Is Acitretin safe while breastfeeding?
Here is what NIH LactMed, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's authority on medicines and breastfeeding, reports about Acitretin. This is a summary of that source — not our own verdict.
Effects on the breastfed infant
Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Effects on milk supply
A review of adverse reaction reports on retinoids causing a breast reaction submitted to a French pharmacovigilance center found 8 cases of gynecomastia associated with acitretin use.[ 4 ]
Levels in milk
Maternal Levels. A woman who was 8 months postpartum discontinued breastfeeding and began acitretin 40 mg (0.65 mg/kg) once daily by mouth after breakfast. Milk was collected before starting the drug and then twice daily for 9 days. Acitretin and its 13-cis-metabolite were detected in milk 12 hours after the first dose and levels gradually increased over 4 to 5 days to steady-state levels between 30 and 40 mcg/L that did not fluctuate markedly during the day. Acitretin was the main component found in milk 10 to 12 hours after a dose while the metabolite was the primary component in milk 22 to 24 hours after the previous dose.[ 3 ] Assuming an average milk level of 35 mcg/L, an exclusively breastfed infant would receive an estimated 0.8% of the maternal weight-adjusted dosage as acitretin and its metabolite. Infant Levels. Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Alternatives LactMed lists
Source: NIH LactMed (National Library of Medicine).
Educational summary of an authoritative source — not medical advice. Never start, stop, or change a medicine while breastfeeding without confirming with your doctor.