Can you take promethazine 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.
Based on minimal excretion of other phenothiazine derivatives, it appears that occasional short-term use of promethazine for the treatment of nausea and vomiting poses little risk to the breastfed infant. With repeated doses, observe infants for excess sedation. Because promethazine can lower basal prolactin secretion, promethazine might interfere with the establishment of lactation if given during labor before lactation is well established or with a sympathomimetic such as pseudoephedrine. An antiemetic without potent histamine blocking action is preferred in nursing mothers.
Quoted from Promethazine — Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed®), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, revised February 15, 2026.
What LactMed would consider instead
LactMed ends this record by naming the drugs it would consider in place of promethazine. Whether any of them fits depends on what you are treating — this is the database’s list, not a recommendation from us.
How much promethazine 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
Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Effects on milk supply
Unlike most phenothiazines, promethazine usually causes a reduction in basal prolactin secretion in nonnursing women. In one small study, women given promethazine with meperidine and secobarbital during labor, had the time to lactogenesis II prolonged by 14 hours. Women given meperidine or secobarbital without promethazine had lactogenesis II prolonged 7 hours compared to unmedicated women, but the difference was not statistically significant. The effect of postpartum promethazine is not known, but it might interfere with the establishment of lactation if given in the early postpartum period.
Frequently asked questions
Can you take promethazine while breastfeeding?
What the NIH's Drugs and Lactation Database says about Promethazine while breastfeeding — quoted in full. 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 promethazine while breastfeeding?
LactMed lists Prochlorperazine 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 promethazine pass into breastmilk?
LactMed's measured drug levels for promethazine are quoted in full on this page, under "How much gets into breastmilk".
Do I need to pump and dump after taking promethazine?
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 promethazine
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.