Premarin and Pregnancy

Premarin is considered a pregnancy Category X medication, which means that it should not be used during pregnancy (as it may cause serious problems). Although Premarin does not appear to increase the risk of birth defects, there is no legitimate medical reason for pregnant women to use this medication. However, if you are using Premarin and pregnancy accidentally occurs, it will probably not cause any problems.

 

An Overview of Premarin and Pregnancy

Premarin® (conjugated estrogens) is a prescription estrogen medication. It is not intended for use in pregnant women. There is also no accepted medical reason for pregnant women to use Premarin.
 

Premarin and Pregnancy Category X

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) uses a pregnancy 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).
 
Almost all sources consider Premarin as a pregnancy Category X medication, although this terminology is not used in the prescribing information of Premarin (which is common in older medications like Premarin).
 
Although Premarin is a Category X medication, it does not appear to increase the risk of birth defects or other problems. However, because the risks are not fully understood (and because there is no accepted, legitimate medical reason for pregnant women to use Premarin), it should not be used during pregnancy.
 

Premarin and Pregnancy: Final Thoughts

If you accidentally used Premarin for a while before you realized 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.
 
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;