N
Global Insight Network

Is it safe to take loratadine while breastfeeding?

Author

Matthew Barrera

Updated on May 07, 2026

Loratadine or cetirizine are the antihistamine tablets recommended if you're breastfeeding. They can have different brand names, so speak to your pharmacist for advice.

Keeping this in consideration, does loratadine affect breast milk supply?

Loratadine (Claritin) has been studied and the amount of loratadine that passes into breastmilk is extremely low. Claritin-D and Allegra-D have the decongestant pseudoephedrine added (see above about possible effect on milk supply).

Beside above, is it safe to take loratadine while pregnant? It's generally safe to take loratadine during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. For more information about how loratadine can affect you and your baby during pregnancy, read this leaflet on the Best Use of Medicines in Pregnancy (BUMPS) website.

Besides, is allergy medication safe while breastfeeding?

Most allergy medication are considered safe for use while breastfeeding and will not impact your milk supply. However, it helps to identify which allergy symptom you are trying to treat when you decide to take a medication.

What medications should you avoid while breastfeeding?

Breastfeeding women should avoid aspirin and products containing aspirin (this includes Pepto Bismal taken for an upset stomach), as well as products containing naproxen (Aleve). In contrast, acetominophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofin (Motrin, Advil) are not known to have any negative effects on nursing babies.

Related Question Answers

Does prednisone dry up breast milk?

“High doses might occasionally cause temporary loss of milk supply.” Prednisone shut down my milk-making factory.

What medication dries up breast milk?

Medications to dry up breast milk
  • Anti-prolactin drugs. Drugs such as cabergoline and bromocriptine reduce prolactin levels, helping dry up breast milk supply.
  • Estrogen and birth control pills. Estrogen can help reduce breast milk supply.
  • Decongestants.

Who should not take loratadine?

Conditions: liver failure. liver problems. moderate to severe kidney impairment.

Can you take 2 loratadine 10 mg?

No, the maximum recommended daily dose of loratadine is 10mg once daily.

What are the side effects of loratadine?

Loratadine may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:
  • headache.
  • dry mouth.
  • nosebleed.
  • sore throat.
  • mouth sores.
  • difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep.
  • nervousness.
  • weakness.

Does ibuprofen reduce milk supply?

A review of studies found no documented risks associated with exposing a baby to small quantities of ibuprofen through breast milk. A small study found that the amount of ibuprofen in breast milk decreased both over time and alongside the natural decrease in protein.

Do decongestants dry up breast milk?

Sudafed. In a small study in 2003 of 8 lactating women, a single 60-milligram (mg) dose of the cold medicine pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) was shown to significantly reduce milk production.

Does Benadryl dry up milk supply?

Benadryl doesn't affect the amount of milk your body makes. However, it may decrease the flow of milk from your breasts. Benadryl can also be passed to your child through your breast milk when you take the pills or use it on your skin.

Can allergies be passed through breast milk?

Human breast milk typically does not cause allergic reactions in breastfeeding infants, but mothers sometimes worry that their babies may be allergic to something that they themselves are eating and passing into their breast milk.

What antihistamine can I take while breastfeeding?

Studies of the non-sedating antihistamines, loratadine and cetirizine, show low levels of transfer into breast milk and these would be considered the preferred choice antihistamines for a breastfeeding mother.

Can I still breastfeed if I have an allergic reaction?

However, if there is a true allergy or sensitivity, you do not need to wean your baby from the breast. If you change your diet, you and your baby can continue to enjoy breastfeeding for as long as mutually desired. Be patient, be gentle on yourself, and take it one day at a time.

Why is Zyrtec not recommended while breastfeeding?

However, caution is advised for cetirizine use while breastfeeding due to the theoretical risk of CNS depression based on limited human data and risk of decreased milk production.

Can Babies catch colds from breastfeeding?

Common illnesses such as cold or diarrhea can't be passed to the baby through breast milk. If the mother is sick, antibodies can be passed to the baby to protect the baby from getting the same illness as the mother.

How long does medication stay in breastmilk?

Drugs to relieve headache, aches, pain or fever

Try not to breastfeed for 1 to 2 hours after taking the dose to minimise the amount in your breastmilk.

Which painkiller is safe during breastfeeding?

What medications are safe to take while breast-feeding?
  • Acetaminophen (Tylenol, others)
  • Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others)
  • Naproxen (Naprosyn) — short-term use only.

What painkillers can you take when breastfeeding?

Pain relievers and breastfeeding

Nursing mothers can use: acetaminophen (Tylenol) ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, Proprinal) naproxen (Aleve, Midol, Flanax), for short-term use only.

