Can you take buspirone while breastfeeding?
What LactMed says
The National Library of Medicine’s own summary, quoted in full. We do not write a verdict of our own on this question, and we do not compress theirs into a label.
Limited information indicates that maternal doses of buspirone up to 45 mg daily produce low levels in milk. Because no information is available on the long-term use of buspirone during breastfeeding, an alternate drug may be preferred, especially while nursing a newborn or preterm infant.
Quoted from Buspirone — Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed®), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, revised January 15, 2026.
What LactMed would consider instead
LactMed ends this record by naming the drugs it would consider in place of buspirone. Whether any of them fits depends on what you are treating — this is the database’s list, not a recommendation from us.
How much buspirone gets into breastmilk
Maternal Levels. A woman was taking buspirone 15 mg 3 times daily during pregnancy and postpartum. On day 13 postpartum, buspirone was undetectable in breastmilk by HPLC assay (limit of detection and time of sample not stated).
Nine women taking buspirone 7.5 to 30 mg twice daily donated milk samples collected at 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 hours after a dose to a human milk repository. Levels of buspirone and its active metabolite 1-(2-pyrimidinyl) piperazine were measured. Buspirone was not detected (<1.5 mcg/L) in any samples, but the metabolite was found in all samples. The relative infant dose was estimated to average 0.91% (range 0.21 to 2.17%).
Infant Levels. In the exclusively breastfed infant of a mother who was taking buspirone 15 mg 3 times daily, buspirone was undetectable in the infant's serum by HPLC assay (limit of detection and time of sample not stated) on days 13 and 21 postpartum.
What has been seen in breastfed infants
Possible drug-induced seizure-like activity and cyanosis occurred in a breastfed 3-week-old whose mother was taking buspirone 15 mg 3 times daily as well as fluoxetine and carbamazepine during pregnancy and breastfeeding. The authors thought that this reaction, if drug induced, was most likely caused by fluoxetine.
One exclusively breastfed 11-week-old infant was breastfed during maternal therapy with buspirone 10 mg daily and venlafaxine 300 mg daily. No adverse reactions were reported by the mother or in the medical records.
Effects on milk supply
Buspirone increases serum prolactin. Galactorrhea was reported in a woman taking venlafaxine after buspirone was added to her regimen. However, when buspirone was discontinued, galactorrhea persisted. The prolactin level in a mother with established lactation may not affect her ability to breastfeed.
Frequently asked questions
Can you take buspirone while breastfeeding?
Limited information indicates that maternal doses of buspirone up to 45 mg daily produce low levels in milk. The full record is quoted on this page, and the decision is one to make with the person who prescribed it — LactMed itself states it is not a substitute for professional judgement.
What can I take instead of buspirone while breastfeeding?
LactMed lists Lorazepam, Oxazepam as alternate drugs to consider. That is the database's own list for this drug — whether any of them suits you depends on what you are treating.
Does buspirone pass into breastmilk?
LactMed's measured drug levels for buspirone are quoted in full on this page, under "How much gets into breastmilk".
Do I need to pump and dump after taking buspirone?
LactMed does not frame its records that way — it reports measured drug levels in milk and what has been observed in breastfed infants, which is what this page quotes. "Pump and dump" advice for a specific drug and dose should come from your clinician or a pharmacist, not from a general rule.
More on buspirone
LactMed states that the information it presents is not a substitute for professional judgement, and that you should consult your healthcare provider for breastfeeding advice related to your particular situation. Nothing on this page is medical advice.