Can I take loperamide while pregnant or breastfeeding?
A plain-words look at what the NHS, the US drug label and LactMed say about loperamide.
In short
Pregnancy: Loperamide is not usually recommended in pregnancy, because there isn't enough information to say whether it's safe.
Breastfeeding: You can take loperamide while breastfeeding.
Your doctor, midwife or pharmacist can help you decide.
What this means for you
Pregnancy
- If you're pregnant, speak to your doctor before you take loperamide.
- They can advise you on the benefits and possible harms of taking it, which will depend on how far along your pregnancy is and why you need it.
- If you're trying for a baby and take loperamide regularly, speak to your doctor.
Breastfeeding
- Only tiny amounts of loperamide reach breast milk, and your baby cannot absorb much of it through breastfeeding.
- It's not expected to cause side effects in your baby.
- As a precaution, speak to your health visitor, midwife, doctor or pharmacist if your baby is not feeding as well as they usually do, seems constipated or irritable, 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
Loperamide in pregnancy
The NHS says
Loperamide is not usually recommended in pregnancy, because there isn't enough information to say whether it's safe.
If you're pregnant, speak to your doctor before you take loperamide.
They can advise you on the benefits and possible harms of taking it, which will depend on how far along your pregnancy is and why you need it.
If you're trying for a baby and take loperamide regularly, speak to your doctor.
In our words, from the NHS page Loperamide (Imodium) (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
If pregnant or breast-feeding, ask a health professional before use.
Drug Facts label: LOPERAMIDE HYDROCHLORIDE (oral), YYBA CORP. Label on DailyMed. Quoted verbatim; US labels are written for US prescribers and patients.
Pregnancy Teratogenic Effects Teratology studies have been performed in rats using oral loperamide hydrochloride doses of 2.5, 10, and 40 mg/kg/day, and in rabbits using oral doses of 5, 20, and 40 mg/kg/day. These studies have revealed no evidence of impaired fertility or harm to the fetus at doses up to 10 mg/kg/day in rats (5 times the human dose based on body surface area comparison) and 40 mg/kg/day in rabbits (43 times the human dose based on body surface area comparison). Treatment of rats with oral doses of 40 mg/kg/day (21 times the human dose based on a body surface area comparison) produced marked impairment of fertility. The studies produced no evidence of teratogenic activity. There are no adequate and well controlled studies in pregnant women. Loperamide hydrochloride should be used during pregnancy only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus. Nonteratogenic Effects In a peri- and post-natal development study in rats, oral administration of 40 mg/kg/day produced impairment of growth and survival of offspring.
Prescribing label, section “Pregnancy”: LOPERAMIDE HYDROCHLORIDE (oral), REMEDYREPACK INC. Label on DailyMed. Quoted verbatim; US labels are written for US prescribers and patients.
Loperamide while breastfeeding
The NHS says
You can take loperamide while breastfeeding.
Only tiny amounts of loperamide reach breast milk, and your baby cannot absorb much of it through breastfeeding. It's not expected to cause side effects in your baby.
As a precaution, speak to your health visitor, midwife, doctor or pharmacist if your baby is not feeding as well as they usually do, seems constipated or irritable, or if you're worried about your baby in any other way.
In our words, from the NHS page Loperamide (Imodium) (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
The amount of loperamide that enters milk from a prodrug of loperamide is minimal. Use of loperamide during breastfeeding is unlikely to affect the infant with standard doses.[1,2]
“Summary of Use during Lactation”, LactMed record “Loperamide” (LM424), quoted verbatim. Everything LactMed reports about Loperamide while breastfeeding.
The US prescribing label says
Nursing Mothers Small amounts of loperamide may appear in human breast milk. Therefore, loperamide hydrochloride is not recommended during breast-feeding.
Prescribing label, section “Nursing Mothers”: LOPERAMIDE HYDROCHLORIDE (oral), REMEDYREPACK INC. Label on DailyMed. Quoted verbatim; US labels are written for US prescribers and patients.
Other names
UK brand names (per the NHS): Imodium.
Indian brands (per NPPA): Eldoper.
Sources
- NHS, Loperamide (Imodium) (nhs.uk), page last reviewed 10 April 2024. Paraphrased. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- US drug label: LOPERAMIDE HYDROCHLORIDE (oral), YYBA CORP, human otc drug, label effective 9 September 2026, set ID 5a728c6d-26ec-3316-e063-6394a90ade08. DailyMed (National Library of Medicine). Public domain; quoted verbatim.
- US drug label: LOPERAMIDE HYDROCHLORIDE (oral), REMEDYREPACK INC., human prescription drug, label effective 7 August 2026, set ID 3fdfc0e5-56a2-48a0-8ee6-390a194a29f3. 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 “Loperamide” (LM424), 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.