Phentermine
Organization of Teratology Information Specialists, 2004 See article at otispregnancy.org
[len:9215, cleaned:] D:\wwwroot\tripdatabaseplus_live\control\reindex\html\B37721C9-A084-44C4-83656FD87BC3389D For more information regarding OTIS or a Teratology Information Service in your area, call OTIS Information at (866) 626-6847 or visit us online at: www.OTISpregnancy.org. Phentermine and Pregnancy The information below will help you determine if your prenatal exposure to phentermine will increase the fetal risk above the background risk. With every pregnancy, any women has a 3 to 5 percent chance of having a baby with a birth defect. The information contained in this fact sheet should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your health care provider. What is Phentermine? Can taking Phentermine make it harder for Phentermine is a medication used as an me to get pregnant? appetite suppressant to treat obesity. Women There is no information about whether are sometimes prescribed medications such as Phentermine makes it more difficult for women Phentermine to assist them in losing weight. to become pregnant. Phentermine stimulates the central nervous system. It is also known as Adipex, Fastin, Ionamin, and Zantryl. I took Phentermine for several months but stopped three months ago. I just found out I'm two months pregnant. Will my baby be Is Phentermine the same as Fen-Phen? ok? No. Fen-Phen was a medication, made Your baby was not actually exposed to of phentermine and fenfluramine, prescribed to the Phentermine that you took. Although the help people lose weight. Fenfluramine was rate at which Phentermine is broken down in taken off of the market in September 1997 the body varies from person to person, most of because of the concern that it caused heart the Phentermine should be gone from a problems when used. Since then, Fen-Phen has person's body four to five days after taking the been unavailable. Phentermine, however, last dose. Phentermine is well absorbed in the continues to remain on the market. body, and the body gets rid of the medication easily. Therefore, the Phentermine would have been gone from your body before you became Is it safe to lose weight while I'm pregnant? pregnant. Some medical complications are more likely in pregnancy if you are significantly overweight, including gestational diabetes I've been using Phentermine for the past (diabetes that develops and lasts only during month and just found out I'm 2 months pregnancy) and high blood pressure. Your pregnant. Is my baby ok? health care provider can discuss There is little information on recommendations regarding weight gain and Phentermine exposures during early pregnancy, loss during pregnancy, but in general, it is not but there is some information that looks at recommended that you lose weight during women who used Fen-Phen during the first pregnancy. Some studies suggest weight loss trimester of pregnancy. This information during the first trimester of a pregnancy can shows no increase in the rate of birth defects. increase the risk for having a baby who doesn't Furthermore, there was no pattern to the birth weigh as much as it should, or in some cases, a defects present. The existence of a pattern in baby with a neural tube defect. birth defects is important because if a Neural tube defects, such as spina bifida, occur medication were thought to cause birth defects, when the baby's spine does not close properly. it would be expected to produce the same birth defects consistently. If there is no consistency, Is Phentermine safe to use while nursing my then it is not likely the medication is baby? I gained a lot of weight while I was responsible. pregnant. I am thinking of using Phentermine to lose the weight. Can I still breastfeed my baby? I used Phentermine before I knew I was It is possible for Phentermine to pass pregnant and am concerned about my baby. into breast milk, so a baby could be exposed Are there any tests I could have to make sure while nursing. We do not know how much my baby is ok? Phentermine gets into breast milk, or what An ultrasound examination can often be effects it can have on a baby who is breastfed. used to determine if the baby has physical birth Because Phentermine stimulates the central defects. An ultrasound examination, also nervous system it might cause side effects in called a sonogram, allows a health care the baby such as tremors, agitation or decreased provider to "see" many things, including the feeding. You should talk with your health care baby's head and spine. Ultrasound may not be provider about breastfeeding if taking this able to pick up all birth defects, however. You medication. may also want to talk with your health care provider about the MSAFP test (maternal serum alpha fetoprotein test), which can detect June 2004 many neural tube defects. Copyright by OTIS, Reproduced by permission. Now that I know I'm pregnant, can I stop taking the Phentermine immediately? Phentermine has not been associated References: with negative side effects when people stop Aronne LJ. Obesity. Women's Health Issues taking it immediately. Therefore, a person 1998; 82(1): 161-181. could stop taking Phentermine at any time. Hale TW. Medications and Mothers' Milk. Some appetite suppressants, such as 1992-2002. Texas: Parmasoft Medical Publishing. Fenfluramine, need to be slowly stopped over a Johnson KA, Chambers CD, Dick LM, Felix RJ, Jones KL. Pregnancy Outcome of Women Exposed period of several days to avoid negative side to Fen/Phen. OTIS (Abstract) 1998. effects. You should, however, talk with your Jones KL, Johnson KA, Dick LM, et al.: health care provider before discontinuing any Pregnancy outcomes after first trimester exposure to prescription medication. phentermine/fenfluramine. Teratology 65: 125-130, 2002. Robert E, Francannet C, Shaw G. Neural Tube Defects and Maternal Weight Reduction In Early I've heard Fen-Phen causes heart problems in Pregnancy. Reproductive Toxicology 1995; 9(1): 57-59. adults. Will Phentermine do the same to my Silverstone, T. Drugs and Appetite. 1982. baby? New York: Academic Press. Fenfluramine, as part of Fen-Phen, is Stein AD, Ravelli ACJ, Lumey LH. Famine, Third-Trimester Pregnancy Weight Gain, and thought to cause reversible heart problems in Intrauterine Growth: The Dutch Famine Birth Cohort adults. There are no specific studies examining Study. Human Biology 1995; 67(1): 135-150. whether Phentermine affects the developing Winick M. Nutrition, Pregnancy, and Early baby's heart. The limited available information Infancy. 1989. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins. suggests it would be unlikely for phentermine to cause these same types of heart defects in babies exposed during pregnancy.
