Can you take dopamine 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.
No information is available on the use of dopamine during breastfeeding. Because of its poor oral bioavailability and short half-life, any dopamine in milk is unlikely to affect the infant. Dopamine reduces serum prolactin in nonnursing women, but no information is available on its effect on milk production in nursing mothers.
Quoted from Dopamine — Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed®), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, revised December 15, 2024.
How much dopamine gets into breastmilk
Maternal Levels. Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Infant Levels. Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
What has been seen in breastfed infants
Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Effects on milk supply
Intravenous dopamine infusion in doses of 2 to 5 mcg/kg/minute given to nonnursing subjects and in women with hyperprolactinemia decreases serum prolactin concentrations. However, relevant published information on the effect of intravenous dopamine on milk production in nursing mothers was not found as of the revision date. The prolactin level in a mother with established lactation may not affect her ability to breastfeed.
Frequently asked questions
Can you take dopamine while breastfeeding?
No information is available on the use of dopamine during breastfeeding. 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.
Does dopamine pass into breastmilk?
LactMed's measured drug levels for dopamine are quoted in full on this page, under "How much gets into breastmilk".
Do I need to pump and dump after taking dopamine?
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 dopamine
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.