Can I take aleve while breastfeeding ?

There is only limited research available on naproxen and breastfeeding. What research does exist indicates naproxen levels in breastmilk remain low; also, adverse side effects in breastfed infants are uncommon. Due to the long half-life of naproxen and an FDA report of a serious adverse reaction possibly due to breastfeeding while on naproxen, other medications are generally chosen for nursing mothers.

Sometimes old anti-histamines may even be prescribed.

manwee,

I understand you must be in pain due to your sprained ankle, however I nursed all three of my children, and refrained from any sort of medication, RX or OTC, everything we take in to our body goes thru your breast milk, I would try ice packs initially and over the counter icy-hot patches, but first check with your OB-GYN, safety of your infant comes first, being a mom is about giving up our own comfort in place of having our infant either die or suffer severe side effects, I can tell you're already a super mom, just by coming here and asking the question before you do anything at all. My best to you and your infant, God Bless, my prayers are with you, and I hope your ankle heals quickly and you and baby can get back to enjoying the bonding process. (((hugs)) midwestma

The literature points out the following:

Naproxen (Aleve) Breastfeeding Warnings

Naproxen is excreted into human milk in very small amounts. The manufacturer recommends that due to the potential for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants (prostaglandin-inhibiting effect on neonates), the use in nursing women should be avoided.

The excretion of naproxen into breast milk was evaluated in a 23-year-old female following chronic administration of naproxen 250 mg twice a day. Milk concentrations peaked at 4 hours post-dose and ranged from 1.14 to 1.25 ng/mL. Following a regimen of naproxen 375 mg twice a day, maximum milk concentrations averaged 2.37 ng/mL. Maternal and infant plasma samples were not obtained during the study. However, urine was collected from both mother and infant. The infant eliminated 0.47 mg naproxen and conjugates in the urine over a 12-hour post-dose period

Since you only took one, you should be ok to breastfeed after 8 hours from the time you took the Aleve.