Minoxidil Pregnancy and Breast Feeding Warnings

Minoxidil is also known as: Loniten

Overview

If you become pregnant, contact your doctor. You will need to discuss the benefits and risks of using Minoxidil while you are pregnant. Minoxidil is found in breast milk. Do not breast-feed while taking Minoxidil .

Minoxidil Pregnancy Warnings

Minoxidil has been assigned to pregnancy category C by the FDA. Animal studies have failed to reveal evidence of teratogenicity, but reduced conception rates and an increased incidence of fetal absorption have been observed in rabbits given 5 times the usual human dose. Minoxidil is only recommended for use during pregnancy when there are no alternatives and benefit outweighs risk.

Only four cases of minoxidil exposure in human pregnancy are reported. In two of these four cases, minoxidil was associated with congenital abnormalities, but the presence of severe hypertension and the use of other drugs, including an ACE inhibitor in one case, make implication of minoxidil as a teratogen or as the sole teratogen difficult. Hypertrichosis was markedly evident in one malformed infant and as the sole abnormality in the other. One infant, whose mother was taking minoxidil throughout gestation, showed no adverse effects.

Minoxidil Lactation Warnings

Minoxidil is excreted into breast milk. 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.

Limited data from a single study of a woman who was taking minoxidil 7.5 mg daily reveals a maximum milk to maternal plasma concentration ratio of 1:3 at one hour after dosing.

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