Can I take tranexamic acid while pregnant or breastfeeding?
A plain-words look at what the NHS, the US drug label and LactMed say about tranexamic acid.
In short
Pregnancy: Tranexamic acid can be taken in pregnancy if needed, although it is not often recommended.
Breastfeeding: It's OK to take tranexamic acid while breastfeeding, provided your doctor, midwife or health visitor is happy that your baby is healthy.
Your doctor, midwife or pharmacist can help you decide.
What this means for you
Pregnancy
- Take it only if a doctor has prescribed it.
- If you're pregnant or trying for a baby, speak to your doctor, as they may want to review your medicine.
- Sometimes you may be given tranexamic acid after your baby is born.
- You may need it if you bleed heavily around the birth, or if you have a blood problem that makes you more likely to bleed.
- Your maternity team can explain this to you.
Breastfeeding
- Information on tranexamic acid in breastfeeding is limited, but it shows that very small amounts reach breast milk, and it does not usually cause side effects in babies.
- If you have any worries about your baby, contact your health visitor, midwife, doctor or pharmacist promptly.
- This includes if your baby is not feeding as well as they usually do, is more restless than usual, or is being sick or has diarrhoea.
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
Tranexamic acid in pregnancy
The NHS says
Tranexamic acid can be taken in pregnancy if needed, although it is not often recommended. Take it only if a doctor has prescribed it.
If you're pregnant or trying for a baby, speak to your doctor, as they may want to review your medicine.
Sometimes you may be given tranexamic acid after your baby is born. You may need it if you bleed heavily around the birth, or if you have a blood problem that makes you more likely to bleed. Your maternity team can explain this to you.
In our words, from the NHS page Tranexamic acid (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 Tranexamic acid tablets are not indicated for use in pregnant women . There are no available data on tranexamic acid tablets use in pregnant women to evaluate for a drug-associated risk of major birth defects, miscarriage or adverse maternal or fetal outcomes. Tranexamic acid crosses the placenta. Animal reproduction studies have not identified adverse developmental outcomes with oral administration of tranexamic acid to pregnant rats at doses up to 4 times the recommended human dose (see Data ) . In the US general population, the estimated background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage in clinically recognized pregnancies is 2% to 4% and 15% to 20%, respectively.
Prescribing label, section “8.1 Pregnancy” (opening excerpt): Tranexamic Acid (oral), i3 Pharmaceuticals, LLC. Read the full section on DailyMed. Quoted verbatim; US labels are written for US prescribers and patients.
Tranexamic acid while breastfeeding
The NHS says
It's OK to take tranexamic acid while breastfeeding, provided your doctor, midwife or health visitor is happy that your baby is healthy.
Information on tranexamic acid in breastfeeding is limited, but it shows that very small amounts reach breast milk, and it does not usually cause side effects in babies.
If you have any worries about your baby, contact your health visitor, midwife, doctor or pharmacist promptly. This includes if your baby is not feeding as well as they usually do, is more restless than usual, or is being sick or has diarrhoea.
In our words, from the NHS page Tranexamic acid (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
Amounts of tranexamic acid in breastmilk appear to be low. Recent expert opinion considers that breastfeeding should be permitted in infants whose mothers require treatment with tranexamic acid.[1,2] Tranexamic acid is used for hereditary angioedema in low-income countries where first-line treatments are not available, but should not be used if C1-INH is available.[3]
“Summary of Use during Lactation”, LactMed record “Tranexamic Acid” (LM828), quoted verbatim. Everything LactMed reports about Tranexamic Acid while breastfeeding.
The US prescribing label says
8.2 Lactation Risk Summary Tranexamic acid is present in the mother’s milk at a concentration of about one hundredth of the corresponding serum concentration (see Data ). The amount of tranexamic acid a nursing infant would absorb is unknown. There are no adequate data on the effects of tranexamic acid on the breastfed infant or the effects of tranexamic acid on milk production. The developmental and health benefits of breastfeeding should be considered along with the mother’s clinical need for tranexamic acid tablets and any potential adverse effects on the breast-fed child from tranexamic acid tablets or from the underlying maternal condition. Data Human Data One hour after the last dose following a 2-day treatment course in lactating women, the milk concentration of the tranexamic acid was 1% of the peak serum concentration.
Prescribing label, section “8.2 Lactation”: Tranexamic Acid (oral), i3 Pharmaceuticals, LLC. Label on DailyMed. Quoted verbatim; US labels are written for US prescribers and patients.
Other names
UK brand names (per the NHS): Cyklokapron, Evena Heavy Period Relief.
Sources
- NHS, Tranexamic acid (nhs.uk), page last reviewed 9 March 2023. Paraphrased. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- US drug label: Tranexamic Acid (oral), i3 Pharmaceuticals, LLC, human prescription drug, label effective 29 June 2026, set ID 2c48c13a-5e7d-43ef-81a3-27d3bcda0f80. 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 “Tranexamic Acid” (LM828), 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.