xanax and pregnancy risk

Precautions

• Drowsiness and unsteadiness upon standing, increasing the risk of falls.
• May impair reaction skills and affect a person's ability to drive or operate machinery. ...
• Blood pressure-lowering, heart palpitations, constipation, nausea, dry mouth, headache, and a decrease in libido are also commonly reported side effects.

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How does Xanax affect pregnancy?

Xanax is not safe to take during pregnancy A pregnant lady must not take this drug; it can cause birth defects or death. A nursing lady must also avoid taking such drugs. Xanax can help relieve anxiety. But if you’re pregnant or planning to become...

Is it safe to take alprazolam or Xanax during pregnancy?

Since babies are sometimes born going through withdrawal from Xanax, the assumption is it does cross the placenta. Can Xanax affect a pregnancy test? There is no indication that alprazolam will impact the results of a pregnancy test. Disclaimer: this article does not constitute or replace medical advice.

Does Xanax affect pregnancy test results?

Xanax is not recommended during pregnancy because it can have an adverse effect on your fetus. It is a pregnancy category D drug, which means that Xanax is known to have adverse reactions in humans. Xanax reaches the fetus through the bloodstream and makes the baby addicted to this drug.

Can I take Xanax during pregnancy?

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Why do women have mood swings during pregnancy?

In fact, women can experience many symptoms during pregnancy that are similar to those that might be experienced during menopause, and they’re all due to increased levels of hormones. While pregnant, the body produces more progesterone in those nine months alone than it does outside of pregnancy during a woman’s entire reproductive life cycle. This hormone is known to predispose moms-to-be to turbulent mood swings.

Is benzodiazepines dangerous for babies?

This means studies have been completed on the drug, and it has been proven to carry certain risks. Risks to a developing fetus are numerous. It has been linked to neonatal depression in newborns, trademarked by depressed breathing that leads to death in some cases. Separate studies confirm the presence of delayed motor development and mental retardation in seven out of eight children whose mothers used benzodiazepines while pregnant, per the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Can pregnant women take Xanax?

Even when anxiety and depression are present, there are certain individuals who should not use Xanax. Pregnant women fall into that category. Xanax — a brand name for alprazolam — is a prescription benzodiazepine that works by calming central nervous system impulses. As neurotransmitters fire off in the brain, they cause emotional ...

Is Xanax safe for pregnant women?

When Is Xanax Not Safe? Mental health disorders that warrant the need for a medication like Xanax occur in around 500,000 pregnant women every single year, according to Harvard Health Publications. Women are more likely to receive a prescription for a benzodiazepine than men are, per EMedicineHealth.

Is Xanax a controlled substance?

Xanax is classified as a Schedule IV controlled substance and Category D risk in pregnancy. This means studies have been completed on the drug, and it has been proven to carry certain risks. Risks to a developing fetus are numerous.

Does Xanax cause mood disturbances?

As neurotransmitters fire off in the brain, they cause emotional and behavioral reactions. When levels of certain neurotransmitters known as GABA are too low, they can cause mood disturbances. Increasing those levels often works to mitigate emotional and behavioral side effects. Xanax is a powerful drug that can be highly effective in treating ...

Can anxiety cause pregnancy?

Even those who have never had issues with anxiety at all can develop them while pregnant. Anxiety isn’ t just a consequence of worry or going through a hard time.

When does Xanax cause floppy babies?

If you take Xanax during your second or third trimester (months four to nine of you pregnancy), your baby may develop floppy infant syndrome.

How to avoid withdrawal symptoms from Xanax?

To avoid or decrease withdrawal symptoms, talk to your doctor about gradually tapering off Xanax instead. Depending on your situation, you may need to attend a medical detox program where you can safely withdraw from Xanax under medical supervision.

Why do people take alprazolam?

Many people take alprazolam (brand name Xanax) to treat symptoms of anxiety or panic disorder.

Can Xanax cause a split in the upper lip?

If you take Xanax during your first trimester (the first three months of pregnancy), your baby may face an increased risk of cleft lip (a split in the upper lip) and/or cleft palate (a split in the roof of the mouth).

Can Xanax cause withdrawal?

