Is It Safe to Take Methocarbamol While Pregnant?
Methocarbamol (
Robaxin®) is a prescription muscle relaxant. There is little information available about the safety of taking this drug during pregnancy.
What Is Pregnancy Category C?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) uses a category system to classify the possible risks to a fetus when a specific medicine is taken during pregnancy. Pregnancy Category C is given to medicines that have not been studied in pregnant humans but do appear to cause harm to the fetus in animal studies.
In addition, medicines that have not been studied in any pregnant women or animals are automatically given a pregnancy Category C rating.
Methocarbamol has not been adequately studied in pregnant animals or humans. The limited information available from women who took this drug during pregnancy does not suggest a link between methocarbamol and birth defects or other problems.
There is one notable case of withdrawal symptoms (such as irritability, crying, and
seizures) seen in a newborn whose mother was taking methocarbamol, but the mother was also taking other substances, including illegal drugs.
Although methocarbamol is a pregnancy Category C medicine, it may be given to a pregnant woman if the healthcare provider believes that the benefits to the woman outweigh any possible risks to the unborn child.
