xanax pregnancy category

Precautions

Pregnancy Category X drugs are contraindicated in women who are or may become pregnant. For medications assigned this category there are studies, adequate well-controlled or observational, in animals or pregnant women that have demonstrated positive evidence of fetal abnormalities. The below list represents information on select medications that are classified as Pregnancy Category X (clearly teratogenic) medications.

What is a Category X pregnancy drug?

Xanax is not safe to take during pregnancy. It’s a pregnancy category D drug, which means it can harm your pregnancy. The effects on a pregnancy depend on when in the pregnancy you take Xanax. It can cause serious problems throughout your entire pregnancy, though, so you should avoid it during all three trimesters. .

Is it bad to take one Xanax while pregnant?

• 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 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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What category is Xanax while pregnant?

Xanax is not safe to take during pregnancy. It's a pregnancy category D drug, which means it can harm your pregnancy.

What anxiety medicine is safe during pregnancy?

SSRIs are generally considered an option during pregnancy, including citalopram (Celexa) and sertraline (Zoloft).

Are any Benzos safe during pregnancy?

The available literature suggests that it is safe to take diazepam during pregnancy but not during lactation because it can cause lethargy, sedation, and weight loss in infants. The use of chlordiazepoxide during pregnancy and lactation seems to be safe.

What is category B in pregnancy?

Category B Animal reproduction studies have failed to demonstrate a risk to the fetus and there are no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women.

Can panic attacks cause miscarriage?

There are many studies that have show that stress and anxiety during pregnancy can increase a woman's risk of miscarriage, preterm delivery, and giving birth to a baby that is low birth weight, So stress and anxiety can cause affect the health and even the viability of a fetus.

Can Xanax affect a pregnancy test?

Most medications cannot create a false positive pregnancy test. However, medications that contain hCG can cause a false positive pregnancy test result. These medications are often used in some fertility drugs. Commonly prescribed anti-anxiety drugs, such as Valium or Xanax, can also cause a false positive result.

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.

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 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 safe for babies?

These babies often exhibit symptoms, such as irritability and trouble sleeping, when the drug use ceases. Xanax is excreted in breastmilk, so it is also unsafe for use in non-pregnant nursing mothers as it can be passed on to infants.

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.

Can you stop taking Xanax while pregnant?

If a woman is abusing Xanax and pregnant, the sooner she can stop taking the drug, the better off she and her baby will be. That being said, quitting Xanax abruptly is never advised, not even when a woman is expecting. Not only is withdrawal too intense for the mom; it is even harder on a developing child. Weaning off Xanax via medical detox is even more important while pregnant, and the duration of the tapering period may be extended somewhat to facilitate a calmer experience.

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.

Benefits Of Taking Xanax While Pregnant

When you’re pregnant, hormonal changes and the stress of planning for a new baby can cause serious anxiety.

Risks Of Taking Xanax While Pregnant

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classifies Xanax as a Category D pregnancy drug.

Alternatives To Xanax During Pregnancy

If you’re concerned about the above risks but still want to treat your anxiety while pregnant, talk to your doctor about creating a treatment plan that doesn’t include Xanax.

Is diazepam safe during pregnancy?

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

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.

What are the risks of using Xanax with opioids?

Risks from Concomitant Use with Opioids. Concomitant use of benzodiazepines, including Xanax, and opioids may result in profound sedation, respiratory depression, coma, and death. Because of these risks, reserve concomitant prescribing of these drugs in patients for whom alternative treatment options are inadequate.

How long does Xanax withdrawal last?

In some cases, benzodiazepine users have developed a protracted withdrawal syndrome with withdrawal symptoms lasting weeks to more than 12 months [see Drug Abuse and Dependence (9.3)]. Certain adverse clinical events, some life-threatening, are a direct consequence of physical dependence to Xanax.

How much Xanax should I take for GAD?

The recommended starting oral dosage of Xanax for the acute treatment of patients with GAD is 0.25 mg to 0.5 mg administered three times daily. Depending upon the response, the dosage may be adjusted at intervals of every 3 to 4 days. The maximum recommended dosage is 4 mg daily (in divided doses).

What is the misuse of benzodiazepines?

Abuse and misuse of benzodiazepines commonly involve concomitant use of other medications, alcohol, and/or illicit substances , which is associated with an increased frequency of serious adverse outcomes.

What to do if you are already taking Xanax?

If an opioid is initiated in a patient already taking Xanax, prescribe a lower initial dose of the opioid and titrate based upon clinical response. Advise both patients and caregivers about the risks of respiratory depression and sedation when Xanax is used with opioids.

Can benzodiazepines cause birth defects?

Published data from observational studies on the use of benzodiazepines during pregnancy do not report a clear association with benzodiazepines and major birth defects. Although early studies reported an increased risk of congenital malformations with diazepam and chlordiazepoxide, there was no consistent pattern noted. In addition, the majority of recent case-control and cohort studies of benzodiazepine use during pregnancy, which were adjusted for confounding exposures to alcohol, tobacco, and other medications, have not confirmed these findings. At this time, there is no clear evidence that alprazolam exposure in early pregnancy can cause major birth defects. Neonates exposed to benzodiazepines during the late third trimester of pregnancy or during labor have been reported to exhibit sedation and neonatal withdrawal symptoms.

Can benzodiazepines cause respiratory depression?

Benzodiazepines cross the placenta and may produce respiratory depression and sedation in neonates. Monitor neonates exposed to benzodiazepines during pregnancy and labor for signs of sedation, respiratory depression, withdrawal, and feeding problems and manage accordingly [see Warnings and Precautions (5.4) ].

What is the D rating for benzodiazepines?

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Pregnancy Categories. This means that there is some positive evidence of human fetal risk, but the potential benefits may warrant use of benzodiazepines in pregnant women. 1 There are also several benzodiazepine medications that currently have a category X rating. This means that the risk involved with their use clearly outweigh the potential benefits and they are contraindicated during pregnancy. These drugs include: 2

Can you get pregnant with benzodiazepines?

It is important that women who currently use benzodiazepines and are pregnant, or considering getting pregnant, understand the ways in which a fetus can be affected by exposure to these drugs. It is then up to them and their doctor to decide whether the benefits of benzodiazepine use during pregnancy outweigh any potential risks.

Can alprazolam cause sleepiness?

There have been reports of sleepiness (hard to wake, low energy) in nursing infants. There is also a report of withdrawal-like irritability in a nursing infant whose mother used alprazolam during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. If any of these symptoms are seen, discuss them with your child’s healthcare provider.

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/. ...

When Is Xanax Not Safe?

Complications in Pregnancy

Alternatives

Effective Treatment