LETTER
Treatment of Gastrointestinal Motility Disorders in Pregnancy
Alan M. Nichols
1 October 1993 | Volume 119 Issue 7 Part 1 | Page 635
TO THE EDITOR:
Baron and colleagues [1] state that "sucralfate (Carafate) ... appears to be safe (in pregnancy) because none of the drug is absorbed". Although the therapeutic action of the drug is believed to be topical, 0.5% to 2.2% of ingested sucralfate is excreted in the urine. Given that a standard dose of sucralfate is 1 g, even these small percentages result in a significant amount of circulating drug. At the highest ranges, the amount of sucralfate in circulation could exceed the total therapeutic dose of other agents such as famotidine (20 mg). Sucralfate may well be safe in pregnancy, but lack of adverse effects cannot be assumed solely on the basis of poor absorption [2].
1. Baron TH, Ramirez B, Richter JE. Gastrointestinal motility disorders during pregnancy. Ann Intern Med. 1993; 118:366-75.
2. Giesing D, Lanman R, Runser D. Absorption of sucralfate in man (Abstract). Gastroenterology. 1982; 82:1066.
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