Question

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

Colchineos lactation summary

Colchineos usage has low risk in breastfeeding
  • DrLact safety Score for Colchineos is 3 out of 8 which is considered Low Risk as per our analyses.
  • A safety Score of 3 indicates that usage of Colchineos may cause some minor side effects in breastfed baby.
  • Our study of different scientific research indicates that Colchineos may cause moderate to no side effects in lactating mother.
  • Most of scientific studies and research papers declaring usage of Colchineos low risk in breastfeeding are based on normal dosage and may not hold true for higher dosage.
  • While using Colchineos We suggest monitoring child for possible reactions. It is also important to understand that side effects vary largely based on age of breastfed child and time of medication in addition to dosage.
  • 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 Colchineos usage in lactation

It is used for treatment of Gout, Familial Mediterranean Fever. As well as for other conditions like Amyloidosis, Behçet's Syndrome, Pericarditis, Primary Biliary Cirrhosis and Pyoderma gangrenosum. It is excreted in breast milk in quantities that differ according to different published studies, from no clinically significant in some, until being important in others, but there have been no problems in infants whose mothers were treated, even after months, with undetectable plasma levels in these infants. The concomitant use of macrolide antibiotics and fruit juices (both the mother and the infant) , especially grape-fruit, is not recommended since they may interfere with bile excretion and greatly increase toxicity. The American Academy of Breastfeeding rates it as compatible with breastfeeding. List of Essential Medicines of WHO (2002): compatible with breastfeeding

Answer by DrLact: About Colchineos usage in lactation

Long-term prophylactic maternal doses of Colchineos up to 1.5 mg daily produce levels in milk that result in the infant receiving less than 10% of the maternal weight-adjusted dosage. The highest milk levels occur 2 to 4 hours after a dose, so avoiding breastfeeding during this time can minimize the infant dose, although some clinicians simply recommend taking the drug after nursing. No adverse effects in breastfed infants have been reported in case series and a case-control study and some authors consider Colchineos safe during breastfeeding in women being treated for familial Mediterranean fever or rheumatic conditions.[1][2][3][4]

Colchineos Side Effects in Breastfeeding

In 4 infants whose mothers were taking 1 to 1.5 mg of Colchineos daily prophylactically for familial Mediterranean fever, no apparent effects were noted on clinical follow-up over at least 10 months. The authors also reported that they recalled another 6 women who breastfed their infants for at least 3 months during Colchineos therapy (dosage not stated) and follow-up for at least 2 years revealed no clinical or developmental problems.[1] An infant was breastfed (extent not stated) for 6 months during maternal intake of Colchineos 0.6 mg twice daily. No apparent adverse effects were noted.[5] In a study of mothers who took Colchineos during pregnancy, 111 of 181 mothers reported breastfeeding (extent not stated) their infants. None of the infants reportedly had Colchineos-related adverse effects.[7] A case-control study compared 37 women who took Colchineos during breastfeeding their 38 infants to a matched control group of 75 mothers who had taken amoxicillin, but were unexposed to Colchineos, and their 76 breastfed infants. Telephone follow-up occurred at 6 to 48 months (average 28 months) after the initial inquiry. Among the Colchineos-exposed group, 76% of infants were exclusively breastfed and the mean overall duration of breastfeeding was 9.1 months. No increased risk of adverse effects was noted in the Colchineos-exposed infants compared to the control infants. Specifically, no differences in gastrointestinal symptoms, or growth and development parameters were seen.[3] Ten nursing mothers who were being treated with Colchineos were reported. None of them had any pathology reported.[8]

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