Has anyone taken Bactrim while breastfeeding?

Re: Has anyone taken Bactrim while breastfeeding?

• hannibal+ed

  August 2010

  There seems to be some conflicting information out there. One place said "Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim, Septra) is compatible with breast-feeding,6 but its use should be avoided when nursing infants are younger than two months because of its potential for causing increased bilirubin levels."(1) But another says "You should not receive Bactrim if you are pregnant or breastfeeding."(2)

  Yet another site (in answer to using it for a staph infection) said "You do not have to "pump and dump" if you are taking Bactrim. Dr. Thomas Hale says in Medications and Mother's Milk that Bactrim is "secreted in breastmilk in small amounts." There are no pediatric concerns reported via milk, but it should be used with caution in weak or premature newborns, babies with elevated bilirubin levels, and infants with G6PD (an uncommon medical disorder). Assuming that your little boy doesn't fit into any of these categories, there should be no problem taking Bactrim for a week."(3)

  One more says "MEDICINES YOU MAY TAKE WHILE BREAST FEEDING: All listed are safe and if not listed, then you should call me before taking the medicine. First some general rules about medicines and breast feeding: Antibiotics: Amoxicillin-Rx, Keflex-Rx, Bactrim-Rx. (Almost all of the older, cheaper antibiotics are safe. Always tell the prescribing doctor that you are breast feeding. If he/she does not know if the medicine is safe, he/she can call us)."(4)

  So, all in all, it looks like it's safe to use, without doing pump-and-dump. I'm sure that your pharmacist only told you to, to be safe.

  1: https://www.pdrhealth.com/drugs/rx/rx-mono.aspx?contentFileName=Bac1046.html&contentName=Bactrim&contentId=7
  2: https://www.aafp.org/afp/2001/0701/p119.html
  3: https://www.breastfeeding.com/all_about/smith_anwers1.html
  4: https://www.babymd.net/breastfeeding.htm 

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