Transfer of Mexiletine into Breast Milk: A Case Report

Mexiletine is a class 1B antiarrhythmic agent, used to treat ventricular arrhythmias, and noncardiac-related problems such as myotonia. Limited safety data are available on the transfer of this drug into breast milk. We report the case of a woman diagnosed with myotonia congenita who breastfed two children after two consecutive pregnancies. During the breastfeeding of the first and the second infant, she collected, respectively, five and seven samples at 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 hours and 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 hours after taking 200 mg of mexiletine thrice daily for seven doses. One week after the collection, samples were analyzed with a validated liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method. No side effect was observed in either child according to the mother. Using the mean milk concentrations, it is estimated that an exclusively breastfed infant would receive a maximum of 5.14% of the initial pediatric mexiletine dosage. We calculated a maximum of 2.67% for the first infant in our case, considering a nonexclusive breastfeeding. Maximal concentrations were observed 1-2 hours after the dose of mexiletine. Results seem to be in accordance with the two cases previously published. Mexiletine transfers into breast milk in low levels. However, results are obtained from only one woman. Therefore, caution should be used when mexiletine is prescribed to breastfeeding women. More cases are needed to evaluate the interindividual variability and to guide women regarding breastfeeding with mexiletine.