Pregnancy and Anthrax Treatment

If you are pregnant, and are exposed to anthrax, it is important for your doctor to know about your pregnancy. Anthrax treatment may need to be altered for a woman who is pregnant. For instance, to prevent damage to the fetus, a different antibiotic may be used. When considering pregnancy and anthrax treatment, pregnant women should keep in mind that the benefits of using an antibiotic (such as ciprofloxacin) to treat the life-threatening disease may outweigh the potential risks to the fetus.

 

Pregnancy and Anthrax Treatment: An Overview

If a person was exposed to anthrax, there are three main antibiotics used to prevent the disease:
 
If you are pregnant (or are trying to become pregnant) and have been exposed to anthrax, you will want to discuss the risks and benefits of the various antibiotics that can be used to prevent the disease with your doctor. Which medicine is most appropriate for you will depend on the specific place and situation of your exposure, and your general medical history (including other medicines you may be taking and any medication allergies you may have).
 

Pregnancy and Anthrax Treatment: Ciprofloxacin

Ciprofloxacin is not likely to cause major problems for a fetus, but there is not enough experience and data involving ciprofloxacin during pregnancy to say for certain that there is no risk to the fetus. Ciprofloxacin is not commonly used during pregnancy, because most infections that pregnant women get can be treated with other drugs whose safety for a pregnant woman and her fetus is better documented. However, because anthrax is a life-threatening disease, the benefits of using ciprofloxacin may outweigh potential risks to the fetus.
 
Heartburn during pregnancy is very common. Keep in mind that antacids should not be taken at the same time as ciprofloxacin because they may make ciprofloxacin less effective. (They can interfere with the absorption of ciprofloxacin.) You should not take antacids in the 6 hours before you take a ciprofloxacin pill or for 2 hours after you take ciprofloxacin.
 
(Pregnancy and Anthrax Treatment Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
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