Can you take rosuvastatin 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 rosuvastatin in milk are low, and one case of an older infant breastfed during maternal rosuvastatin therapy found no adverse effects. 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 rosuvastatin and pravastatin. Until more data become available, an alternate drug may be preferred, especially while nursing a newborn or preterm infant.
Quoted from Rosuvastatin — 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 rosuvastatin. Whether any of them fits depends on what you are treating — this is the database’s list, not a recommendation from us.
How much rosuvastatin gets into breastmilk
Maternal Levels. A woman with familial hypercholesterolemia was started on rosuvastatin 40 mg daily on day 33 postpartum. On one unspecified day after beginning rosuvastatin, the breastmilk rosuvastatin concentration was about 22 mcg/L at 21 hours after the previous dose. One hour after the dose, the breastmilk concentration was 15.2 mcg/L, and 7 hours after the dose, the breastmilk concentration was 29.4 mcg/L. Breastmilk concentrations were also measured on day 4 at 3 hours after the dose, day 24 at 3.8 hours after the dose, and on day 80 at 21 hours after the dose. All of these concentrations were in the range of 21 to 22 mcg/L.
Rosuvastatin was being initiated in a nursing mother who was 13 months postpartum and weaning her infant. She began with a dose of 20 mg daily at bedtime. After 5 days of therapy, she donated 8 milk samples over a 24-hour period. The trough milk concentration was 16.6 mcg/L at 5 hours after the dose and remained relatively constant until about 15 hours after the dose. The peak milk concentration of 58.6 mcg/L occurred 17 hours after the dose. The authors calculated a daily infant dosage of 4.63 mcg/kg, which corresponded to a weight-adjusted 1.5% of the maternal dose.
Infant Levels. Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
What has been seen in breastfed infants
A mother with familial hypercholesterolemia hypothyroidism stopped treatment of hyperlipidemia before pregnancy and lactation. At 13 months postpartum she began rosuvastatin 10 mg daily. At the time, the infant was receiving solid foods with 3 to 4 daytime breastfeeds and 2 to 3 nighttime breastfeeds. Lipid parameters in the infant were obtained at baseline and 1 and 5 months after the start of rosuvastatin. All lipid parameters (total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL and LDL) remained in the normal range over the 5 months. All developmental parameters were normal except for weight at the 97 percentile at 18 months.
Effects on milk supply
A possible case of rosuvastatin-induced gynecomastia has been reported. Serum prolactin was not measured.
Frequently asked questions
Can you take rosuvastatin while breastfeeding?
Levels of rosuvastatin in milk are low, and one case of an older infant breastfed during maternal rosuvastatin therapy found no adverse effects. 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 rosuvastatin 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 rosuvastatin pass into breastmilk?
LactMed's measured drug levels for rosuvastatin are quoted in full on this page, under "How much gets into breastmilk".
Do I need to pump and dump after taking rosuvastatin?
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 rosuvastatin
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.