I have a patient who has lupus that came to me for preconception
counseling.  She is on Plaquinil, a drug which has kept the lupus in
remission. I am told by the perinatologists with whom I consulted that she
would be better off staying on this med while trying to conceive and
during pregnancy.  What I need to know is whether there are
contraindications to continuing the med while breastfeeding.  Also, if
others have any experience to share regarding mothers breastfeeding with
lupus, I am interested in hearing them. This young woman has had the
disease about five years. She is otherwise healthy, has no kidney
involvement, but does have a type of antibody present that her
rheumatologist says is often involved in neonatal lupus syndrome.

TIA.

C. Ione Sims, CNM