There have long been concerns regarding the safety of the anticonvulsant valproate (Depakote) during pregnancy. Â Back in 2009, the American Academy of Neurology and American Epilepsy Society recommended against the use of valproic acid in [...]
The anticonvulsant lamotrigine (Lamictal) is being used with increasing regularity for the treatment of women with bipolar disorder. Â Back in 2006, we reported on preliminary data indicating an increased risk of oral clefts among infants [...]
While gabapentin (Neurontin) is now used in a wide variety of clinical settings — for epilepsy, pain management, restless leg syndrome, anxiety, and sleep disturbance – there is relatively little information regarding its reproductive safety. [...]
Previous studies have suggested a link between opioid exposure and increased risk of certain congenital malformations.
The combination of doxylamine succinate and pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), to be marketed as Diclegis, has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy. A similar combination was previously sold under the name Bendectin but was pulled from the market in 1983 because there were concerns regarding its reproductive safety. (Bendectin originally contained dicyclomine which was later removed due to lack of efficacy.)
Duloxetine (sold in the United Sates under the brand name of Cymbalta) is a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) effective for major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Although used fairly commonly in women of child-bearing age, information regarding its reproductive safety has been lacking.
