The use of duphaston in early pregnancy. Taking duphaston in early pregnancy

A drug such as Duphaston is often prescribed during pregnancy. It belongs to the group of hormonal drugs that help maintain the gestation process. Let's consider the drug in detail, highlight the indications for its use, dwell on the features of the application, find out how to drink Duphaston during pregnancy.

Why is Duphaston prescribed during pregnancy?

Not all women who are expecting a baby know why Duphaston is prescribed for pregnant women and address this question to the doctor. Doctors say that this medicine is a synthetic analogue of progesterone. The drug is based on dydrogesterone, which is completely similar in structure and properties to the hormone that is synthesized in the female body.

The drug can be prescribed both at the stage and after its onset, for a short time. Its active ingredient prepares the endometrium for the next - the introduction of the fetal egg into the uterine wall. Immediately from this moment, gestation begins. Doctors, prescribing Duphaston during pregnancy, have the following goals:

• successful implantation;
• prevention of spontaneous abortion;
• preparation of the reproductive system for the gestational process.

Duphaston during early pregnancy

Often, Duphaston during pregnancy, in its early stages, is prescribed to women who have had problems with bearing a child in the past. A common disorder is habitual miscarriage. Doctors talk about such a violation if 2 or more pregnancies were interrupted at the very beginning. At the same time, their period did not exceed 12 weeks. Duphaston during pregnancy reduces the likelihood of developing this complication and helps to bear the child.

How to take Duphaston during pregnancy?

Before taking Duphaston, pregnant women should consult a doctor. He directly knows the features of this gestation, analyzes the history of the expectant mother. Based on the data obtained, an individual course of therapy is compiled - the dosage, frequency and duration of the use of the drug are established. In most cases, the drug is started from 6-7 weeks of pregnancy.

Dose of Duphaston during pregnancy

It is worth noting that the drug is often prescribed even before conception, at the stage of pregnancy planning. In order to stabilize the work of the hormonal system, a woman about to become a mother takes Duphaston for 6 cycles. They drink it from 11 to 25 days (with a menstrual cycle of 28 days). Another regimen is also possible, which is developed individually by the attending physician.

After conception, the expectant mother continues to drink Duphaston during pregnancy. A sharp, one-time withdrawal of the drug is impossible - a decrease in the concentration of the hormone progesterone in the bloodstream can provoke. As for the dosage, its classic option in this period is 1 tablet 2 times a day (20 mg per day).

How much to drink Duphaston during pregnancy?

Taking Duphaston during pregnancy should always be agreed with the doctor. Directly, he indicates not only the specific dosage, but also the duration of the drug. It depends on the degree of violation and its severity. If we talk about the approximate period of drug withdrawal, then this happens by the 20th week of gestation. Some pregnant women stop taking it at week 16, as directed by the doctor.

To determine the need to discontinue the drug or continue taking it, doctors prescribe a laboratory test. It sets the exact concentration of the hormone progesterone in the bloodstream of the expectant mother. The results of the analysis directly determine the further algorithm of actions of the attending physician. In this case, the pregnant woman must strictly follow the medical instructions.

Duphaston - side effects during pregnancy

The use of Duphaston during pregnancy is associated with the possibility of side effects. The likelihood of their development increases if the dosages indicated by the doctor, the frequency and duration of the use of the drug are not observed. Among the common side effects when using the drug:

• headache;
• nausea;
• dizziness;
• bleeding from the vagina;
• allergic reaction.

If one of these disorders occurs, you should consult a doctor. This phenomenon should be a reason to reconsider the dosage or frequency of use of the drug. In extreme cases, a replacement is made for a similar drug. The drug is used with caution in cases where a course of estrogen therapy has previously been carried out (including the use of oral contraceptives). The simultaneous use of estrogen and progesterone increases the risk of thrombosis.

Duphaston contraindications during pregnancy

Even if there are indications for use, Duphaston tablets during pregnancy may not be used by all expectant mothers. Because of this, before prescribing the drug, the doctor must carefully analyze the history of the pregnant woman, exclude certain diseases. Among those:

• Rotor syndrome;
• diseases of the cardiovascular system;
• Dubin-Johnson syndrome;
• diabetes;
• kidney disease;
• skin itching.

How to cancel Duphaston during pregnancy?

