Question

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

Tamoxifen lactation summary

Tamoxifen is dangerous in breastfeeding
  • DrLact safety Score for Tamoxifen is 7 out of 8 which is considered Dangerous as per our analyses.
  • A safety Score of 7 indicates that usage of Tamoxifen may cause toxic or severe side effects in breastfed baby.
  • Our study of different scientific research indicates that Tamoxifen may cause moderate to high side effects or may affect milk supply in lactating mother.
  • Our suggestion is to use safer alternate options rather than using Tamoxifen .
  • Usage of Tamoxifen is in contradiction to breastfeeding hence if it is must to use Tamoxifen and there is no better alternative available then breastfeeding shall be stopped permanently or temporarily.
  • 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 Tamoxifen usage in lactation

Anti-estrogen drug with anticancer effects. May inhibit lactation. It is not safe for the mother to continue BF whenever a risk of residual tumor is likely, which actually has been the reason for using this drug. Once any risk had disappeared (later on, or after a future pregnancy) it is convenient to resume BF.

Answer by DrLact: About Tamoxifen usage in lactation

Since tamoxifen can suppress postpartum lactation and its excretion into breastmilk is not known, it should be avoided in nursing mothers.

Tamoxifen Possible Effects in Breastfeeding

Tamoxifen was more effective than placebo in suppressing lactation and preventing engorgement and pain in two trials in postpartum mothers. Neither study stated what, if any, physical methods (e.g., breast binding) were used concurrently.[1][2] In one study of 80 women, tamoxifen 10 mg four times daily for 5 days was more effective than placebo in suppressing a rise in serum prolactin after use of a mechanical breast pump after 5 days of treatment, but not on day 3. All of the women in the study had breastfed a previous child.[2] The other study of 150 women used 2 regimens: tamoxifen 30 mg twice daily for 2 days followed by 10 mg twice daily for 2 days; and 10 mg twice daily for 14 days. More women in the tamoxifen groups had not previously breastfed an infant.[1] In a case report, a woman with a history of breastfeeding 4 children (the last having been weaned 10 months earlier) began lactating after 1 week of a cancer chemotherapy regimen for breast cancer that included tamoxifen 20 mg/day. Milk production continued for several weeks until tamoxifen was discontinued after which it did not return during 12 more weeks of chemotherapy.[3]

Alternate Drugs

Cladribine(Dangerous)
Erlotinib(Unsafe)
Gemcitabine(Dangerous)
Dasatinib(Unsafe)
Nilotinib(Unsafe)
Vincristine(Dangerous)
Ipilimumab(Unsafe)
Cetuximab(Unsafe)
Tamoxifen(Dangerous)
Carboplatin(Dangerous)
Mitoxantrone(Dangerous)
Paclitaxel(Dangerous)
Fluorouracil(Dangerous)
Alemtuzumab(Low Risk)
Letrozole(Dangerous)
Nivolumab(Unsafe)
Hydroxyurea(Low Risk)
Rituximab(Low Risk)
Exemestane(Dangerous)
Vinblastine(Dangerous)
Etoposide(Dangerous)
Bleomycin(Dangerous)
Docetaxel(Dangerous)
Doxorubicin(Dangerous)
Bevacizumab(Low Risk)
Pazopanib(Unsafe)
Vinorelbine(Dangerous)
Dactinomycin(Dangerous)
Cyclophosphamide(Dangerous)
Dacarbazine(Dangerous)
Cisplatin(Unsafe)
Trastuzumab(Unsafe)
Busulfan(Dangerous)
Thioguanine(Dangerous)
Imatinib(Unsafe)
Tamoxifen(Dangerous)
Clomiphene(Low Risk)
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.