What can I take for sore throat while breastfeeding?

Try the following to help the discomfort of a cold or a sore throat when breastfeeding:
  • Take honey and lemon mixed in hot water, or sip on other warm fluids like natural teas to keep your throat moist.
  • Gargle some salt water.
  • If you have a cough, try a cough medicine that is based on glycerine and honey.

What does loratadine do to the body?

Loratadine is an antihistamine that reduces the effects of natural chemical histamine in the body. Histamine can produce symptoms of sneezing, itching, watery eyes, and runny nose. Loratadine is used to treat sneezing, runny nose, watery eyes, hives, skin rash, itching, and other cold or allergy symptoms.

How long does loratadine stay in your system?

The elimination half-life of loratadine is 8–14 hours and that of its metabolite is 17–24 hours, which accounts for the 24-hour duration of action of the drug. Wheal inhibition is detected at 1.5 hours after administration, reaches a peak at 4–6 hours, and may last 36–48 hours.

How quickly does loratadine work?

Loratadine reaches peak plasma concentration in 1-2 hours; the metabolite does so in 3-4 hours. Their respective elimination half-lives are about 10 and 20 hours. Onset of action is within 1 hour and duration is at least 24 hours.

Is loratadine the same as Benadryl?

Claritin (Loratadine) vs.

Loratadine and diphenhydramine are the generic drug names for Claritin and Benadryl, respectively. And at the root of it, are both antihistamine medications.

Can I take loratadine at night?

Take loratadine once a day at the same time each day, either in the morning OR in the evening. You can take loratadine with or without food. Swallow the tablet whole, with a glass of water. It is not harmful if you miss your loratadine dose.

What is the best antihistamine?

Claritin and Zyrtec are popular over-the-counter antihistamines. Doctors consider them safe and effective treatments for minor allergies. Both are second-generation antihistamines. These cause less drowsiness than first-generation antihistamines.

What pregnancy category is loratadine?

Safety of Over-the-Counter Antihistamines, Decongestants, and Expectorants in Pregnancy
Medication Drug class Pregnancy risk category*
Cetirizine (Zyrtec) Second-generation (selective, nonsedating) antihistamine B
Loratadine (Claritin) Second-generation (selective, nonsedating) antihistamine B

Does loratadine cause weight gain?

Newer drugs, including cetirizine (Zyrtec), fexofenadine (Allegra) and loratadine (Claritin), are less likely to cause weight gain, according to Long.

Which antihistamine is safe in pregnancy?

Chlorphenamine is also considered one of the safer antihistamines to take during pregnancy, but because it can cause drowsiness, loratadine and cetirizine are usually the preferred options.

What things should you avoid while breastfeeding?

5 Foods to Limit or Avoid While Breastfeeding
  • Fish high in mercury.
  • Some herbal supplements.
  • Alcohol.
  • Caffeine.
  • Highly processed foods.
  • Other considerations.
  • How to tell if your diet is affecting your baby.

Who shouldnt breastfeed?

Mothers with untreated and active tuberculosis infections are not advised to breastfeed. They may breastfeed after their infection is cured or brought under control so that it does not spread to the infant. Mothers infected with human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I or type II should not breast feed their babies.

What can you not do while breastfeeding?

Don't smoke, drink alcohol or use harmful drugs when you're breastfeeding. Talk to your health care provider to make sure any medicine you take is safe for your baby during breastfeeding.

What diseases can be passed through breast milk?

The concern is about viral pathogens, known to be blood-borne pathogens, which have been identified in breast milk and include but are not limited to hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), West Nile virus, human T-cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV), and HIV.

What is passed through breast milk?

Three viruses (CMV, HIV, and HTLV-I) frequently cause infection or disease as a result of breast-milk transmission. Reasonable guidelines have been pro-posed for when and how to avoid breast milk in the case of maternal infection.

What Stds can be passed through breast milk?

Other STIs, like gonorrhea, chlamydia, hepatitis B, and genital herpes, can pass from the mother to the baby as the baby passes through the birth canal.

Can you breastfeed with high blood pressure?

Yes, breastfeeding has many health benefits for you and your baby, even when you have high blood pressure. Breastfeeding won't make your condition worse, and might even improve it over the long term. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months of your baby's life.

Can CBD be passed through breast milk?

What You Should Know About Using Cannabis, Including CBD, When Pregnant or Breastfeeding. FDA strongly advises against the use of cannabidiol (CBD), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and marijuana in any form during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.