Luvox and Pregnancy

There are certain situations in which it may not be safe to take Luvox, and pregnancy is one of them. The FDA has classified Luvox as a pregnancy Category C medication, meaning that it did appear to cause harm to the fetus in animal studies. When Luvox was given to pregnant rats, many of the baby rats died at birth or weighed less than normal. However, a pregnant woman may still take Luvox if the benefits outweigh the risks.

 

Luvox and Pregnancy: An Overview

Luvox® (fluvoxamine maleate) is a pregnancy Category C medicine, meaning that it could potentially cause harm to your unborn child. Luvox is used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
 

Luvox and Pregnancy Category C

The U.
 S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) uses a pregnancy category system to classify the possible risks to a fetus when a specific medicine is taken during pregnancy. Pregnancy Category C is given to medicines that show side effects to the fetus in animal studies, but for which no human studies in pregnant women have been done. A pregnancy Category C medicine may still be given to a pregnant woman if her healthcare provider believes that the benefits to the pregnant woman outweigh the possible risks to the unborn child.
 
When Luvox was given to pregnant rats in animal studies, many baby rats died at birth or weighed less than normal. In humans, there have been reports of problems in newborn babies born to mothers who were taking Luvox. These problems can be as minor as irritability and as serious as seizures. Your healthcare provider may consider lowering your Luvox dose during the last trimester of your pregnancy in order to avoid these problems.
 
It is important to note that untreated OCD in the mother may also not be healthy for a baby. Therefore, Luvox may be given to a pregnant woman if her healthcare provider believes that its benefits outweigh any possible risks to her unborn child.
 
(Luvox and Pregnancy Continued: Page 2)
Add this article to your Favorites     Email this article     Print
Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;