Is Glucosamine 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 Glucosamine. The text below is quoted from that source — it is not our own verdict.
Summary of use during breastfeeding
Glucosamine is an amino-monosaccharide that is either derived from shellfish or synthetically produced. Glucosamine sulfate has no specific lactation-related uses. It is most commonly used to treat osteoarthritis. A glucosamine derivative, N-acetylglucosamine, is a normal component of human breastmilk. Glucosamine sulfate is well tolerated with occasional gastrointestinal discomfort (e.g., diarrhea, heartburn, nausea, vomiting) reported. Although no studies exist on the use of glucosamine sulfate during breastfeeding, its use by a nursing mother is unlikely to adversely affect the breastfed infant.
Dietary supplements do not require extensive pre-marketing approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Manufacturers are responsible to ensure the safety, but do not need to prove the safety and effectiveness of dietary supplements before they are marketed. Dietary supplements may contain multiple ingredients, and differences are often found between labeled and actual ingredients or their amounts. A manufacturer may contract with an independent organization to verify the quality of a product or its ingredients, but that does not certify the safety or effectiveness of a product. Because of the above issues, clinical testing results on one product may not be applicable to other products. More detailed information about dietary supplements is available elsewhere on the LactMed Web site.
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. N-acetylglucosamine is a normal component of human breastmilk. One study measured its content in the breastmilk of 8 mothers nursing fullterm infants. Average concentrations ranged from 1,459 mg/L during week 1 postpartum to 646 mg/L during week 13 postpartum. Considerable variation occurred within and between mothers at various times of the day. Two mothers of preterm infants had higher levels of N-acetylglucosamine than the mothers of fullterm infants.[1]
Another study found higher levels of N-acetylglucosamine in the breastmilk of smokers than in nonsmokers.[2]
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 Glucosamine 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 “Glucosamine” (LM950). 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.