Cancellation of Duphaston during pregnancy should be done gradually. The scheme is drawn up individually, and depends on the dosage in which the pregnant woman took the drug. Every day it is reduced by 0.5-1 tablet. For example, if, as prescribed by a doctor, the expectant mother took 3 tablets of medication daily, then each subsequent day the dose is reduced by 1-0.5 tablets. So finally stop taking the medicine after 3-6 days. Compliance with the withdrawal scheme established by the doctor excludes the possibility of a sharp decrease in the concentration of progesterone in the blood.

Duphaston is a hormonal drug that is prescribed for the treatment of endometriosis or for prolonged non-pregnancy due to a lack of progesterone in the female body.

But, even after the onset of pregnancy, the doctor may recommend taking the drug to the expectant mother in order to preserve her. Is Duphaston really necessary during pregnancy? Or is it just a myth?

The purpose of the appointment of Duphaston

Why is Duphaston prescribed during pregnancy?

Duphaston - tablets, which contain synthetic substances, the action of which is similar to the action of the hormone progesterone.

This hormone is produced by the ovaries, mainly in the second half of the menstrual cycle. In this case, its main task is to prepare the endometrium of the uterus for the onset and maintenance of pregnancy.

When pregnancy occurs, the corpus luteum continues to produce this hormone for some time, until about the 7th week of pregnancy, after which the placenta begins to produce it.

According to the instructions, Duphaston is prescribed for the treatment of infertility. In this case, it should be taken from the 14th to the 25th day from the start of the menstrual cycle.

Know! The exact dosage should be selected by the doctor, based on the results of laboratory tests of the level of progesterone in the female body.

• According to the instructions for the use of Duphaston during pregnancy, it is prescribed if there is a risk of spontaneous miscarriage;
• If a woman's body produces an insufficient amount of progesterone, then there is an increase in the tone of the uterine muscles, which can cause an abortion;

• The basis for the appointment of Duphaston during pregnancy is a deficiency in the maternal body of progesterone.

Attention! However, before using this drug, you need to get confirmation that your body is really lacking a hormone.

Our doctors prescribe the drug to everyone in a row. They don't do examinations.

Duphaston has turned from a serious, hormonal drug into a vitamin complex, which is prescribed immediately, as soon as you come to the doctor and he confirms the pregnancy.

It's horrible.

Duphaston during pregnancy in the first trimester can be prescribed for:

1. increased risk of miscarriage;
2. bleeding caused by hormonal imbalance;
3. endometriosis.

Duphaston during pregnancy in the third trimester is prescribed to prevent premature birth, if the expectant mother has increased uterine tone, and the child, at the moment, is not yet ready to be born.

What are the doctors silent about?

• Progesterone is produced by the placenta in large quantities. At the same time, it has a local effect, practically without getting into the bloodstream. If this happened, then the consequences for the female body could be catastrophic;

Important! Taking Duphaston, as well as any other hormonal drug, if this need is not confirmed by laboratory tests, is unreasonable. And this, in turn, can negatively affect the hormonal balance.

• In addition, the doctors themselves still cannot answer the question - how will the progesterone produced by the placenta interact with the one that enters the body from the outside, along with the pills;
• Moreover, this hormone has already been recognized by scientists as a carcinogen. Therefore, they do not undertake to predict how its action may affect the state of a woman's health in the future.

Know! Western physicians at the end of the last century noted the relationship between the intake of progesterone by a woman and the increased incidence of diagnosing breast cancer and other dangerous diseases.

• In addition, there is evidence that taking hormonal pills can cause the development of various disorders in the state of the endocrine and genitourinary systems of the unborn baby (read the article on the topic: Development of the child in the womb >>>);

Today, even such a thing as "Dufaston" children has appeared. Their mothers at one time also took this hormonal drug.

After birth, their babies were diagnosed with developmental disorders, kidney stones, abnormal development of the genitals and other problems.

Therefore, modern gynecologists are increasingly refusing to prescribe Duphaston in cases where clinical studies show its inefficiency or it is possible to do without its use.

But still today, you can meet doctors who still call progesterone the "hormone of pregnancy", without which its normal development may be in jeopardy.

How long can you drink?

How to take Duphaston during pregnancy, the doctor should determine. Usually, its need is high in the first trimester, until the placenta is fully formed.

There are some principles for using the drug:

1. it cannot be independently replaced by other similar drugs;
2. you can drink pills only according to the scheme prescribed by the attending physician;
3. if any side effects or unpleasant symptoms appear, you should immediately stop using Duphaston and consult a doctor.

