Can you take quazepam 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.
No information is available on the long-term use of quazepam during breastfeeding. Because the drug and metabolites could accumulate in the breastfed infant, an alternate drug may be preferred, especially while nursing a newborn or preterm infant.
Quoted from Quazepam — Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed®), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, revised January 15, 2024.
What LactMed would consider instead
LactMed ends this record by naming the drugs it would consider in place of quazepam. Whether any of them fits depends on what you are treating — this is the database’s list, not a recommendation from us.
How much quazepam gets into breastmilk
Quazepam has a half-life of about 41 hours and is extensively metabolized to 2-oxoquazepam, which is in turn metabolized to desalkylflurazepam having a half-life of 47 to 100 hours.
Maternal Levels. Four women received a single dose of quazepam 15 mg orally. Milk was collected at intervals up to 48 hours after the dose. Quazepam reached a maximum milk level averaging 95.8 mcg/L (range 26 to 216 mcg/L) at 3 hours (range 2 to 4 hours) after the dose. The 2-oxoquazepam metabolite reached a maximum milk level averaging 26.1 mcg/L at 3 hours (range 2 to 4 hours) after the dose. Desalkylflurazepam reached a maximum milk level averaging 2 mcg/L at 7 hours (range 4 to 12 hours) after the dose. Over the 48 hours after the dose, about 0.11% of the mother's total dose was excreted into breastmilk. The authors estimated that this amounts to 2.3% of the maternal weight-adjusted dosage. Because of accumulation with repeated administration, an exclusively breastfed infant would receive 0.19% of the mother's absolute dose or about 4% of the maternal weight-adjusted dosage.
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 quazepam while breastfeeding?
No information is available on the long-term use of quazepam 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.
What can I take instead of quazepam while breastfeeding?
LactMed lists Zaleplon, Zolpidem 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 quazepam pass into breastmilk?
LactMed's measured drug levels for quazepam are quoted in full on this page, under "How much gets into breastmilk".
Do I need to pump and dump after taking quazepam?
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 quazepam
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.