Is Brompheniramine Maleate Safe in Breastfeeding

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

First generation antihistamine, alkylamine drug, sedative with antimuscarinic effect. Described irritability, crying and insomnia in a baby from a nursing mother after taking a preparation compounded by Iso-ephedrine and brompheniramine that were possibly responsible for the symptoms.Check up the occurrence of drowsiness and inappropriate feeding of the infant. Likely inhibition of breastfeeding in the first weeks after birth due to anti-prolactin effect. It is not recommended bed-sharing with the baby if you are on this medication.

Small, occasional doses of brompheniramine would not be expected to cause any adverse effects in breastfed infants. Larger doses or more prolonged use may cause effects in the infant or decrease the milk supply, particularly in combination with a sympathomimetic such as pseudoephedrine or before lactation is well established. Single bedtime doses after the last feeding of the day may be adequate for many women and will minimize any effects of the drug. The nonsedating antihistamines are preferred alternatives.

In one telephone follow-up study, mothers reported irritability and colicky symptoms in 10% of infants exposed to various antihistamines and drowsiness was reported in 1.6% of infants. None of the reactions required medical attention and none of the infants were exposed to brompheniramine or dexbrompheniramine.[1]Irritability and disturbed sleep were reported in an 11-week-old breastfed infant whose mother was taking a product containing dexbrompheniramine and etafedrine (d-isoephedrine).[2] These side effects were possibly caused by dexbrompheniramine in breastmilk, but could have been caused by the etafedrine or both drugs.

Antihistamines in relatively high doses given by injection can decrease basal serum prolactin in nonlactating women and in early postpartum women.[3][4] However, suckling-induced prolactin secretion is not affected by antihistamine pretreatment of postpartum mothers.[3] Whether lower oral doses of brompheniramine have the same effect on serum prolactin or whether the effects on prolactin have any consequences on breastfeeding success have not been studied. The prolactin level in a mother with established lactation may not affect her ability to breastfeed.