Is Dimethyl Sulfoxide 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 Dimethyl Sulfoxide. The text below is quoted from that source — it is not our own verdict.
Summary of use during breastfeeding
The concentration of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) has been measured in breastmilk in only one patient after a 15-minute retention in the bladder. The amount in milk is trivial, but its metabolite was not measured and whether it changes the odor or taste of milk was not determined. At most, only about 16% of DMSO in the bladder is absorbed systemically, compared to about 70% after oral administration, so this study does not represent the amount an infant would receive after oral intake by the mother.[1,2]
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
Dimethyl sulfoxide is slowly metabolized to dimethyl sulfone after absorption.
Maternal Levels. One nursing mother received a treatment for interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) consisting of a single instillation of 50 mL of 50% DMSO into the bladder, which was voided after 15 minutes. Milk samples were obtained before instillation and 5, 11, 19, 24, 27, 32, and 36 hours after the treatment. DMSO was analyzed, but its metabolite, dimethylsulfone, was not measured. A peak milk DMSO concentration of 34.5 mg/L occurred at 5 hours after the treatment. The average milk DMSO concentration was 13.4 mg/L, which resulted in an estimated daily dosage of 2 mg/kg for the infant and a relative infant dosage of 0.45%.[3]
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 Dimethyl Sulfoxide 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 “Dimethyl Sulfoxide” (DMSO). 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.