Phentermine and Pregnancy

The information below will help you determine if your prenatal exposure to Phentermine represents anincreased fetal risk. With every pregnancy, all women have a 3 to 5 percent chance to have a baby with a birth defect.

Phentermine is a medication used as an appetite suppressant to treat obesity.Women are sometimes prescribed medications such as Phentermine to assistthem in losing weight. Phentermine stimulates the central nervous system. It is also known as Adipex, Fastin, Ionamin, and Zantryl.

Is Phentermine the same as Fen-Phen? No. Fen-Phen was a medication, made of phentermine and fenfluramine, prescribed to help people lose weight. Fenfluramine was taken off of the market in September 1997 because of the concern that it caused heart problems when used. Since then, Fen-Phenhas been unavailable.

Is it safe to lose weight while I’m pregnant? Some medical complications are more likely in pregnancy if you are significantly overweight, including gestational diabetes(diabetes that develops and lasts only during pregnancy) and high blood pressure. Your health care provider can discuss recommendations regarding weight gain and loss during pregnancy, but in general, it is not recommended that you lose weight during pregnancy.

Some studies suggest weight loss during the first trimester of a pregnancy can increase the risk for having a baby who doesn’t weigh as much as it should, or in some cases, a baby with a neural tube defect. Neural tube defects, such as spina bifida, occur when the baby’s spine does not close properly.

Can taking Phentermine make it harder forme to get pregnant?There is no information about whetherPhentermine makes it more difficult forwomen to become pregnant.I took Phentermine for several months butstopped three months ago. I just found outI’m two months pregnant. Will my baby beok?Your baby was not actually exposed tothe Phentermine that you took. Although therate at which Phentermine is broken down inthe body varies from person to person, mostof the Phentermine should be gone from aperson's body four to five days after takingthe last dose. Phentermine is well absorbed inthe body, and the body gets rid of themedication easily. Therefore, the Phenterminewould have been gone from your body beforeyou became pregnant