Is Demeclocycline safe while breastfeeding?
Here is what NIH LactMed, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's authority on medicines and breastfeeding, reports about Demeclocycline. 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
Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Levels in milk
Maternal Levels . In 9 women, colostrum levels of demeclocycline ranged from 50 mcg/L to 1 mg/L during a dosage regimen of oral demeclocycline 600 mg daily for 1 to 5 days. Low levels of the drug were detectable in milk for up to 6 days after discontinuation of the drug.[ 1 ] Thirty-six women were studied after receiving oral demeclocycline 300 mg daily for 1 to 9 days after delivery. Demeclocycline was undetectable in milk after a single dose of 300 mg. After repeated doses, milk levels ranged from undetectable to 1.4 mg/L at various times after the dose.[ 1 ] Using the data above, it is estimated that a breastfed infant would receive a maximum of 200 to 300 mcg daily.[ 1 , 2 ] Infant Levels . Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Alternatives LactMed lists
“No published information” means the studies do not exist yet — not that Demeclocycline is known to be harmful, and not that it is known to be safe. Your prescriber or pharmacist can weigh your baby's age and whether a better-studied alternative would do the same job. Worth asking before stopping a medicine you need.
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.