Can I take betahistine while pregnant or breastfeeding?
A plain-words look at what the NHS, the US drug label and LactMed say about betahistine.
In short
Pregnancy: Betahistine is not often recommended in pregnancy, because little is known about how it might affect your baby.
Breastfeeding: There is no information about betahistine and breastfeeding, but it's likely to get into breast milk. For this reason, it's recommended that you do not take betahistine while breastfeeding, if possible.
Your doctor, midwife or pharmacist can help you decide.
What this means for you
Pregnancy
- If you're pregnant or trying for a baby, speak to your doctor, as there may be other treatments that suit you better.
- However, if you have Meniere's disease that cannot be treated any other way, your doctor may offer you betahistine while you're pregnant.
Breastfeeding
- There is no information about betahistine and breastfeeding, but it's likely to get into breast milk.
- For this reason, it's recommended that you do not take betahistine while breastfeeding, if possible.
- Speak to your doctor or pharmacist for advice on managing your symptoms and on whether other medicines might be better.
When to get help
- If you do need betahistine while breastfeeding, contact your doctor, pharmacist, health visitor or midwife if your baby is vomiting or has diarrhoea, develops a rash, seems lethargic, or is feeding less well than usual, or if you're worried about your baby in any other way.
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist
This page is educational, not advice for your own situation. Talk to your doctor, midwife or pharmacist before you start, stop or change any medicine in pregnancy or while breastfeeding.
The details: what each source says
Betahistine in pregnancy
The NHS says
Betahistine is not often recommended in pregnancy, because little is known about how it might affect your baby.
If you're pregnant or trying for a baby, speak to your doctor, as there may be other treatments that suit you better.
However, if you have Meniere's disease that cannot be treated any other way, your doctor may offer you betahistine while you're pregnant.
In our words, from the NHS page Betahistine (nhs.uk). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (OGL v3.0). The NHS does not endorse this site.
Betahistine while breastfeeding
The NHS says
There is no information about betahistine and breastfeeding, but it's likely to get into breast milk. For this reason, it's recommended that you do not take betahistine while breastfeeding, if possible.
Speak to your doctor or pharmacist for advice on managing your symptoms and on whether other medicines might be better.
If you do need betahistine while breastfeeding, contact your doctor, pharmacist, health visitor or midwife if your baby is vomiting or has diarrhoea, develops a rash, seems lethargic, or is feeding less well than usual, or if you're worried about your baby in any other way.
In our words, from the NHS page Betahistine (nhs.uk). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (OGL v3.0). The NHS does not endorse this site.
Other names
UK brand names (per the NHS): Serc.
Sources
- NHS, Betahistine (nhs.uk), page last reviewed 24 August 2022. Paraphrased. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Sources checked 26 September 2026. How we source and check every page.
Educational summary of named sources, not medical advice.