Is Sodium Iodide I 131 safe while breastfeeding?
Here is what NIH LactMed, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's authority on medicines and breastfeeding, reports about Sodium Iodide I 131. 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
I 131 is a beta and high-energy gamma emitter with a main gamma emission energy of 364 keV and a physical half-life of 8.04 days.[ 9 ] Estimates of the average effective half-life of sodium iodide I 131 vary from 9.2 hours to 14 hours, and it may be as long as 48 hours in some patients. Iodide is actively secreted into breastmilk by the NaI symporter, which is stimulated by lactation, and actively taken up by the mother's and infant's thyroid glands.[ 14 ] About 31% (range 25% to 48%) of administered radioactivity is excreted into breastmilk after administration of sodium iodide I 131.[ 15 , 16 ]
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.