Taking Xanax late in your pregnancy can also lead to a withdrawal syndrome called neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS).

Can anxiety affect pregnancy?

An untreated anxiety disorder during pregnancy can lead to behaviors that harm you and your baby. These behaviors might include:

Can you breastfeed with Xanax?

breastfeeding (though your doctor may advise against this if you’re still using Xanax, as the drug can pass into breast milk and cause side effects in your baby)

How to calm yourself while pregnant?

There are plenty of ways for pregnant individuals to calm themselves. You might try yoga or some other exercise, take up a hobby, or keep a journal. Someone feeling anxiety should be open to talking to their doctor about it to ensure the solution is healthy for both the parent and developing pregnancy.

Can you take anxiety pills while pregnant?

There may be some types of anxiety medication one can take during pregnancy. Typically, though, it would not be benzodiazepines like Xanax.

Can you take Xanax while pregnant?

Xanax and pregnancy do not mix; namely, pregnant individuals should not take this medication. Doing so puts the baby at risk for withdrawal after birth.

Does alprazolam affect pregnancy test results?

There is no indication that alprazolam will impact the results of a pregnancy test.

Is diazepam safe during pregnancy?

Some studies indicate that diazepam (Valium) may be useful during pregnancy, as well as chlordiazepoxide (Librium).

Is Xanax a pregnancy drug?

Xanax is a pregnancy category D drug, meaning it can cause harm.

How to get rid of anxiety after taking Xanax?

Meditation. Massage therapy. Natural supplements and herbal remedies (probiotics, L-theanine – an amino acid safe to use during pregnancy) Yoga. Make sure to consult your doctor before going for any alternative remedies for anxiety. Also, you need to be prepared to face Xanax withdrawal symptoms.

What is Xanax used for?

What Is Xanax? Xanax is the brand name for alprazolam, which is a benzodiazepine drug approved by the FDA. It is used for treating anxiety disorders as benzodiazepine helps in calming the central nervous system (1).

What is the best medication for anxiety during pregnancy?

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs): They help relieve anxiety and are safe to use during pregnancy. The SSRIs include citalopram (Celexa) and fluoxetine (Prozac) (6).

Is Xanax bad for pregnancy?

It is a pregnancy category D drug, which means that Xanax is known to have adverse reactions in humans. Xanax reaches the fetus through the bloodstream and makes the baby addicted to this drug. Not just that, the drug can harm you in each stage of pregnancy. Back to top.

Can you take Xanax during the second trimester?

During the second and third trimesters. Taking Xanax during the second and third trimester can lead to: [ Read: Stress During Pregnancy ] 1. Withdrawal syndrome lasting for several weeks or months (3): Anxiety.

Is anxiety a common problem during pregnancy?

Anxiety is a common problem during pregnancy but do doctors prescribe Xanax?

Can anxiety affect pregnancy?

If anxiety remains untreated, it can certainly adversely impact your pregnancy. You may miss your OB visits, eat poorly, or get into habits such as smoking and drinking. This can pose a potential risk to your pregnancy, such as (8), (9): Try non-invasive methods such as yoga and meditation.

Alprazolam Pregnancy Warnings

This drug is only recommended for use during pregnancy when there are no alternatives and the benefit outweighs the risk, especially during the first trimester of pregnancy. AU TGA pregnancy category: C US FDA pregnancy category: Not assigned. Risk Summary: Use may be associated with an increased risk of congenital malformations.

Alprazolam Breastfeeding Warnings

Use is not recommended. -Some experts recommend: A decision should be made to discontinue breastfeeding or discontinue the drug, taking into account the importance of the drug to the mother. Excreted into human milk: Yes Comments: -The American Academy of Pediatrics considers this agent a drug for which the effect on nursing infants is unknown but may be of concern. -Chronic administration of diazepam to nursing mothers has been reported to cause their infants to become lethargic and to lose weight..

Further information

Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.

Can a breastfeeding baby take benzodiazepines?

Benzodiazepines are excreted in breast milk, although the levels detected are relatively low. 11 A breastfeeding infant is therefore unlikely to ingest significant amounts of the drug in this way. If a mother plans to use benzodiazepines during breastfeeding the baby should be closely monitored for sleepiness, low energy, weight loss, or poor suckling, as these are signs that the baby may be ingesting high levels of the drug. 12

Can you quit benzodiazepine while pregnant?

