Pizotifen
What is it?
Pizotifen is a sedating (drowsy) antihistamine prescribed to prevent specific types of severe recurrent headache (vascular headaches, migraines and cluster headaches).
Benefits
What are the benefits of taking pizotifen in pregnancy?
Pizotifen can prevent severe headaches. Treatment with pizotifen in pregnancy might be considered necessary for women who experience recurrent headaches that impact significantly on their quality of life or ability to carry out daily activities.
Risks
Are there any risks of taking pizotifen during pregnancy?
There are no studies of pregnant women specifically taking pizotifen and so the effects are largely unknown. It is not commonly used in pregnancy and would generally not be recommended unless there was no other option to prevent headaches that would seriously affect quality of life.
Alternatives
Are there any alternatives to taking pizotifen?
Possibly. Other medicines can be used to prevent or treat severe headaches. However, in rare cases, pizotifen may be the only medicine that works well, or a woman and her doctor may decide it is best to stay on it rather than try something new and risk a relapse.
Ideally, women planning a pregnancy should speak to their GP or specialist to determine whether pizotifen is still the best option for them. Similarly, women who have an unplanned pregnancy while taking pizotifen should be reviewed at the earliest opportunity by their GP or specialist.
No treatment
What if I don't want to take medicines to prevent or treat severe headaches?
Severe headaches can potentially be improved by use of medicines that can be safely used in pregnancy. If untreated, they generally do not pose a direct health risk to the mother or baby, but can greatly affect quality of life and the ability to carry out activities of daily living.
Your doctor will be happy to talk to you about any concerns that you might have when considering use of a medicine in pregnancy.
Will my baby need extra monitoring?
All pregnant women in the UK should be offered a very detailed anomaly scan at around 20 weeks of pregnancy as part of their routine antenatal care. No extra monitoring for major birth defects is required following pizotifen use in pregnancy.
Are there any risks to my baby if the father has taken pizotifen?
We would not expect any increased risk to your baby if the father takes pizotifen.
Who can I talk to if I have questions?
If you have any questions regarding the information in this leaflet please discuss them with your health care provider. They can access more detailed medical and scientific information from www.uktis.org.