Is Acamprosate safe while breastfeeding?
Here is what LactMed, the Drugs and Lactation Database published by the U.S. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), reports about Acamprosate. The text below is quoted from that source — it is not our own verdict.
Summary of use during breastfeeding
No information is available on the clinical use of acamprosate during breastfeeding. Based on its chemical properties it is likely to enter milk. However, the oral bioavailability of acamprosate is only 11%, so systemic effects in the breastfed infant are unlikely. If acamprosate is required by the mother, it is not a reason to discontinue breastfeeding. Monitor the breastfed infant for diarrhea.
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. Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Infant Levels. Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Alternatives LactMed lists
“No published information” means the studies do not exist yet — not that Acamprosate 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: Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), via NCBI Bookshelf, record “Acamprosate” (acamprosate). LactMed on NCBI Bookshelf. LactMed is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Educational summary of an authoritative source — not medical advice. Never start, stop, or change a medicine while breastfeeding without confirming with your doctor.