Can you take diatrizoate 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.
Limited information indicates that maternal doses of diatrizoate up to 38 g (containing 18.5 grams of iodine) produce low levels in milk. In addition, because diatrizoate is poorly absorbed orally, it is not likely to reach the bloodstream of the infant or cause any adverse effects in breastfed infants. Guidelines developed by several professional organizations state that breastfeeding need not be disrupted after a nursing mother receives an iodine-containing contrast medium.
Quoted from Diatrizoate — Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed®), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, revised September 15, 2024.
What LactMed would consider instead
LactMed ends this record by naming the drugs it would consider in place of diatrizoate. Whether any of them fits depends on what you are treating — this is the database’s list, not a recommendation from us.
How much diatrizoate gets into breastmilk
A woman who was 10 days postpartum received diatrizoate meglumine intravenously in a dose equivalent to 306 mg of iodine for phlebography. Bound iodine (presumably diatrizoate and any metabolites) in breastmilk was measured. Iodine was not found in the breastmilk until 2.25 hours after the dose when a concentration of 20 mg/L was detected. At 7 hours, a peak concentration of 22 mg/L occurred. Breastmilk iodine concentrations dropped after that until the concentration was 7.4 mg/L at 27 hours after the dose.
One woman who was 7 weeks postpartum received 50 mL of an iodinated contrast medium containing 38 grams of sodium and meglumine salts of diatrizoate by rapid intravenous injection for urography (intravenous pyelogram; IVP). The total dose of iodine in this dose was 18.5 grams. Milk samples were expressed at 6, 9, 13 and 16.5 hours after the dose. Diatrizoate was undetectable (<2 mg/L) in any of the milk samples.
A woman received 300 mL of sodium and meglumine salts of diatrizoate by intravenous injection for pulmonary angiography for a suspected pulmonary embolism 48 hours after delivery by cesarean section. This dose contained a total of 93 grams of iodine. All milk produced for the next 5 days (collection method not stated) was saved for analysis. The total amount of iodine excreted into milk during the first 24 hours after the dose was 31 mg or 0.03% of the dose administered. On the second and third days after administration, 0.008% (7.6 mg) and 0.0005% (0.5 mg), respectively, of the iodine dose was excreted in milk. By day 5, the concentration of iodine in milk was 119 mcg/L, compared to the mean of 70 mcg/L in 200 samples of normal breastmilk in the same laboratory.
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 diatrizoate while breastfeeding?
Limited information indicates that maternal doses of diatrizoate up to 38 g (containing 18.5 grams of iodine) produce low levels in milk. 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 diatrizoate while breastfeeding?
LactMed lists Iohexol 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 diatrizoate pass into breastmilk?
LactMed's measured drug levels for diatrizoate are quoted in full on this page, under "How much gets into breastmilk".
Do I need to pump and dump after taking diatrizoate?
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 diatrizoate
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.