Can you take ergotamine 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.
There is limited published experience with ergotamine during breastfeeding and it might cause adverse effects in the infant and decrease milk supply. Most authorities consider ergotamine to be contraindicated during nursing.
Quoted from Ergotamine — Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed®), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, revised July 15, 2023.
What LactMed would consider instead
LactMed ends this record by naming the drugs it would consider in place of ergotamine. Whether any of them fits depends on what you are treating — this is the database’s list, not a recommendation from us.
- Eletriptan
- Rizatriptan
- Sumatriptan
- Zolmitriptan
How much ergotamine 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
A study in which ergotamine was administered to mothers of newborns immediately postpartum in a dose of 1 mg 3 times daily for 6 days found no effect on weight gain in the breastfed infants. Milk intake, and therefore infant dosage, might have been minimal during the first few days before the mothers' milk came in fully.
Effects on milk supply
Thirty women who delivered fullterm infants received a single intramuscular dose of methylergonovine 0.2 mg after delivery, followed by oral ergotamine 1 mg 3 times daily for 6 days. Compared to 28 women who delivered fullterm infants and received no ergot derivatives, there was no difference in the milk production, as measured by weight differences before and after nursing, between the 2 groups during the first 6 days postpartum.
A woman who was given ergotamine postpartum for lochia retention experienced severe nipple pain consistent with vasospasm of the nipple or Raynaud syndrome. She was unable to nurse her infant directly, but pumped and fed expressed milk by bottle. The drug had no apparent adverse effect on the milk supply or the infant.
Frequently asked questions
Can you take ergotamine while breastfeeding?
There is limited published experience with ergotamine during breastfeeding and it might cause adverse effects in the infant and decrease milk supply. 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 ergotamine while breastfeeding?
LactMed lists Eletriptan, Rizatriptan, Sumatriptan, Zolmitriptan 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 ergotamine pass into breastmilk?
LactMed's measured drug levels for ergotamine are quoted in full on this page, under "How much gets into breastmilk".
Do I need to pump and dump after taking ergotamine?
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 ergotamine
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.