Dangers of doxycycline, minocycline & tetracycline for women, unborn & newbo

[Guest guest]

Use of Prescription Drugs During Pregnancy

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

MYCOPLASMA REGISTRY REPORTS

for gulf war syndrome & chronic fatigue syndrome

© Sean Dudley & Leslee Dudley June 24, 2005. All rights reserved.

MycoplasmaRegistry/ MycoReg

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

Dangers of Doxycycline, Minocycline and Tetracycline

for Women, Unborn and Newborn Children

by Leslee Dudley and Sean Dudley ©2005. All rights reserved.

 

Doxycycline is used with minimal side effects for Mycoplasma

fermentans, Lyme Disease, Autoimmune Diseases and other conditions.

However, doxycycline, as well as minocycline and tetracycline which

are in the same family, are counter indicated for pregnant women

because they are dangerous for fetuses and infants. This fact is

taught in medical schools and is included in all prescription drug

books. Warnings are also printed on all package inserts and in

warnings dispensed by individual pharmacies.

 

In spite of this, the study " Prescription drug use in pregnancy * "

found that physicians still prescribe not only doxycycline but other

dangerous drugs to pregnant women. The study found that doxycycline

was one of the " Class D Category Drugs " that were negligently

prescribed to pregnant women, stating: " ...almost one half of the

women in this study received medications that have no evidence of

safety during pregnancy or for which evidence shows a risk to the

fetus in animals or humans. ... " This study demonstrates that women

can not solely depend on their physicians to protect them during

their child bearing years.

 

Most drugs are tested on men because of the danger that women may

become pregnant during the drug trials. The warnings about damage to

fetuses comes from either animal experiments or real life experiences

of women, such as was the case with thalidomide. The warnings

concerning the tetracycline class of antibiotics comes from actual

recorded side effects to unborn and newborn children and should be

taken seriously.

 

However, the warning concerning the tetracycline class of

antibiotics, as well as ampicillin, causing bill control pills to

fail, is based on outdated and unreliable data. More recent studies

based on statistical data have shown that antibiotics do not increase

the pregnancy rate.

 

Women need to research all the drugs they are prescribed and should

discuss the dangers and side effects with their physicians. We have

created a recommendation list specifically for women with mycoplasma

infections, Lyme Disease and autoimmune diseases concerning the

tetracycline class of antibiotics.

 

 

 

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR WOMEN, UNBORN & NEWBORN CHILDREN

TAKING DOXYCYCLINE, MINOCYCLINE AND TETRACYCLINE

 

 

BIRTH CONTROL

• Historically, data from over twenty years ago seemed to indicate

that tetracycline might interfere with the effectiveness of birth

control pills. It was recommended that women use a second method of

birth control to ensure protection from unintended pregnancy while

taking the tetracycline class of antibiotics: doxycycline,

minocycline and tetracycline.

 

• However, all of the recent studies have shown that antibiotics do

not increase the pregnancy rate.

 

 

PREGNANCY

• Doxycycline, minocycline and tetracycline can harm the fetus.

 

• Do not take doxycycline, minocycline or tetracycline without first

talking to your doctor if you are pregnant or could become pregnant

during treatment.

 

• If you become pregnant while taking doxycycline minocycline or

tetracycline, call your doctor immediately.

 

• Doxycycline, minocycline and tetracycline are in the FDA

pregnancy " ...Category D: There is positive evidence of human fetal

risk, but the benefits from use in pregnant women may be acceptable

despite the risk (e.g., if the drug is needed in a life-threatening

situation or for a serious disease for which safer drugs cannot be

used or are ineffective)... "

 

• Doxycycline, minocycline and tetracycline taken during the second

or third trimester of pregnancy can stain newborns teeth. They can

cause up to a 40% depression of bone growth, especially of the fibula

in pre-term pregnancies. However, after birth, rapid compensatory

bone growth has been observed once antibiotic treatment is terminated.

 

 

BREAST-FEEDING

• Do not take doxycycline, minocycline or tetracycline if you are

breast-feeding a baby, without first talking to your doctor.

 

• Doxycycline, minocycline and tetracycline pass into breast milk and

may decrease bone and tooth development, as well as cause dental

staining in a nursing infant.

 

• Doxycycline, minocycline and tetracycline might possibly cause

increased neonatal toxicity.

