Can you take naloxone 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.
Naloxone is excreted into milk in very small amounts and is not detectable in the plasma of breastfed infants because of its very poor oral bioavailability. Routine use of naloxone in combination products is of no concern during breastfeeding. However, if naloxone is required by the mother for an opioid overdose, she should withhold nursing until the opioid is out of her system.
Quoted from Naloxone — Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed®), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, revised July 15, 2026.
What LactMed would consider instead
LactMed ends this record by naming the drugs it would consider in place of naloxone. Whether any of them fits depends on what you are treating — this is the database’s list, not a recommendation from us.
How much naloxone gets into breastmilk
Maternal Levels. Four women receiving buprenorphine and naloxone combination therapy as sublingual filmstrips for opioid use disorder provided milk samples at 2.5 hours after ingestion of the drug. Three participants provided samples on Days 2, 3, 4, 14, and 30; one participant provided samples only until Day 4. Maternal buprenorphine-naloxone doses ranged from 12 mg/3 mg to 20 mg/5 mg. Naloxone was detected only on day 14 in one participant at a concentration of 1.3 mcg/L. Naloxone glucuronide was detected in only some milk samples in average concentrations ranging from 3.15 to 5.7 mcg/L.
Infant Levels. Women receiving buprenorphine and naloxone combination in doses ranging from 12 mg/3 mg to 20 mg/5 mg therapy as sublingual filmstrips for opioid use disorder breastfed their infants, one exclusively and three partially. Plasma was obtained from 3 infants via a heel stick on day 14. Naloxone and naloxone glucuronide were either not detected or detected at concentrations below the limit of quantification in all infant plasma samples at day 14.
What has been seen in breastfed infants
Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Effects on milk supply
In contrast to its effect in some animal species, naloxone does not affect suckling-induced secretion of oxytocin or prolactin in postpartum women.
Frequently asked questions
Can you take naloxone while breastfeeding?
Naloxone is excreted into milk in very small amounts and is not detectable in the plasma of breastfed infants because of its very poor oral bioavailability. 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 naloxone while breastfeeding?
LactMed lists Naltrexone 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 naloxone pass into breastmilk?
LactMed's measured drug levels for naloxone are quoted in full on this page, under "How much gets into breastmilk".
Do I need to pump and dump after taking naloxone?
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 naloxone
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.