Can I take memantine while pregnant or breastfeeding?

A plain-words look at what the NHS, the US drug label and LactMed say about memantine.

In short

Pregnancy: Let your doctor know if you're pregnant, or if you become pregnant while taking memantine.

Breastfeeding: Let your doctor know if you're breastfeeding.

Your doctor, midwife or pharmacist can help you decide.

What this means for you

Pregnancy

Breastfeeding

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

Memantine in pregnancy

The NHS says

Let your doctor know if you're pregnant, or if you become pregnant while taking memantine.

Doctors do not usually use memantine in pregnancy, as not enough is known about how safe it is. But a doctor may recommend it if the benefits are greater than the risks.

In our words, from the NHS page Memantine (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

8.1 Pregnancy Risk Summary There are no adequate data on the developmental risk associated with the use of memantine in pregnant women. Adverse developmental effects (decreased body weight, and skeletal ossification) were observed in the offspring of rats administered memantine during pregnancy at doses associated with minimal maternal toxicity. These doses are higher than those used in humans at the maximum recommended daily dose of memantine [see Data]. In the U.S. general population, the estimated background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage in clinically recognized pregnancies is 2-4% and 15-20%, respectively. The background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage for the indicated population is unknown.

Prescribing label, section “8.1 Pregnancy” (opening excerpt): Memantine Hydrochloride (oral), REMEDYREPACK INC. Read the full section on DailyMed. Quoted verbatim; US labels are written for US prescribers and patients.

Memantine while breastfeeding

The NHS says

Let your doctor know if you're breastfeeding.

Memantine is not usually recommended while breastfeeding.

In our words, from the NHS page Memantine (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 prescribing label says

8.2 Lactation Risk Summary There are no data on the presence of memantine in human milk, the effects on the breastfed infant, or the effects of memantine on milk production. The developmental and health benefits of breastfeeding should be considered along with the mother's clinical need for memantine and any potential adverse effects on the breastfed infant from memantine or from the underlying maternal condition.

Prescribing label, section “8.2 Lactation”: Memantine Hydrochloride (oral), REMEDYREPACK INC. Label on DailyMed. Quoted verbatim; US labels are written for US prescribers and patients.

Sources

  1. NHS, Memantine (nhs.uk), page last reviewed 11 August 2026. Paraphrased. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. US drug label: Memantine Hydrochloride (oral), REMEDYREPACK INC., human prescription drug, label effective 6 August 2026, set ID cbfd9d95-f50b-45ff-9857-9f1712c45e56. 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.