Excretion of citalopram in breast milk.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to measure to secretion of the selective serotonin uptake inhibitor citalopram in breast milk.


METHODS
The excretion of citalopram in breast milk was studied at steady-state conditions in two patients with depression and in one healthy volunteer after ingestion of a single dose citalopram.


RESULTS
Milk/serum concentration ratios based on single pairs of samples from the two patients ranged from 1.16 to 1.88. Based on milk concentration data from the patients, the absolute dose ingested by a suckling infant would be 4.3-17.6 micrograms kg-1 day-1, and the relative dose 0.7-5.9% of the weight-adjusted maternal dose. Based on area-under-the-time-concentration curves from the healthy volunteer, the milk/serum ratio was 1.00, the absolute dose to the infant during steady-state conditions would be 11.2 micrograms kg-1 day-1 and the relative dose 1.8% of the weight-adjusted maternal dose.


CONCLUSIONS
The study shows that the relative dose to a suckling infant is close to that reported for fluoxetine, and higher than reported for fluvoxamine, paroxetine and sertraline.
Spigset
O
O
Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Norrland University Hospital, Umeå, Sweden.
Carieborg
L
L
Ohman
R
R
Norström
A
A
D000328:Adult; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001942:Breast Feeding; D015283:Citalopram / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000737:chemistry
D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D015283:Citalopram; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors; D014280:Triglycerides