Is Opipramol 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 Opipramol. The text below is quoted from that source — it is not our own verdict.
Summary of use during breastfeeding
Opipramol is not approved for marketing in the United States, but is available overseas. No information is available on the clinical use of opipramol during breastfeeding. Amounts in breastmilk appear to be low and would not be expected to cause any adverse effects in breastfed infants. However, the analytic technique used in the paper would not meet modern standards.
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. In an old paper, 10 women were given opipramol 100 mg orally 3 times daily for 2 days. Milk samples were obtained 3 times daily 1.5 hour before the morning dose, 3 hours after the morning dose and 3 hours after the afternoon dose. On day 2, the drug concentrations in milk averaged 40 mcg/L before the morning dose and 65 mcg/L 3 hours after the afternoon dose. The highest milk level found in any participant was 160 mcg/L.[1] If a maternal weight of 60 kg and an infant milk intake of 150 mL/kg daily are assumed, and a milk level of 65 mcg/L is used, the relative infant dose of opipramol would be 0.02%. Because of the age of the paper, the accuracy of the analytic method in this paper is questionable.
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 Opipramol 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 “Opipramol” (opipramol). 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.