Is 6-TG Safe in Breastfeeding
Question
I am a breastfeeding mother and i want to know if it is safe to use 6-TG? Is 6-TG safe for nursing mother and child? Does 6-TG extracts into breast milk? Does 6-TG has any long term or short term side effects on infants? Can 6-TG influence milk supply or can 6-TG decrease milk supply in lactating mothers?
6-TG lactation summary
- DrLact safety Score for 6-TG is 7 out of 8 which is considered Dangerous as per our analyses.
- A safety Score of 7 indicates that usage of 6-TG may cause toxic or severe side effects in breastfed baby.
- Our study of different scientific research indicates that 6-TG 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 6-TG .
- Usage of 6-TG is in contradiction to breastfeeding hence if it is must to use 6-TG 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 6-TG usage in lactation
Indicated for treatment of leukemia.
Answer by DrLact: About 6-TG usage in lactation
Most sources consider breastfeeding to be contraindicated during maternal antineoplastic drug therapy, although antimetabolites such as 6-TG appear to pose the least risk to breastfed infants.[1] 6-TG levels in milk are reportedly low. 6-TG nucleosides are active intracellular metabolites of azathioprine and have been measured in breastmilk and in infant serum following maternal use of azathioprine as an immunosuppressant. Although amounts in milk were low in breastmilk and mostly undetectable in infant serum, relatively low dosages of azathioprine were used. After high-dose chemotherapy, it might be possible to breastfeed safely during intermittent therapy with an appropriate period of breastfeeding abstinence. Although no data are available to determine an appropriate period to withhold breastfeeding, the drug's terminal half-life suggests that withholding breastfeeding for 4 days may be sufficient. Chemotherapy may adversely affect the normal microbiome and chemical makeup of breastmilk.[2]
6-TG Side Effects in Breastfeeding
6-TG is an active metabolite of azathioprine. Numerous infants breastfed during maternal azathioprine in dosages up to 250 mg daily have been reported with no adverse effects noted. See Azathioprine record for details.
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