Imitrex and Pregnancy

I just responded to another post to be careful and take what you read about health-related topics online with a grain of salt. Everyone has different motivations when putting in formation online.

A recent Harris study indicated that there is almost as much poor, inaccurate misinformation online as there is good, credible information about health-related topics.

Here is the FDA approved information on Imitrex. According to the label (what the FDA has approved the product for), it carries Pregnancy Category C rating. That means that data hasn't been submitted to the FDA to seek the approval. But this is an exact quote from the label, "IMITREX should be used during pregnancy only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus."

Your OB/GYN won't allow you to take it without fully assessing the risk to you and your baby first. They have too much liability.

Don't Google the subject - I just did, and the sites it takes you to aren't very medically credible. Instead, go to Google.com/scholar. The data is very clinical, but I found the following article from the Annals of Pharmacology that was published in 2004 and shows no increased risk of birth defects using Imitrex vs. not: http://www.theannals.com/cgi/content/abstract/38/10/1726

Still, ask your doctor, confirm with your pharmacist, and don't be afraid to question if you don't feel right about it.

Usually the embryo is pretty resistant to stuff in the first couple of weeks... which is good because nearly all of us do harmful things before we know we're pregnant. It doesn't do any good to worry about it, since you can't change it. But you need to talk to your doctor about how to manage your migraines while you are pregnant.

I had the same thing happen.....right before I had found out I was pregnant I'd had a severe migraine and taken my prescription meds and quite a bit of ibuprofin to relieve it. After I found out I was careful about what I took and in the end my daughter turned out just fine.
It is scary what you read on the internet...but don't take it as gospel. Most times they are "worst case" scenerios. Just be aware from now on what you can and can't take during pregnancy and try not to worry. Congrats and best wishes!

This one time, I'd say it's fine. I take that for migraines too, but the more pregnant you are, the more dangerous it can be. My doc was like 'take tylenol', because that's the only thing that's REALLY been tested on prego moms (even newborns can take tylenol)... I know that doesn't do a THING to a severe migraine, but try to know what brings on your migraines and avoid them at all cost during your pregnancy. Congrats and good luck!

I also had migraines (the kind with one-sided numbness etc.) before and during pregnancy (I've only had three in the last three years now that I don't use hormonal birth control). When I ended up in the ER, the did NOT give me an imitrex injection because of my pregnancy. They gave me a Rx for another medication. It actually wasn't a migraine med, but it was for the neurological symptoms and if I took it right at the onset it stopped it from getting too bad.

Good luck.

T.

My thought is that you should stop reading online, unless you're reading about how to build a time machine to go back and undo the shot : ) I don't mean to be glib, but there's nothing you can do about it now. You won't do it again. The odds are very much in your favor that your baby is going to 100% completely fine (think of all of the mothers who do illegal drugs all through their pregnancies and end up with healthy babies). Whenever the thought pops into your head, push it out. It's not productive for anyone to focus on things that cannot be changed. Good luck with your pregnancy.

I have a small business and offer nutrition products and supplements. Our products are top of the line and I have learned much about these things.

Talk to your doctor about magnesium. Possibly check to see if you are low in magnesium. This can cause migraines. Truly. It could be as simple as adding a little magnesium to your diet, but since you are pregnant you should absolutely check with your OB first.