He will tell you how long and how it should be taken correctly.

How to cancel?

Usually, women start taking Duphaston even at the stage of pregnancy planning and immediately after its onset, they try to cancel it for themselves.

Attention! It is impossible to do this on your own, all the more abruptly, as this can nullify all attempts to become a mother.

If the hormone abruptly stops entering the body, this will become stressful for him, as a result, heavy bleeding may open and abortion may occur.

Therefore, the doctor should prescribe the Duphaston cancellation scheme during pregnancy.

• In order for the female body to respond painlessly to drug withdrawal, it must be gradual;
• At the same time, every week you need to take half a tablet less than in the previous 7 days;
• This will avoid a sharp change in hormonal levels and spontaneous abortion;
• Thus, if you took 2 tablets per day, then, over the next week, the dosage should be 1.5 tablets per day, and after another 7 days it is reduced to 1 tablet per day, and so on until they are completely canceled;
• Therefore, it will take several weeks to completely cancel Duphaston.

Contraindications

Despite the fact that in some cases taking the drug helps to maintain a pregnancy, not everyone can drink pills. There are a number of diseases in which the use of Duphaston is contraindicated. These include:

1. kidney pathology;
2. Rotor syndrome;
3. epilepsy;
4. Dubin-Johnson syndrome;
5. pathologies in the cardiovascular system;
6. diabetes;
7. skin itching.

Particular attention is paid to women who have been diagnosed with benign hormone-dependent tumors in the body.

Duphaston's analogs

The drug has several analogues. Most often it is customary to replace it with Utrozhestan. What is better during pregnancy Duphaston or Utrozhestan?

Know! As for Utrozhestan, it belongs to natural gestagens, so some consider it more effective. In addition, it is available in the form of vaginal tablets. And this allows you to reduce the transformation of the hormone and increase its effectiveness.

So, is Duphaston possible during pregnancy?

If the results of the tests showed a lack of the hormone progesterone in the female body, then the appointment of the drug is justified.

Therefore, before taking the pills, you should be tested to determine the level of progesterone and it is advisable to do this several times in different laboratories.

How are you getting on with Duphaston? Did your doctor prescribe it for you? How did you cancel it?

Hormonal drugs are widely used in gynecological and obstetric practice. The lack of female sex hormones (estrogens and progesterone) is replenished with the help of natural or synthetic analogues.

This allows you to get rid of the manifestations of various gynecological diseases, including endometriosis, tumors, cervical ectopia, and more.

Duphaston during pregnancy

In addition, a significant share in the clinical use of hormonal drugs is their use to prevent pregnancy complications. Most often, the hormone progesterone and its synthetic analogues (dydrogesterone) are used for these drugs.

The original drug containing this substance is Duphaston. This tool has found wide application in obstetric practice. What is Duphaston used for during pregnancy? How many weeks do you need to take the drug? What should I do if I forgot to take a pill? We will try to answer these and other questions in this article.

Effect

Modern technologies of biochemical synthesis have made it possible to create a drug that has the positive effects of the natural hormone progesterone, while devoid of most of the negative ones. Such a drug was dydrogesterone contained in the drug Duphaston.

The advantage of the effect of dydrogesterone is a selective effect on the endometrium (the inner lining of the uterine wall). Duphaston causes the following changes:

1. Promotes the onset of the secretion phase in the endometrium.
2. Increases the number of secreting glands on the inner surface of the uterine wall.
3. Increases the intensity of blood circulation in the organs of the reproductive system.
4. Increases the ability of the endometrium to implant a fertilized egg.
5. Reduces the excitability and ability to reduce the muscle fibers of the uterus and fallopian tubes.
6. Eliminates the deficiency of its own progesterone.
7. Reduces the risk of hyperplasia and endometrial cancer with a high level of estrogen in the body.

Such a wide range of therapeutic activity of the drug provides it with a wide application in the field of treatment and prevention of obstetric complications.

Metabolism

How is Dufaston absorbed by the body? After oral administration, the drug is absorbed in the intestine. It enters the bloodstream, is captured by blood proteins, then distributed throughout the tissues and has a therapeutic effect.

Excretion of the drug from the body begins in the liver. Here, a series of biochemical reactions occur that convert dydrogesterone into inactive substances. The metabolites are then filtered by the kidneys and excreted in the urine.

The time for complete removal of the drug from the body is three days after taking the drug.

