Warning: Commonly prescribed drug linked to miscarriages
If you or someone you love has ever lost a baby during pregnancy, you know it’s a heartache that never goes away.
One moment you’re preparing for life with a new son or daughter – and the next, you’re learning that something has gone terribly wrong.
After a miscarriage, it can be nearly impossible to get answers. You’ll hear that these things happen… or that it wasn’t your time… or that, sometimes, there’s no explaining it at all.
But it looks like there’s more to this than we’ve ever been told.
The FDA has finally admitted that Diflucan – a drug that’s often handed out to pregnant women – can send your chances of a miscarriage soaring.
The damage can start right from the first dose – and, unfortunately, it looks like our government has known about the risk for a long, long time.
Now that the research is in and it’s clear that Diflucan (its generic name is fluconazole) is linked to miscarriages, I wish I could tell you that the mainstream would stop prescribing it to pregnant women.
But this looks like a case where we’re going to have to protect ourselves – and the women we love.
You see, Diflucan is an anti-fungal drug that’s frequently used to treat yeast infections. And because these infections are so common during pregnancy, it’s prescribed by the truckload to expectant moms.
But believe it or not, our government has known for ages that Diflucan isn’t safe for mothers-to-be.
The FDA initially gave it the green light more than 20 years ago, even after research on rats found that the drug produced offspring with terrible birth defects.
And a study done in 1995 reported that two babies had such horrible birth defects they passed away shortly after birth.
Despite all this, doctors continued to dash off those prescriptions for Diflucan to moms as if it were candy.
And before long, it looks like the drug left untold numbers of harmed babies in its wake.
In 2011, the FDA even warned that Diflucan might cause a “rare and distinct set of birth defects.” I’m talking about muscle weakness, joint deformities, cleft lip, facial and head abnormalities, and even heart disease.
I’ve seen some of the pictures of these babies, and they’re heartbreaking. And, again, researchers were warning about this possibility over two decades ago!
Still, nothing was done to make sure that doctors didn’t prescribe Diflucan to pregnant women.
And that’s not just wrong – that’s criminal!
In fact, even after the FDA’s recent announcement on Diflucan, we’re still being told that topical antifungal creams are safe for expectant mothers. But researchers say that may not be the case, either.
The 1995 study I mentioned not only linked Diflucan to birth defects, but claimed other so-called “azole” drugs had the same potential.
That includes miconazole, found in the popular OTC med Monistat.
Certainly adding a yeast infection to all the other inconveniences, aches, and pains that come with pregnancy is no fun. But there are simple things expecting moms can do to minimize the risk of an infection without resorting to dangerous drugs, such as:
- Ditching pantyhose and synthetic underwear and sticking with cotton.
- Avoiding heavily perfumed soaps and detergents, including bubble baths.
- Adding a high-quality yogurt to your diet – one without added sugar or artificial sweeteners.
- Cutting your sugar intake. Candidiasis, the most common type of yeast infection, thrives on sugar.
And if there’s a mom-to-be in your life, please share this warning and make sure she steers clear of Diflucan.
It’s a simple way to keep our babies safe – and it’s something our government should have done a long time ago.
Sources:
“F.D.A. urges caution on yeast infection drug during pregnancy” Catherine Saint Louis, April 26, 2016, The New York Times, nytimes.com
