Can you take vigabatrin 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 vigabatrin up to 2000 mg daily produce low levels in milk. Vigabatrin is approved for use in infants in one month and older and amounts in milk are far less than the approved infant dosage. Vigabatrin would not be expected to cause any adverse effects in breastfed infants.
Quoted from Vigabatrin — Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed®), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, revised February 20, 2022.
What LactMed would consider instead
LactMed ends this record by naming the drugs it would consider in place of vigabatrin. Whether any of them fits depends on what you are treating — this is the database’s list, not a recommendation from us.
How much vigabatrin gets into breastmilk
Maternal Levels. Two nursing mothers were each receiving vigabatrin 1000 mg twice daily. One was also taking slow-release carbamazepine 200 mg twice daily. Milk samples were collected once predose and 3 and 6 hours after the dose at either 6 or 8 days postpartum. In both mothers, the inactive R-isomer was excreted into milk in higher concentrations than the active S-isomer. In the 2 mothers, average concentrations of the R-isomer were 1.7 mg/L in the predose sample, 2.1 mg/L at 3 hours and 3.1 mg/L at 6 hours after the dose. Average concentrations of the S-isomer were 0.4 mg/L in the predose sample, 0.4 mg/L at 3 hours and 0.8 mg/L at 6 hours after the dose. Using peak values, the authors estimated that the maximum dosage that the infant would receive in the mothers would be 2 to 3.6% of the weight-adjusted maternal dosage for the R-isomer and 0.6 to 0.96% of the maternal dosage for the S-isomer.
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 vigabatrin while breastfeeding?
Limited information indicates that maternal doses of vigabatrin up to 2000 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.
What can I take instead of vigabatrin while breastfeeding?
LactMed lists Carbamazepine, Divalproex, Gabapentin, Lamotrigine, Oxcarbazepine, Phenytoin, Valproic Acid 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 vigabatrin pass into breastmilk?
LactMed's measured drug levels for vigabatrin are quoted in full on this page, under "How much gets into breastmilk".
Do I need to pump and dump after taking vigabatrin?
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 vigabatrin
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.