Femara is a brand-name oral tablet prescribed for breast cancer in certain people. It contains the active ingredient letrozole. Femara is not safe to take during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Keep reading for specific information about reproductive health and Femara. For a comprehensive look at Femara, see this article.
If you can become pregnant, it’s important to consider whether Femara is a safe choice for you.
You should not take Femara during pregnancy. This is because both animal studies and reports of use by pregnant people suggest that Femara may cause problems with fetal development, congenital anomalies (commonly known as birth defects), and pregnancy loss.
If you think you could be pregnant or have pregnancy symptoms, tell your doctor before you start taking Femara.
Also, keep in mind that Femara is not approved to treat breast cancer in females who have not gone through menopause yet.
Note: Sex and gender exist on spectrums. Use of the term “female” in this article refers to sex assigned at birth.
Femara’s effect on pregnancy when it’s used off-label for infertility
When Femara is prescribed off-label to treat infertility, the drug doesn’t increase the risk of congenital anomalies or pregnancy loss. Femara only has these risks if you take it when you’re already pregnant. (With off-label use, a drug that’s approved to treat one condition is used to treat another.)
When you take Femara to induce (cause) ovulation, your body clears the drug within several days of stopping taking it. This means Femara will no longer be in your body when you ovulate or conceive.
If you have questions about the risks of Femara use in pregnancy, talk with your doctor.
If you’re breastfeeding or planning to do so, it’s important to consider how Femara may affect you and your child.
It is unknown if Femara passes into breast milk. But the drug could harm a child who ingests it through breast milk. Because of this, you should not breastfeed while you’re taking Femara. You should continue to avoid breastfeeding for at least 3 weeks after your last dose of the drug.
If you’re breastfeeding, talk with your doctor before you start taking Femara.
If you’re sexually active and you or your partner can become pregnant, it’s important to know how taking Femara may affect your birth control decisions.
Femara can cause problems with fetal development, congenital anomalies (commonly known as birth defects), and pregnancy loss if you take it during pregnancy. If you’re sexually active and you or your partner can become pregnant, talk with your doctor about your birth control needs while you’re using Femara.