Is Xenon Xe 133 safe while breastfeeding?
Here is what NIH LactMed, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's authority on medicines and breastfeeding, reports about Xenon Xe 133. 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
Xenon 133 is a beta emitter with a physical half-life of 5.2 days, a photopeak of 81 keV, and beta-decay.[ 2 ] Because of the poor solubility of xenon Xe 133, the amount that enters the venous circulation after inhalation is negligible. The small amount of xenon Xe 133 gas that passes into the venous circulation returns rapidly to the lungs to be exhaled. Maternal Levels. Excretion of nonradioactive xenon in breastmilk was studied in 2 women who underwent about 1 hour of xenon anesthesia with a 65 to 69% inhaled xenon concentration. One mother consumed 8.3 L of xenon and the other had consumed 10 L during the procedure. Milk samples taken at 90 and 300 minutes after extubation contained no detectable xenon.[ 4 ] 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 Xenon Xe 133 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.