# steroid cream



## MarcyC (Jul 4, 2005)

I get horrible winter eczema. It's bad all over, but every year, I get one or two patches that are really really bad. I usually have to use a steroid cream for it...nothing else even comes close to touching it. This year my bad patches are on my chest in between my chin and my b00bs.

Is steroid cream safe to use while nursing. Do a significant amount of the steroids from cream actually get into the blood and/or breastmilk? Will using it on my chest irritate her at all?


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## its_me_mona (Feb 2, 2005)

As a general rule, anything applied topically to the nursing mother is safe to use while breastfeeding. It would be rare for it to be detectable in your breast milk at all. Also, consider whether the medication is ever prescribed for infants. If it is, then it's generally okay for the nursing mom as well. I know that hydrocortisone is often RX'ed for infants w/ eczema, albeit in tiny amounts and there are some risks to the infant so if I were you, I'd probably try to be careful about allowing baby's skin to come into contact w/ it. Perhaps there's something else you can use instead of the steroid cream? My daughter has eczema and they've RX'ed her Ellidel and Elocon (mometasone furoate) before.

What is the specific name of the drug & I can see if Hale's has anything on it.

HTH


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## MarcyC (Jul 4, 2005)

I so need to get that book!!! The name on the prescription is "Triamcinolone 0.1% CR (Clay)".

Thanks!!!


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## its_me_mona (Feb 2, 2005)

OK, I just looked it up in Hale's and all he's got info on is the intranasal, really. He does list it as a LRC L3 (moderately safe) and says that when applied topically to the nose (Nasacort) or to the lungs (Azmacort), only minimal doses are used and plasma levals are exceedinlgly low to indectecable. Although no data are available on triamcinolone secretion into human milk, it is likely that the milk levels would be exceedingly low and not clinically relevant when administered via inhalation or intranasally. He then says to see prednisone for more breastfeeding data. Prednisone ~ LRC L2, but again he really talks about oral, inhaled and intranasal doses.

This may prove to be more helpful for you:
http://66.230.33.248/discus/messages/58/859.html (see the last two posts in that thread).

HTH!


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## MarcyC (Jul 4, 2005)

Thank you so much! I guess I'll just use it sparingly and try to get through the winter! I wonder if some expressed bm would help it...it cleared up my older daughter's poison ivy!


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## mavery (Jun 3, 2005)

Breastmilk might help! Also, my dh has really bad eczema in the winter and the thing that's totally helping this year is to take a hot bath or shower and then immediately pat the skin dry and put on coconut oil. (For some reason the coconut oil is working better than anything else he's tried.)


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## Samjm (Mar 12, 2005)

I also get eczema, and it is always worse in winter.

When I get a prescription, my Doc prescribes cream that is safe for use on babies as well, so that if DD ends up getting some of the cream on her (by touching me or whatever), then there aren't any real risks. I am also pretty confidant that my breast milk is fine.

Incidentally, I had terrible eczema on my hand from just before DD was born, till months later. Since it was on my hand, the creams weren't helping much as they rubbed off before they did much good. The thing that finally cleared it up enough to be manageable with creams was breast milk! I pumped at work, and whenever I was done, I'd empty the last few drops from the pump bottles onto my hands and rub it in like a lotion. Seemed to work really well.


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## Trishy (Oct 15, 2002)

I have horrible seasonal eczema on my legs and I have used that prescription for the past two years. Unfortunately it isn't really working well for me anymore. My spots are really, really bad right now so I have been alternating breastmilk and Motherlove nipple cream. I've also been putting a triple antibiotic cream (like Neosporin) with a topical pain reliver with a loose dressing at bedtime. I am considering a round of prednisone, which is also safe while breastfeeding, to get it under control. I hate the side effects though.


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