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 Knypl

Internist, hypertensiologist, editor-in-chief of "Gazeta dla Lekarzy".

More advice from this expert

Candida albicans yeast allergy [Expert's tip]Painful bursting blood vessels in the knee area [Expert's advice]Shortness of breath, pressure and pain in the heart area [Expert Advice]I still have a cold - what should I do? [Expert advice]Pressure in a teenager [Expert Advice]What will help me with heartburn? [Expert advice]Can emotions and character affect pressure spikes? [Expert advice]Is mold in pasta harmful to a child? [Expert advice]Can poor kidney function cause calf swelling? [Expert advice]What is the difference between inflammationof the heart muscle from a heart attack? [Expert advice]My blood pressure rises a lot - how can I control it? [Expert advice]HIV diagnosis [Expert Advice]WFD doubled - morphology [Expert's advice]My stomach teases when I stop taking medications [Expert advice]What tests should I do when my eyelids are swollen [expert's advice]Cough after high blood pressure medication [Expert's Advice]I am 12 years old and I think that I am fat [expert's advice]How long does hepatitis B vaccine give immunity? [Expert advice]Ineffective treatment of bronchitis [Expert advice]Failed treatment of giardiasis [Expert Advice]Blood test standards for a 6-year-old [Expert's advice]Symptoms of phase II sarcoidosis [Expert's advice]Obesity and the treatment of hypothyroidism [Expert advice]I almost always have cold feet and hands [Expert Advice]The causes of brittle, brittle, falling out hair [Expert's advice]Diagnosing myocardial infarction after heart transplant [Expert advice]Varying Opinions About Back Surgery [Expert Advice]Self-removal of an abscess on the tonsils [Expert's advice]Persistent clinks of the legs after childbirth [Expert advice]Visualization of veins with hormone treatment [Expert's advice]

Category: