Can Antithyroid Drugs for Hyperthyroidism Be Safely Taken While Breastfeeding?
Can Antithyroid Drugs for Hyperthyroidism Be Safely Taken While Breastfeeding? The issue of breastfeeding while taking antithyroid drugs is controversial. Can a woman taking antithyroid drugs like methimazole (Tapazole), carbimoazole, or propylthiouracil (PTU) safely breastfeed her newborn or infant? Answer: Breastfeeding advocates believe that mothers should continue to breastfeed even while taking the medication PTU, while some doctors are concerned about the potential impact of any of these medications on the nursing infant. Concerns about antithyroid drugs center on the risk of thyroid suppression and goiter in the nursing infant, and cite concerns over potential nonthyroid side effects of antithyroid drugs, for example, autoimmune disturbances. As far as safety, a number of studies have found no alteration in thyroid function, or effects on thyroid function and physical and intellectual development in infants who are breastfed by mothers treated with daily doses of PTU, ranging fr
