Is Sulopenem and Probenecid 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 Sulopenem and Probenecid. 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 sulopenem during breastfeeding. Its excretion into breastmilk is likely similar to that of imipenem and meropenem, which produce low levels in milk that are not expected to cause adverse effects in breastfed infants. Limited information indicates that maternal doses of probenecid up to 2 grams daily produce low levels in milk and would not be expected to cause any adverse effects in breastfed infants, especially if the infant is older than 2 months. Occasionally disruption of the infant's gastrointestinal flora, resulting in diarrhea or thrush has been reported with beta-lactams, but these effects have not been adequately evaluated. Sulopenem-probenecid is acceptable in nursing mothers.
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. A woman was given probenecid 500 mg orally 4 times daily to enhance cephalexin serum levels. After 16 days of therapy at 4.5 weeks postpartum, 12 samples of breastmilk (6 pairs of fore- and hindmilk) were collected over a 16-hour period. The average concentration of probenecid in milk was 964 mcg/L, corresponding to an infant dosage of 145 mcg/kg daily and 0.7% of the maternal weight-adjusted dosage.[1]
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 Sulopenem and Probenecid 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 “Sulopenem and Probenecid” (sulopenem_probeneci). 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.