Can you take loperamide 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.
The amount of loperamide that enters milk from a prodrug of loperamide is minimal. Use of loperamide during breastfeeding is unlikely to affect the infant with standard doses.
Quoted from Loperamide — Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed®), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, revised June 15, 2024.
How much loperamide gets into breastmilk
Maternal Levels. Loperamide has not been studied during breastfeeding, but the loperamide prodrug, loperamide oxide, has been studied in a dosage of 2 doses of 4 mg given 12 hours apart to 6 women 18 to 47 hours after delivery. Median loperamide milk concentrations were 0.18 mcg/L at 12 hours after the first dose, 0.27 mcg/L at 6 hours after the second dose, and 0.19 mcg/L at 24 hours after the second dose.
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 loperamide while breastfeeding?
The amount of loperamide that enters milk from a prodrug of loperamide is minimal. 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 loperamide pass into breastmilk?
LactMed's measured drug levels for loperamide are quoted in full on this page, under "How much gets into breastmilk".
Do I need to pump and dump after taking loperamide?
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 loperamide
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.