Breast Feeing and Klonopin/Clonazapam

[BrynnK]

Hello,

I am 17 weeks pregnant and currently take .75 - 1mg of Clonazapam per day. I have bipolar disorder and chronic anxiety. My doctors have recommended that I try to ween off of the medication about 1 month prior to delivery to help eliminate possible sedative effects on the baby. They have also noted that it may cause a sedative effect on the baby if I take the medication while breast feeding.

What amount of the medicine is passed onto the baby through breast milk? Is this safe? I am so eager to breast feed but what to be sure that I am doing what is best for the baby. Do the pros of breast feeding outweigh the cons of the medication?

Thank you for your help!

[copeace]

Hi Brynn,

At the dosage you are taking, the infant should be fine. However, it is possible the infant may experience some withdrawal symptoms.

It is important for you to continue with this medication if you need it, so you can keep yourself healthy.

The relative infant dose for Klonopin is 2.8%. This means the infant will get approximately 2.8% of the amount of this medication that you take.

Yes, in your situation, we think the pros of breastfeeding outweigh the cons of the medication. You are taking a relatively small dose and only once a day.

I hope this helps. If you have any further questions, please call us at the InfantRisk Center at 806-352-2519. We are open Mon-Fri from 8am-5pm (CDT)

Colleen Peace, RN, BSN

[kerrichamberland]

i take clonzapam 1mg at night eery day and i did through out my pregnancy and still do while breastfeeding. my baby has not had any adverse effects. i also have a daughter i did the same thng with and nothing happened to her either. i dont think you need to get yourself off of it before you have the baby. you are better off feeling less anxious. i dont think anything will happen to your baby esp. at such a low dose