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Hormonal & reproductive

Oxytocin

Also called Pitocin, OT, 'love hormone'

Oxytocin is a natural hormone made in the brain that triggers labor contractions and milk let-down, and it also plays a role in social bonding. A synthetic form is a standard hospital drug used to start or strengthen labor and to control bleeding after birth. Nasal sprays have been studied for autism, social anxiety and other conditions with mixed results.

FDA-approvedApproved by the FDA for at least one use after large human trials.

All printable flashcards

Drawn from its published sequence: 9 residues, one bead each. Dashed arcs are ring bonds.

Overview

Oxytocin is a natural hormone made in the brain that triggers labor contractions and milk let-down, and it also plays a role in social bonding. A synthetic form is a standard hospital drug used to start or strengthen labor and to control bleeding after birth. Nasal sprays have been studied for autism, social anxiety and other conditions with mixed results.

How it works

Established: it activates oxytocin receptors on uterine muscle (causing contractions) and breast tissue (milk ejection). Proposed: actions on brain oxytocin receptors influence social behavior, trust and stress responses; whether nasal doses reach the brain in useful amounts is debated.

What research shows

  • Approved obstetric use is based on decades of clinical experience; non-obstetric uses (intranasal for autism, social or psychiatric conditions) remain investigational — specific trials were not verified in this review.

Doses studied in people

Hospital IV dosing follows the FDA label, which could not be retrieved from a primary source in this review; intranasal doses used in research are not approved.

Read this first: these are the amounts given to participants in published studies or written on official prescribing labels, reported for reference. They are not recommendations. Trial doses were chosen for specific patients under medical supervision, and a dose that is safe in one person can be harmful in another.

Safety

  • As an obstetric drug it can cause excessive uterine contractions and water intoxication (per standard labeling — label text not retrieved in this review).
  • Off-label intranasal use: long-term safety is not well established.

Report side effects of any drug or product to the FDA through MedWatch. For a possible poisoning in the US, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.

History

Oxytocin was among the first peptide hormones to be chemically synthesized (1950s). Synthetic oxytocin injection (e.g., Pitocin) has long been FDA-approved for obstetric use. Details of the original FDA approval date were not verified in this review.

Common questions

Is oxytocin FDA-approved?

Yes. Oxytocin is the active ingredient of FDA-approved drugs, such as oxytocin injection used in childbirth 1.

Can pharmacies compound oxytocin?

It is not on FDA's compounding nominations list; because it is in approved drugs, whether it can be compounded depends on other pharmacy compounding rules 1.

What doses were studied?

Hospital IV dosing follows the FDA label, which could not be retrieved from a primary source here. Nasal doses used in research are not approved.

Is nasal oxytocin safe?

Off-label nasal use has not been well studied over the long term, so its long-term safety is not established.

Is oxytocin banned in sport?

It is not named on WADA's 2026 Prohibited List 2.

Related compounds

Hormonal & reproductiveEarly human dataFlashcard

Kisspeptin-10

KP-10 · metastin 45-54

Kisspeptin-10 is the shortest active piece of kisspeptin, a natural hormone that acts as the 'on switch' for the brain's reproductive hormone system.

Sexual health & melanocortinFDA-approvedFlashcard

PT-141 (bremelanotide)

bremelanotide · Vyleesi

Bremelanotide, often called PT-141, is a lab-made peptide that acts on melanocortin receptors in the brain.

Sources

  1. FDA: Bulk Drug Substances Nominated for Use in Compounding Under Section 503A (updated May 14, 2026) Regulatory
  2. WADA 2026 Prohibited List (official English text, Dutch Treaty Series Trb. 2026, 25) Regulatory

Last reviewed 2026-10-25 · How we research · Found an error? See our corrections policy.