Is Methohexital 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 Methohexital. The text below is quoted from that source — it is not our own verdict.
Summary of use during breastfeeding
Amounts of methohexital in milk are very small. Existing data indicate that no waiting period is required before resuming breastfeeding after a single dose of methohexital. Breastfeeding can be resumed as soon as the mother has recovered sufficiently to nurse. When a combination of anesthetic agents is used for a procedure, follow the recommendations for the most problematic medication used during the procedure.
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. Nine women who were at least 1 month postpartum received between 120 and 150 mg of methohexital intravenously for induction of general anesthesia for bilateral tubal ligation. Milk samples were obtained in the recovery room after surgery, the evening of surgery and on the day after surgery. The highest milk level was found at 63 minutes after the dose in one woman. Milk levels 1 to 2 hours after the dose ranged from 100 to 407 mcg/L (n = 5); levels 2 to 4 hours after the dose ranged from 39 to 199 mcg/L (n = 4); levels 8 to 10 hours after the dose ranged from undetectable (<20 mcg/L) to 65 mcg/L (n = 9). Methohexital was not detectable in the breastmilk of any woman 24 to 48 hours after the dose. The authors estimated that the typical breastfed infant would receive a maximum single dose of 0.04 mg of methohexital in a 100 mL feeding 1 hour after the dose or between 0.1 to 0.8% of the maternal weight-adjusted dosage.[1]
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 Methohexital 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 “Methohexital” (LM426). 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.