Benefits over progesterone

A woman and a doctor often face a choice: use natural progesterone or synthetic analogues. It is worth considering the specific properties of dydrogesterone, which distinguish it from the natural hormone:

• The drug, like progesterone, undergoes a number of metabolic changes in the liver, but the number of reactions, and, therefore, the effect on the organ, is less.
• The tool does not have a sedative effect, which is characteristic of progesterone. Duphaston can be taken while performing work related to increased alertness, as well as while driving.
• Does not affect the function of adrenal hormones, does not change the functioning of the kidneys.
• The drug does not affect the thermoregulatory center, the body temperature remains normal when used.
• Dydrogesterone does not have the property to cause the feminization of a woman and the masculinization of the fetus.
• In case of kidney failure, it can be excreted from the body without additional toxic effect.

Such properties of the drug allow it to combine the effectiveness of natural progesterone and get rid of many side effects of the hormone.

Indications

Why take Duphaston during pregnancy? Obstetricians prescribe the drug during the treatment and prevention of complications of gestation. This includes the following indications:

1. Endocrine infertility is the inability to become pregnant due to the low content of the body's own hormone progesterone. Under the influence of various reasons, the corpus luteum of the ovary produces a small amount of the hormone in the secretory phase of the cycle, the endometrium is not able to accept the egg, and pregnancy does not occur. Duphaston not only affects the inner layer of the uterus, but also the epithelium of the vagina, creating all the conditions for fertilization and implantation of the fetal egg.
2. Threatened miscarriage, habitual abortion. These conditions often develop against the background of a lack of progesterone in the body. Whether it's a genetic predisposition, the influence of adverse environmental factors or stress, a woman's body has a deficiency of the pregnancy hormone, which is why it is interrupted in the first trimester.
3. Violations of the menstrual cycle in the form of absence, small amount or irregular menstruation. In this case, pregnancy cannot occur due to the inability of the reproductive system to complete ovulation and a consistent change in the phases of the cycle. Treatment of pathology is achieved by the simultaneous administration of dydrogesterone and estrogen preparations.
4. Dysmenorrhea is a pathological course of the menstrual cycle, in which on critical days there is severe pain in the lower abdomen. Pathology is often caused by hormonal problems that are eliminated when taking Duphaston.
5. Endometriosis is the appearance of the endometrium (cells of the inner layer of the uterus) in various tissues and other organs. This hormonally determined pathology often leads to infertility, and also increases the likelihood of miscarriage. Duphaston therapy is often used to eliminate endometriosis.

In addition to the listed obstetric conditions, Duphaston is also prescribed for many gynecological problems: uterine bleeding, premenstrual syndrome, and other hormone-dependent diseases.

Contraindications

When using the drug, you should pay attention to contraindications to taking the drug. The following conditions are distinguished in which Duphaston is harmful to the body during pregnancy:

• Allergy to the components of the product. At the first manifestations (rash, pruritus, headache, fever) of hypersensitivity, the drug should be discarded.
• Dubin-Johnson syndrome is a hereditary liver disease, which is accompanied by its insufficiency, manifestations of jaundice and disruption of the gastrointestinal tract.
• Rotor syndrome is a mild form of the previous disease.

In addition to these contraindications, there are restrictions under which the drug is not recommended, as it can lead to a deterioration in the function of the affected organ. Duphaston is harmful under the following conditions:

• Liver diseases.
• Diseases of the cardiovascular system.
• Diabetes.
• Neurological diseases - migraines, epilepsy.
• Breastfeeding - at the time of taking the drug, breastfeeding should be excluded, dydrogesterone and its metabolites pass into breast milk.

Side effects

Subject to the doctor's prescriptions and the absence of contraindications, Duphaston rarely causes side effects. However, the individual characteristics of human metabolism can lead to the following phenomena:

1. Anemia associated with the destruction of red blood cells (hemolytic).
2. Allergic reactions.
3. Headaches.
4. Violation of the liver, leading to jaundice, weakness, abdominal pain.
5. Uterine bleeding.
6. Breast engorgement.
7. Skin rash, itching.
8. Edema of the subcutaneous tissue.

The listed side effects are extremely rare, their appearance should be the reason for the withdrawal of the drug.

Release form

The original drug containing synthetic dydrogesterone is Duphaston. This medicine is currently available in only one form - coated tablets.

