Can you take pitavastatin 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.
No published information exists on the use of pitavastatin during breastfeeding. It is 99% bound to plasma proteins, so amounts in milk are likely low. Because of a concern with disruption of infant lipid metabolism, the consensus is that pitavastatin should not be used during breastfeeding. However, others have argued that children homozygous for familial hypercholesterolemia are treated with statins beginning at 1 year of age, that statins have low oral bioavailability, and risks to the breastfed infant are low, especially with rosuvastatin and pravastatin. Until more data become available, an alternate drug may be preferred, especially while nursing a newborn or preterm infant.
Quoted from Pitavastatin — 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 pitavastatin. Whether any of them fits depends on what you are treating — this is the database’s list, not a recommendation from us.
How much pitavastatin gets into breastmilk
Maternal Levels. Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Infant Levels. Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
What has been seen in breastfed infants
A woman with peripartum cardiomyopathy and severe nonsustained ventricular tachycardia gave birth to twins. Pitavastatin 2 mg daily as well as amiodarone, bisoprolol, edoxaban, febuxostat, imidapril, and vonoprazan were started postpartum. Breastfeeding began 39 days after birth when the daily intake of breastmilk was 160 mL for the first infant and 120 mL for the second, smaller infant. Breastmilk was mixed with infant formula and accounted for approximately one-quarter of their total daily milk intake. The mother breastfed in infants for approximately two months after starting breastfeeding and the infants had no bleeding tendency. At 3 years of age, both infants had a tendency toward obesity, but no other complications or developmental delay.
Effects on milk supply
Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Frequently asked questions
Can you take pitavastatin while breastfeeding?
No published information exists on the use of pitavastatin during breastfeeding. 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 pitavastatin while breastfeeding?
LactMed lists Cholestyramine, Colesevelam, Colestipol 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 pitavastatin pass into breastmilk?
LactMed's measured drug levels for pitavastatin are quoted in full on this page, under "How much gets into breastmilk".
Do I need to pump and dump after taking pitavastatin?
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 pitavastatin
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.