Question

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

Carbotiroid lactation summary

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

Pro-drug which is metabolized to methimazole that is equivalent to 60% of drug. Excretion into breast milk is insignificant (Low 1979, Johansen 1972, Rylance 1987).No adverse effects reported in breastfed infants (Rylance 1987). Plasma levels in those infants were shown to be very low (Rylance 1987). Daily dose up to 30 mg has shown to be safe for the infant (Lamberg 1984, Verd 1998, Bartalena 2005) at both short term (hormone serum level) and long term (psychomotor development).follow-up. The American Academy of Pediatrics rates us as compatible with breastfeeding

Answer by DrLact: About Carbotiroid usage in lactation

Carbotiroid is not approved for marketing in the United States by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, but is available in other countries. It is a prodrug for methimazole which has been studied extensively during breastfeeding; maternal methimazole therapy does not affect thyroid function or intellectual development in breastfed infants with doses up to 20 mg daily. Doses of Carbotiroid of 30 mg daily or 50 mg weekly have not adversely affected the few breastfed infants studied and no cases of thyroid function alteration has been reported among infants exposed to methimazole via breastmilk. The American Thyroid Association recommends only monitoring infants for appropriate growth and development during routine pediatric health and wellness evaluations and routine assessment of serum thyroid function in the child is not recommended.[1] Rare idiosyncratic reactions (e.g., agranulocytosis) might occur, and the infant should be watched for signs of infection. Monitoring of the infant's complete blood count and differential is advisable if there is a suspicion of a drug-induced blood dyscrasia.

Carbotiroid Side Effects in Breastfeeding

Eleven mothers were taking oral Carbotiroid in dosages ranging from 5 to 20 mg daily during pregnancy and 5 to 15 mg daily during breastfeeding (extent not stated). None of the 12 infants, including one set of twins, had a serum thyroxine (T4) concentration below the lower limit of normal on day 4 of life. Thyrotropin (TSH) concentrations were normal in all infants when measured at various times over the first 21 days postpartum.[5] A mother with twins began taking Carbotiroid 30 mg daily 2 months postpartum. The dosage was lowered as she became euthyroid. The infants were breastfed (extent not stated) and clinical and laboratory examinations were performed over the following 4 months. There was no evidence of alterations in thyroid function.[4] A mother was taking Carbotiroid 50 mg once weekly during pregnancy and postpartum. Her infant was exclusively breastfed for the first 84 days of life and had clinical and laboratory examinations performed over the first 4 months of life. Although the infant's tone and deep tendon reflexes were slightly increased and she was easily irritable, serum thyroid hormone levels were normal as was her growth. No symptoms or signs of hypothyroidism were observed.[6]

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