Can I take carmellose sodium eye drops while pregnant or breastfeeding?
A plain-words look at what the NHS, the US drug label and LactMed say about carmellose sodium eye drops.
In short
Pregnancy: You can use carmellose sodium eye drops safely if you're pregnant.
Breastfeeding: You can use carmellose sodium eye drops while breastfeeding.
Your doctor, midwife or pharmacist can help you decide.
What this means for you
Pregnancy
- They have been in use for many years and no problems have been reported.
Breastfeeding
- Breastfeeding mothers have used them for many years and no problems have been reported.
- Carmellose sodium is not thought to get into breast milk or to cause side effects in breastfed babies.
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
Carmellose sodium eye drops in pregnancy
The NHS says
You can use carmellose sodium eye drops safely if you're pregnant.
They have been in use for many years and no problems have been reported.
In our words, from the NHS page Carmellose sodium eye drops (nhs.uk). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (OGL v3.0). The NHS does not endorse this site.
The US Drug Facts label says
If pregnant or breast feeding If pregnant or breast feeding, ask a health professional before use.
Drug Facts label: Gentle Eyes Lubricant Eye Drops (ophthalmic), TRP Company. Label on DailyMed. Quoted verbatim; US labels are written for US prescribers and patients.
This quote is from the ophthalmic formulation label.
Carmellose sodium eye drops while breastfeeding
The NHS says
You can use carmellose sodium eye drops while breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding mothers have used them for many years and no problems have been reported.
Carmellose sodium is not thought to get into breast milk or to cause side effects in breastfed babies.
In our words, from the NHS page Carmellose sodium eye drops (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): Celluvisc, Carmise, Optive.
US name: carboxymethylcellulose.
Sources
- NHS, Carmellose sodium eye drops (nhs.uk), page last reviewed 8 July 2024. Paraphrased. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- US drug label: Gentle Eyes Lubricant Eye Drops (ophthalmic), TRP Company, human otc drug, label effective 15 December 2025, set ID 13f99af6-b7d8-a092-e063-6394a90a5daa. DailyMed (National Library of Medicine). Public domain; quoted verbatim.
Sources checked 26 September 2026. How we source and check every page.
Educational summary of named sources, not medical advice.