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Is Clarinex Safe During Pregnancy? -- An Overview

Clarinex^® (desloratadine) is considered a pregnancy Category C medicine by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which means that Clarinex has not been studied in pregnant women. However, studies on pregnant animals suggest that Clarinex could potentially cause harm to a fetus.

 

During testing with animals, Clarinex did not show any potential for birth defects; however, it did cause a slowing down of fetal weight gain with extremely high doses (50 times the recommended amounts). No problems with weight were seen at the recommended doses. It is important to note that animals do not always respond to medicines the same way that humans do.

 

Clarinex and Pregnancy Category C

The FDA uses a pregnancy 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 show side effects to the fetus in animal studies but for which no studies on pregnant women have been done. A pregnancy Category C medicine may still be given to pregnant women if the healthcare provider believes that the benefits to the pregnant woman outweigh the possible risks to the unborn child.

 

If you are pregnant, or are thinking of becoming pregnant, while taking Clarinex, let your healthcare provider know. He or she will consider both the benefits and risks of Clarinex during pregnancy before making a recommendation for your particular situation. It is possible that he or she may recommend a lower dose of Clarinex or switch you to an allergy medicine that is a pregnancy Category B drug, such as Zyrtec^®.