Can you take pravastatin 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.
Levels of pravastatin in milk are low, but no relevant published information exists with its use during breastfeeding. The consensus opinion is that women taking a statin should not breastfeed because of a concern with disruption of infant lipid metabolism. 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 pravastatin and rosuvastatin. Until more data become available, an alternate drug may be preferred, especially while nursing a newborn or preterm infant.
Quoted from Pravastatin — 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 pravastatin. Whether any of them fits depends on what you are treating — this is the database’s list, not a recommendation from us.
How much pravastatin gets into breastmilk
Maternal Levels. Eleven lactating women who were not breastfeeding were given 20 mg of pravastatin orally twice daily for 2.5 days. Serum and milk samples were taken at various times after the 5th dose and analyzed for pravastatin and its active metabolite. Peak milk levels averaged 3.9 mcg/L for pravastatin and 2.1 mcg/L for its metabolite. The authors suggested that negligible levels were excreted into breast milk, but that benefits and risks should be carefully considered. Using the peak levels above, a fully breastfed infant would receive a maximum of 900 ng/kg daily with this dosage or about 0.13% of the maternal weight-adjusted dosage.
Two women were receiving oral pravastatin 10 mg daily during pregnancy. Two milk samples from each woman were obtained between 69.3 and 130 hours after their previous doses. Pravastatin was undetectable (<5 ng/L) in all the samples.
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 pravastatin while breastfeeding?
Levels of pravastatin in milk are low, but no relevant published information exists with its use 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 pravastatin 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 pravastatin pass into breastmilk?
LactMed's measured drug levels for pravastatin are quoted in full on this page, under "How much gets into breastmilk".
Do I need to pump and dump after taking pravastatin?
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 pravastatin
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.