Is Lepirudin Safe in Breastfeeding
Question
I am a breastfeeding mother and i want to know if it is safe to use Lepirudin? Is Lepirudin safe for nursing mother and child? Does Lepirudin extracts into breast milk? Does Lepirudin has any long term or short term side effects on infants? Can Lepirudin influence milk supply or can Lepirudin decrease milk supply in lactating mothers?
Lepirudin lactation summary
- DrLact safety Score for Lepirudin is 3 out of 8 which is considered Low Risk as per our analyses.
- A safety Score of 3 indicates that usage of Lepirudin may cause some minor side effects in breastfed baby.
- Our study of different scientific research indicates that Lepirudin may cause moderate to no side effects in lactating mother.
- Most of scientific studies and research papers declaring usage of Lepirudin low risk in breastfeeding are based on normal dosage and may not hold true for higher dosage.
- While using Lepirudin 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 Lepirudin usage in lactation
Hirudin is a 65 aminoacid-containing protein that has a direct inhibitory effect on thrombin, which is extracted from leech. Due to a higher molecular weight, excretion to breast milk and absorption are unlikely.
Answer by DrLact: About Lepirudin usage in lactation
Limited information indicates that lepirudin in doses up to 100 mg daily produce very low levels in milk. Because of its large molecular weight, it would not be expected to be absorbed from breastmilk by the infant. Lepirudin would not be expected to cause any adverse effects in breastfed infants, especially if the infant is older than 2 months.[1]
Lepirudin Side Effects in Breastfeeding
One infant was breastfed for 3 months during therapeutic lepirudin use beginning at 7 weeks of age. No bleeding events occurred.[2]
Alternate Drugs
Acenocoumarol(Safe)
Warfarin(Safe)
Fondaparinux(Safe)
Lepirudin(Low Risk)
Heparin(Safe)
Enoxaparin(Safe)
Desirudin(Unsafe)
Dalteparin(Safe)
Rivaroxaban(Low Risk)
Abciximab(Low Risk)
Lepirudin(Low Risk)