6 Interactions found for:

The following applies to the ingredients: Atorvastatin (found in Lipitor)

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According to some authorities: Use is contraindicated during pregnancy or in patients of childbearing potential not using contraception.

AU TGA pregnancy category: D
US FDA pregnancy category: Not assigned

Risk summary: Based on its mechanism of action, this drug may cause fetal harm when administered during pregnancy.
-Available data on the use of statins in pregnant women have not identified a drug-related risk of major congenital malformations and are insufficient to inform a drug-related risk of miscarriage.

Comments:
-If the patient becomes pregnant while taking this drug, therapy should be discontinued and the patient should be apprised of the potential harm to the fetus.
---According to some authorities: Alternatively, the ongoing needs of the individual patient should be considered.
-According to some authorities: Patients of childbearing potential should use effective contraception during therapy; this drug should be used in patients of childbearing potential only when they are highly unlikely to conceive and have been informed of the potential.

Animal studies have failed to reveal evidence of embryofetal toxicity or teratogenicity; however, at maternally toxic doses, increased postimplantation loss and decreased fetal body weights have been observed. No adverse developmental effects were observed in pregnant rats or rabbits administered oral doses that resulted in up to 30 and 20 times, respectively, the human exposure at the maximum recommended human dose (MRHD) of 80 mg (based on body surface area [mg/m2]); in rats administered this drug during gestation and lactation, decreased postnatal growth and development delay were observed at doses at least 6 times the MRHD. This drug crosses the rat placenta and reaches levels in the fetal liver equivalent to that of maternal plasma. A study of statin-exposed pregnant women compared to controls did not find a significant teratogenic effect from maternal use of statins in the first trimester, after adjusting for potential confounders. Rare cases of congenital anomalies after intrauterine exposure to HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors have been reported. There are no controlled data in human pregnancy.

Cholesterol and other products of cholesterol biosynthesis are essential components for fetal development (including synthesis of steroids and cell membranes). Because this drug decreases synthesis of cholesterol and possibly other biologically active substances derived from cholesterol, it may cause fetal harm when used during pregnancy.

Treatment of hyperlipidemia is not generally necessary during pregnancy. Since atherosclerosis is a chronic process, discontinuation of lipid-lowering drugs during pregnancy should have little impact on the outcome of long-term primary hypercholesterolemia therapy for most patients.

AU TGA pregnancy category D: Drugs which have caused, are suspected to have caused or may be expected to cause, an increased incidence of human fetal malformations or irreversible damage. These drugs may also have adverse pharmacological effects. Accompanying texts should be consulted for further details.

US FDA pregnancy category Not Assigned: The US FDA has amended the pregnancy labeling rule for prescription drug products to require labeling that includes a summary of risk, a discussion of the data supporting that summary, and relevant information to help health care providers make prescribing decisions and counsel women about the use of drugs during pregnancy. Pregnancy categories A, B, C, D, and X are being phased out.

The following applies to the ingredients: Metformin

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Benefit should outweigh risk

AU TGA pregnancy category: C
US FDA pregnancy category: Not assigned

Risk Summary: Data are not sufficient to inform a drug-associated risk for major birth defects or miscarriage; published studies have not reported an increased risk. There are risks to the mother and fetus associated with poorly controlled diabetes in pregnancy.

Comments:
-Maternal glucose levels should be well controlled prior to conception and throughout pregnancy to avoid maternal and fetal diabetes-associated risks.
-Premenopausal women should understand the potential for unintended pregnancy with use of this drug as ovulation may occur in some anovulatory women.

Animal studies do not indicate harmful effects with respect to pregnancy, embryo or fetal development, birth or postnatal development. Poorly-controlled diabetes in pregnancy increases the maternal risk for diabetic ketoacidosis, pre-eclampsia, spontaneous abortions, preterm delivery, stillbirth and delivery complications. Poorly controlled maternal diabetes increases the fetal risk for major birth defects, stillbirth, and macrosomia related morbidity. Published evidence suggests this drug has a good safety profile in women with no increased long-term effects in offspring up to 18 months; however, much of the evidence is from observational, small, and/or nonrandomized studies, and therefore data must be interpreted cautiously.

Many experts continue to recommend insulin as the drug of choice for type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes when diet alone is unsuccessful in controlling blood sugars. The estimated background risk for major birth defects in women with pre-gestational diabetes mellitus with an HbA1C greater than 7 is 6% to 10% and for women with a HbA1C greater than 10, this risk has been reported to be as high as 20% to 25%. In the US, the estimated risk of major birth defects and miscarriage in clinically recognized pregnancies is 2% to 4% and 15% to 20%, respectively. The estimated risk of miscarriage for pregnant women with diabetes is unknown. There are no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women.

AU TGA pregnancy category C: Drugs which, owing to their pharmacological effects, have caused or may be suspected of causing, harmful effects on the human fetus or neonate without causing malformations. These effects may be reversible. Accompanying texts should be consulted for further details.

US FDA pregnancy category Not Assigned: The US FDA has amended the pregnancy labeling rule for prescription drug products to require labeling that includes a summary of risk, a discussion of the data supporting that summary, and relevant information to help health care providers make prescribing decisions and counsel women about the use of drugs during pregnancy. Pregnancy categories A, B, C, D, and X are being phased out.

The following applies to the ingredients: Atorvastatin (found in Lipitor)

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Until more data are available, an alternate agent may be preferred, particularly while breastfeeding newborn or preterm infants.
-According to some authorities: Breastfeeding is not recommended during use of this drug.
-According to some authorities: Use is contraindicated.

Excreted into human milk: Unknown
Excreted into animal milk: Yes

Comments:
-Another drug in this class is excreted into human milk.
-Statins (including this drug) decrease synthesis of cholesterol and possibly other biologically active substances derived from cholesterol; they may cause harm to the breastfed infant.
-The effects in the nursing infant are unknown; based on the mechanism of action, there is the potential for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants.

Due to a concern over disruption of infant lipid metabolism, it is generally agreed that women taking a statin should not breastfeed; however, others have argued that children homozygous for familial hypercholesterolemia are treated with statins starting at 1 year of age, statins have low oral bioavailability, and risks to the breastfed infant are low. Some evidence indicates that this drug can be taken by nursing mothers with no obvious developmental problems in their infants.

In cases of patients with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, 6 patients breastfed 11 infants after restarting statin therapy postpartum; the specific statin was not reported, but most of the women on statin therapy were using this drug (40 or 80 mg/day). Normal early child development was reported for all offspring; children started school at the appropriate age with no learning difficulties reported.

The following applies to the ingredients: Metformin

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Benefit should outweigh risk

Excreted into human milk: Yes

Comments:
-Available data have not reported adverse effects in breastfed infants, however, this data is limited.
-Due to this limited data, product manufacturers recommend a decision should be made to discontinue nursing or discontinue the drug, considering the importance of the drug to the mother.
-Published data suggest this drug is compatible with breastfeeding; they recommend caution when nursing a newborn or premature infant, and those with renal impairment.

Drug levels are expected to be 0.5% (range 0.11% to 1%) of the mother's weight-adjusted dosage and milk/plasma ratio range between 0.13 and 1. Since milk levels are expected to be relatively constant, timing of breastfeeding with drug administration is expected to be of little benefit. One large prospective study found no adverse effects in breastfed infants. Low detectable serum levels were found in some breastfed infants.