Can I take hyoscine butylbromide (Buscopan) while pregnant or breastfeeding?
A plain-words look at what the NHS, the US drug label and LactMed say about hyoscine butylbromide (Buscopan).
In short
Pregnancy: Buscopan is not thought to be harmful in pregnancy.
Breastfeeding: If you need Buscopan while breastfeeding, you can take it, although other medicines might be better. Your doctor or pharmacist will help you decide, so talk to them.
Your doctor, midwife or pharmacist can help you decide.
What this means for you
Pregnancy
- It's not often recommended, though, because there is only a little information about its use.
- If you think you need Buscopan while pregnant, speak to your doctor or pharmacist.
- They'll help you decide, or may suggest other medicines.
Breastfeeding
- If you need Buscopan while breastfeeding, you can take it, although other medicines might be better.
- Your doctor or pharmacist will help you decide, so talk to them.
- It isn't known how much Buscopan reaches breast milk, but the levels are likely to be low, and your baby will not be able to absorb much of it from the milk.
- Side effects in your baby are unlikely.
- Even so, it's better to take Buscopan only now and then, or for a short time.
- It's important to keep an eye on your baby while you take any medicine and breastfeed.
- Carry on breastfeeding as normal until you've had advice about your baby's symptoms.
When to get help
- Contact a healthcare professional or call 111 (in the UK) as soon as you can if your baby is unusually sleepy; is not feeding as well as they usually do or not waking for feeds; is not gaining weight as you'd expect; is unusually irritable; or is constipated or peeing less.
- 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
Hyoscine butylbromide (Buscopan) in pregnancy
The NHS says
Buscopan is not thought to be harmful in pregnancy. It's not often recommended, though, because there is only a little information about its use.
If you think you need Buscopan while pregnant, speak to your doctor or pharmacist. They'll help you decide, or may suggest other medicines.
In our words, from the NHS page Buscopan (hyoscine butylbromide) (nhs.uk). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (OGL v3.0). The NHS does not endorse this site.
Hyoscine butylbromide (Buscopan) while breastfeeding
The NHS says
If you need Buscopan while breastfeeding, you can take it, although other medicines might be better. Your doctor or pharmacist will help you decide, so talk to them.
It isn't known how much Buscopan reaches breast milk, but the levels are likely to be low, and your baby will not be able to absorb much of it from the milk. Side effects in your baby are unlikely. Even so, it's better to take Buscopan only now and then, or for a short time.
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 unusually sleepy; is not feeding as well as they usually do or not waking for feeds; is not gaining weight as you'd expect; is unusually irritable; or is constipated or peeing less.
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.
Carry on breastfeeding as normal until you've had advice about your baby's symptoms.
In our words, from the NHS page Buscopan (hyoscine butylbromide) (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): Buscopan.
Sources
- NHS, Buscopan (hyoscine butylbromide) (nhs.uk), page last reviewed 13 May 2025. 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.