Is Minocycline safe while breastfeeding?
Here is what NIH LactMed, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's authority on medicines and breastfeeding, reports about Minocycline. 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 woman taking minocycline 100 mg twice daily for almost 4 years developed galactorrhea after taking perphenazine, amitriptyline and diphenhydramine, and the breast secretion was black in color.[ 2 ] Another woman who had nursed her infant and produced occasional small amounts of breastmilk during the 18 months after weaning was given oral minocycline 150 mg daily. After 3 to 4 weeks, expressed milk had become black. Iron levels in milk were over 100 times greater than that found in normal milk. A mammogram was normal.[ 3 ] In both of these cases, macrophages containing a black, iron-containing pigment were found in milk. It is thought that the pigment is an iron chelate of minocycline or one of its metabolites.[ 2 , 3 ]
Levels in milk
Maternal Levels . After a single dose of minocycline 200 mg orally in 2 patients (time postpartum not stated), a peak milk level of 0.8 mg/L occurred at 6 hours after the dose. Average milk levels ranged between 0.5 and 0.8 mg/L during the 12 hours after the dose and a total of 18 mcg was excreted during this time.[ 1 ] 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.