Tarka and Pregnancy

Tarka is usually not recommended for use during pregnancy because it can cause temporary or permanent problems to the fetus during any trimester. Among the complications sometimes seen with fetuses or newborns exposed to Tarka during pregnancy are developmental problems with the cardiovascular or nervous systems, deformities of the head or face, and even death. If you're taking Tarka and pregnancy occurs, let your healthcare provider know. Also let your healthcare provider know (prior to taking Tarka) if you are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant.

 

Is Tarka Safe During Pregnancy? -- An Overview

For people who are pregnant, Tarka® (trandolapril/verapamil hydrochloride ER) is usually not recommended. This is because during pregnancy, Tarka can cause temporary or permanent problems, including death, to the unborn child.
 

What Is the Risk of Using Tarka During Pregnancy?

Prior to 2006, there was a common belief among healthcare providers that problems with Tarka and pregnancy were generally seen when the drug was taken during the
 second trimester or third trimester of pregnancy. However, that changed when a study by researchers at Vanderbilt University was published in the June 2006 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine. This study showed that there may in fact also be an increased risk to the fetus if it is exposed to medicines such as Tarka during the first trimester. Whether the risk to the fetus is as great in the first trimester as in the second or third trimesters is not known.
 
A few of the complications sometimes seen with fetuses or newborns exposed to Tarka during pregnancy include:
 
  • Extremely 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
  • Loss of life.

 

(Tarka and Pregnancy Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;