Is Bisacodyl safe while breastfeeding?
Here is what NIH LactMed, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's authority on medicines and breastfeeding, reports about Bisacodyl. This is a summary of that source — not our own verdict.
Effects on the breastfed infant
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.
Levels in milk
Maternal Levels. Sixteen postpartum women who were not breastfeeding, but were producing at least 200 mL of milk daily by breast pump were given either oral enteric-coated bisacodyl tablets (Dulcolax) 10 mg daily or oral liquid sodium picosulfate (Laxoberal) 10 mg daily for 7 days. Both drugs are prodrugs metabolized to the active drug, bis-(p-hydroxyphenyl)-2-pyridyl-2-methane (BHPM). All breastmilk was collected daily from the day before drug administration to 2 days after the last dose. Free and conjugated BHPM were undetectable ( 1 mcg/L) in all milk samples.[ 1 ] Infant Levels. Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Alternatives LactMed lists
“No published information” means the studies do not exist yet — not that Bisacodyl is known to be harmful, and not that it is known to be safe. Your prescriber or pharmacist can weigh your baby's age and whether a better-studied alternative would do the same job. Worth asking before stopping a medicine you need.
Source: NIH LactMed (National Library of Medicine).
Educational summary of an authoritative source — not medical advice. Never start, stop, or change a medicine while breastfeeding without confirming with your doctor.