Is Sincalide 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 Sincalide. The text below is quoted from that source — it is not our own verdict.
Summary of use during breastfeeding
Sincalide is a synthetic octapeptide analogue of cholecystokinin. Because sincalide has a molecular weight of 1143 Da, the amount in milk is likely to be low and oral absorption by the infant is unlikely because it is probably partially destroyed in the infant's gastrointestinal tract and poorly absorbed orally. The serum half-life of sincalide is less than 2 minutes, indicating that withholding breastfeeding for 10 minutes after a dose should ensure that the infant is not exposed to the drug.
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. Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
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 Sincalide 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 “Sincalide” (LM1183). 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.