Question

I am a breastfeeding mother and i want to know if it is safe to use VCR? Is VCR safe for nursing mother and child? Does VCR extracts into breast milk? Does VCR has any long term or short term side effects on infants? Can VCR influence milk supply or can VCR decrease milk supply in lactating mothers?

VCR lactation summary

VCR is dangerous in breastfeeding
  • DrLact safety Score for VCR is 7 out of 8 which is considered Dangerous as per our analyses.
  • A safety Score of 7 indicates that usage of VCR may cause toxic or severe side effects in breastfed baby.
  • Our study of different scientific research indicates that VCR may cause moderate to high side effects or may affect milk supply in lactating mother.
  • Our suggestion is to use safer alternate options rather than using VCR .
  • Usage of VCR is in contradiction to breastfeeding hence if it is must to use VCR and there is no better alternative available then breastfeeding shall be stopped permanently or temporarily.
  • Score calculated using the DrLact safety Version 1.2 model, this score ranges from 0 to 8 and measures overall safety of drug in lactation. Scores are primarily calculated using publicly available case studies, research papers, other scientific journals and publically available data.

Answer by Dr. Ru: About VCR usage in lactation

Drug is cleared from the body in 5 elimination half-lives. Return to breastfeeding is likely safe after 35 days of pumping-discarding of the milk.

Answer by DrLact: About VCR usage in lactation

Most sources consider breastfeeding to be contraindicated during maternal antineoplastic drug therapy.[1] It is probably impractical to resume breastfeeding after VCR therapy because of the drug's long half-life. Chemotherapy may adversely affect the normal microbiome and chemical makeup of breastmilk.[2]

VCR Side Effects in Breastfeeding

In a 4-month-old, neutropenia was probably caused by cyclophosphamide in a mother 9 days after the last of 6 weekly doses of 800 mg cyclophosphamide intravenously, 2 mg VCR intravenously and daily doses of 30 mg of prednisolone orally. Neutropenia persisted at least 12 days and was accompanied by a brief episode of diarrhea.[3] The contribution of VCR to the neutropenia cannot be determined.

Alternate Drugs

Cetuximab(Unsafe)
Carboplatin(Dangerous)
Hydroxyurea(Low Risk)
Paclitaxel(Dangerous)
Etoposide(Dangerous)
Fluorouracil(Dangerous)
Nivolumab(Unsafe)
Doxorubicin(Dangerous)
Gemcitabine(Dangerous)
Alemtuzumab(Low Risk)
Vinblastine(Dangerous)
Cyclophosphamide(Dangerous)
Rituximab(Low Risk)
Bleomycin(Dangerous)
Docetaxel(Dangerous)
Cisplatin(Unsafe)
Bevacizumab(Low Risk)
Vinorelbine(Dangerous)
Busulfan(Dangerous)
Pazopanib(Unsafe)
Dacarbazine(Dangerous)
Trastuzumab(Unsafe)
Imatinib(Unsafe)
Thioguanine(Dangerous)
Cladribine(Dangerous)
Erlotinib(Unsafe)
Letrozole(Dangerous)
Dasatinib(Unsafe)
Exemestane(Dangerous)
Vincristine(Dangerous)
Nilotinib(Unsafe)
Tamoxifen(Dangerous)
Ipilimumab(Unsafe)
Mitoxantrone(Dangerous)
Dactinomycin(Dangerous)
Disclaimer: Information presented in this database is not meant as a substitute for professional judgment. You should consult your healthcare provider for breastfeeding advice related to your particular situation. We do not warrant or assume any liability or responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the information on this Site.