Medications You Should Avoid During Pregnancy
- Chloramphenicol
- Cipro and levofloxacin
- Primaquine
- Sulfonamides
- Trimethoprim (Primsol)
- Codeine
- Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin)
- Warfarin (Coumadin)
- Clonazepam
- Lorazepam
FDA labeling
When you’re sick and pregnant
With rules about pregnancy medications constantly changing, it can feel overwhelming to understand what to try to do when you’re feeling sick.
It usually comes right down to weighing the advantages for a mother with a health condition — even one as simple as a headache — against potential risks to her developing baby.
The problem: Scientists can’t ethically perform drug testing on a pregnant woman. It’s not accurate to mention a medicine is one hundred pc safe for a pregnant woman (simply because it’s never been studied or tested).
In the past, medications were assigned to five letter categories based on their level of riskTrusted Source. Category A was the safest category of medicine to require . Drugs in Category X were never to be used during pregnancy.
In 2015, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began to implement a replacement labeling system for drugs.
Below may be a sampling of a couple of of the drugs that we all know pregnant women should avoid.
DID YOU KNOW?
Antibiotics are often linked to adverse reactions in pregnant women.
Chloramphenicol
Chloramphenicol is an antibiotic that’s usually given as an injection. This drug can cause serious blood disorders and grey baby syndrome.
Ciprofloxacin (Cipro) and levofloxacin
Ciprofloxacin (Cipro) and levofloxacin also are sorts of antibiotics. These drugs could cause problems with the baby’s muscle and skeletal growth also as joint pain and potential nerve damage within the mother.
Ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin are both fluoroquinolone antibiotics.
Fluoroquinolones can increase the risk of aortic tears or rupturesTrusted Source. This can result in life-threatening bleeding. People with a history of aneurysms or certain heart diseases may be at an increased risk of side effects.
Fluoroquinolones may also increase the chances of having a miscarriage, according to a 2017 study.
Primaquine
Primaquine may be a drug that’s wont to treat malaria. There isn’t tons of knowledge on humans who’ve taken this drug during pregnancy, but animal studies suggest it’s harmful to developing fetuses. It can damage blood cells in a fetus.
Sulfonamides
Sulfonamides are a group of antibiotic medications. They’re also known as sulfa drugs.
The majority of those sorts of drugs are wont to kill germs and treat bacterial infections. They can cause jaundice in newborns. Sulfonamides can also increase the probability of getting a miscarriage.
Trimethoprim (Primsol)
Trimethoprim (Primsol) is a type of antibiotic. When taken during pregnancy, this drug can cause ectoderm defects. These defects affect brain development in a developing baby.
Codeine
Codeine is a prescription drug used to relieve pain. In some states, codeine can be purchased without a prescription as a cough medicine. The drug has the potential to become habit-forming. It can lead to withdrawal symptoms in newborns.
Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin)
High doses of this OTC pain reliever can cause many serious problems, including:
miscarriage
delayed onset of labor
premature closing of the fetal ductus arteriosus, an important artery
jaundice
hemorrhaging for both mother and baby
necrotizing enterocolitis, or damage to the liner of the intestines
oligohydramnios, or low levels of amniotic fluid
fetal kernicterus, a type of brain damage
abnormal vitamin K levels
Most experts agree that ibuprofen is perhaps safe to use in small to moderate doses in early pregnancy.
It’s especially important to avoid ibuprofen during the trimester of pregnancy, however. During this stage of pregnancy, ibuprofen is more likely to cause heart defects during a developing baby.
Warfarin (Coumadin)
Warfarin (Coumadin) may be a blood thinner that’s wont to treat blood clots also as prevent them. It can cause birth defects.
It should be avoided during pregnancy unless the danger of a grume is more dangerous than the danger of harm to the baby.
Clonazepam (Klonopin)
Clonazepam (Klonopin) is used to prevent seizures and panic disorders. It’s sometimes prescribed to treat anxiety attacks or panic attacks.
Taking clonazepam during pregnancy can cause withdrawal symptoms in newborns.
Lorazepam (Ativan)
Lorazepam (Ativan) is a common medication used for anxiety or other mental health disorders. It can cause birth defects or life-threatening withdrawal symptoms during a baby after birth.
New FDA labeling system
Drug labels listing pregnancy letter categories will be completely phased out by June 2020Trusted Source.
One important note about the new labeling system is that it doesn’t affect over-the-counter (OTC) medications in the least . It’s only used for prescription drugs.
Pregnancy
The first subsection of the new label is titled “Pregnancy.”
This subsection includes relevant data about the drug, information on risks, and information on how the drug may affect labor or delivery. If a pregnancy exposure registryTrusted Source exists for the drug, information on the registry (and its findings) will also be included in this subsection.
Pregnancy exposure registries are studies that collect information about different medications and their possible effects on pregnant women, breastfeeding women, and their babies. These registries aren’t conducted by the FDA.
Women who have an interest in participating during a pregnancy exposure registry can volunteer, but participation isn’t required.
Lactation
The second subsection of the new label is titled “Lactation.”
This part of the label includes information for women who are breastfeeding. Information such as the amount of the drug that will be present in breast milk and the drug’s potential effects on a breastfeeding infant is provided in this section. Relevant data is also included.
Females and males of reproductive potential
The third subsection of the new label is titled “Females and males of reproductive potential.”
This section includes information on whether women using the drug should undergo pregnancy testing or use specific methods of contraception. It also includes information about the drug’s effect on fertility.
The bottom line
If you’re not sure whether or not a medication is safe to take during pregnancy, ask your doctor. Also, ask about updated studies, as pregnancy drug labels can change with new research.
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