This sheet is about exposure to triazolam in pregnancy and while breastfeeding. This information is based on published research studies. It should not take the place of medical care and advice from your healthcare provider.
What is triazolam?
Triazolam is a medication that has been used to treat insomnia (having a hard time falling asleep or staying asleep), and to help lower anxiety about medical procedures. Triazolam is in a class of medications called benzodiazepines. A brand name for triazolam is Halcion®.
Sometimes when women find out they are pregnant, they think about changing how they take their medication, or stopping their medication altogether. However, it is important to talk with your healthcare providers before making any changes to how you take this medication. Your healthcare providers can talk with you about the benefits of treating your condition and the risks of an untreated condition during pregnancy.
If you plan to stop this medication, your healthcare provider may suggest that you slowly lower the dose instead of stopping all at once. Stopping this medication suddenly can cause some people to have withdrawal symptoms. It is not known what effects, if any, withdrawal could have on a pregnancy.
I take triazolam. Can it make it harder for me to get pregnant?
Studies have not been done to see if taking triazolam could make it harder to get pregnant.
Does taking triazolam increase the chance of miscarriage?
Miscarriage is common and can occur in any pregnancy for many different reasons. Studies have not been done to see if triazolam increases the chance of miscarriage.
Does taking triazolam increase the chance of having a baby with a birth defect?
Birth defects can happen in any pregnancy for different reasons. Out of all babies born each year, about 3 out of 100 (3%) will have a birth defect. We look at research studies to try to understand if an exposure, like triazolam, might increase the chance of birth defects in a pregnancy.
Triazolam has not been well studied for use in pregnancy, so it is not known if triazolam increases the chance for birth defects. Experimental animal studies did not find a higher chance for birth defects with exposure to triazolam. A report looking at women who filled at least 1 triazolam prescription found no link between triazolam and an increased chance for birth defects. Prescription based studies like this cannot tell us if the person who filled the prescription took the medication during their pregnancy.
Does taking triazolam in pregnancy increase the chance of other pregnancy-related problems?
Studies have not been done to see if triazolam increases the chance for pregnancy-related problems such as preterm delivery (birth before week 37) or low birth weight (weighing less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces [2500 grams] at birth).
I need to take triazolam throughout my entire pregnancy. Will it cause withdrawal symptoms in my baby after birth?
The use of triazolam during pregnancy might cause temporary symptoms in newborns soon after birth. These symptoms are sometimes referred to as withdrawal and may include poor muscle tone and trouble feeding. Not all babies exposed to triazolam will have these symptoms. It is important that your healthcare providers know you are taking triazolam so that if symptoms occur your baby can get the care that is best for them.
Does taking triazolam in pregnancy affect future behavior or learning for the child?
Studies have not been done to see if triazolam can increase the chance of behavior or learning issues for the child.
Breastfeeding while taking triazolam:
Triazolam has not been well studied for use while breastfeeding. There is 1 case of an infant who was exposed to triazolam through breastmilk without reported side effects. Children exposed to benzodiazepines through breastfeeding should be watched for excessive drowsiness (being very sleepy and hard to wake). If you suspect the baby has any symptoms such as not being able to wake them, poor weight gain, low muscle tone (floppiness), or slowed breathing, contact the child’s healthcare provider Be sure to talk to your healthcare provider about all your breastfeeding questions.
If a man takes triazolam, could it affect fertility or increase the chance of birth defects?
Studies have not been done to see if triazolam could affect a man’s fertility (ability to get a woman pregnant) or increase the chance of birth defects above the background risk. There is 1 case report of absence of sperm in a man taking triazolam and other medications; sperm counts returned to normal several months after stopping triazolam. A single case report cannot predict how this medication would affect sperm production in all men using the medication. In general, exposures that men have are unlikely to increase risks to a pregnancy. For more information, please see the MotherToBaby fact sheet Paternal Exposures at https://mothertobaby.org/fact-sheets/paternal-exposures-pregnancy/.
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