Can you take propafenone 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 propafenone up to 900 mg daily produce low levels in milk. If propafenone is required by the mother it is not a reason to discontinue breastfeeding. Until more data become available, propafenone should be used with caution during breastfeeding, especially while nursing a newborn or preterm infant.
Quoted from Propafenone — Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed®), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, revised July 15, 2024.
How much propafenone gets into breastmilk
Maternal Levels. On the third postpartum day, one woman taking propafenone 300 mg orally 3 times daily had milk levels just before the morning dose of 32 and 47 mcg/L of propafenone and hydroxypropafenone, respectively. The authors estimated that a fully breastfed would receive a dose of propafenone and its metabolite of about 0.03% of the mother's weight-adjusted dosage.
One mother (time postpartum not stated) took a single dose of propafenone 150 mg orally. The highest milk propafenone level was 37.4 mcg/L at 2 hours after the dose. By 6 hours after the dose, the drug was undetectable (<10 mcg/L). The highest milk 5-hydroxypropafenone level was 102 mcg/L at 2 hours after the dose. By 6 hours after the dose, the level was 19.8 mcg/L and by 12 hours it was undetectable (<10 mcg/L) in milk. The authors estimated that an exclusively breastfed infant would receive 0.1% of the maternal weight-adjusted dosage of propafenone as drug and metabolite.
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 propafenone while breastfeeding?
Limited information indicates that maternal doses of propafenone up to 900 mg daily 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.
Does propafenone pass into breastmilk?
LactMed's measured drug levels for propafenone are quoted in full on this page, under "How much gets into breastmilk".
Do I need to pump and dump after taking propafenone?
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 propafenone
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.