Is Imitrex safe to take once conception occurs?

Question: Is Imitrex safe to take once conception occurs?

Answer:

Full Question:

I am a 33-year-old woman who takes Imitrex for Migraines, usually hormonal and 2-3 days in length. I have been taking it for 2 years now, with moderate results. I am also trying to get pregnant for the 2nd time. Is Imitrex safe to take once conception occurs, or should I stop immediately if there is a chance we might have conceived? I started taking Imitrex after my first child was born, as my migraines were misdiagnosed prior to 2002.

Answer:

Hello;

Imitrex and the other triptan class medications are FDA pregnancy category C, which means that it is not known whether they will harm an unborn baby. No clinical trials have been conducted with pregnant women, and none will be because of the potential dangers. With drugs in category C, patients and their doctors need to weigh the risks and benefits of medications before deciding whether to take the risk of using the medications. At this time, triptans are not prescribed for pregnant women. That may or may not change at some time in the future due to data collected about women who took Imitrex before they realized they were pregnant. See:

Sumatriptan (Imitrex) Safe During Pregnancy?
GlaxoSmithKline, the manufacturer of sumatriptan (Imitrex, Imigran) set up a registry in 1996 to gather data regarding prenatal exposure to sumatriptan. After seven years of gathering data, a report was recently presented at the 11th Congress of the International Headache Society (IHS). Although not yet conclusive, the results are encouraging.

Good luck,
Teri Robert and John Claude Krusz

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