Can you take pantoprazole 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.
Maternal pantoprazole doses of 40 mg daily produce low levels in milk and would not be expected to cause any adverse effects in breastfed infants.
Quoted from Pantoprazole — Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed®), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, revised June 15, 2026.
What LactMed would consider instead
LactMed ends this record by naming the drugs it would consider in place of pantoprazole. Whether any of them fits depends on what you are treating — this is the database’s list, not a recommendation from us.
How much pantoprazole gets into breastmilk
Maternal Levels. A mother who was 10 months postpartum and partially nursing her infant was given a single 40 mg dose of oral pantoprazole. Pantoprazole was detectable in milk only 2 and 4 hours after the dose with milk levels of 36 mcg/L and 24 mcg/L, respectively, at those times. It was not detectable (<10 mcg/L) in milk at 6, 8 and 24 hours after the dose. The authors estimated that a fully breastfed infant would receive 0.14% of the maternal weight-adjusted dosage.
Sixteen lactating, but not breastfeeding, women were given oral pantoprazole 40 mg daily for one week. Breastmilk samples were obtained at baseline and 1.5, 3, 4.5, and 6 h following the dose on days 1 and 7. Of 149 breastmilk samples, only 26 had detectable (>0.03 mg/L) pantoprazole concentrations. Peak milk concentrations typically occurred at 3 hours after the dose on day 7. Using the average peak milk concentration, the estimated worst-case infant daily dosage via milk was approximately 0.011 mg/kg. This represents a conservative estimate, as peak milk concentrations are not sustained over the full 24-hour dosing interval.
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
A retrospective claims database study in the United States found that users of proton pump inhibitors had an increased risk of gynecomastia.
A review article reported that a search of database from the European Pharmacovigilance Centre found 48 cases of gynecomastia, 3 cases of galactorrhea, 14 cases of breast pain and 4 cases of breast enlargement associated with pantoprazole. A search of the WHO global pharmacovigilance database found 97 cases of gynecomastia, 13 cases of galactorrhea, 35 cases of breast pain and 16 cases of breast enlargement associated with pantoprazole.
Frequently asked questions
Can you take pantoprazole while breastfeeding?
Maternal pantoprazole doses of 40 mg daily produce low levels in milk and would not be expected to cause any adverse effects in breastfed infants. 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 pantoprazole while breastfeeding?
LactMed lists Antacids, Cimetidine, Famotidine, Omeprazole, Sucralfate 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 pantoprazole pass into breastmilk?
LactMed's measured drug levels for pantoprazole are quoted in full on this page, under "How much gets into breastmilk".
Do I need to pump and dump after taking pantoprazole?
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 pantoprazole
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.