Safe Medications during Breastfeeding

Although many drugs are safe to use when you're breastfeeding, most will get into your milk to some degree and may even affect your milk supply. To be safe, check with your child's doctor before taking any kind of medication, even over-the-counter drugs. The information in this table was compiled and reviewed by Philip Anderson, a pharmacist and the editor of LactMed, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's drugs and lactation database. If you have more questions about how a drug you're taking might affect your breast milk or your baby, check our pregnancy warnings and breastfeeding warnings pages.

Drugs Safe to Take in Usual Doses

Name of Drug Acetaminophen Acyclovir and valacyclovir Antacids Bupivacaine Caffeine Use Used for pain relief Antiviral for herpes infections Used to treat upset stomachs A local anesthetic A stimulant Antibiotics for lung, ear, skin, Cephalosporins urinary tract, throat, and bone infections Used to treat yeast and fungal Clotrimazole Lotrimin, Mycelex infections Micronor, Norplant, Contraceptives (progestin-only) Used for birth control Depo-Provera Used to treat inflammation of Corticosteroids Prednisone joints and other conditions Decongestant nasal sprays Afrin Used to treat stuffy noses Digoxin Lanoxin Used to treat heart problems E-Mycin, Used for skin and respiratory Erythromycin Erythrocin infections Antihistamine for allergies and Fexofenadine Allegra hay fever Fluconazole Diflucan Used to treat yeast infections Used to keep blood from Heparin and LMW heparins clotting Ibuprofen Motrin, Advil Used for pain relief Inhalers, bronchodilators, and Albuterol, Vanceril Used for asthma corticosteroids For diabetes; dosage required may drop up to 25 percent Insulin during lactation Laxatives, bulk-forming and Metamucil, Colace Used to treat constipation Brand Name Tylenol Zovirax, Valtrex Maalox, Mylanta Marcaine coffee, soft drinks Keflex, Ceclor, Ceftin, Omnicef, Suprax

stool softening Lidocaine Loratadine

Xylocaine Claritin

A local anesthetic Antihistamine for allergies and hay fever

Low molecular weight heparins Lovenox, Fragmin, (enoxaparin, dalteparin, Anticoagulants Innohep tinzaparin) Used to treat preeclampsia and Magnesium sulfate eclampsia Used to treat high blood Methyldopa Aldomet pressure Methylergonovine (short Used to prevent or control Methergine courses) bleeding after childbirth A beta-blocker used to treat Metoprolol Lopressor high blood pressure Miconazole Monistat 3 Used to treat yeast infections Used for high blood pressure Nifedipine Adalat, Procardia and Raynaud's syndrome of the nipple Amoxicillin, Used to treat bacterial Penicillins Dynapen infections A beta blocker used to treat heart problems, and high blood Propranolol Inderal pressure Used to treat asthma and Theophylline Theo-Dur bronchitis Tretinoin Retin A Cream used for acne Thyroid replacement Synthroid Used to treat thyroid problems Vaccines (except smallpox and yellow fever) Vancomycin Vancocin An antibiotic Calan, Isoptin, Verapamil Used for high blood pressure Verelan Used to treat or prevent blood Warfarin Coumadin clots