Question

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

Fexofenadine Hydrochloride lactation summary

Fexofenadine Hydrochloride is safe in breastfeeding
  • DrLact safety Score for Fexofenadine Hydrochloride is 1 out of 8 which is considered Safe as per our analyses.
  • A safety Score of 1 indicates that usage of Fexofenadine Hydrochloride is mostly safe during lactation for breastfed baby.
  • Our study of different scientific research also indicates that Fexofenadine Hydrochloride does not cause any serious side effects in breastfeeding mothers.
  • Most of scientific studies and research papers declaring usage of Fexofenadine Hydrochloride safe in breastfeeding are based on normal dosage and may not hold true for higher 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 Fexofenadine Hydrochloride usage in lactation

Antihistamine drug of 2nd generation, piperidine derivative, which is an active metabolite of Terfenadine with minimal sedative effect. Oral administration twice a day. It is excreted into breast milk in clinically non-significant amount (Butler 2014, So 2010, Leachman 2006, Lucas 1995). On a telephone interview, 10% of infants whose mothers were on terfenadine, recognized to have experienced colicky pain and hyperexcitability that disappeared without treatment (Ito 1993). American Academy of Pediatrics: medication usually compatible with breastfeeding (AAP 2001).

Answer by DrLact: About Fexofenadine Hydrochloride usage in lactation

Because of its lack of sedation and low milk levels, maternal use of fexofenadine would not be expected to cause any adverse effects in breastfed infants. Fexofenadine might have a negative effect on lactation, especially in combination with a sympathomimetic agent such as pseudoephedrine.

Fexofenadine Hydrochloride Side Effects in Breastfeeding

In one telephone follow-up study of 25 infants exposed to the fexofenadine's parent drug terfenadine, 3 mothers reported irritability in their infants. None of the reactions required medical attention.[2]

Fexofenadine Hydrochloride Possible Effects in Breastfeeding

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 antihistamines 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.

Alternate Drugs for Antihistamines for systemic use. ATC R06A.

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