{"id":633141,"date":"2025-08-14T09:30:18","date_gmt":"2025-08-14T13:30:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=633141"},"modified":"2025-10-20T15:16:52","modified_gmt":"2025-10-20T19:16:52","slug":"hydralazine-and-pregnancy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/hydralazine-and-pregnancy\/","title":{"rendered":"What moms-to-be need to know about hydralazine"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hydralazine<\/span><\/a> is a prescription medication used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure). It is in a class of medications called vasodilators that lower blood pressure by relaxing the smooth muscles in the arteries, allowing blood to flow more easily. It was previously sold under the brand name Apresoline, but now only the generic is available.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

High blood pressure during pregnancy can cause serious complications for mother and baby. Luckily, there are many preventive measures to avoid it, and medications that can help. Generally, hydralazine is considered safe to use in pregnancy, but it is not used in outpatient treatment unless other medications are ineffective. It is usually only used in emergency situations, such as preeclampsia.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t

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Can you take hydralazine while pregnant?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Hydralazine<\/a> is used intravenously (IV) to treat two types of emergency <\/span>high blood pressure during pregnancy<\/span><\/a>:<\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. Hypertensive crisis: <\/b>The <\/span>American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)<\/span><\/a> and the <\/span>American Heart Association (AHA)<\/span><\/a> consider hydralazine a first-line treatment for the urgent treatment of extremely high blood pressure.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Preeclampsia:<\/b> Preeclampsia<\/span><\/a> is a pregnancy condition in which blood pressure rapidly rises above 140\/90 mmHg, and protein appears in the urine. It usually develops after 20 weeks of pregnancy and can pose serious risks for both the pregnant person and the baby. Hydralazine can quickly lower blood pressure.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Typically \u201cthe nurse will give a dose and if that doesn’t work in 15 to 20 minutes, they give the next higher dose and so on until they can get the blood pressure down to a safer range to prevent stroke, placental abruption, and other complications,\u201d says <\/span>Tricia Shimer<\/span><\/a>, MD, an OB-GYN in Dallas, Texas.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    The <\/span>standard hydralazine dose<\/span><\/a> in pregnancy is 5 mg via intravenous or intramuscular injection, and then 5-10 mg intravenously every 20-40 minutes.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Oral hydralazine is a second-line therapy for chronic hypertension (high blood pressure that is present before pregnancy or diagnosed before 20 weeks of pregnancy). In other words, it is only used in outpatient settings when other treatments have failed or are contraindicated.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    The standard oral hydralazine dose in pregnancy is 10 mg to 50 mg four times a day.<\/span><\/p>\n

    What are the risks of taking hydralazine while pregnant?<\/span><\/h2>\n

    Hydralazine is generally considered safe for pregnant women to take during the second and third trimesters (weeks 14 to 40 of pregnancy). There is no evidence that hydralazine is teratogenic in humans, meaning it does not cause developmental abnormalities in a human fetus. There is insufficient data to show complete safety for use in pregnant people, but it\u2019s used when the benefits outweigh the potential risks.<\/span><\/p>\n

    The main risks of taking hydralazine during pregnancy are uncomfortable side effects. Maternal <\/span>side effects of hydralazine<\/span><\/a> include:<\/span><\/p>\n