Health Advice: What To Avoid During Pregnancy?

There are certain medications which, when used during pregnancy, can pose risk to the growth and development of an unborn baby (fetus). About 2 to 3% of fetal malformations or deformities are caused by medications. This may be a very low percentage, but is preventable.

The best way to avoid risk is to inform both your doctor and pharmacist of your pregnancy, as well as how far along you are in the pregnancy (which trimester), before starting any new medications (prescriptions and/or self-medicated over-the-counter medications). Your health care practitioners should provide you with the following information regarding the benefits and risks of taking various medications during your pregnancy:

1. What are the risk(s) to the unborn baby and the mother if not treated?
2. What are the benefit(s) of being treated?
3. Would delaying the treatment an option?
4. Would treatment be safer in certain trimester?
5. Are there another treatment option(s) that is/are safer?

After you obtain all the answers to the above questions, you can then make a well- informed health decision of whether to initiate the medications.

The following list of medications, not exclusively, are proven to be harmful to an unborn baby based on evidence of human and/or animal studies:

• Cholesterol-lowering medications: “Statin” – example: atorvastatin (Lipitor), fluvastatin (Lescol), lovastatin (Mevacor), pravastatin (Pravachol), simvastatin (Zocor)

• Anti-cancer medications: example: fluorouracil (Efudex), leuprolide (Lupron), methotrexate (Rheumatrex)

• Anti-migraine medications: dihydroergotamine, ergotamine (Cafergot)

• Anti-viral medication: ribavirin (Rebetol)

• Sleeping aids: flurazepam (Dalmane), temazepam (Restoril), triazolam (Halcion)

• Skin medications: isotretinoin (Accutane), tazarotene (Tazorac), acitretin (Soriatane),

• Blood thinners: warfarin (Coumadin)

• Hormone related medications: danazol, testosterone, estrogen, clomiphene (Clomid), mestranol, progesterone, norethindrone, norethyndrel, norgestril, leuprolide (Lupron), birth control pills, mifepristone

• Anti-seizure medications: carbamazepine (Tegretol), phenytoin (Dilantin), Valproic acid (Depakene), divalproex (Epival)

• Blood pressure lowering medications: benazepril (Lotensin), captopril (Capoten), cilazapril (Inhibace), enalapril (Vasotec), fosinopril (Prinivil, Zestril), perindopril (Coversyl), quinapril (Accupril), perindopril (Coversyl) ramipril (Altace), trandolapril (Mavik), candesartan (Atacand), irbesartan (Avapro), losartan (Cozaar), telmisartan (Micardis), valsartan (Diovan), eprosartan (Teveten), olmesartan (Benicar, Olmetec)

• Miscellaneous medications: misoprostol (Cytotec or Arthrotec include diclofenac), leflunomide (Arava), alcohol

For more health advice, visit consultpharmacist.com!