Is Piperacillin and Tazobactam safe while breastfeeding?
Here is what NIH LactMed, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's authority on medicines and breastfeeding, reports about Piperacillin and Tazobactam. 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. No studies on the combination of piperacillin and tazobactam during breastfeeding have been reported. Piperacillin in a dosage of 4 grams intravenously every 8 hours for 3 or more days was given to 8 women. Milk levels were measured after 2 subsequent doses. After the first dose, milk levels ranged from 0.49 to 1.5 mg/L in the 3 hours after the dose. After the second dose, milk levels ranged from 1.1 to 1.9 mg/L in the 3 hours after the dose. Peak milk levels occurred 2 to 3 hours after the dose.[ 1 ] Infant Levels. Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
“No published information” means the studies do not exist yet — not that Piperacillin and Tazobactam 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.