Can you take ethionamide 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.
Minimal information exists on the use of ethionamide during breastfeeding. Although some developmental problems have been reported in two infants exposed to ethionamide in breastmilk, their mothers were also exposed to several drugs during pregnancy and during breastfeeding, so the problems cannot necessarily be attributed to ethionamide. If ethionamide is required by the mother of an older infant, it is not a reason to discontinue breastfeeding, but until more data become available, an alternate drug may be preferred, especially while nursing a newborn or preterm infant.
Quoted from Ethionamide — Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed®), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, revised September 21, 2020.
How much ethionamide gets into breastmilk
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.
What has been seen in breastfed infants
Ethionamide was used as part of multidrug regimens to treat two pregnant women with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, one throughout pregnancy and postpartum and the other postpartum only. The infants were breastfed (extent and duration not stated). At age 4.6 and 5.1 years, the children were developing normally except for a mild speech delay in one and hyperactivity in the other.
Effects on milk supply
Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Frequently asked questions
Can you take ethionamide while breastfeeding?
Minimal information exists on the use of ethionamide during breastfeeding. 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.
Does ethionamide pass into breastmilk?
LactMed's measured drug levels for ethionamide are quoted in full on this page, under "How much gets into breastmilk".
Do I need to pump and dump after taking ethionamide?
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 ethionamide
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.