Medications to Avoid Before Getting Pregnant

Two medications are considered so dangerous during pregnancy that doctors advise women to stop taking them (and switch to a safer drug if necessary) even before they’re pregnant.

These drugs are the blood thinner warfarin (brand name Coumadin) and isotretinoins used to treat acne (Accutane, Amnesteem, Claravis, and Sotret). Women who take these drugs but who want to get pregnant are strongly advised to switch, since the medications are known to cause birth defects, infant death, miscarriage, and premature delivery. By stopping or switching before you conceive, you eliminate the risk of exposing your baby in the earliest weeks of pregnancy, before you realize you’re pregnant.

For more fertility tips, check out Conceive's book, Fertility Facts: Hundreds of Tips for Getting Pregnant.

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