I have high blood pressure and take medication. I would like to get pregnant, but I know these drugs are not suitable for use during pregnancy. Should I stop taking my medications or ask my doctor to switch to some other medications that can be taken during pregnancy?
Not all medications used in the treatment of hypertension can be used by women planning to become pregnant and those who are pregnant. It is absolutely contraindicated to use drugs from the group of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors - which have the ending "pril" in their chemical name - such drugs as captopril, enalapril, perindopril, quinapril, trandalopril and others. If you are taking any of these drugs, it should be changed to another before you become pregnant. Also, drugs from the group of AT1 receptor brokers with the ending "sartan" are not allowed, including names such as valsartan, telmisartan, eprosartan and others. As for other antihypertensive drugs, their selection should be made in close cooperation with the doctor - different rules for selecting drugs are at the beginning of pregnancy, and different when all the organs of the fetus are already developed. In addition to choosing a drug, the mental attitude of the future mother to a successful pregnancy is important - it helps a lot! Personally, I am of the opinion that a woman with hypertension should be on sick leave throughout her pregnancy, because such a solution significantly reduces stress - and thus reduces the chance of multiple increases in pressure of stress origin.
Remember that our expert's answer is informative and will not replace a visit to the doctor.
Krystyna KnyplInternist, hypertensiologist, editor-in-chief of "Gazeta dla Lekarzy".
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