SO angry at Boots!

[moss]

This is more of a health issue for me, but has implications for Jacob (which I am more worried about) so I thought I would put it here. I went to Boots yesterday because I have an eye infection. I was holding Jacob and we even talked about him at the counter with the person working at the medicine advice area. I then asked if they have anything I can use for my eye, and she gave me GoldenEye. I stupidly (STUPIDLY- I am so angry at myself, too) used it without reading the leaflet, thinking it's only an over the counter eye drop and they said it was okay for me.

I have used about 6 doses of it and this morning I decided to read the leaflet, where, in block capitals, it says not to use it if you are breastfeeding!

This isn't the first time Boots have gotten it wrong for me or someone I know. They almost led my mother into committing fraud when she was over after they explained the procedures for her getting medication while she is here!

Don't take advice from Boots! Now I don't know what this means for my feeding Jacob. He just had the biggest feed ever. I want to call NHS 24 to find out if this will change how I have to feed him today, but the batteries on all of my phones are dead so I have to wait.

 

[moss]

I just spoke to NHS 24 but all of their pharmacists and doctors were on calls, so I have to wait for them to call back. In the meantime, Jacob is very unhappy and I can't feed him because I'm too scared!

 

[keli]

oh dear not really to sure what to say.. hope they've rang you back by now. You could google the ingredience (sp) in the eye drops to see what it says..not to sure what i'd do in that situation

 

[MrsLloyd2B]

I would ring your Boots pharmacy to complain, and say you now need urgent advice?

I hope all goes OK.
x

 

[moss]

I spoke to the Boots pharmacist. He had to look up the reason, and apparently there have been studies showing it coming through in milk, but they haven't tested that on people yet. He couldn't really say what that means for Jacob, and said I might have to get treated by NHS 24. They are going to get back to me within four hours of my call to them, so I really don't know what to do! I used up everything I had expressed and I am worried about feeding him because I don't know how long this stays in my system. He is sleeping in the sling with my husband now in the hopes that will keep his mind off being fed, but I gave him a marathon feed in bed this morning.

I will definitely be writing to Boots to complain, though.

 

[Morganuk]

How bad is it that a leading pharmacy can make mistakes like this?
I hope you get that call soon as I can see this is worrying which is totally understandable
And to right you should complain to there head office, to try and stop this happening again

Good luck hun

 

[moss]

I understand that no one can memorise every leaflet, but I think this is one of the more common things to give out. Plus wouldn't seeing a baby in a sling be enough to make someone think "Hmm... I wonder if this is okay for breastfeeding?"

GRR!

Anyway, I got the call and basically they think that there wasn't enough in my system to get through to the milk (which I agree with) and they said I should stop using it and just bathe my eye in cooled, boiled water. I am going to end up with a massive eye infection, I just know it!

 

[keli]

Glad it ok that you can carry on feeding LO and that he'll be ok Breastmilk is supposed to be good for eye infections, express a little and bathe eye in?

 

[moss]

I forgot about that! I will try if I am brave enough. It's far better than the other suggestion I read.... Baby pee.

 

[keli]

How would you get baby pee!? That would be a job n half!

 

[moss]

That's what I was thinking. I guess with a boy you would just have to wait and it would happen. But ew, I'm not getting Jacob's pee in my eye on purpose!

 

[Morganuk]

Baby pee ..Im just sat here thinking it would be the only time youd be happy for your baby to pee upwards towards your face

 

[leckershell]

My dentists got it wrong about breastfeeding before too and the numbing injection they give you.. they said it was ok but I found out it wasnt grr.

For what its worth Golden Eye seems to be helping me at the mo - caught Ryans stoopid conjunctivitus but it genuinely seems to have disappeared after a few doses..

 

[Squiglet]

.... The majority of over the counter medicines aren't really strong enough that they will cause severe issues if you are breastfeeding... Maybe an upset tummy but nothing really major. Almost all medicines will say do not use while breastfeeding or consult your doctor. I've got medicines that clearly say do not use while breastfeeding on the leaflet but are considered "safe" to use.... It is unethical to test on unborn babies and neonates. This means that most medicines that say you cannot use while breastfeeding aren't un-save, just untested. While animal research has been done... in most cases they give the animal the full human dose of the drug which for an animal such as a rat is about 100times more than what we get in terms of body size so for obvious reason causes birth defects or illness in their babies. But until they test them on humans or see that humans have used a particular medicine safely over a period of time, do they mark it as safe.

What you need to remember is that even a packet of paracetamol, says if pregnant or breastfeeding please consult your GP before taking this medicine when we know that it is a "safe" medicine. Again this is just the medical companies covering their backs and the fact that paracetamol hasn't actually been tested, it has just been used extensively over time where no ill effect has been observed.

If you've got a problems with your eye though, cleaning it three times a day with warm salt water. One piece of cotton for each eye, dipped in the water, wipe from the inner part to the outter part and throw away... dry with a separate piece for each eye.

Im not saying ignore the packaging because we just don't know if it would cause problems as it hasn't been tested but don't torture yourself over this hun....

 

[moss]

Thanks. The study was saying that it comes through in the milk and I am sure I would have to have LOADS to make that happen, but still. I don't want to take my chances. Jacob can be funny about eating and I don't want to affect the taste or anything, just in case he stops eating for a while... I made a sea salt solution for my eyes until I can go get (sterile) saline eye drops.

 

[DebbieM]

Just to put your mind at reast... there are VERY few meds that you take when BFing that will get into your milk enough to do any harm to your baby. You'd be surprised. Especially eye drops.

 

[Steelgoddess]

Hey hon, Did YOU tell them you were breastfeeding? If you did then deffo make a complaint thats really poor on their behalf if not then they can't really asume you are, the people that serve on the cashiers are not chemists but the actual chemist would of had a better clue...

I hope everythings ok,

 

[Geordie&Bairn]

Ive been using a a decongestent while ive been waiting for my appoinment with the docs to get my special spray
as i have very bad sinus problems that swell my nasal passage making it impossible to breath through my nose putting pressure on my lungs which sets of my Asthma it say otn use if breastfeeding but that to cover them selves most of the time

last xmas i was pregnant when my sinus problem started up and the docs refused to give me my special spray this lead to me being sent to hospital as my Asthma became very bad the docs at the hospital give me my spray they said my GP shouldnt have left me in such a state
and within a day i was well again and its not done any damage to collier
so sometimes there air to much on the side of caution
im sure Jacob is fine yes they should have told you that the advice is not to take while breastfeeding and this was wrong of them.
but as Squiglet said look at most things and it says the same i think you would have to take a truck load regulary to cause a problem. a few drops will not harm im sure (though im not scientist)

 

[moss]

That's the thing. She wasn't the chemist but she was a dispenser or whatever you call them. The equivalent of a pharmacy assistant in the US. I was one there and I was allowed to suggest medications, but we had to know the warnings, and seeing a young baby would have prompted me to ask. That was years ago though and I don't know the warnings for everything (didn't then, either). Since she saw him I would have expected her to say something or look it up, but as she didn't and this is a common medication (apparently), I figured it was okay. I already said it was stupid of me to not read the leaflet right away (I've been exhausted and not with it for a few weeks now), but it is her job as someone giving out medication advice to say something.

Anyway, I stopped taking it right away and my eye cleared up on its own. It was a little uncomfortable in Glasgow, but it didn't look bad, thankfully! Also, Jacob seems fine, for the most part. A couple of things are bothering him but they are unrelated.