The package contains 20 doses of the drug, 10 mg each. The shell protects the drug from the effects of gastric juice. Auxiliary substances of the drug are:

• lactose;
• hypromellose;
• starch;
• silica;
• magnesium steaterate;
• polyethylene glycol;
• titanium dioxide.

With intolerance to the described components, lactase deficiency, the use of the drug is contraindicated.

Instructions for use

Duphaston is drunk 2 times a day, the tablet is not chewed, it is correct to drink the drug with a small amount of water. The amount of the drug (dosage) depends on the pathological condition and is determined by the doctor. Self-medication can lead to complications.

The doctor will prescribe the required amount of the drug, based on the clinical examination, test results and the condition of the patient's body.

Scheme of use during pregnancy

Why take dydrogesterone for pregnant women? Most often, Duphaston needs to be drunk in the early stages with a habitual miscarriage, a case of a missed pregnancy in history. With these indications, the drug is prescribed even before pregnancy at a dose of 20 mg per day. Drink 1 tablet 2 times a day.

In the event of pregnancy in the early stages of gestation, the reception is continued at the same dosage. In the first trimester, the remedy helps to maintain pregnancy.

Many are interested in the question of when to stop taking. Cancellation of Duphaston during pregnancy most often occurs at 16–20 weeks of fetal development. At this time, the woman's body adapted to the presence of the fetus in the uterus, the necessary auxiliary organs were formed, such as the placenta and fetal membranes. It is for the formation of these structures that the drug is needed in the early stages. After 20 weeks, and especially in the third trimester, Duphaston is usually not prescribed.

You can stop taking the drug only after consulting a specialist who will correctly assess the risks and give an opinion on how many weeks you need to drink dydrogesterone. The scheme of drug use is prescribed by the doctor individually.

If the drug has not been taken before during gestation, it can be prescribed for use in the early stages up to 16–20 weeks. This will keep the pregnancy going.

The obstetrician-gynecologist should decide whether or not to drink Duphaston, what dose to take.

Features of use

There are some nuances when using the drug that allow you to use the tool with minimal risks. Features of the use of Duphaston:

1. Care must be taken when taking the drug together with estrogens. Most side effects occur while taking drugs.
2. Breakthrough uterine bleeding that occurs due to taking Duphaston is eliminated by increasing the dose. This complication often needs to be treated in a hospital.
3. If there is evidence of a progesterone-dependent neoplasm in the anamnesis, the drug can be prescribed only after a thorough examination.
4. If the patient has a lactase deficiency or galactose intolerance, as well as malabsorption syndrome (reduced absorption of food in the intestine), the drug should be discontinued.
5. The product must be stored in a dry place at a temperature below 30 degrees.
6. In case of an overdose of the drug, gastric lavage should be performed. There is no specific antidote for dydrogesterone.

Always consult your physician before starting a regimen, changing doses, or stopping a drug. It is impossible to reduce the dose without the consent of a specialist. Stopping the appointment without prior consultation means increasing the risk of abortion.

What to do if the patient forgot to drink Duphaston? It is necessary to take the drug according to the previous scheme. Dydrogesterone is excreted from the body for three days, so a single missed dose is not a cause for concern. It is impossible to double the dose of the drug, even if the woman forgot to take the medicine several times.

Analogues

If the patient has an individual intolerance to the components of the drug, or she is not satisfied with the price of the medicine, the question arises of selecting an analogue of Duphaston.

It is worth saying that there are no other drugs containing only dydrogesterone today. Duphaston can only be replaced with natural progesterone, other synthetic progestogens, or a combination medicine. Natural remedies containing progesterone include:

1. Utrozhestan.
2. Crinon.
3. Progestogel.
4. Iprozhin.

Synthetic progestogens, in addition to dydrogesterone, include:

• Cliogest.
• Orgametril.
• Klimonorm.
• Postinor.
• Charosetta.
• Medrogeston.
• Depo Provera.

There is a combination drug Femoston, which contains, in addition to dydrogesterone, estrogens. Such a combination is often useful in the treatment of gynecological pathology.

It is impossible to select analogues of the drug, taking into account the pros and cons, without consulting an experienced specialist.

Today it is extremely difficult to find a woman who, directly during her own pregnancy or during the period when she was just planning one, would not use any medicines that are useful for the expectant mother herself and completely safe for her unborn baby. After all, on the one hand, such foresight gives a woman an excellent opportunity to give birth to her long-awaited baby quite healthy. On the other hand, it allows you to maintain your own health. Recently, such a diagnosis as habitual miscarriage has become a very common problem for women who really want to have their own children. There are truly an unusually many reasons for this, but one of the most important such reasons is the problems that a woman has at the hormonal level of her body.

