Is Eszopiclone safe while breastfeeding?
Here is what NIH LactMed, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's authority on medicines and breastfeeding, reports about Eszopiclone. This is a summary of that source — not our own verdict.
Effects on the breastfed infant
In 12 mothers who were 2 to 6 days postpartum and took 7.5 mg of zopiclone, infant breastfeeding was interrupted for 8 to 10 hours before resuming. No unusual effect were noted in the infants.[ 2 ] Thirty-week preterm twins were born to a mother who took zopiclone 3.75 mg 4 times daily for tension headache during pregnancy. They developed withdrawal symptoms during the first week of life. Beginning at 2 weeks of age, they were about two-thirds breastfed by their mother who continued the drug at the same dose. The infants had no clinical abnormalities and were discharged from the hospital 6 weeks after birth.[ 5 ]
Effects on milk supply
Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Levels in milk
Eszopiclone is the S-isomer of zopiclone which is a racemic mixture containing 50% S- and 50% R-eszopiclone. In the United States, the recommended dose of eszopiclone is 2 mg compared with the dose of 7.5 mg of zopiclone used in Europe. Maternal Levels. Three nursing women (time postpartum not stated) received a single oral dose of zopiclone 7.5 mg. Peak milk levels of about 55 mcg/L occurred about 2 hours after the dose. The half-life in milk was similar to that in plasma which was 5.3 hours in healthy adults.[ 3 , 4 ] Twelve nursing mothers who were 2 to 6 days postpartum were given a single oral dose of 7.5 mg of zopiclone. The peak milk level averaged 34 mcg/L (range 24 to 57 mcg/L) and it occurred 2.4 hours (range 1 to 6 hours) after the dose. The mean half-life in milk was 5.3 hours (range 3.5 to 8.6 hours). The authors estimated that an exclusively breastfed infant would receive an average of 15 mcg/kg or 1.2 to 1.4% of the maternal weight-adjusted dosage of zopiclone.[ 2 ] A woman took zopiclone 3.75 mg 4 times daily during pregnancy and postpartum for tension headaches. At 2 weeks postpartum, 2 hours after the second dose of the day, milk zopiclone levels ranged from 2.4 to 47.3 mcg/L and daily zopiclone excretion in the milk was estimated to be 3 mcg for a production of 335 mL. The weight-adjusted maternal dosage was estimated to be 3.2%.[ 5 ] 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.