Can you take nitazoxanide 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 a maternal dose of 500 mg of nitazoxanide produces low levels of an active metabolite, tizoxanide, in breastmilk and would not be expected to cause any adverse effects in breastfed infants, especially if the infant is older than 2 months. But until more data become available, an alternate drug may be preferred, especially while nursing a newborn or preterm infant.
Quoted from Nitazoxanide — Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed®), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, revised September 15, 2023.
How much nitazoxanide gets into breastmilk
After oral administration, nitazoxanide is not found in the bloodstream, but is rapidly converted to the active metabolites, tizoxanide and tizoxanide glucuronide, which are detectable in plasma.
Maternal Levels. A volunteer lactating mother took a single 500 mg oral dose of nitazoxanide as a commercial suspension (Nitazode, Al Andalous Medical Co., Cairo, Egypt). The concentration of the active metabolite, tizoxanide, was 1.4 mg/L at 6 hours after the dose. Tizoxanide glucuronide was not measured.
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 nitazoxanide while breastfeeding?
What the NIH's Drugs and Lactation Database says about Nitazoxanide 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.
Does nitazoxanide pass into breastmilk?
LactMed's measured drug levels for nitazoxanide are quoted in full on this page, under "How much gets into breastmilk".
Do I need to pump and dump after taking nitazoxanide?
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 nitazoxanide
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.