Is Sodium Phenylbutyrate 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 Sodium Phenylbutyrate. 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 clinical use of sodium phenylbutyrate or the combination of sodium phenylbutyrate and taurursodiol during breastfeeding. Both sodium phenylbutyrate and taurursodiol are highly protein bound and therefore unlikely to enter milk in clinically important amounts. If sodium phenylbutyrate with or without taurursodiol is required by the mother, it is not a reason to discontinue breastfeeding. Until more data become available, these products should be used with caution during breastfeeding, especially while nursing a newborn or preterm infant. Monitoring the breastfed infant for neurotoxicity (excessive sedation, vomiting) during maternal therapy may be advisable.
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 Sodium Phenylbutyrate 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 “Sodium Phenylbutyrate” (phenylbutyrate). 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.