 

• Doxycycline, minocycline and tetracycline may disturb the balance

of bowel flora of a nursing infant and cause candidiasis.

 

###

 

by Sean Dudley & Leslee Dudley, Mycoplasma Registry © All Rights

Reserved

 

* Prescription drug use in pregnancy.

Andrade SE, Gurwitz JH, Davis RL, Chan KA, Finkelstein JA, Fortman K,

McPhillips H,Raebel MA,Roblin D,Smith DH,Yood MU,Morse AN,Platt R.

Meyers Primary Care Institute-Fallon Healthcare System and University

of Massachusetts Medical School, 630 Plantation Street, Worcester,

MA, USA. sandrade

Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2004 Aug;191(2):398-407.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?CMD=search & DB=pubmed

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

Use of Prescription Drugs During Pregnancy

RedNova.com, TX - June 16, 2005

http://www.rednova.com/news/health/156412/use_of_prescription_drugs_du

ring_pregnancy/

 

Although strongly discouraged by many authorities, a significant

number of women continue to use prescription medications during

pregnancy, placing themselves and their fetuses at risk for adverse

outcomes. Studies in Europe have shown that a significant number of

pregnant women receive prescription medications that are labeled as

potentially harmful to the fetus and a small percentage receive

prescriptions for medications that are absolutely contraindicated

during pregnancy. Andrade and colleagues performed a retrospective

evaluation to determine the use of prescription drugs in pregnant

women in the United States.

 

Researchers studied automated databases from eight health maintenance

organizations. Women who delivered an infant in a hospital from

January 1, 1996, through December 31, 2000, were identified. To be

included in the study, the women had to have participated in a

prescription drug plan for at least one year before their delivery

date. The gestational period was assumed to begin 270 days before the

delivery date with an additional 90-day period before pregnancy

included in the analysis. The date that the pregnancy was established

in the database was given as the earliest prenatal care visit within

270 days of delivery. Data were excluded if there was no evidence of

prenatal care in this period. Information obtained from the database

included prescription drugs dispensed and inpatient and outpatient

diagnoses and procedures. All medications prescribed during the study

were labeled according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

risk classification (A, B, C, D, and X).

 

Class and Frequency of Drugs Prescribed During Pregnancy

A total of 152,531 deliveries were identified and included in the

study. For 64 percent of these deliveries, a drug other than vitamin

or mineral supplements was prescribed within the 270 days before

delivery; a breakdown by FDA class is given in the accompanying

table. After the first prenatal visit, 59 percent of the participants

received a drug other than vitamin or mineral supplements, with 3.4

percent receiving a category D medication and 1.1 percent receiving a

category X medication.

 

The most common category D medications used, excluding female

hormones and ovulation stimulants, included atenolol, secobarbital,

doxycycline, lorazepam and clonazepam.

 

The most common category X medications prescribed, other than female

hormones and ovulation stimulants, included: temazepam, flurazepam,

testosterone, misoprostol, and triazolam. Misoprostol was dispensed

in the third trimester and used for cervical ripening exclusively in

12 of 13 women prescribed the drug.

 

The authors conclude that almost one half of the women in this study

received medications that have no evidence of safety during pregnancy

or for which evidence shows a risk to the fetus in animals or humans.

They add that these results indicate the need to develop and

implement systems that eliminate the exposure of pregnant women to

these medications.

 

Andrade SE, et al. Prescription drug use in pregnancy. Am J Obstet

Gynecol August 2004;191:398-407.

 

KARL E. MILLER, M.D.

Copyright American Academy of Family Physicians Jun 1, 2005

 

Story from REDNOVA NEWS: http://www.rednova.com/news/display/?

id=156412

© Rednova 2004

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

FREE BROCHURE: " How to Get an Accurate Polymerase Chain Reaction (PRC)

Blood Test for Mycoplasmal and Other Infections-with a List of

International Laboratories " © by Sean and Leslee Dudley

is sent automatically and immediately to all new rs. It is

updated with current information and the new version is posted to the

Mycoplasma Registry Reports & News list each month.

MycoplasmaRegistry-

 

FAIR USE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this

material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a

prior interest in receiving the included information for research and

educational purposes. The Mycoplasma Registry has no affiliation with

the originator of this article nor is the Mycoplasma Registry endorsed

or sponsored by the originator. If you wish to use copyrighted

material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair

use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *