clopidogrel
Clopidogrel is used to prevent repeat heart attacks or strokes in people who have had a stroke, heart attack, severe chest pain or peripheral arterial disease (poor blood flow in the blood vessels that bring blood to your legs). Clopidogrel is in a class of medications called antiplatelet medications. It works by preventing platelets (a type of blood cell) from collecting and forming clots that may cause a heart attack or stroke.
Full drug information on MedlinePlus →This is general information, not medical advice. Pregnancy and breastfeeding decisions should always be made with your healthcare provider.
Can taking clopidogrel affect fertility or make it harder to get pregnant?
There are no human studies looking at whether clopidogrel can make it harder to become pregnant. In animal studies, clopidogrel did not affect fertility. Anyone with questions about fertility while taking this medication should discuss them with their healthcare provider.
Does taking clopidogrel increase the risk of miscarriage?
Miscarriage can occur in any pregnancy for many different reasons. No human studies have been done to see whether clopidogrel increases the chance of miscarriage, and animal studies did not report an increase in miscarriages. Concerns about miscarriage risk should be reviewed with a healthcare provider.
Does taking clopidogrel increase the risk of birth defects?
Every pregnancy starts with a 3–5% background risk of a birth defect, and information on clopidogrel use in pregnancy is limited. Animal studies did not show an increased chance of birth defects, and among 17 published case reports of clopidogrel use in pregnancy, 16 babies were born without birth defects; 1 baby had a heart defect, but other medications were also used, making it difficult to link any finding to clopidogrel alone. A healthcare provider can help interpret what this limited information means in an individual situation.
Can taking clopidogrel during pregnancy cause other pregnancy-related complications?
There are no studies looking at whether clopidogrel increases problems such as preterm birth or low birth weight. Taking clopidogrel during labor or delivery may increase the chance of bleeding or hemorrhage in the person giving birth, and there is also an increased chance of spinal hematoma if an epidural is placed while on clopidogrel. The product label and professional societies, including the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine and the American Academy of Pain Medicine, have recommended that clopidogrel be stopped 5 to 7 days before labor, delivery, or an epidural—timing that should be planned with the healthcare team.
Can taking clopidogrel during pregnancy affect the child's brain development, learning, or behavior?
No studies have been done to look at whether clopidogrel use in pregnancy can cause behavior or learning problems in the child. Any questions about long-term child development should be discussed with a healthcare provider.
Is it safe to breastfeed while taking clopidogrel?
There are no published studies on clopidogrel use during breastfeeding. No side effects have been reported in a small number of breastfed infants exposed to clopidogrel through breast milk, although there is a theoretical (unproven) concern that an infant's platelets might not work properly with this exposure; this has not been reported in the available cases. If a nursing infant has symptoms such as bruising or bleeding, the child's healthcare provider should be contacted, and decisions about breastfeeding while on clopidogrel should be made together with a healthcare provider.
Source: MotherToBaby Fact Sheet
clopidogrel