Aubagio, whose active ingredient is teriflunomide, can significantly interfere with pregnancy planning due to its potential risks to an unborn baby. Teriflunomide is known to cause serious harm during pregnancy, including birth defects and other fetal complications. Because of this, women who are considering becoming pregnant must take special precautions when using Aubagio.
Before starting treatment with Aubagio, women of childbearing potential are required to have a pregnancy test to ensure they are not already pregnant. During treatment, it is crucial for these women to use effective contraception consistently and correctly. This contraceptive use should continue not only while on the medication but also for up to two years after stopping Aubagio because the drug remains in the body for a long time and can still pose risks during this period.
Men taking Aubagio also need to be cautious if their partner plans a pregnancy. Teriflunomide can cause birth defects even if only the father is taking it. Therefore, men should use condoms during sexual intercourse while on this medication and consult their doctor about stopping treatment if they intend to father a child.
If a woman becomes pregnant while taking Aubagio or within two years after discontinuing it without proper elimination procedures (called accelerated elimination), she must inform her healthcare provider immediately so that appropriate steps can be taken.
The interference with pregnancy planning arises from several factors:
– **Long half-life:** Teriflunomide stays in the body for months or even years after stopping therapy unless specific measures are taken.
– **Risk of fetal harm:** The drug crosses the placenta and may cause serious developmental problems.
– **Mandatory contraception:** Women must reliably prevent pregnancy throughout treatment and beyond.
– **Male fertility considerations:** Men’s reproductive safety requires condom use or cessation of therapy before conception attempts.
Because of these concerns, doctors often advise women who want children either not to start Aubagio or plan carefully around its discontinuation using accelerated elimination protocols that help clear teriflunomide faster from the body (using cholestyramine or activated charcoal).
In practical terms:
1. If you’re planning a family soon but require disease-modifying therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS), your healthcare provider might recommend alternative treatments that do not carry such prolonged reproductive risks.
2. If you’re already on Aubagio but decide you want children later, discuss with your doctor how best to stop treatment safely and begin an accelerated elimination procedure.
3. Regular monitoring through blood tests helps confirm when teriflunomide levels have dropped sufficiently low enough so that conception could be considered safer.
4. Both partners’ roles matter: men need counseling about contraception as well as women because paternal exposure also poses risk.
Overall, Aubagio demands careful family planning discussions well ahead of time due to its significant impact on fertility management timelines and safety precautions needed before attempting conception.
This means anyone considering starting or currently using Aubagio should work closely with their neurologist and obstetrician/gynecologist specialists experienced in MS care during reproductive years — ensuring both effective disease control *and* safe timing around pregnancies without exposing future babies unnecessarily.
Pregnancy planning while on or shortly after stopping Aubagio involves patience since waiting periods may extend over months or even years depending upon individual clearance rates from blood tests confirming low drug levels post-elimination procedures.
In summary: yes—Aubagio does interfere strongly with pregnancy planning by requiring strict contraceptive measures during treatment plus extended waiting times afterward due primarily to its long-lasting presence in the body combined with proven risks of causing birth defects if exposed prenatally through either parent’s usage status.
