Question

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

Answer by DrLact: About Selegiline usage in lactation

A minimal amount of clinical use of selegiline during breastfeeding has been reported. Although no adverse reactions have been reported in the breastfed infants, an alternate drug may be preferred, especially while nursing a newborn or preterm infant. The manufacturer of the selegiling transdermal patch recommends that breastfeeding is not recommended during treatment and for 5 days after the final dose.

Selegiline Side Effects in Breastfeeding

A woman took selegiline 10 mg/day, levodopa 400 mg and benserazide 100 mg daily throughout pregnancy and continued them while breastfeeding her infant for 3 days. The child was followed for 10 years and no developmental abnormalities were found.[2] A woman with severe depression used a selegiline patch 6 mg per day during pregnancy and postpartum. She exclusively breastfed her infant for an unstated period of time. Pediatric follow-up at 5 months of age found that the infant was developing normally.[1]

Selegiline Possible Effects in Breastfeeding

Selegiline can decrease serum prolactin in women with migraine,[3] and in those taking neuroleptic drugs.[4][5] The clinical relevance of these findings in nursing mothers is not known. The prolactin level in a mother with established lactation may not affect her ability to breastfeed.
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