodon-the drug
in question- and which has far fewer side effects. This mom had previously been on it but gained weight
-"3-4 lbs"- and didn't like that. Priorities?!) Anyway, when we talked further about it and I explained what is involved in deciding relative risk to the breastfeeding baby, he replied that this was a dangerous drug. I asked him, but if only a minute amount gets into the milk, how great is the
risk, really? He stood his ground and couldn't even consider that even if a drug may have serious side effects in the one who takes it, if 99% of mom's dose never makes it into her milk supply in the first place, and that 1% that CAN get in, is diluted because of it's wide distribution in the body
(this is my explanation and may not be a clear explanation of my understanding!), the risk to the baby is significantly reduced, and may even be negligible. He is (understandably. He's worked there for many years!) so deeply entrenched in the drug industry's approach of erring on the side of
caution that he doesn't understand (yet!) the idea of weighing benefits of breastfeeding against risk of injury to the child and injury to health if child is switched to formula. Add to that equation how much of the drug actually gets into the milk and it becomes more complicated than just saying
breastfeeding moms shouldn't breastfeed while on it. I guess I was surprised at his comments and they had the effect of reminding me why so many physicians still advise weaning when they prescribe meds for a mom. It is the deeply entrenched attitude that reflects the belief that formula is equal to
breastmilk and breastfeeding (the actual relationship part of it) a nicety but not ultimately important. Although, my husband would have, and did, just suggest switching to another medication-likely a Lilly one!
Marsha, who is still going to work on my husband and hope to get him seeing things from our perspective in the future-so I can ask HIM about meds!
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Marsha Glass RN, BSN, IBCLC
Mothers have as powerful an influence over the welfare of future generations as all other earthly causes combined.
John S. C. Abbot
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