Question

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

DZP lactation summary

DZP usage has low risk in breastfeeding
  • DrLact safety Score for DZP is 3 out of 8 which is considered Low Risk as per our analyses.
  • A safety Score of 3 indicates that usage of DZP may cause some minor side effects in breastfed baby.
  • Our study of different scientific research indicates that DZP may cause moderate to no side effects in lactating mother.
  • Most of scientific studies and research papers declaring usage of DZP low risk in breastfeeding are based on normal dosage and may not hold true for higher dosage.
  • While using DZP 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 DZP usage in lactation

It is a long-acting Benzodiazepine. Low excreted into breast milk. However, it may cause sedation and poor suction reflex in the infant mostly because of large or repetitive use in the newborn period. Low dose and short-term use is usually compatible with breastfeeding. Choose a short-acting and minimal effective drug dose specially when nursing a newborn. Watch out for somnolence and poor feeding of the infant. Bed-sharing is not recommended for mothers who are taking this medication.

Answer by DrLact: About DZP usage in lactation

DZP is excreted into breastmilk and it and its active metabolite, norDZP, accumulate in the serum of breastfed infants with repeated doses. Because the half-life of DZP and norDZP are long, timing breastfeeding with respect to the dose is of little or no benefit in reducing infant exposure. Other agents are preferred, especially while nursing a newborn or preterm infant. After a single dose of DZP, as for sedation before a procedure, there is usually no need to wait to resume breastfeeding, although with a newborn or preterm infant, a cautious approach would be to wait a period of 6 to 8 hours before resuming nursing.

DZP Side Effects in Breastfeeding

Three infants were breastfed from birth while their mothers were receiving DZP 10 mg 3 times daily. The authors noticed no lethargy or hypoventilation in the infants during the 6-day observation period. The authors expressed concern that norDZP may compete with bilirubin for hepatic glucuronide conjugation in the neonate.[1] A nursing mother was given DZP 10 mg orally 3 times a day beginning on day 5 postpartum. Weight loss, lethargy and an EEG consistent with sedative effect in her 8-day-old was probably caused by DZP or its metabolites in breastmilk.[7] Of 8 infants breastfed from birth during maternal DZP therapy (dosages unspecified), 3 had mild jaundice during the first few days postpartum, although this was not thought by the authors to be unusual.[8] Sedation was reported in the breastfed newborn infant of a mother taking oral DZP 6 to 10 mg daily if the infant was nursed within a few hours of a dose, but not if she nursed 8 or more hours after a dose. Infant sedation was probably caused by DZP and its major metabolite in breastmilk.[4] In a telephone follow-up study, 124 mothers who took a benzodiazepine while nursing reported whether their infants had any signs of sedation. About 10% of mothers took DZP while breastfeeding and none reported sedation in her infant.[9] In a longitudinal study of women taking medications during breastfeeding, some mothers who were taking DZP reported discontinuing breastfeeding because of drowsiness in their breastfed infants.[10]

Alternate Drugs

Nitrazepam(Low Risk)
Quazepam(Unsafe)
Clorazepate(Low Risk)
Oxazepam(Safe)
Alprazolam(Low Risk)
Midazolam(Safe)
Lorazepam(Safe)
Temazepam(Low Risk)
Meprobamate(Low Risk)
Diazepam(Low Risk)
Quazepam(Unsafe)
Clorazepate(Low Risk)
Clonazepam(Low Risk)
Oxazepam(Safe)
Alprazolam(Low Risk)
Midazolam(Safe)
Clobazam(Low Risk)
Lorazepam(Safe)
Estazolam(Low Risk)
Temazepam(Low Risk)
Flurazepam(Unsafe)
Diazepam(Low Risk)
Nitrazepam(Low Risk)
Butalbital(Low Risk)
Diazepam(Low Risk)
Nitrazepam(Low Risk)
Butabarbital(Low Risk)
Quazepam(Unsafe)
Pentobarbital(Low Risk)
Clorazepate(Low Risk)
Phenobarbital(Low Risk)
Secobarbital(Low Risk)
Propofol(Safe)
Oxazepam(Safe)
Alprazolam(Low Risk)
Ketamine(Low Risk)
Chloral Hydrate(Low Risk)
Midazolam(Safe)
Zolpidem(Safe)
Estazolam(Low Risk)
Zaleplon(Safe)
Triazolam(Low Risk)
Flurazepam(Unsafe)
Lorazepam(Safe)
Eszopiclone(Low Risk)
Sodium Oxybate(Low Risk)
Meprobamate(Low Risk)
Temazepam(Low Risk)

Synonyms of DZP

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.