As many already know, a strictly special hormone is “responsible” for the entire pregnancy, it is also called the pregnancy hormone - this is progesterone. As a rule, its main function is indispensable in the female body, which is preparing for possible cardinal changes - namely, to bear a baby. After all, firstly, progesterone usually helps the fetal egg to attach to the walls of the uterus in a timely and reliable manner, and it is he who prepares the female mammary glands for further production of both colostrum and milk. And secondly, thanks to just such a hormone as progesterone, the uterus is constantly quite actively growing and increasing in size, while practically not shrinking at all, which, of course, is extremely necessary just so that the female body can accept the embryo that it perceives as "foreign body", and did not reject it.

And as you understand, as soon as another pregnancy occurs, the total amount of progesterone in the body increases dramatically. But, unfortunately, this, alas, does not always happen, because we described a variant of the accepted norm. There are a number of specific reasons why the very necessary pregnancy hormone for a woman may not be produced in sufficient quantities. And it is quite understandable that without such a hormone, the uterus that is implanted in it may simply not accept the fetus (a spontaneous miscarriage will occur), and sometimes pregnancy may simply not occur at all.

And we tell you about all this, not in vain. Probably, you yourself have already guessed that in this article we will further discuss such a drug as the so-called synthetic analogue of this very necessary female progesterone for pregnancy. As a rule, this drug is prescribed only when it has been accurately confirmed in a particular woman (of course, only after passing all the necessary tests for the production of hormones by the body). By the way, it would be desirable to donate blood for the hormones produced by the body several times, and better in a row (this is necessary in order to determine your specific hormonal picture as accurately as possible), and always strictly on an empty stomach. The results of such analyzes will have to be deciphered only by your attending physician, and then he may consider it necessary to prescribe you some additional studies. And only after that the doctor will allow himself to prescribe certain medicines for a particular woman.

Why is Duphaston usually prescribed?

Yes, first of all, because our modern pharmaceutical market is able to offer us only two similar drugs from real-life progesterone analogues - this is the same Duphaston and the second drug called. Such a drug as Duphaston, although it is still the same progesterone of only synthetic origin, nevertheless it is more convenient for a woman to use it, at least unlike the same Utrozhestan. After all, Utrozhestan is progesterone, but already of natural origin, which doctors should only administer strictly intramuscularly. And as mentioned earlier, (say, with such a diagnosis as habitual non-carrying of a pregnancy), so actually during a pregnancy that has already begun, but which has real risks of interrupting it. Also, the drug Utrozhestan is also prescribed when planning a pregnancy - read more about this.

The correct dosage, and indeed the full course of treatment, should always be developed strictly individually, and depending on the available test results. Most often, they try to prescribe Duphaston in a dosage of 2 or a maximum of 3 tablets once or even twice a day. The full course of treatment with this drug is usually up to 6 months directly during the planning and preparation for pregnancy, and already with the onset of pregnancy, Duphaston should be taken only in the very first weeks of pregnancy, moreover, according to the same instructions, but constantly gradually reducing the intake the number of tablets, up to the complete abolition of those.

Also, such a drug as Duphaston may well be prescribed if it occurs, which most often happens in the early stages of pregnancy due to acute progesterone deficiency. And, as a rule, in this case, this drug is taken only up to 20 weeks of pregnancy, until the placenta can finally form in the woman’s body (after all, it has long been known that the already “ready” or ripe placenta significantly increases the production of the body itself, which is natural progesterone , and as a result, the fetus becomes protected from rejection by the mother's body).

Incredibly many questions in previously ill women can be caused by the process of canceling a drug such as Duphaston against the background of pregnancy. And, of course, on numerous forums, future and already established mothers actively share their experience, which, by the way, is very, very different. Many of the women Duphaston was canceled literally immediately at the first sign of pregnancy, but, unfortunately, the abrupt cancellation of this particular drug can be very dangerous for the fetus. After all, Duphaston supports a newly pregnant body with an additional, so necessary dose of the pregnancy hormone progesterone, and if suddenly such a supply of hormones is stopped too abruptly, then the woman’s uterus will be able to reject the fetal egg itself as a foreign body. And that is why a drug such as Duphaston will need to be canceled only gradually, moreover, from time to time it will be necessary to take tests for the production of hormones in order to strictly control the total amount of progesterone in the female body.

How exactly can Duphaston be canceled?

Unfortunately, in this question, as well as in many others, there is no clear and unambiguous answer among physicians. And the same reviews of "experienced" mothers are very different from each other. But modern doctors on this occasion can be unambiguous in only one thing. Namely, that the regimen for the abolition of Duphaston will have to be determined only by an experienced doctor, who, in fact, initially prescribed the regimen for taking the drug. After all, it is shown that Duphaston happens to women for completely different reasons, which is precisely why, and this drug will need to be canceled accordingly.

If you, for example, took this drug, exactly 4 tablets a day, and subsequently the results of the relevant tests showed that the total amount of progesterone is now normal, then this drug may be canceled as follows. On the first day you will have to drink - the prescribed four tablets, on the second day we drink - only 3 tablets, on the third day - 2 tablets, respectively, on the fourth day - you guessed it 1 tablet, and only after that is it possible to completely stop taking such a drug as Duphaston. If the total amount of progesterone in a woman’s body is somewhat deviated from the existing norms, then, of course, you will need a completely different scheme for drug withdrawal, which the doctor will have to determine based on the indicators of deviations from the norm that he saw in the tests. Sometimes pregnant women "stop taking" Duphaston on their own, and sometimes they do this for even a few weeks, which is also not entirely true.

And finally, let's talk about the so-called "pitfalls" possible when taking and canceling Duphaston. So, in the instructions for this drug (and actually from the lips of the vast majority of the most experienced and respected gynecologists) it is written in black and white that this drug can be absolutely safe, and can not harm either the expectant mother or, of course, her child. Rather, on the contrary, this drug is only very useful and even vital for almost every woman. However, it should be noted that some experts are extremely outraged by such information in the manufacturer's instructions. Indeed, in our days, and so Duphaston and the onset of pregnancy have become almost synonymous with words. And such a fairly serious drug is prescribed, as they say right and left, and sometimes without any serious reason, rather, just in case, calming oneself - because it will not hurt. But is it really so - the big question?

It is incredibly difficult to talk about this, so we bring to your attention only some of the statements of quite authoritative experts. It turns out that in many civilized countries of the world, taking such a drug as Duphaston during pregnancy is considered to be extremely undesirable and even harmful. No matter how you twist it, and whatever you say, it is hormonal and means a rather serious drug that may well upset your natural hormonal balance in the body in some way. And some of the experts generally believe that such a reception of Duphaston can “slow down” the normal natural production of progesterone by an already pregnant body. Actually, that is why if you have already taken this drug before pregnancy, then during the onset of pregnancy, it is absolutely impossible to abruptly cancel it, of course. Since your already pregnant body may not be able to independently cope with the need to produce such an important and even vital hormone, for the simple reason that the body has already been “accustomed” to receiving this hormone from the outside. And if in the early stages of pregnancy the level of progesterone in your body drops sharply, then it will be extremely difficult for you to avoid a spontaneous miscarriage.

And in order not to face such a dilemma (should Duphaston be canceled during pregnancy or not, and if so, how?), it would be necessary to never take it at all. The last of modern studies have shown and proved that in fact, only a few women can really need such an “artificially derived” progesterone, and this drug is prescribed by almost every second of all pregnant women.

Such an "ambiguous" attitude to drugs in our time is, unfortunately, quite a common thing. And how truly difficult it is for a pregnant woman to make the right choice in such a situation, when the information constantly coming to her is so contradictory and confusing. What should you do if, for example, one doctor insists that it is necessary and important to use this drug, and the second convinces that it is definitely not worth it?

The final choice, unfortunately, as always, falls only on the fragile shoulders of a pregnant woman ... and so much I want not to be mistaken in this matter.

Believe in your own strength, listen to your body and everything will be fine with you, of course!

Conception, pregnancy, the birth of a healthy child - these natural events for most women remain just a dream for some. The inability to conceive, maintain a pregnancy, and bear a baby is often due to hormonal disorders, or rather, insufficient production of progesterone. With such a pathology, duphaston is prescribed - a synthetic analogue of the hormone of the adrenal glands and the corpus luteum. The drug affects the body of a woman like progesterone.

