Betsy, there are 22 matches in the archives on this medication. If you
haven't used the archive search before, I invite you to do it for this
drug. It is good to begin with something that doesn't have a zillion matches.
I'll add here a couple: (and if you go to the archives, you will get to
read some great comments by Dr. Jack Newman, who, of course, points out
that there is very low absorption in the GI tract and that there is no
support for weaning.)
From Tom Hale:
To : Gloria B.
Re : Vermox (mebendazole)
It is true that mebendazole is not cleared for children less than 2 years of
age. Remember, less than 20% of medications are cleared for children. Put
another way, 80% of the meds used in pediatrics are not cleared.
As Dr. Newman has stated, the oral bioavailability of mebendazole is poor,
only 2-10%, and the maternal peak plasma levels are miniscule (0.08 ug/ml). So
it is very unlikely the amount in breastmilk would be clinically relevant.
I asked my pediatric gastroenterologist(next door) about this and he said if
the child is "documented to have pinworms", it should be treated, and he would
use Vermox. According to him, it has minimal side effects even in this age
group.
As for the one case of reported milk loss[ in his Red Book], the patient
was a 24 yo woman who received metronidazole for 7 days, then on the eighth
day received 100 mg twice daily orally for three days. Thereafter a marked
reduction in milk was noted. The loss of milk is inexplicable and is
probably very uncommon.
Regards
Tom Hale, Ph.D...
____________________-
From Dr. Frank Nice
Now to the breastfeeding question: Maternal plasma levels were very low, and
breast milk levels were undetectable in a case report. The oral dose
presented
to the baby would be even lower because of the poor GIT absorption of
mebendazole in the infant.
There is no need to temporarily wean, for one dose, or for the three day
course.
Frank J. Nice, DPA, CPHP
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