Blood Pressure Medicine and Pregnancy | Ask the Expert: OB/GYN at Utica Park Clinic

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Question:

What is the best blood pressure medicine to be on if I’m pregnant or planning to become

pregnant?

Answer:

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), one in every three adults has hypertension (blood pressure greater than 140/90) and only about half of them have it under control. Also, one in three adults has prehypertension – blood pressure that is above normal, but not yet considering to be high blood pressure.

A woman who has hypertension prior to conception is diagnosed as a chronic hypertensive. If she develops hypertension in pregnancy after 20 weeks gestation and it has resolved by 12 weeks postpartum, then she is diagnosed as having gestational hypertension. She must also have no protein in her urine to get this diagnosis. If she does have elevated blood pressure and protein in her urine after 20 weeks gestation, then she is diagnosed with preeclampsia or, as it has been called in the past, toxemia. This is a much more serious diagnosis and requires close monitoring by her physician.

Regarding the treatment of hypertension in pregnancy, the American College of Obstetrics & Gynecology recommends the following prescription medications: Labetalol followed by Nifedipine and Methyldopa. Caution should be used if you take any thiazide diuretics (medications designed to reduce the risks associated with hypertension). While ACE inhibitors are typically used for hypertension, they are NOT recommended during pregnancy. As always, early and regular prenatal care is recommended.