Progesterone - the "hormone of pregnancy"

Progesterone interacts with estradiol to regulate the menstrual cycle. In the preovulatory phase, under the influence of estrogen, the follicle matures. At the moment (the release of the egg due to rupture of the follicle) and in the postovulatory phase, progesterone acts as the “main violin”.

It is produced by the corpus luteum - an endocrine gland formed during ovulation. Progesterone prepares the uterine mucosa for implantation of a fertilized egg: the functional layer of the endometrium thickens and becomes loose. When pregnancy occurs, the corpus luteum hormone:

• prevents miscarriage by inhibiting the activity (motility) of the smooth muscles of the uterus;
• prevents ovulation of newly formed follicles;
• prepares breast tissue for breastfeeding;
• promotes the formation of a mucous plug in the cervical canal;
• affects the psycho-emotional state of a woman, relieving arousal, having a calming effect.

With the right hormonal status, all these processes occur in the body of a woman "on the machine": conception, a normal pregnancy, the birth of a healthy baby. The slightest deviations, failure lead to insufficient production of progesterone. Problems begin: inability to conceive, miscarriage. It is in such cases that gynecologists prescribe duphaston.

For more information about the effect of progesterone on the body of a pregnant woman, see the video review:

In what cases is duphaston prescribed during pregnancy?

Since duphaston contains dydrogesterone (a synthetic analogue of the corpus luteum hormone), the drug is indicated for repeated spontaneous abortions (miscarriages) and the inability to become pregnant due to insufficient production of progesterone. In these cases, a synthetic analogue (progestogen) compensates for the lack of its own “pregnancy hormone”. Duphaston is prescribed only after determining the hormonal status. note: blood “for hormones” is donated after ovulation, that is, in the second phase of the cycle. It is advisable, in order to avoid errors, to additionally make an analysis in other laboratories and compare the results.

Can duphaston be taken for self-medication

Uncontrolled intake of duphaston without a thorough medical examination and determination of the level of hormones in the blood is fraught with an unpredictable reaction of the body. Do not forget that the drug is hormonal, so arguments like “Sveta helped get pregnant and will help me” or “I read it on my favorite forum” are not enough to risk your health. There are many reasons for infertility, low progesterone is just one of them. Important: the wrong regimen for taking duphaston sometimes has the opposite effect: the pills will “work” as a contraceptive.

Reception duphaston

The doctor prescribes the regimen, taking into account the phase of the menstrual cycle. Usually, at the stage of pregnancy planning, 1-2 tablets are prescribed from the 11th to the 25th day of the cycle for six months. When pregnancy occurs, continue taking the drug until the 16th week. At this time, the placenta is formed and the production of its own progesterone increases. If there is a history of spontaneous abortion, the drug is prescribed until the 20th week of pregnancy. In case of a threatened miscarriage, take up to 40 mg (4 tablets) at once, followed by a decrease in dosage.

When duphaston is canceled, the daily dose is gradually adjusted in descending order. The doctor determines the individual scheme for reducing the dosage. Important: you can not abruptly stop taking the pills - this can provoke bleeding and even a miscarriage.

Reception of duphaston against the background of IVF

In IVF, duphaston is prescribed both to prepare the uterine mucosa for implantation of a fertilized egg, and to reduce the risk of fetal rejection (the drug blocks the cells of the immune system).

Duphaston: side effects

The most dangerous side effect of duphaston is breakthrough bleeding, which is stopped by increasing the dose of the drug. There may be impaired renal function, nausea, prolonged headaches. Duphaston is prescribed with caution:

How safe is duphaston

Opinions about the safety of duphaston are divided. If domestic doctors are confident in the safety of the drug and exclude its negative impact on both the mother's body and the fetus, then their foreign colleagues think differently.

Duphaston has been discontinued in the UK. This is explained by the little-studied action of dydrogesterone and the possibility of its teratogenic effect on the fetus (violation of embryonic development, congenital deformities)

Duphaston: pros and cons

To take or not to take duphaston? The question is complex, akin to Shakespeare's "to be or not to be." On the one hand, the drug helped many women forget the diagnosis of infertility and become the mother of a long-awaited baby. On the other hand, there is no guarantee that soon there will be no reports of the ineffectiveness of duphaston or its teratogenic effect. Therefore, one should be guided by the principle: "do no harm." The medicine should be taken only after examination, consultation with several specialists (gynecologist, gynecologist-endocrinologist) and full confidence in the need to take this particular drug.

Clinical pharmacologist, doctor of the highest category Nazarova Marina Sergeevna