Is Bisacodyl safe while breastfeeding?
Here is what LactMed, the Drugs and Lactation Database published by the U.S. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), reports about Bisacodyl. The text below is quoted from that source — it is not our own verdict.
Summary of use during breastfeeding
Bisacodyl is not absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, and its active metabolite, which is absorbed, is not detectable in breastmilk. Bisacodyl can be taken during breastfeeding and no special precautions are required.
Effects on the breastfed infant
Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Effects on milk supply
Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Levels in milk
Maternal Levels. Sixteen postpartum women who were not breastfeeding, but were producing at least 200 mL of milk daily by breast pump were given either oral enteric-coated bisacodyl tablets (Dulcolax) 10 mg daily or oral liquid sodium picosulfate (Laxoberal) 10 mg daily for 7 days. Both drugs are prodrugs metabolized to the active drug, bis-(p-hydroxyphenyl)-2-pyridyl-2-methane (BHPM). All breastmilk was collected daily from the day before drug administration to 2 days after the last dose. Free and conjugated BHPM were undetectable (<1 mcg/L) in all milk samples.[1]
Infant Levels. Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Alternatives LactMed lists
Bisacodyl in pregnancy
LactMed covers breastfeeding only. For what the NHS and the US prescribing label say about pregnancy, see:
“No published information” means the studies do not exist yet — not that Bisacodyl is known to be harmful, and not that it is known to be safe. Your prescriber or pharmacist can weigh your baby's age and whether a better-studied alternative would do the same job. Worth asking before stopping a medicine you need.
Source: Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), via NCBI Bookshelf, record “Bisacodyl” (LM448). LactMed on NCBI Bookshelf. LactMed is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Educational summary of an authoritative source — not medical advice. Never start, stop, or change a medicine while breastfeeding without confirming with your doctor.