Is Pentoxifylline 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 Pentoxifylline. The text below is quoted from that source — it is not our own verdict.
Summary of use during breastfeeding
Limited data indicate that pentoxifylline is poorly excreted into breastmilk. It would not be expected to cause any adverse effects in breastfed infants, especially if the infant is older than 2 months.
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. Five women who had been breastfeeding for at least 6 weeks received a single 400 mg oral dose of a sustained-release form of pentoxifylline. The average total milk concentration of pentoxifylline plus its 3 active metabolites was 419 mcg/L at 2 hours after the dose and 982 mcg/L at 4 hours.[1] Using the peak milk level data from this study, an exclusively breastfed infant would receive an estimated maximum of 147 mcg/kg daily with this maternal dosage regimen or about 2% of the maternal weight-adjusted dosage.
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 Pentoxifylline 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 “Pentoxifylline” (LM504). 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.