If you are pregnant and suffer from a benzodiazepine addiction, please consider seeking help of addiction specialists to assist in quitting the use of this drug in order to minimize any risks to your baby. Consult your doctor or an addiction specialist today to learn about treatments that can help you overcome a dependence on benzodiazepines.

Can benzodiazepines cause withdrawal?

These symptoms are not commonly seen and are likely to occur in women taking higher doses of benzodiazepines. There have also been reports of benzodiazepine withdrawal occurring in newborns exposed to benzodiazepines during pregnancy. 10 Symptoms of neonatal benzodiazepine withdrawal include irritability, sleep disruption, restlessness, depression, tremors, and seizures. 10

Can benzodiazepines affect babies?

All classes of benzodiazepines rapidly cross the placenta and can consequently affect the baby. 9 Symptoms of benzodiazepine toxicity have been reported in newborns, including sedation, decreased muscle tone (floppiness), and breathing problems. 9

How long do benzodiazepines last after birth?

These symptoms have been reported to persist for periods from hours to months after birth. This correlates well with the pharmacokinetic and placental transfer of the benzodiazepines and their disposition in the neonate.

Does clonazepam excrete into breast milk?

There is evidence that clonazepam, clorazepate, diazepam, lorazepam, midazolam, nitrazepam, and oxazepam are excreted into breast milk. The published data indicate that the levels detected in breast milk are low; therefore, the suckling infant is unlikely to ingest significant amounts of the drug in this way. ...

Can benzodiazepines cause facial clefts?

There is evidence from studies in the 1970s that first trimester exposure to benzodiazepines in utero has resulted in the birth of some infants with facial clefts, cardiac malformations, and other multiple malformations, but no syndrome of defects.

Is diazepam a malformation?

Diazepam and chlordiazepoxide are amongst the drugs most frequently implicated in the earlier studies. However, data from later studies provide no clear evidence of significant increase in either the overall incidence of malformations or of any particular type of defect.

Can benzodiazepines affect neurodevelopment?

The prolonged use of benzodiazepines throughout pregnancy raised the concern that there may be altered transmitter synthesis and function, leading to neurobehavioural problems in the children. In approximately 550 children who were followed up for various times up to four years of age, there is no increase in either the malformation rate ...

How much chance of having a baby with a birth defect?

In every pregnancy, a woman starts out with a 3-5% chance of having a baby with a birth defect. This is called her background risk. Most studies on alprazolam use in the first trimester have not reported a greater chance for birth defects.

Can alprazolam make it harder for women to get pregnant?

Alprazolam has not been studied to see if taking it could make it harder for a woman to get pregnant.

Can alprazolam cause NAS?

NAS symptoms that have been reported with long term use of alprazolam in pregnancy include difficulty breathing, poor feeding, and vomiting. Most often, symptoms of NAS start soon after birth and may last several days. Babies can be treated for withdrawal.

Is alprazolam a benzodiazepines?

Alprazolam is sold under different brand names, such as Xanax®, Niravam®, or Gabazolamine-0.5®. Alprazolam is in a class of medications call benzodiazepines. MotherToBaby has a fact sheet on anxiety at https://mothertobaby.org/fact-sheets/anxiety/pdf/ and a fact sheet on depression at https://mothertobaby.org/fact-sheets/depression-pregnancy/pdf/. ...

Can you take alprazolam while pregnant?

Alprazolam has not been studied to see if taking it during a pregnancy would affect the child’s behavior or development.

Is there a neonatal abstinence syndrome?

There have been reports of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). Please see the next paragraph on withdrawal / NAS below.

Can you use alprazolam for men?

Alprazolam has not been studied for use in men who are trying to get a partner pregnant . In general, exposures that fathers have are unlikely to increase risks to a pregnancy. For more information, please see the MotherToBaby fact sheet Paternal Exposures at https://mothertobaby.org/fact-sheets/paternal-exposures-pregnancy/pdf/.

When Is Xanax Not Safe?

Complications in Pregnancy

Alternatives

Effective Treatment