Omeprazole use while Breastfeeding
Drugs containing Omeprazole: Prilosec, Zegerid, Prilosec OTC, Omeclamox-Pak, Zegerid OTC, Omesec, Zegerid with Magnesium Hydroxide, Zegerid (Original Formulation)
Omeprazole Levels and Effects while Breastfeeding
Summary of Use during Lactation
Limited information indicates that maternal omeprazole doses of 20 mg daily produce low levels in milk and would not be expected to cause any adverse effects in breastfed infants.
Drug Levels
Maternal Levels. A woman taking oral omeprazole 20 mg daily for gastroesophageal reflux had omeprazole measured in her milk 3 weeks postpartum. The milk omeprazole level was not detectable for 90 minutes after the dose and then reached a peak of 20 mcg/L at 3 hours after the dose.[1] Using the peak milk level in this patient, the maximum dose that an exclusively breastfed infant would receive in breastmilk would be 3 mcg/kg daily or about 0.9% of the maternal weight-adjusted dosage. For comparison, doses of 1 mg/kg daily have been used in neonates.
Infant Levels. Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Effects in Breastfed Infants
One mother taking oral omeprazole 20 mg daily pumped and discarded her milk once each day 4 hours after her morning dose. She breastfed her infant the remainder of the day for 3 months before weaning. The infant remained well at 12 months of age.[1]
Effects on Lactation and Breastmilk
A 13-year-old girl was placed on omeprazole 20 mg twice daily by mouth for dyspepsia caused by mefenamic acid and a Helicobacter pylori infection. After 2 days of therapy, she developed bilateral galactorrhea and an elevated serum prolactin. Three weeks after discontinuing omeprazole, galactorrhea and hyperprolactinemia resolved. Six weeks later, she was rechallenged with omeprazole and her serum prolactin rose from 27 to 70 mcg/L. Prolactin returned to normal 2 weeks after omeprazole discontinuation. Over the next 6 months, she was given domperidone on one occasion and lansoprazole on another. With both drugs, she developed galactorrhea and hyperprolactinemia which returned to normal after drug discontinuation.[2]
Alternate Drugs to Consider
Antacids, Cimetidine, Famotidine, Nizatidine, Pantoprazole, Ranitidine, Sucralfate
References
1. Marshall JK, Thompson AB, Armstrong D. Omeprazole for refractory gastroesophageal reflux disease during pregnancy and lactation. Can J Gastroenterol. 1998;12:225-7. PMID: 9582548
2. Jabbar A, Khan R, Farrukh SN. Hyperprolactinaemia induced by proton pump inhibitor. J Pak Med Assoc. 2010;60:689-90. PMID: 20726208
Omeprazole Identification
Substance Name
Omeprazole
CAS Registry Number
73590-58-6
Drug Class
Anti-Ulcer Agents
Administrative Information
LactMed Record Number
375
Last Revision Date
20150310
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