Is Voltaren Safe During Pregnancy?
Most healthcare providers do not recommend taking
Voltaren® (
diclofenac sodium) during pregnancy. The drug may cause problems for the unborn child or complicate
labor and delivery. Treatment with Voltaren should be avoided entirely during the
third trimester. Early in the pregnancy, your healthcare provider may recommend Voltaren if he or she feels that the benefits to you outweigh the risks to your unborn child.
(The information in this article applies only to the tablet forms of this medication -- Voltaren and Voltaren-XR. This article does not apply to Voltaren® Gel or Voltaren Ophthalmic® eye drops.)
Pregnancy Category C
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers Voltaren to be a pregnancy Category C drug. 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 show side effects to the fetus in animal studies but for which no human studies in pregnant women have been done.
It is important to note that animals do not always respond to medicines the same way that humans do. A pregnancy Category C medicine may still be given to a pregnant woman if her healthcare provider believes that the benefits to the mother outweigh the risks to the fetus.
If you are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant while taking Voltaren, let your healthcare provider know. He or she will consider the benefits and risks before making a recommendation in your particular situation.
