Can you take perphenazine 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.
Limited information indicates that maternal doses of perphenazine up to 24 mg daily produce low levels in milk. Very limited long-term follow-up data indicate no adverse developmental effects when other phenothiazines are used alone. Monitor the infant for excessive drowsiness during breastfeeding and for developmental milestones, especially if other antipsychotics are used concurrently.
Quoted from Perphenazine — Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed®), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, revised November 15, 2024.
How much perphenazine gets into breastmilk
Maternal Levels. Steady-state perphenazine milk levels were measured in one woman while she was taking perphenazine at two different dosages. At a dose of 12 mg every 12 hours (480 mcg/kg daily) the drug concentration in a 24-hour milk collection was 3.2 mcg/L. At a dose of 8 mg every 12 hours, the average milk concentration in each of two 12-hour collection periods was 2.1 mcg/L. Milk was collected at this dosage in three 4-hour collection periods. Levels in fractionated 4-hour periods were as follows: 0 to 4 hours: 1.8 mcg/L; 4 to 8 hours: 3.1 mcg/L; and 8 to 12 hours: 2 mcg/L. The authors calculated that the breastfed infant would receive 0.1% of the maternal weight-adjusted dosage.
Infant Levels. Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
What has been seen in breastfed infants
One infant was breastfed from 1 month to 4.5 months of age during maternal intake of perphenazine 16 mg daily. The infant grew normally and no adverse drug effects were seen.
Effects on milk supply
Galactorrhea has been reported with perphenazine. Hyperprolactinemia appears to be the cause of the galactorrhea. The hyperprolactinemia is caused by the drug's dopamine-blocking action in the tuberoinfundibular pathway. The prolactin level in a mother with established lactation may not affect her ability to breastfeed.
Frequently asked questions
Can you take perphenazine while breastfeeding?
Limited information indicates that maternal doses of perphenazine up to 24 mg daily produce low levels in milk. 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 perphenazine pass into breastmilk?
LactMed's measured drug levels for perphenazine are quoted in full on this page, under "How much gets into breastmilk".
Do I need to pump and dump after taking perphenazine?
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 perphenazine
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.