Can you take dantrolene while breastfeeding?
What LactMed says
The National Library of Medicine’s own summary, quoted in full. We do not write a verdict of our own on this question, and we do not compress theirs into a label.
Because no information is available on the long-term use of dantrolene during breastfeeding, an alternate drug may be preferred, especially while nursing a newborn or preterm infant. After short-term use, the drug would be expected to be eliminated from milk in 1 to 2 days.
Quoted from Dantrolene — Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed®), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, revised March 17, 2021.
What LactMed would consider instead
LactMed ends this record by naming the drugs it would consider in place of dantrolene. Whether any of them fits depends on what you are treating — this is the database’s list, not a recommendation from us.
How much dantrolene gets into breastmilk
Maternal Levels. Administration of several intravenous dantrolene doses were given over 3 days to a postpartum mother in divided doses. Total daily dosages were 720 mg on day 1, 320 mg on day 2, and 80 mg on day 3. A milk level of 1.2 mg/L was measured on day 2 after a total of 640 mg had been given. The milk level was 50 mcg/L on day 4 about 35 hours after the last dose. Dantrolene half-life in milk was 9.2 hours.
Infant Levels. Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
What has been seen in breastfed infants
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.
Frequently asked questions
Can you take dantrolene while breastfeeding?
What the NIH's Drugs and Lactation Database says about Dantrolene while breastfeeding — quoted in full. The full record is quoted on this page, and the decision is one to make with the person who prescribed it — LactMed itself states it is not a substitute for professional judgement.
What can I take instead of dantrolene while breastfeeding?
LactMed lists Baclofen as alternate drugs to consider. That is the database's own list for this drug — whether any of them suits you depends on what you are treating.
Does dantrolene pass into breastmilk?
LactMed's measured drug levels for dantrolene are quoted in full on this page, under "How much gets into breastmilk".
Do I need to pump and dump after taking dantrolene?
LactMed does not frame its records that way — it reports measured drug levels in milk and what has been observed in breastfed infants, which is what this page quotes. "Pump and dump" advice for a specific drug and dose should come from your clinician or a pharmacist, not from a general rule.
More on dantrolene
LactMed states that the information it presents is not a substitute for professional judgement, and that you should consult your healthcare provider for breastfeeding advice related to your particular situation. Nothing on this page is medical advice.