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Menostar and Pregnancy
Pregnant women are generally advised to avoid using Menostar. Pregnancy problems may not occur, but because the risks are not fully known and there is no legitimate medical reason for a pregnant woman to use an estrogen medication, Menostar should be avoided. If you are using Menostar and pregnancy occurs, contact your healthcare provider right away.
Pregnant women should not use Menostar® (estradiol patch), a hormone replacement medication used to prevent osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. There is no accepted medical reason for pregnant women to use the drug.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) uses a category system to classify the possible risks to a fetus when a specific medicine is taken during pregnancy. Pregnancy Category X is given to medications that should not be used during pregnancy, usually due to serious problems that could occur, such as birth defects or miscarriages. A Category X rating is the most severe pregnancy rating that can be given to a medication.
Although Menostar is a Category X medication, it does not appear to increase the risk of birth defects or other problems. However, because there is no accepted, legitimate medical reason for pregnant women to use the drug, and because the risks are not fully understood, it should not be used during pregnancy. It is important to understand that estrogens (such as Menostar) are not effective for preventing miscarriages or any other problems in pregnancy.
Menostar is not approved for any use in pregnant women, and there are no legitimate off-label (unapproved) uses for the drug in pregnant women. If you inadvertently used Menostar for awhile before realizing you were pregnant, it will probably not cause any problems, although you should discuss this with your healthcare provider. If you think you may be pregnant, you should contact your healthcare provider for further instructions.
Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD