Is Nalmefene 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 Nalmefene. 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 use of nalmefene in nursing mothers. If nalmefene is required by the mother for an opiate overdose, she should withhold nursing until the opiate is out of her system. Because nalmefene has some oral bioavailability, use in a nursing mother might cause abstinence symptoms in a breastfed infant who is opioid tolerant.
Effects on the breastfed infant
Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Effects on milk supply
Nalmefene increases serum prolactin in nonpregnant and nonlactating individuals.[1,2] The prolactin level in a mother with established lactation may not affect her ability to breastfeed.
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
Source: Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), via NCBI Bookshelf, record “Nalmefene” (nalmefene). 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.