About one out of every 33 babies is born with birth defects each year; about 2% to 3% of those are believed to be from drug exposure. Thus, it is extremely important that you avoid any medications that are not absolutely essential during the first eight to ten weeks of your pregnancy. This is the time when your baby’s brain, heart, and lungs are developing. Medication interactions could lead to defects in these areas. Unless you are given the go-signal from your doctor, these are the medications to avoid while pregnant:
Aspirin- Used to treat migraines and headaches
Carbamazepine – Used to treat epilepsy
Captopil – Used to treat high blood pressure
Distilboestrol – A hormone tablet
Fluoxetine – Used to treat depression
Lithium – Used to treat mood swings
Atovaquone and Proguanil – Used to prevent malaria
Mefenamic acid - Used to treat migraines and headaches
Phenytoin – Used to treat epilepsy
Ro-accutane Isotretinoin– Used to treat Acne
Synflex Naproxen Sodium - Used to treat migraines and headaches
Tetracycline – Antibiotic used to treat chest and vaginal infections
Thalidomide – Used to treat morning sickness
Large Doses of Vitamin A – Recommended dose during pregnancy is 8,000 IU per day
Warfarin – Used to thin the blood
X-rays- Modern x-ray procedures expose you to very low radiation to be harmful to the baby but if your physician would agree to delay it after delivery, it would be better.
As mentioned earlier, unless you are given the go-signal from your doctor, the above are the medications to avoid while pregnant. It is always best to consult with your doctor if you're feeling ill as they may have alternatives that you can take. Nowadays, with growing medical bills and price hikes, it is better to be safe than sorry and one sure way to be safe is to make sure that you do all that you can to avoid unnecessary medicines and hospital trips.
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