Dopegyt During pregnancy

Dopegyt acts through the central nervous system (CNS), relaxing the walls of blood vessels and reducing the heart rate. This leads to a decrease in overall blood pressure. At the same time, the drug enhances the work of the kidneys, improving their blood supply, and increasDopegyt  is prescribed by a doctor to treat hypertension (high blood pressure) during pregnancy. In Russia, as in many other countries, Dopegyt is a first-line drug of therapy, that is, it is prescribed in most cases of high blood pressure in pregnant women. Studies show that Dopegyt is effective and safe for both the mother and the unborn child.

Let’s figure out how and at what time Dopegit can be prescribed to a future mother, whether the drug has contraindications and side effects, and how safe it is during pregnancy.  

How Dopegyt works

es the removal of harmful substances from the blood.

Dopegyt also causes a mild hypnotic or sedative effect.

Under what conditions is Dopegyt prescribed during pregnancy

European guidelines recommend starting treatment with Dopegyt if:

• hypertension existed before pregnancy in moderate and severe form;
• previous pregnancies were complicated by hypertension with preeclampsia ;

Preeclampsia is a pathological condition that is characterized by a significant rise in blood pressure, a high protein content in the urine, and pronounced edema.

• hypertension developed before the 28th week of pregnancy (at a pressure above 140/90 mm Hg);
• hypertension developed after the 28th week of pregnancy (at a pressure above 150/95 mm Hg).

The diagnosis ” Arterial hypertension (hypertension)” in Russia is made by 5-30% of pregnant women. Recently, the number of pregnant women with this complication has been growing due to an increase in the number of women with severe overweight (obesity) and diabetes.

If left untreated, this condition becomes the leading cause of death in childbirth for both women and newborns. In addition, hypertension during pregnancy is associated with the development of cardiac pathologies such as angina pectoris and myocardial infarction in older women.

Benefits for mother and fetus

Dopegyt can prevent complications caused by hypertension in pregnancy and preeclampsia. These complications include preterm delivery, low birth weight, and maternal and child health conditions that can be serious and even life-threatening.

How, when and at what stages of pregnancy Dopegyt is prescribed

Do not take Dopegyt to reduce pressure during pregnancy on your own! Arterial hypertension should be diagnosed and monitored by a physician. Only a doctor can draw up a treatment plan and prescribe the drugs you need.

Dopegyt is available in tablets for oral (through the mouth, by swallowing) administration with the content of the active substance (methyldopa) 250 mg.

Dopegyt can be prescribed at any stage of pregnancy. Usually, the drug is taken 1 tablet 2-3 times a day. A single dose is gradually (every 2-3 days) increased until a marked decrease in blood pressure is achieved. As a rule, this occurs at a daily dose of 2 g.

If a pregnant woman experiences a pronounced hypnotic effect when taking the drug, then most of it is transferred to the evening.

When the decrease in pressure becomes stable, the doctor may begin to reduce the dose of the drug (to the minimum effective).

The maximum daily dose for an adult woman is 3 g.

Contraindications and side effects

Dopegyt is contraindicated in diseases or impaired liver function, as well as increased individual sensitivity to any component that is part of the drug.

Due to a decrease in blood pressure, a woman may experience weakness, fatigue and headache (especially at the beginning of the drug). In addition, the effect of drowsiness can affect the concentration of attention when driving. Therefore, driving a car while taking Dopegyt is undesirable.

Dopegyt safety during pregnancy

It is unlikely that the use of Dopegyt during pregnancy will cause any harm to the mother or baby. Most pregnant women start taking Methyldopa (Dopegyt) after the first trimester of pregnancy (in II and III), when the child is already fully formed.

There is a long-term study in which children of mothers who took Dopegyt were observed up to seven and a half years. It showed that the drug did not increase children’s incidence of problems with:

• health;
• physical or mental development;
• vision;
• by hearing;
• behavior. 

A large modern study has confirmed that Dopegyt does not cause any defects in the fetus, even if treatment is started in the first trimester of pregnancy. It has also not been shown to be associated with miscarriage or stillbirth, and there is no evidence that the drug can lead to low birth weight infants. In half of the cases in this study, women began taking the drug before conception, which shows that Dopegyt does not have a teratogenic (violating the early development of the embryo) effect. 

Analogues of Dopegit

There are currently no analogues of the drug Dopegyt of domestic production.

Bibliography

1. Shikh E.V., Zhukova O.V., Ostroumova O.D., et al. Arterial hypertension in pregnant women: a view from the standpoint of the 2018 European guidelines. \\ Arterial hypertension, 2019;25(1):105-115.
2. Dopegit ® Register of Medicines of India .
3. Hoeltzenbein M., Beck E., Fietz A.K., et al. Pregnancy Outcome After First Trimester Use of Methyldopa: A Prospective Cohort Study. \\ Hypertension. 2017;70(1):201-208, PubMed.