Can I take felodipine while pregnant or breastfeeding?
A plain-words look at what the NHS, the US drug label and LactMed say about felodipine.
In short
Pregnancy: Felodipine is not recommended in pregnancy.
Breastfeeding: You can take felodipine while breastfeeding, but check with a pharmacist or doctor before you use it.
Your doctor, midwife or pharmacist can help you decide.
What this means for you
Pregnancy
- Let your doctor know if you're pregnant or planning to be.
- They may suggest changing to a different medicine, or stopping felodipine while you're pregnant.
When to get help
- If you're breastfeeding while taking felodipine and anything about your baby worries you, talk to a healthcare professional or call NHS 111 (in the UK).
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
Felodipine in pregnancy
The NHS says
Felodipine is not recommended in pregnancy.
Let your doctor know if you're pregnant or planning to be. They may suggest changing to a different medicine, or stopping felodipine while you're pregnant.
In our words, from the NHS page Felodipine (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 label says
Pregnancy: Pregnancy Category C. Teratogenic Effects- Studies in pregnant rabbits administered doses of 0.46, 1.2, 2.3, and 4.6 mg/kg/day (from 0.8 to 8 times** the maximum recommended human dose on a mg/m 2 basis) showed digital anomalies consisting of reduction in size and degree of ossification of the terminal phalanges in the fetuses. The frequency and severity of the changes appeared dose related and were noted even at the lowest dose. These changes have been shown to occur with other members of the dihydropyridine class and are possibly a result of compromised uterine blood flow. Similar fetal anomalies were not observed in rats given felodipine. In a teratology study in cynomolgus monkeys, no reduction in the size of the terminal phalanges was observed, but an abnormal position of the distal phalanges was noted in about 40% of the fetuses. Nonteratogenic Effects- A prolongation of parturition with difficult labor and an increased frequency of fetal and early postnatal deaths were observed in rats administered doses of 9.6 mg/kg/day (8 times** the maximum human dose on a mg/m 2 basis) and above.
Prescribing label, section “Pregnancy” (opening excerpt): Felodipine (oral), Bryant Ranch Prepack. Read the full section on DailyMed. Quoted verbatim; US labels are written for US prescribers and patients.
More on felodipine in pregnancy: Bumps (Best Use of Medicines in Pregnancy) leaflet (external site).
Felodipine while breastfeeding
The NHS says
You can take felodipine while breastfeeding, but check with a pharmacist or doctor before you use it.
If you're breastfeeding while taking felodipine and anything about your baby worries you, talk to a healthcare professional or call NHS 111 (in the UK).
In our words, from the NHS page Felodipine (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
Because no information is available on the use of felodipine during breastfeeding, an alternate drug may be preferred.
“Summary of Use during Lactation”, LactMed record “Felodipine” (LM109), quoted verbatim. Everything LactMed reports about Felodipine while breastfeeding.
The US prescribing label says
Nursing Mothers It is not known whether this drug is secreted in human milk and because of the potential for serious adverse reactions from felodipine in the infant, a decision should be made whether to discontinue nursing or to discontinue the drug, taking into account the importance of the drug to the mother.
Prescribing label, section “Nursing Mothers”: Felodipine (oral), Bryant Ranch Prepack. Label on DailyMed. Quoted verbatim; US labels are written for US prescribers and patients.
Other names
UK brand names (per the NHS): Cardioplen, Delofine, Vascalpha.
Sources
- NHS, Felodipine (nhs.uk), page last reviewed 20 May 2026. Paraphrased. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- US drug label: Felodipine (oral), Bryant Ranch Prepack, human prescription drug, label effective 23 June 2026, set ID 924b2633-74bd-469f-b831-77f09dfebbf7. DailyMed (National Library of Medicine). Public domain; quoted verbatim.
- Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), via NCBI Bookshelf, record “Felodipine” (LM109), 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.
- Bumps (Best Use of Medicines in Pregnancy), UK Teratology Information Service: Bumps (Best Use of Medicines in Pregnancy) leaflet. Linked, not reproduced.
Sources checked 26 September 2026. How we source and check every page.
Educational summary of named sources, not medical advice.