An Overview of Taking Uroxatral During Pregnancy
Uroxatral® (
alfuzosin hydrochloride) is a prescription medication approved to treat an
enlarged prostate. Even though it is not approved for use in women, it appears that Uroxatral probably poses little risk to a pregnant woman or the developing fetus.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) uses a pregnancy category system to classify the possible risks to a fetus when a specific medicine is taken during pregnancy. Pregnancy Category B is given to medicines that have not been adequately studied in pregnant humans, but do not appear to cause harm to the fetus in animal studies.
Even when very large doses of Uroxatral were given to pregnant rats and rabbits, it did not appear to cause any problems. In rats, Uroxatral increased the length of pregnancy, but this did not cause any problems during labor or delivery.
However, it is important to note that animals do not always respond to medicines in the same way that humans do. Therefore, a pregnancy Category B medicine should only be given to a pregnant woman if the healthcare provider believes that the benefits to the pregnant woman outweigh any possible risks to the unborn child.
It should be noted that Uroxatral is not approved for any use in women.
Final Thoughts on Uroxatral and Pregnancy
If you are pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant, let your healthcare provider know. Your healthcare provider will consider both the benefits and risks of taking Uroxatral during pregnancy before making a recommendation for your particular situation.
