Q: I am into my third month of pregnancy. A year ago, I had a miscarriage. My doctor is giving me Provigil 5000 IU (Svizera company) injections every week. She said that the injections should be given till three months get completed. All my test reports are normal and the ultrasound report is also fine. I have heard that these injections have some side effects on the baby. Should I continue with these injections?

A:I presume only one miscarriage has taken place in the past and the reason of miscarriage was not known/established. Provigil is the brand name. All over the world it contains a medicine called modafinil, which is used to treat excessive sleepiness. Its use during pregnancy is strictly banned since it can damage the foetus. Unfortunately, exactly the same brand name is being used in India for an entirely different medicine called Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin (hCG). This Indian brand name medicine is indicated for induction of ovulation in infertile women, and in habitual abortion cases (repeated miscarriages) due to luteal phase deficiency. Provigil (India) is contraindicated (not permitted to be taken) during pregnancy. When used before pregnancy multiple births can result due to its use. It can also cause headache, irritability, restlessness, depression, fatigue, oedema, The principal serious adverse reactions to Provigil (India) include ovarian hyper stimulation, rupture of ovarian cysts with resultant hemoperitoneum and arterial thromboembolism. Such misleading brands should never be prescribed since the patient can get hurt if wrong medicine is taken.