This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Sign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Breastfeeding and calcium channel blockers

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Breastfeeding and calcium channel blockers

  • there are two sub-classes of calcium-channel blockers-dihydropyridines and rate-limiting-which are not generally interchangeable therapeutically (1)
    • nifedipine is the preferred dihydropyridine during breastfeeding
      • note that nifedipine has been used therapeutically in infants
    • verapamil is the preferred rate-limiting calcium channel blocker during breastfeeding
    • a previous review noted that nformation regarding the safety of calcium channel blockers during lactation is limited, although they are not likely to pose a risk to the nursing infant (2)
  • nifedipine
    • infant monitoring whilst on nifedipine (1)
      • as a precaution, monitor the infant for hypotension which may manifest as drowsiness, lethargy, looking pale, poor feeding and inadequate weight gain
      • notes
        • published evidence shows that nifedipine passes into breast milk in very small amounts (1.6% to 3.4% of the maternal weight-adjusted dose) after daily doses of 20 to 90mg
          • amounts are significantly lower than doses used therapeutically in infants from birth
          • no side effects have been reported in breastfed infants
  • verapamil
    • infant monitoring whilst on verapamil (1)
      • as a precaution, monitor the infant for hypotension which may manifest as drowsiness, lethargy, looking pale, poor feeding and inadequate weight gain
      • notes
        • published case reports have shown variable levels of verapamil in breast milk, although amounts are still negligible
          • infant would ingest an estimated 0.01% to 0.98% of the maternal weight-adjusted dose.
          • in the published cases, infant plasma levels were negligible or undetectable
          • no side effects have been reported in breastfed infants

Reference:

Related pages

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.