Can I take co-beneldopa while pregnant or breastfeeding?
A plain-words look at what the NHS, the US drug label and LactMed say about co-beneldopa.
In short
Pregnancy: Co-beneldopa is not often used in pregnancy, because little is known about how it may affect your baby.
Breastfeeding: Co-beneldopa may be an option while breastfeeding if your baby is healthy, but speak to your doctor or pharmacist first.
Your doctor, midwife or pharmacist can help you decide.
What this means for you
Pregnancy
- Even so, if your doctor thinks the benefits outweigh any risks, they may advise you to take it.
- If you become pregnant while on co-beneldopa, speak to your doctor as soon as you can.
Breastfeeding
- There's very little information on co-beneldopa in breastfeeding, but only very small amounts are thought to reach breast milk.
- It's unlikely to cause side effects in your baby.
- Co-beneldopa can sometimes lower the amount of milk you make, although this is less likely once breastfeeding is well established.
- It's important to keep an eye on your baby while you take any medicine and breastfeed.
- Until you've had advice about your baby's symptoms, keep taking co-beneldopa and carry on breastfeeding as normal.
When to get help
- Contact a healthcare professional or call 111 (in the UK) as soon as you can if your baby: is not feeding as well as they usually do; shows changes in behaviour, for example jerky movements; has changes in their normal sleep pattern; or is being sick or has diarrhoea.
- If your baby has any other symptoms, or you're worried about them, you can still call 111 or get in touch with any healthcare professional.
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
Co-beneldopa in pregnancy
The NHS says
Co-beneldopa is not often used in pregnancy, because little is known about how it may affect your baby. Even so, if your doctor thinks the benefits outweigh any risks, they may advise you to take it.
If you become pregnant while on co-beneldopa, speak to your doctor as soon as you can.
In our words, from the NHS page Co-beneldopa (nhs.uk). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (OGL v3.0). The NHS does not endorse this site.
Co-beneldopa while breastfeeding
The NHS says
Co-beneldopa may be an option while breastfeeding if your baby is healthy, but speak to your doctor or pharmacist first.
There's very little information on co-beneldopa in breastfeeding, but only very small amounts are thought to reach breast milk. It's unlikely to cause side effects in your baby.
Co-beneldopa can sometimes lower the amount of milk you make, although this is less likely once breastfeeding is well established.
It's important to keep an eye on your baby while you take any medicine and breastfeed.
Contact a healthcare professional or call 111 (in the UK) as soon as you can if your baby: is not feeding as well as they usually do; shows changes in behaviour, for example jerky movements; has changes in their normal sleep pattern; or is being sick or has diarrhoea.
If your baby has any other symptoms, or you're worried about them, you can still call 111 or get in touch with any healthcare professional.
Until you've had advice about your baby's symptoms, keep taking co-beneldopa and carry on breastfeeding as normal.
In our words, from the NHS page Co-beneldopa (nhs.uk). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (OGL v3.0). The NHS does not endorse this site.
LactMed says
Limited data indicate that levodopa is poorly excreted into breastmilk and that the sustained-release product may result in a smaller amount of drug transferred to the breastfed infant than with the immediate-release product. Several studies indicate that levodopa can decrease serum prolactin during lactation. The prolactin level in a mother with established lactation may not affect her ability to breastfeed. The effect of long-term use of levodopa on breastfeeding has not been adequately evaluated, although some mothers were able to successfully breastfeed her infant without apparent harm while using relatively low doses of levodopa and carbidopa for Parkinson's disease.
“Summary of Use during Lactation”, LactMed record “Levodopa” (LM462), quoted verbatim. Everything LactMed reports about Levodopa while breastfeeding.
Other names
UK brand names (per the NHS): Madopar.
Sources
- NHS, Co-beneldopa (nhs.uk), page last reviewed 13 March 2025. Paraphrased. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), via NCBI Bookshelf, record “Levodopa” (LM462), bulk release of 22 September 2026. LactMed on NCBI Bookshelf. Public domain; quoted verbatim. LactMed is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Sources checked 26 September 2026. How we source and check every page.
Educational summary of named sources, not medical advice.