Skip to content
ppharmaranks
Menu

Can you take sevelamer while breastfeeding?

By the pharmaranks editorial teamReviewed against the NIH/NLM Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed) sourcesUpdated Jun 21, 2021How we research

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.

Because sevelamer is not orally absorbed, sevelamer does not reach the breastmilk or adversely affect the breastfed infant after maternal administration. A suspension of sevelamer has been added directly to breastmilk to lower the phosphorus concentration of milk. This could be a useful maneuver for breastmilk use in infants with renal impairment; however, clinical use has not been reported. In addition to lowering average phosphorus content by 65% to over 80%, the calcium content of breastmilk was reduced by almost as much and the casein content also decreased somewhat. With sevelamer hydrochloride, the chloride content increased by 60% and the pH changed from 6.8 to 7.8, although pH appears to rebound over time. Addition of large amounts of sevelamer to artificial formula also lowers the copper, magnesium, manganese, potassium, sulfur and zinc concentrations by about 20%. Similar reductions might occur with breastmilk.

Quoted from Sevelamer — Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed®), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, revised June 21, 2021.

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 sevelamer while breastfeeding?

Because sevelamer is not orally absorbed, sevelamer does not reach the breastmilk or adversely affect the breastfed infant after maternal administration. 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.

Do I need to pump and dump after taking sevelamer?

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 sevelamer

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.