Micardis HCT and Pregnancy

Side effects may occur with the use of Micardis HCT, and pregnancy problems are a potential risk. The medication is considered a pregnancy Category C medicine during the first trimester and a pregnancy Category D medicine in the second and third trimesters. If a woman is taking Micardis HCT and pregnancy occurs, fetuses or newborns exposed to the medicine may experience facial deformities, kidney failure, jaundice, or even loss of life.

Micardis HCT and Pregnancy -- An Overview

Micardis HCT® (telmisartan/hydrochlorothiazide) is usually not recommended for pregnant women. This is because during pregnancy, Micardis HCT can cause temporary or permanent problems for the unborn child, including death.
 

Micardis HCT and Pregnancy Categories C and D

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) categorizes Micardis HCT as a pregnancy Category C medicine for the first trimester and a pregnancy Category D medicine for the second and third trimesters.
 
The FDA uses a category system to classify the possible risks to a fetus when a specific medicine is taken during pregnancy. Pregnancy Category C is given to medicines that have not been studied in pregnant humans but show side effects to the fetus in animal studies. Pregnancy Category D is given to medicines that have shown clear evidence of risk to the fetus in human studies. It is a stronger warning than for pregnancy Category C medicines. Despite these warnings, a pregnancy Category C or D medicine may still be given to a pregnant woman if her healthcare provider believes that its benefits for the mother outweigh the possible risks to the unborn child.
 

Micardis HCT and Pregnancy: What Is the Risk?

Some of the complications seen with fetuses or newborns exposed to Micardis HCT during pregnancy include:
 
 
  • Low blood pressure (hypotension)
  • Developmental problems with the nervous system
  • Developmental problems with the cardiovascular system (this includes the heart and/or blood vessels)
  • Developmental problems with the lungs
  • Kidney failure
  • Deformities of the head and face
  • Jaundice (yellowing of the skin or the whites of the eyes)
  • Loss of life.
     

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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;
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