Guanfacine Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Warnings

Guanfacine is also known as: Intuniv, Tenex

Guanfacine Pregnancy Warnings

Guanfacine effectively reduced blood pressure in 30 pregnant women with preeclampsia, but edema and proteinuria persisted. There were no notable changes in either the fetal or maternal heart rate. Of the 30 neonates, six were considered "small for date babies", but this was expected given the underlying diseases of the mothers. No congenital anomalies were observed among the offspring, and all developed normally.

Guanfacine has been assigned to pregnancy category B by the FDA. Animal studies have revealed evidence of maternal toxicity and decreased fetal survival after doses 100 and 200 times the maximum recommended human dose (on a per kg basis) were given to rabbits and rats, respectively. Doses less than these were not associated with any evidence of harm to the fetus. There are no controlled data in human pregnancy. Guanfacine should only be given during pregnancy when need has been clearly established.

Guanfacine Breastfeeding Warnings

There are no data on the excretion of guanfacine into human milk. Studies have shown that guanfacine is excreted into the milk of lactating rats. The manufacturer recommends that due to the potential for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants, a decision should be made to discontinue nursing or discontinue the drug, taking into account the importance of the drug to the mother.

See Also...

• Guanfacine use while Breastfeeding (in more detail)
• guanfacine Consumer Information
• Pregnancy Support Group
• FDA Pregnancy Categories
• Medicine use during Pregnancy
• Medicine use while Breastfeeding
• Safe Medications during Breastfeeding

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