Is Methylprednisolone Safe in Breastfeeding

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

Excreted into breast milk in non-significant amount with no problems reported in breastfed infants whose mothers were treated at a daily dose as high as 8 mg for a long time period. On long term treatments it would be advisable to wait for 2 - 4 hours until the next nurse to minimize the transfer of drug to breast milk. By waiting for 2 a 4 hours after a methylprednisolone megadose or a pulse therapy dose, the transfer into breast milk may be minimized as well. At high doses, intra-articular treatment with other steroid drugs (Triamcinolone) have transiently affected milk production. Steroids administered before delivery may delay initiation of phase II of Lactogenesis ("milk come in") and decrease milk production in the first postpartum week. Decreased production has been seen while taking Dexametasone. Steroid drugs are commonly used for Pediatric treatment with no side effects when infrequently used and for short-time periods. The American Academy of Pediatrics rates it compatible with breastfeeding. WHO Model List of Essential Medicines (2002) rates it compatible with breastfeeding

Amounts of methylprednisolone in breastmilk are very low. No adverse effect have been reported in breastfed infants with maternal use of any corticosteroid during breastfeeding. With maternal intravenous doses of methylprednisolone 1 gram, fully breastfed infants would receive doses less than their daily cortisol output, and much less than a therapeutic dose on the day of infusion; accumulation of the drug does not occur in breastmilk with 3 consecutive daily doses. Avoiding breastfeeding during the infusion for as little as 2 hours after a 1 gram intravenous dose would markedly reduce infant exposure. Breastfeeding abstinence for 2 to 4 hours would further reduce the infant dose. Local injections, such as for tendinitis, would not be expected to cause any adverse effects in breastfed infants, but might occasionally cause temporary loss of milk supply.

None reported with methylprednisolone or any other corticosteroid. None reported with methylprednisolone or any other corticosteroid. Three infants were breastfed from birth during maternal use of methylprednisolone 6 to 8 mg daily with no reported adverse effects up to 3 months.[1][9] In one of the papers, 2 infants had normal blood cell counts, no increase in infections and above average growth rates.[9] Sixteen nursing mothers with multiple sclerosis received 1 gram of methylprednisolone intravenously over 1 hour, either monthly (n = 7) or over 3 consecutive days (n = 9). Infants did not breastfeed for 4 hours after the dose. No adverse effects were observed in infants during 3 to 12 months of follow-up.[10]

A patient who was 6 weeks postpartum and predominantly breastfeeding her infant received 24 mg of depot methylprednisolone plus 15 mg of lidocaine intralesionally for tenosynovitis of the wrist. Thirty hours after the injection, lactation ceased. Her breasts were soft and not engorged at that time. Thirty-six hours later, lactation resumed slowly, reaching normal milk production 24 hours later. The author hypothesized that the suppression might have occurred because the injection was in a highly mobile joint, which might have caused rapid release of the corticosteroid.[11] Large doses of triamcinolone injected into the shoulder and into the wrist have also been reported to cause temporary drop or cessation of lactation.[12][13] A study of 46 women who delivered an infant before 34 weeks of gestation found that a course of another corticosteroid (betamethasone, 2 intramuscular injections of 11.4 mg of betamethasone 24 hours apart) given between 3 and 9 days before delivery resulted in delayed lactogenesis II and lower average milk volumes during the 10 days after delivery. Milk volume was not affected if the infant was delivered less than 3 days or more than 10 days after the mother received the corticosteroid.[14] An equivalent dosage regimen of methylprednisolone might have the same effect. A study of 87 pregnant women found that betamethasone given as above during pregnancy caused a premature stimulation of lactose secretion during pregnancy. Although the increase was statistically significant, the clinical importance appears to be minimal.[15] An equivalent dosage regimen of methylprednisolone might have the same effect. Sixteen nursing mothers with multiple sclerosis received 1 gram of methylprednisolone intravenously over 1 hour, either monthly (n = 7) or over 3 consecutive days (n = 9). None of the mothers reported a decrease in their milk supply.[10]