Can you take mefloquine 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.
Very small amounts of mefloquine are excreted in breastmilk; the amount of drug is not sufficient to harm the infant nor is the quantity sufficient to protect the child from malaria. Breastfeeding infants should receive the recommended dosages of mefloquine.
Quoted from Mefloquine — Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed®), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, revised May 15, 2025.
What LactMed would consider instead
LactMed ends this record by naming the drugs it would consider in place of mefloquine. Whether any of them fits depends on what you are treating — this is the database’s list, not a recommendation from us.
How much mefloquine gets into breastmilk
Maternal Levels. Two women who were 2 to 3 days postpartum were given mefloquine 250 mg orally. In one woman who provided milk samples periodically for 56 days, the milk mefloquine level declined from 53 to 32 mcg/L over this period. The average half-life in breastmilk for the 2 women was 16.6 days. The authors estimated that an exclusively breastfed infant would receive an average of 3.8% of the maternal weight-adjusted dosage of mefloquine after a single dose. However, this value could be higher with weekly doses because of accumulation.
A physiologically based pharmacokinetic model has been developed that adequately predicts mefloquine excretion into breastmilk.
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 mefloquine while breastfeeding?
What the NIH's Drugs and Lactation Database says about Mefloquine while breastfeeding — quoted in full. 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 mefloquine while breastfeeding?
LactMed lists Doxycycline, Chloroquine 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 mefloquine pass into breastmilk?
LactMed's measured drug levels for mefloquine are quoted in full on this page, under "How much gets into breastmilk".
Do I need to pump and dump after taking mefloquine?
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 mefloquine
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.