Can I take oxybutynin while pregnant or breastfeeding?
A plain-words look at what the NHS, the US drug label and LactMed say about oxybutynin.
In short
Pregnancy: In pregnancy, oxybutynin is occasionally used if bladder symptoms are severe and nothing else controls them.
Breastfeeding: You can take oxybutynin while breastfeeding, but speak to your doctor first.
Your doctor, midwife or pharmacist can help you decide.
What this means for you
Pregnancy
- If you're pregnant or trying for a baby, ask your doctor whether oxybutynin is right for you.
Breastfeeding
- The amount of oxybutynin that reaches breast milk is not known, but it's probably tiny.
- Your baby will not be able to absorb much of it from the milk, and it should not give them side effects.
When to get help
- As a precaution, call 111 (NHS 111 in the UK) or get in touch with your health visitor, midwife, doctor or pharmacist as soon as you can if anything about your baby worries you, including if your baby is feeding less well than normal or not gaining weight as you'd expect, is unusually sleepy or irritable, or is constipated or peeing less (fewer wet nappies).
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
Oxybutynin in pregnancy
The NHS says
In pregnancy, oxybutynin is occasionally used if bladder symptoms are severe and nothing else controls them.
If you're pregnant or trying for a baby, ask your doctor whether oxybutynin is right for you.
In our words, from the NHS page Oxybutynin (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 breastfeeding, ask a health professional before use.
Drug Facts label: Oxytrol for Women (transdermal), Allergan, Inc. Label on DailyMed. Quoted verbatim; US labels are written for US prescribers and patients.
This quote is from the transdermal formulation label.
Pregnancy Category B. Reproduction studies using oxybutynin chloride in the hamster, rabbit, rat, and mouse have shown no definite evidence of impaired fertility or harm to the animal fetus. The safety of oxybutynin chloride administered to women who are or who may become pregnant has not been established. Therefore, oxybutynin chloride should not be given to pregnant women unless, in the judgment of the physician, the probable clinical benefits outweigh the possible hazards.
Prescribing label, section “Pregnancy”: Oxybutynin Chloride (oral), REMEDYREPACK INC. Label on DailyMed. Quoted verbatim; US labels are written for US prescribers and patients.
Oxybutynin while breastfeeding
The NHS says
You can take oxybutynin while breastfeeding, but speak to your doctor first.
The amount of oxybutynin that reaches breast milk is not known, but it's probably tiny. Your baby will not be able to absorb much of it from the milk, and it should not give them side effects.
As a precaution, call 111 (NHS 111 in the UK) or get in touch with your health visitor, midwife, doctor or pharmacist as soon as you can if anything about your baby worries you, including if your baby is feeding less well than normal or not gaining weight as you'd expect, is unusually sleepy or irritable, or is constipated or peeing less (fewer wet nappies).
In our words, from the NHS page Oxybutynin (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
No information is available on the use of oxybutynin during breastfeeding. Long-term use of oxybutynin might reduce milk production or milk letdown, but a single dose is not likely to interfere with breastfeeding. During long-term use, observe for signs of decreased lactation (e.g., insatiety, poor weight gain).
“Summary of Use during Lactation”, LactMed record “Oxybutinyn” (LM766), quoted verbatim. Everything LactMed reports about Oxybutinyn while breastfeeding.
The US prescribing label says
Nursing Mothers It is not known whether this drug is excreted in human milk. Because many drugs are excreted in human milk, caution should be exercised when oxybutynin chloride is administered to a nursing woman.
Prescribing label, section “Nursing Mothers”: Oxybutynin Chloride (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): Aspire, Ditropan, Kentera.
Sources
- NHS, Oxybutynin (nhs.uk), page last reviewed 16 August 2024. Paraphrased. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- US drug label: Oxytrol for Women (transdermal), Allergan, Inc., human otc drug, label effective 15 August 2024, set ID 8cdc5b4d-ff8d-4010-97d7-313422a0b868. DailyMed (National Library of Medicine). Public domain; quoted verbatim.
- US drug label: Oxybutynin Chloride (oral), REMEDYREPACK INC., human prescription drug, label effective 28 July 2026, set ID 1a08a16a-f16d-4ef1-95bb-6943bcae0737. 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 “Oxybutinyn” (LM766), 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.