Can I take nystatin while pregnant or breastfeeding?
A plain-words look at what the NHS, the US drug label and LactMed say about nystatin.
In short
Pregnancy: Nystatin can be used if you're pregnant or trying for a baby.
Breastfeeding: Nystatin can be used while you're breastfeeding.
Your doctor, midwife or pharmacist can help you decide.
What this means for you
Breastfeeding
- Breastfeeding mothers have used nystatin for many years without side effects in their babies, and it's not thought to get into breast milk.
- If you use a nystatin cream or ointment, make sure your baby does not touch any part of your body where you've put it.
- Wash your hands after applying it and before you pick up your baby.
- If you have thrush (candida) of the breast while breastfeeding, you can treat it with nystatin, although other treatments usually work better.
- Your baby will also need their own medicine at the same time.
- If you've applied it to your breasts, clean it off your nipples or breasts and then wash your hands before you feed your baby.
- Cream is usually better than ointment when breastfeeding, because it washes off more easily.
- Nystatin creams and ointments may also include other ingredients, for example antiseptics, antibacterials and steroids.
- These are still OK to use while breastfeeding.
When to get help
- If your baby is not feeding as well as they usually do, or you're worried about your baby in any other way, contact your midwife, health visitor or doctor promptly.
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
Nystatin in pregnancy
The NHS says
Nystatin can be used if you're pregnant or trying for a baby.
In our words, from the NHS page Nystatin (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 Teratogenic Effects Category C Animal reproduction studies have not been conducted with nystatin. It is also not known whether nystatin can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman or can affect reproduction capacity. Nystatin should be given to a pregnant woman only if clearly needed.
Prescribing label, section “Pregnancy”: nystatin (oral), NuCare Pharmaceuticals,Inc. Label on DailyMed. Quoted verbatim; US labels are written for US prescribers and patients.
Nystatin while breastfeeding
The NHS says
Nystatin can be used while you're breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding mothers have used nystatin for many years without side effects in their babies, and it's not thought to get into breast milk.
If you use a nystatin cream or ointment, make sure your baby does not touch any part of your body where you've put it. Wash your hands after applying it and before you pick up your baby.
If you have thrush (candida) of the breast while breastfeeding, you can treat it with nystatin, although other treatments usually work better. Your baby will also need their own medicine at the same time.
If you've applied it to your breasts, clean it off your nipples or breasts and then wash your hands before you feed your baby. Cream is usually better than ointment when breastfeeding, because it washes off more easily.
Nystatin creams and ointments may also include other ingredients, for example antiseptics, antibacterials and steroids. These are still OK to use while breastfeeding.
If your baby is not feeding as well as they usually do, or you're worried about your baby in any other way, contact your midwife, health visitor or doctor promptly.
In our words, from the NHS page Nystatin (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
Although no information exists on the milk excretion of nystatin, it is virtually unabsorbed orally, therefore most reviewers and clinicians consider it acceptable for use in nursing mothers, including topical application to the nipples.[1-3] Only water-miscible cream or gel products should be applied to the breast because ointments may expose the infant to high levels of mineral paraffins via licking.[4] Any excess cream should be removed from the nipples before nursing. Nystatin is less effective than other topical agents for the treatment of thrush.[5,6]
“Summary of Use during Lactation”, LactMed record “Nystatin” (LM374), quoted verbatim. Everything LactMed reports about Nystatin while breastfeeding.
The US prescribing label says
Nursing Mothers It is not known whether nystatin is excreted in human milk. Because many drugs are excreted in human milk, caution should be exercised when nystatin is administered to a nursing woman.
Prescribing label, section “Nursing Mothers”: nystatin (oral), NuCare Pharmaceuticals,Inc. Label on DailyMed. Quoted verbatim; US labels are written for US prescribers and patients.
Other names
UK brand names (per the NHS): Nystan.
Sources
- NHS, Nystatin (nhs.uk), page last reviewed 1 August 2023. Paraphrased. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- US drug label: nystatin (oral), NuCare Pharmaceuticals,Inc., human prescription drug, label effective 19 August 2026, set ID 05cc72dd-8e05-bfb5-e063-6394a90a92f1. 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 “Nystatin” (LM374), 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.