Question

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

Gemcitabinum lactation summary

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

Drug is cleared from the body in 16 elimination half-lives. Resuming breastfeeding is likely safe after 7 days of of pumping-and-dumping.

Answer by DrLact: About Gemcitabinum usage in lactation

Most sources consider breastfeeding to be contraindicated during maternal antineoplastic drug therapy. It might be possible to breastfeed safely during intermittent Gemcitabinum therapy with an appropriate period of breastfeeding abstinence; the manufacturer recommends an abstinence period of 1 week after the last dose. 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.[2]

Gemcitabinum 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 fluorouracil-containing regimen, 8 had breastfeeding difficulties.[2]

Alternate Drugs

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