Can I take solifenacin while pregnant or breastfeeding?
A plain-words look at what the NHS, the US drug label and LactMed say about solifenacin.
In short
Pregnancy: Solifenacin is not usually recommended in pregnancy, because there isn't enough information to say whether it's safe for your baby.
Breastfeeding: If your doctor, health visitor or midwife tells you your baby is healthy, you can take solifenacin while breastfeeding if you need to.
Your doctor, midwife or pharmacist can help you decide.
What this means for you
Pregnancy
- In some cases, though, staying on solifenacin may benefit you.
- If you're pregnant or trying for a baby, ask your doctor whether solifenacin is right for you.
Breastfeeding
- Other medicines might be better, though, and a doctor or pharmacist can help you choose.
- The amount of solifenacin that reaches breast milk is not known, but it's probably very small.
- However, if you take it for a long time the amount in breast milk could build up, which could make side effects in your baby more likely.
- This could include your baby feeding more or less than normal, not gaining weight as you'd expect, being constipated, peeing less, being irritable, or having colic.
When to get help
- If anything about your baby worries you, call 111 (NHS 111 in the UK) or get in touch with your health visitor, midwife, doctor or pharmacist as soon as you can.
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
Solifenacin in pregnancy
The NHS says
Solifenacin is not usually recommended in pregnancy, because there isn't enough information to say whether it's safe for your baby.
In some cases, though, staying on solifenacin may benefit you. If you're pregnant or trying for a baby, ask your doctor whether solifenacin is right for you.
In our words, from the NHS page Solifenacin (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 Pregnancy Category C There are no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women. Reproduction studies have been performed in mice, rats and rabbits. After oral administration of 14 C-solifenacin succinate to pregnant mice, drug-related material was shown to cross the placental barrier. No embryotoxicity or teratogenicity was observed in mice treated with 1.2 times (30 mg/kg/day) the expected exposure at the maximum recommended human dose [MRHD] of 10 mg. Administration of solifenacin succinate to pregnant mice at 3.6 times and greater (100 mg/kg/day and greater) the exposure at the MRHD, during the major period of organ development resulted in reduced fetal body weights. Administration of 7.9 times (250 mg/kg/day) the MRHD to pregnant mice resulted in an increased incidence of cleft palate. In utero and lactational exposures to maternal doses of solifenacin succinate of 3.6 times (100 mg/kg/day) the MRHD resulted in reduced peripartum and postnatal survival, reductions in body weight gain, and delayed physical development (eye opening and vaginal patency).
Prescribing label, section “8.1 Pregnancy” (opening excerpt): Solifenacin Succinate (oral), Proficient Rx LP. Read the full section on DailyMed. Quoted verbatim; US labels are written for US prescribers and patients.
Solifenacin while breastfeeding
The NHS says
If your doctor, health visitor or midwife tells you your baby is healthy, you can take solifenacin while breastfeeding if you need to. Other medicines might be better, though, and a doctor or pharmacist can help you choose.
The amount of solifenacin that reaches breast milk is not known, but it's probably very small. However, if you take it for a long time the amount in breast milk could build up, which could make side effects in your baby more likely.
If anything about your baby worries you, call 111 (NHS 111 in the UK) or get in touch with your health visitor, midwife, doctor or pharmacist as soon as you can. This could include your baby feeding more or less than normal, not gaining weight as you'd expect, being constipated, peeing less, being irritable, or having colic.
In our words, from the NHS page Solifenacin (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
Because there is no published experience with solifenacin during breastfeeding and it has a long half-life averaging 55 hours, an alternate drug may be preferred, especially while nursing a newborn or preterm infant. Long-term use of solifenacin might reduce milk production or milk letdown. During long-term use, observe the infant for signs of decreased milk production (e.g., insatiety, poor weight gain) and for anticholinergic symptoms (e.g., constipation, urinary retention, UTI, dry mouth).
“Summary of Use during Lactation”, LactMed record “Solifenacin” (LM767), quoted verbatim. Everything LactMed reports about Solifenacin while breastfeeding.
The US prescribing label says
Nursing Mothers After oral administration of 14 C-solifenacin succinate to lactating mice, radioactivity was detected in maternal milk. There were no adverse observations in mice treated with 1.2 times (30 mg/kg/day) the expected exposure at the maximum recommended human dose [MRHD]. Pups of female mice treated with 3.6 times (100 mg/kg/day) the exposure at the MRHD or greater revealed reduced body weights, postpartum pup mortality or delays in the onset of reflex and physical development during the lactation period. It is not known whether solifenacin is excreted in human milk. Because many drugs are excreted in human milk, solifenacin should not be administered during nursing. A decision should be made whether to discontinue nursing or to discontinue solifenacin in nursing mothers.
Prescribing label, section “Nursing Mothers”: Solifenacin Succinate (oral), Proficient Rx LP. Label on DailyMed. Quoted verbatim; US labels are written for US prescribers and patients.
Other names
UK brand names (per the NHS): Vesicare.
Sources
- NHS, Solifenacin (nhs.uk), page last reviewed 2 July 2024. Paraphrased. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- US drug label: Solifenacin Succinate (oral), Proficient Rx LP, human prescription drug, label effective 1 June 2022, set ID c67107f4-348b-4a23-a67c-26fd8241ebd6. 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 “Solifenacin” (LM767), 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.