Can I take tamsulosin while pregnant or breastfeeding?
A plain-words look at what the NHS, the US drug label and LactMed say about tamsulosin.
In short
Pregnancy: Tamsulosin is not usually recommended in pregnancy, because there's too little information to know whether it's safe for your baby.
Breastfeeding: Tamsulosin can be taken while breastfeeding, provided your doctor or health visitor is happy that your baby is healthy, but speak to your doctor or pharmacist first.
Your doctor, midwife or pharmacist can help you decide.
What this means for you
Pregnancy
- If you take tamsulosin and are pregnant or trying for a baby, ask a doctor whether it's still the right medicine for you.
- The doctor can recommend the best treatment for you and your baby.
Breastfeeding
- Nobody knows exactly how much tamsulosin reaches breast milk, but the amount is probably small, and too little to cause side effects in your baby.
- You may be offered a different treatment that more is known about.
- If your baby is not feeding as well as they usually do, seems unusually sleepy, looks much paler than usual, or you're worried about your baby in any other way, contact your health visitor, midwife, pharmacist 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
Tamsulosin in pregnancy
The NHS says
Tamsulosin is not usually recommended in pregnancy, because there's too little information to know whether it's safe for your baby.
If you take tamsulosin and are pregnant or trying for a baby, ask a doctor whether it's still the right medicine for you.
The doctor can recommend the best treatment for you and your baby.
In our words, from the NHS page Tamsulosin (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 Tamsulosin hydrochloride is not indicated for use in women. There are no adequate data on the developmental risk associated with the use of tamsulosin hydrochloride in pregnant women. No adverse developmental effects were observed in animal studies in which tamsulosin hydrochloride was administered to rats or rabbits during the period of organogenesis (GD 7 to 17 in the rat and GD 6 to 18 in the rabbit) [ see Data ] . In the U.S. general population, the estimated background risk of major birth defects and of miscarriage in clinically recognized pregnancies is 2 to 4% and 15 to 20%, respectively. Data Administration of tamsulosin hydrochloride to pregnant female rats during the period of organogenesis at dose levels up to approximately 50 times the human therapeutic AUC exposure (300 mg/kg/day) revealed no evidence of harm to the fetus. Administration of tamsulosin hydrochloride to pregnant rabbits during the period of organogenesis at dose levels up to 50 mg/kg/day produced no evidence of fetal harm.
Prescribing label, section “8.1 Pregnancy”: Tamsulosin Hydrochloride (oral), Major Pharmaceuticals. Label on DailyMed. Quoted verbatim; US labels are written for US prescribers and patients.
Tamsulosin while breastfeeding
The NHS says
Tamsulosin can be taken while breastfeeding, provided your doctor or health visitor is happy that your baby is healthy, but speak to your doctor or pharmacist first.
Nobody knows exactly how much tamsulosin reaches breast milk, but the amount is probably small, and too little to cause side effects in your baby. You may be offered a different treatment that more is known about.
If your baby is not feeding as well as they usually do, seems unusually sleepy, looks much paler than usual, or you're worried about your baby in any other way, contact your health visitor, midwife, pharmacist or doctor promptly.
In our words, from the NHS page Tamsulosin (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 tamsulosin is not FDA approved for use in women, it is used off-label in women with kidney stones. No information is available on the use of tamsulosin during breastfeeding. Because it is 94 to 99% bound to plasma proteins, amounts in milk are likely to be small. If tamsulosin is required by the mother, it is not a reason to discontinue breastfeeding. However, the breastfed infant should be carefully monitored.
“Summary of Use during Lactation”, LactMed record “Tamsulosin” (tamsulosin), quoted verbatim. Everything LactMed reports about Tamsulosin while breastfeeding.
What these words mean
- metabolite
- a substance made when the body breaks down a medicine
Definitions adapted from the NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute).
The US prescribing label says
8.2 Lactation Tamsulosin hydrochloride is not indicated for use in women. There are no data on the presence of tamsulosin hydrochloride in human milk, the effects of tamsulosin hydrochloride on the breastfed infant, or the effects of tamsulosin hydrochloride on milk production. Tamsulosin hydrochloride is present in the milk of lactating rats [ see Data ] . Data Oral administration of radiolabeled tamsulosin hydrochloride to rats demonstrated that tamsulosin hydrochloride and/or its metabolites are excreted into the milk of rats.
Prescribing label, section “8.2 Lactation”: Tamsulosin Hydrochloride (oral), Major Pharmaceuticals. Label on DailyMed. Quoted verbatim; US labels are written for US prescribers and patients.
Other names
UK brand names (per the NHS): Contiflo XL, Faramsil MR, Flomaxtra XL, Pamsvax XL, Tabphyn MR.
Sources
- NHS, Tamsulosin (nhs.uk), page last reviewed 2 February 2023. Paraphrased. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- US drug label: Tamsulosin Hydrochloride (oral), Major Pharmaceuticals, human prescription drug, label effective 1 September 2026, set ID f8302a6e-b8da-4931-a279-b49e37943816. 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 “Tamsulosin” (tamsulosin), 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.