Can you take lofexidine 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 data are available in nursing mothers on the excretion into milk or safety of lofexidine in nursing mothers. A computer model predicted a maximum relative infant dose of about 3%, which should be acceptable. Although it is not contraindicated during breastfeeding, lofexidine should be used with caution until more data are available. An alternate drug may be preferred, especially while nursing a newborn or preterm infant.
Quoted from Lofexidine — Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed®), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, revised April 15, 2025.
What LactMed would consider instead
LactMed ends this record by naming the drugs it would consider in place of lofexidine. Whether any of them fits depends on what you are treating — this is the database’s list, not a recommendation from us.
How much lofexidine gets into breastmilk
Maternal Levels. A pharmacokinetic model was designed using in vitro-in vivo techniques that were then used to create a physiologically based pharmacokinetic model of lofexidine. A simulation of administering a dose of lofexidine to nursing mothers resulted in peak milk levels of about 4 mcg/L with a single 1.2 mg dose and 6 mcg/L with a single 2 mg dose assuming milk pH to be 6.8. Excretion was pH-sensitive, with levels dropping by over 90% at a pH of 7. Using the peak level from a 2 mg maternal dose, the worst-case relative infant dose would be about 3%.
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
Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Frequently asked questions
Can you take lofexidine while breastfeeding?
No data are available in nursing mothers on the excretion into milk or safety of lofexidine in nursing mothers. 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 lofexidine while breastfeeding?
LactMed lists Buprenorphine, Methadone 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 lofexidine pass into breastmilk?
LactMed's measured drug levels for lofexidine are quoted in full on this page, under "How much gets into breastmilk".
Do I need to pump and dump after taking lofexidine?
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 lofexidine
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.