Question

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

Fluorouracilo lactation summary

Fluorouracilo is dangerous in breastfeeding
  • DrLact safety Score for Fluorouracilo is 7 out of 8 which is considered Dangerous as per our analyses.
  • A safety Score of 7 indicates that usage of Fluorouracilo may cause toxic or severe side effects in breastfed baby.
  • Our study of different scientific research indicates that Fluorouracilo 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 Fluorouracilo .
  • Usage of Fluorouracilo is in contradiction to breastfeeding hence if it is must to use Fluorouracilo 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 Fluorouracilo usage in lactation

Drug is cleared from the body in 28 elimination half-lives. Resuming breastfeeding is likely safe after 24 hours of pumping-and-dumping.

Answer by DrLact: About Fluorouracilo usage in lactation

Most sources consider breastfeeding to be contraindicated during maternal antineoplastic drug therapy. It might be possible to breastfeed safely during intermittent therapy with an appropriate period of breastfeeding abstinence, but the duration of abstinence is not clear. Limited information indicates that a maternal continuous intravenous Fluorouracilo infusion at a dose of 200 mg/square meter daily produces undetectable levels in milk. If Fluorouracilo use is undertaken, monitoring of the infant's complete blood count and differential is advisable. Chemotherapy may adversely affect the normal microbiome and chemical makeup of breastmilk.[1] Women who receive chemotherapy during pregnancy are more likely to have difficulty nursing their infant. Topical Fluorouracilo applied away from the breast should pose negligible risk for the breastfed infant; however, it is important to ensure that the infant's skin does not come into direct contact with the areas of skin that have been treated.

Fluorouracilo Possible Effects in Breastfeeding

A telephone follow-up study was conducted on 74 women who received cancer chemotherapy at one center during the second or third trimester of pregnancy to determine if they were successful at breastfeeding postpartum. Only 34% of the women were able to exclusively breastfeed their infants, and 66% of the women reported experiencing breastfeeding difficulties. This was in comparison to a 91% breastfeeding success rate in 22 other mothers diagnosed during pregnancy, but not treated with chemotherapy. Other statistically significant correlations included: 1. mothers with breastfeeding difficulties had an average of 5.5 cycles of chemotherapy compared with 3.8 cycles among mothers who had no difficulties; and 2. mothers with breastfeeding difficulties received their first cycle of chemotherapy on average 3.4 weeks earlier in pregnancy. Of the 9 women who received a Fluorouracilo-containing regimen, 8 had breastfeeding difficulties.[3]

Alternate Drugs

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