Can you take temazepam 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.
Because of the low levels of temazepam in breastmilk and its relatively short half-life, amounts ingested by the infant are small and would not be expected to cause any adverse effects in breastfed infants. Taking the bedtime dose after the infant's last feeding of the day may minimize the dose received by an older infant who is sleeping through the night. Monitor the infant for sedation, poor feeding and poor weight gain.
Quoted from Temazepam — Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed®), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, revised September 15, 2024.
What LactMed would consider instead
LactMed ends this record by naming the drugs it would consider in place of temazepam. Whether any of them fits depends on what you are treating — this is the database’s list, not a recommendation from us.
How much temazepam gets into breastmilk
Maternal Levels. A woman who had been abusing benzodiazepines was taking diazepam 80 mg of diazepam as well as oxazepam. Temazepam is a metabolite of diazepam. Milk samples were taken before and after the morning feeding following the morning dose of diazepam during a 30-day tapering dosage regimen. The average of the pre- and post-feed temazepam milk levels were 13 and 18 mcg/L on days 14 and 15 during maternal intake of diazepam 40 mg daily. The average of the pre- and post-feed temazepam milk levels were 13 and 14 mcg/L on days 23 and 25 during maternal intake of diazepam 30 mg daily.
Ten women who were less than 15 days postpartum were given temazepam 10 or 20 mg (0.16 to 0.32 mg/kg) at bedtime once daily for at least 2 days prior to being studied. Milk samples were taken immediately before and after a feeding that ranged from 10.3 to 21.3 hours after the dose. Milk temazepam levels were undetectable (<5 mcg/L) in 9 of the 10 women. In the tenth who had a plasma temazepam of 234 mcg/L (several times higher than the other women), milk temazepam levels were 28 and 26 mcg/L before and after a feed that occurred 14.1 hours after the previous dose of temazepam. Oxazepam, a metabolite of temazepam, was undetectable (<5 mcg/L) in all of the subjects' milk samples.
Infant Levels. Two breastfed infants had undetectable (<5 mcg/L) plasma levels of temazepam or its metabolite oxazepam 13.3 and 14.8 hours after maternal doses of temazepam 0.16 and 0.17 mg/kg orally.
What has been seen in breastfed infants
Ten infants who were less than 15 days old were breastfed by mothers who had taken temazepam 10 or 20 mg (0.16 to 0.32 mg/kg) at bedtime once daily for at least 2 days. None of the infants had any observable adverse reactions.
In a telephone follow-up study, 124 mothers who took a benzodiazepine while nursing reported whether their infants had any signs of sedation. One mother took temazepam while breastfeeding and reported no sedation in her infant.
Effects on milk supply
Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Frequently asked questions
Can you take temazepam while breastfeeding?
What the NIH's Drugs and Lactation Database says about Temazepam 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 temazepam while breastfeeding?
LactMed lists Zaleplon, Zolpidem 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 temazepam pass into breastmilk?
LactMed's measured drug levels for temazepam are quoted in full on this page, under "How much gets into breastmilk".
Do I need to pump and dump after taking temazepam?
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 temazepam
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.