Is Nitrazepam safe while breastfeeding?
Here is what NIH LactMed, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's authority on medicines and breastfeeding, reports about Nitrazepam. 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. Five women received radioactively tagged nitrazepam 5 mg at 8 pm daily for 5 days. Milk samples were collected daily at 9 am and 5:45 pm. The authors estimated that an infant would receive about 5 to 10 mcg/L of nitrazepam per 100 mL of milk ingested.[ 1 ] Ten mothers were given oral nitrazepam 5 mg for sleep in the first 5 nights postpartum if they requested it. One of the mothers did not produce enough milk to measure the drug. Of the remaining 9 mothers, between 4 and 8 took the medication nightly. Milk nitrazepam levels were measured at 6 am the following day, 6 to 8 hours after the previous dose. Average milk concentrations were about 8.4 mcg/L on day 1 and 14 mcg/L on day 5. The authors calculated that a breastfed infant would receive an average of between 1 and 1.5 mcg per 100 mL of milk ingested or a maximum of 2 mcg per 100 mL.[ 2 ] This is equivalent to about 2.6% of the maternal weight-adjusted dose.[ 3 ] Infant Levels. One mother took nitrazepam 5 mg orally at bedtime for sleep nightly for 5 nights while breastfeeding her newborn. On day 5 of life, nitrazepam was undetectable ( 2.8 mcg/L) in the infant's serum.[ 2 ]
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.