I just had my baby last week, and I am breastfeeding. I had avoided using Tobi during my pregnancy, but now I would like to start back on it. Has anyone used Tobi (or Tobi podhaler) while breastfeeding? Would you recommend Tobi or Cayston (I've never used Cayston but willing to try it.) Thank you!
Breastfeeding Tobi or Cayston?
- Thread starter liveitup
- Start date
mamaScarlett
Active member
I can't recommend anything, only share what I have done. I have done both while breastfeeding, starting from 3 months onward. I contacted Dr. Thomas Hale who is the worlds authority on medications during lactation. Tobi is only absorbed via inhalation. So if you drink it, its not absorbed or toxic, in the amounts that are typically prescribed. Some medications however can build in breastmilk. (oral steroids for example, can be totally fine for a few weeks, but past a few weeks can begin to affect your milk) This is not the case with Tobi or Cayston. Some doctors will recommend pumping and dumping after medication. This is rarely needed, very hard to time properly, but if you need that peace of mind, I would suggest getting a good lactation consultant and learning how to do so properly. I would also suggest visiting Dr. Hale's website and reading his material to make your own, confident informed decisions regarding the big world of lactation and drugs!
Cayston is very safe during pregnancy, after, via IV, inhaled or whatever. The concern with tobramycin is it can affect hearing over time. It would take long exposure times, but I will never take Tobi while my children are in the same room with me, so they don't inhale it.
Best wishes on healthy, enjoyable breastfeeding and congrats!!
Congrats on the baby!! How exciting!! I hope everything is going well. 
I second everything mamaScarlett said. I was also told that Tobi is so poorly absorbed orally that it poses no risk in breastmilk. I did not use Tobramycin either nebbed or IV during pregnancy, but I have used it twice by IV while breastfeeding and did not pump and dump or make any changes to breastfeeding. I have used Cayston one month on, one month off since a couple months after she was born.
I have called Dr. Hale's Infant Risk Line at Texas Tech MANY times. I have the number programmed into my phone. I can't tell you how many times I was told by a nurse or doctor that I would need to pump and dump for 24 hours, only to be told by Dr. Hale that that is completely untrue. The big one was anesthesia. I had to have my port removed when my daughter was about 8 months old. I called the hotline and they told me that as soon I was alert enough to physically breastfeed her, it was safe to do so! I was shocked. They told me disregard whatever I would be told when I went in for the procedure. Sure enough, they told me at the hospital to pump and dump for 24 hours. I breastfed her just a few hours after surgery. I was told the same thing when having a dye study done on my port catheter. Doc said pump and dump for 24 hours, hotline said it posed no risk because it wasn't radioactive, so I didn't have to pump and dump at all.
Sorry for the super long winded reply. I just wanted to tell you all of this because I'm sure you'll be faced with similar dilemmas in the future, and the hotline is a GREAT resource. They are the experts and know WAY more about breastfeeding than general medical professionals. When I call they are always super friendly and often read me some of the studies that have been done and explain to me why it is safe which gives me peace of mind.
In case you're interested the number is 806-352-2519.
Good luck to you!! My daughter is 2 and even through all the meds and procedures we are STILL breastfeeding.
Take Care,
Autumn 33w/CF
I second everything mamaScarlett said. I was also told that Tobi is so poorly absorbed orally that it poses no risk in breastmilk. I did not use Tobramycin either nebbed or IV during pregnancy, but I have used it twice by IV while breastfeeding and did not pump and dump or make any changes to breastfeeding. I have used Cayston one month on, one month off since a couple months after she was born.
I have called Dr. Hale's Infant Risk Line at Texas Tech MANY times. I have the number programmed into my phone. I can't tell you how many times I was told by a nurse or doctor that I would need to pump and dump for 24 hours, only to be told by Dr. Hale that that is completely untrue. The big one was anesthesia. I had to have my port removed when my daughter was about 8 months old. I called the hotline and they told me that as soon I was alert enough to physically breastfeed her, it was safe to do so! I was shocked. They told me disregard whatever I would be told when I went in for the procedure. Sure enough, they told me at the hospital to pump and dump for 24 hours. I breastfed her just a few hours after surgery. I was told the same thing when having a dye study done on my port catheter. Doc said pump and dump for 24 hours, hotline said it posed no risk because it wasn't radioactive, so I didn't have to pump and dump at all.
Sorry for the super long winded reply. I just wanted to tell you all of this because I'm sure you'll be faced with similar dilemmas in the future, and the hotline is a GREAT resource. They are the experts and know WAY more about breastfeeding than general medical professionals. When I call they are always super friendly and often read me some of the studies that have been done and explain to me why it is safe which gives me peace of mind.
In case you're interested the number is 806-352-2519.
Good luck to you!! My daughter is 2 and even through all the meds and procedures we are STILL breastfeeding.
Take Care,
Autumn 33w/CF
mamaScarlett
Active member
Congrats on the baby!! How exciting!! I hope everything is going well.
I second everything mamaScarlett said. I was also told that Tobi is so poorly absorbed orally that it poses no risk in breastmilk. I did not use Tobramycin either nebbed or IV during pregnancy, but I have used it twice by IV while breastfeeding and did not pump and dump or make any changes to breastfeeding. I have used Cayston one month on, one month off since a couple months after she was born.
I have called Dr. Hale's Infant Risk Line at Texas Tech MANY times. I have the number programmed into my phone. I can't tell you how many times I was told by a nurse or doctor that I would need to pump and dump for 24 hours, only to be told by Dr. Hale that that is completely untrue. The big one was anesthesia. I had to have my port removed when my daughter was about 8 months old. I called the hotline and they told me that as soon I was alert enough to physically breastfeed her, it was safe to do so! I was shocked. They told me disregard whatever I would be told when I went in for the procedure. Sure enough, they told me at the hospital to pump and dump for 24 hours. I breastfed her just a few hours after surgery. I was told the same thing when having a dye study done on my port catheter. Doc said pump and dump for 24 hours, hotline said it posed no risk because it wasn't radioactive, so I didn't have to pump and dump at all.
Sorry for the super long winded reply. I just wanted to tell you all of this because I'm sure you'll be faced with similar dilemmas in the future, and the hotline is a GREAT resource. They are the experts and know WAY more about breastfeeding than general medical professionals. When I call they are always super friendly and often read me some of the studies that have been done and explain to me why it is safe which gives me peace of mind.
In case you're interested the number is 806-352-2519.
Good luck to you!! My daughter is 2 and even through all the meds and procedures we are STILL breastfeeding.
Take Care,
Autumn 33w/CF
Yay for the infantrisk hotline! I love that. They are so helpful and courteous.
Yes, I second what Autumn said. I had the same experience with anesthesia and dye. Was told to pump and dump. Only to find out from Dr. Hale that there is no need to dump, as soon as anesthesia leaves your body (aka you are awake), it has left your milk as well. And procedural dye, literally just disappears/dissolves and does not get into milk.
These issues come up for us Bfeeding mamas, but most are easily resolved with the right support. Its amazing what we are able to do!