Peptide Graded

Oxytocin

Is Oxytocin legal in the US?

Yes, FDA approved for starting labor, strengthening contractions and stopping bleeding after birth.

AStrong human evidenceFDA approvedas of 2026-10-26

Approved. Synthetic oxytocin is sold as Pitocin, an injection, for inducing labor when there is a medical reason, for strengthening contractions during labor, and for controlling bleeding after delivery. Its label carries a boxed warning that it is not indicated for elective induction. Intranasal oxytocin for anxiety, PTSD, autism, pain or intimacy is not approved by the FDA for any use. 213

No. The only approved oxytocin products are shots for labor and for bleeding after birth. Nasal sprays sold for mood, social or sexual benefits are not approved for any use. 213

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More on Oxytocin

Citations

  1. Budden 2014, Cochrane Database Syst Rev: high-dose versus low-dose oxytocin infusion regimens for induction of labour at term doi.org
  2. Pitocin (oxytocin injection) prescribing information drugs.com
  3. Gimpl 2001, Physiol Rev: the oxytocin receptor system, structure, function and regulation doi.org
  4. Knobloch 2014, Front Behav Neurosci: evolution of oxytocin pathways in the brain of vertebrates doi.org
  5. De Cagna 2019, Clin Psychopharmacol Neurosci: intranasal oxytocin in anxiety and depressive disorders, systematic review of RCTs doi.org
  6. Cardoso 2014, Psychoneuroendocrinology: meta-analysis of intranasal oxytocin and cortisol during laboratory tasks doi.org
  7. Koch 2016, Neuropsychopharmacology: intranasal oxytocin normalizes amygdala functional connectivity in PTSD doi.org
  8. van Zuiden 2017, Biol Psychiatry: intranasal oxytocin to prevent PTSD after emergency department trauma, randomized trial doi.org
  9. 2020, Psychoneuroendocrinology: systematic review of intranasal oxytocin in post-traumatic stress disorder doi.org
  10. Rash 2014, Psychosom Med: intranasal oxytocin and acute cold pressor pain, crossover study doi.org
  11. Boll 2020, Neuropharmacology: pain-modulating effects of oxytocin in chronic low back pain doi.org
  12. Mekhael 2023, Can J Pain: efficacy of oxytocin for pain management, systematic review and meta-analysis doi.org
  13. DailyMed: Pitocin (oxytocin) injection label dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
  14. Quintana 2021, Mol Psychiatry: advances in intranasal oxytocin research, lessons learned and future directions doi.org
  15. Cera 2021, Sex Med: how relevant is the systemic oxytocin concentration for human sexual behavior, systematic review doi.org

Reference information only, not medical advice. Drawn from the Oxytocin article, fact-checked against the cited sources. No dosing anywhere on this site.