Can you take tinidazole 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.
Amounts of tinidazole in milk are less than doses given to infants. Measurements of infant plasma levels during breastfeeding have not been reported. No studies have evaluated adverse effects of tinidazole on the infant during breastfeeding, but presumably they are similar to those of the closely related drug, metronidazole, such as increased risk of oral and rectal Candida infections.
As with metronidazole, concern has been raised about exposure of healthy infants to tinidazole via breastmilk, because of possible mutagenicity and carcinogenicity. Opinions vary among experts on the advisability of using tinidazole during longer-term therapy while breastfeeding, but avoidance of breastfeeding for 3 days after a single dose should allow milk levels to drop to negligible values. Other drugs are available for bacterial vaginosis, and can be given vaginally, which should result in lower amounts in breastmilk.
Quoted from Tinidazole — Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed®), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, revised March 17, 2021.
What LactMed would consider instead
LactMed ends this record by naming the drugs it would consider in place of tinidazole. Whether any of them fits depends on what you are treating — this is the database’s list, not a recommendation from us.
- Amoxicillin and Clavulanic Acid
- Clindamycin
- Doxycycline
- Metronidazole
How much tinidazole gets into breastmilk
Maternal Levels. Three women were given tinidazole 150 orally twice daily starting on day 4 postpartum. On day 7, milk samples were collected at 2, 5 and 9 hours after a dose. Breastmilk concentrations ranged between 5.8 and 12.7 mg/L.
Twenty-four women who delivered by cesarean section were given a single intravenous dose of tinidazole 500 mg after cord clamping. Colostrum levels of tinidazole averaged 5.8 mg/L at 12 hours after the dose, 3.5 mg/L at 24 hours, 1.2 mg/L at 48 hours and 0.3 mg/L at 72 hours after the dose. The drug was barely detectable 96 hours after the dose. Only slight differences existed between concentrations in fore- and hindmilk.
Five women who delivered by cesarean section were given a single intravenous dose of tinidazole 1600 mg after cord clamping. Milk concentrations and volumes were measured for 96 hours after the dose. The authors concluded that milk concentrations would be sufficiently low to commence breastfeeding 72 hours after the dose.
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 tinidazole while breastfeeding?
Amounts of tinidazole in milk are less than doses given to infants. 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 tinidazole while breastfeeding?
LactMed lists Amoxicillin and Clavulanic Acid, Clindamycin, Doxycycline, Metronidazole 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 tinidazole pass into breastmilk?
LactMed's measured drug levels for tinidazole are quoted in full on this page, under "How much gets into breastmilk".
Do I need to pump and dump after taking tinidazole?
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 tinidazole
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.