Question

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

Nifurtimox lactation summary

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

Used for treatment of Leishmania infection and American Trypanosomiasis (T. cruzi: Chagas Disease, -see specific info) and African (Trypanosomiasis T. gambiensis: Sleeping Sickness). It is excreted into breastmilk in small amounts (Garcia-Bournissen 2010) and there have not been observed problems in infants from treated mothers (Schmid 2012), so many experts consider it compatible with breastfeeding (Sankale 1991 Barennes 2010). Nifurtimox has been very well tolerated when administered directly to infants and newborns (Schmid 2012)

Answer by DrLact: About Nifurtimox usage in lactation

Limited information indicates that maternal doses of nifurtimox up to 15 mg/kg daily produce do not cause any adverse serious effects in breastfed infants. Breastmilk levels and a computer simulation found that the dose that an exclusively breastfed infant would receive through breastmilk would be much less than the dose given to treat Chagas disease in newborn infants. Other authors consider that breastfeeding is not contraindicated during the use of nifurtimox.[1][2]

Nifurtimox Side Effects in Breastfeeding

A cohort of 33 infants who were breastfed (extent not stated) by hospitalized mothers taking nifurtimox was followed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Thirty mothers took a full course of 30 doses of oral nifurtimox 15 mg/kg daily and all received 14 doses of intravenous eflornithine 400 mg/kg daily for 7 days for human African trypanosomiasis. (sleeping sickness). Nursing mothers also took a median of 4 other concomitant medications. No serious adverse events were reported in any of the breastfed infants.[5]
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.