Can you take glyburide 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 data indicate that the levels of glyburide in milk are negligible. Monitor breastfed infants for signs of hypoglycemia such as jitteriness, excessive sleepiness, poor feeding, seizures cyanosis, apnea, or hypothermia. If there is concern, monitoring of the breastfed infant's blood glucose is advisable during maternal therapy with hypoglycemic agents.
Quoted from Glyburide — Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed®), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, revised May 15, 2026.
How much glyburide gets into breastmilk
Maternal Levels. Eight women who had recently delivered were given a single dose of glyburide 5 mg (n = 6) or 10 mg (n = 2) orally. Glyburide was undetectable (<5 mcg/L) in milk at 2, 4, 6 and 8 hours after the dose. The authors estimated that the maximum dosages that a fully breastfed infant would receive with the 5 and 10 mg doses are <1.5% and <0.7% of the maternal weight-adjusted dosage, respectively.
In a separate study reported in the same paper, 3 women who had delivered via cesarean section and were receiving glyburide 5 mg daily in the immediate postoperative period had milk glyburide levels measured. Trough glyburide milk levels were undetectable (<80 mcg/L).
A mother with diabetes caused by a genetic mutation required a very high dose of 85 mg daily of glyburide, which was increased to 90 mg daily during pregnancy. Her milk glyburide levels were 7.3 mcg/L on day 3 postpartum and 3.1 mcg/L on day 6, although the times with respect to the dosage were not reported. The authors estimated that the breastfed infant would receive a daily dosage of less than 0.01 mg daily.
Infant Levels. A preterm infant whose mother was taking a high dose of glyburide of 90 mg daily at delivery was hypoglycemic at birth and required high doses of intravenous glucose for 8 days after birth. The infant was breastfed (extent not stated) and had glyburide serum levels of 9 mcg/L on day 3 postpartum and 9.8 mcg/L on day 19. The authors speculated that breastfeeding might have prolonged the infant's high serum glyburide levels, although they calculated that the infant would have received less than 0.01 mg of the drug daily via breastmilk.
What has been seen in breastfed infants
The blood glucose level was normal in one breastfed infant whose mothers was taking oral glyburide 5 mg daily.
Effects on milk supply
Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Frequently asked questions
Can you take glyburide while breastfeeding?
Limited data indicate that the levels of glyburide in milk are negligible. 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 glyburide pass into breastmilk?
LactMed's measured drug levels for glyburide are quoted in full on this page, under "How much gets into breastmilk".
Do I need to pump and dump after taking glyburide?
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 glyburide
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.