Can you take riluzole 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 riluzole up to 100 mg daily produce low levels in milk and would not be expected to cause any adverse effects in breastfed infants, especially if the infant is older than 2 months. Until more data are available, use riluzole with caution, particularly when breastfeeding a newborn.
Quoted from Riluzole — Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed®), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, revised September 21, 2020.
How much riluzole gets into breastmilk
Maternal Levels. A woman who was breastfeeding her 18-month-old infant 3 to 4 times a day was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and started on riluzole 50 mg twice daily by mouth. On the third day of therapy, milk samples were collected before and at 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12 hours after the first dose of the day. The pre-dose sample contained 33.8 mcg/L of riluzole. The peak concentration in milk was 229.5 mcg/L at 2 hours after the dose. The average milk concentration was 94.4 mcg/L over the 12-hour collection time, which would provide the infant with an estimated daily dosage 14.1 mcg/kg. Based on the 12-hour collection period, the maternal weight-adjusted dosage was 0.8%. Riluzole metabolites were 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 riluzole while breastfeeding?
What the NIH's Drugs and Lactation Database says about Riluzole 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 riluzole pass into breastmilk?
LactMed's measured drug levels for riluzole are quoted in full on this page, under "How much gets into breastmilk".
Do I need to pump and dump after taking riluzole?
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 riluzole
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.