Taking heavy medication whilst pregnant

Thank you, BFC and kiwi :). Much appreciated.

AmyAus82, what a horrible situation to be in, but you are doing the right thing weighing up all the options before you start a course of action. I have read a few accounts from woman very recently who have been in situations where they have had to take heavy medication (i.e. complete full rounds of chemotheraphy) and the treatment has been successful, and they have carried the children to term, and the children have not displayed any known side effects to date. Obviously, these are different drugs, but I would classify chemotherapy drugs as some of the strongest given to humans that obviously suppress the immune system. I haven't been in this situation (well I have had to consider taking two lots of medication during this pregnancy - I am now 39 weeks, but there was more research done on them so a far easier decision) Having said that, I am a bit of skeptic, and do investigate every single thing my family are asked to take to ensure it is the right thing for us (regardless of being pregnant or not). The problem here, is that the healthcare system is an amalgamation of a number of different countries, so you might be able to get something here, that is banned in the US, but not in the UK or other regions. Being from NZ, I tend to make sure I follow our protocols and recommendations there, so personally, if I were in this situation, I would get in contact with my specialist in my home country and consult with them based on your history and records they have (working on the assumption you have had one for this there, and weren't diagnosed here in the UAE). If you don't have a history for this in your home country, I would get a family member to investigate and find out who a good specialist is there, and get in contact with them, and explain the situation. I actually did this with my DS when he was 4 months old and his skull prematurely fused, as I had only just started with our paediatrician, so I investigated back home with a neurologist and a plastic surgeon "worst case scenarios'. I would also suggest (should you take the medication), that you chose the window that you take it in. Not downplaying any foetal development stages, but you can literally track week-to-week what area is forming/developing/maturing, so you might be able to identify a 3 week window where *less* critical functions are being established, hopefully reducing the likelihood of any significant impact on certain areas that might have more long term effects if they are interupted during a critical development stage. Also, I am sure you are, but I would make my DH sit down and make this decision together, yes it is your body, but of your body, and just having that support in a joint decision, might make you feel a little better about it. Good luck! And remember once you make your decision, don't second guess it, you have made the best decision for you and your baby with the information you had at the time. Take care.

DC you are NOT putting YOUR needs first, treating your PND is one of the best things you can do for your daughter (and your son) even if that does mean early weaning. I am a huge advocate of breastfeeding but for me its a no-brainer that you get your mental health sorted, and if the meds that are BF friendly (and def there are many that are) are not working for you then yep, stop BF and take the ones that do work and don't for a second think there is anything selfish about that choice because it simply isn't true. OP, maybe keep in mind that the animal trials are usually with MEGADOSES much much higher than you would normally ever be prescribed, so basically there isn't really anything solid to suggest you would harm your baby with the meds.

DubaiCat, do NOT feel guilty. The vast majority of medications are either completely safe or relatively safe to take while breastfeeding. Taking medication is always a question of balancing benefit and risk, and it is much harder to do when you have two people's needs to take into account. Thousands of women take anti-depressants each year while breastfeeding, and I'm sure your doctor will have shared with you the actual evidence of risk and lactation category for your specific medication which - depending on what you were prescribed - may well be very small indeed (in fact some anti-depressants are actually used in breastfeeding women as galactagogues to increase milk supply!), and if your particular medication does carry a risk, then it may well have been counter-balanced by the benefits of your daughter receiving breastmilk for this time. There are several factors to take into account when considering a) the potential effects of medication in milk in a baby and b) risk versus benefit, and it's not an easy decision. Again, please do not feel bad; I know it's easier said than done when we're worrying about our little ones so *hugs* to you. Edited to add I meant do not feel bad either about the past/current risk to your daughter - most likely minimal - or about your decision to stop breastfeeding. Your needs are as important as hers, plus her wellbeing ultimately depends on your wellbeing as well. xx <em>edited by BFC on 29/02/2012</em>

Hi, it is a very tough question to answer. I am curious which drug are you going to take? As coconnell said taking Category C drugs is a question of weighing the benefit vs the risk (but I do see it happening often, that is women having to take such drugs). what would happen if you don't take your medication to you physically? and would you not taking the medication harm your baby? it is a tough decision and I am sorry you are having such a dilemma. Any other drugs that might be able to help you, that have been out longer and maybe have been documented better with pregnancy? I have an auto immune disease as well...I have to agree with the above...my Dr said I needed to take them as I don't think I could have physically coped looking after my other children or coped with the pain and looking after the new born. Yes there were risks and after researching I wished I never did research after reading the stories on the Internet. I had 3 healthy babies whilst on the medication. I'm still on the medication now and because of them I live a normal life and no one knows I have a disease. In my case the benefits out weighed the risk....you need to decide yourself and discuss what's best for you, as you need to be healthy to look after your little one. I know it's tough and worrying, I still worry now .

I empathize with you, Amy. I don't have any long-term illnesses but I often have sinus problems so I took a bunch of medicines during my first trimester. I just assumed they're safe during pregnancy but I have since found out that Panadol Cold and Flu, Panadol Sinus, and even many nasal sprays are not safe during pregnancy. Right now, I am frequently taking Claritin because I am constantly sneezing. I read that that was safe. I was so worried at my 20 week scan that they would find abnormalities with the baby, but al hamdulillah, he appeared normal. I think you need to discuss all your concerns with your doctor. Sometimes the benefits of taking medicine during pregnancy outweigh the risks, as you know. I hope that you and your doctor can come to a decision that you are comfortable with.

Hi, it is a very tough question to answer. I am curious which drug are you going to take? As coconnell said taking Category C drugs is a question of weighing the benefit vs the risk (but I do see it happening often, that is women having to take such drugs). what would happen if you don't take your medication to you physically? and would you not taking the medication harm your baby? it is a tough decision and I am sorry you are having such a dilemma. Any other drugs that might be able to help you, that have been out longer and maybe have been documented better with pregnancy?

My heart goes out to you! I was on a couple of class C drugs during pregnancy with my first and I was so conflicted. I did end up taking the meds and my baby girl is healthy and happy now, thank God. I know that my doctor deemed that the needed benefit to me outweighed the risks to the child. One of the meds was for asthma--if I can't breathe, how can I carry a baby? I wish it were an easier decision for you. It might be helpful to have a really frank discussion with your healthcare provider and tell them that you don't want to take the meds and ask what's the worse that could happen if you don't. Perhaps, by not taking them you may be putting your baby at risk, too. There is a unique challenge with the whole drug classification system in that it is based on conducting clinical trials on pregnant women. So, it is difficult to get conclusive data. I know that one thing that helped my guilt was that I tried to be really good to myself in other ways (high-quality foods, massages, nutrition-packed juices, etc) to try and "compensate" for the affect of the drugs. Just believe in your heart that you are trying to do the best for you and your baby. A happy, healthy mama = happy, healthy baby

I don't have any advice for you but I just wanted to say I feel for you - it's a horrible position to be in. I hesitated about seeing a doctor for PND during my second pregnancy as I was so scared to take any medication. Sadly I couldn't avoid doing something about it after I delivered, although I really didn't want to take medication while I was breastfeeding. Eventually I realised I couldn't go on as I was and saw a doctor who's also a lactation consultant, and she gave me medication she considered safe while breastfeeding. Then I saw a psychiatrist who basically told me I'd have to wean my daughter off my milk gradually and under no circumstances just stop feeding her cold turkey, as she'd suffer such horrendous withdrawal symptoms. And she also told me no PND medications are safe in breastfeeding. So now I feel like the world's most awful mother for putting my needs first and of course I'm panicking about the effect the meds might have had/still be having on DD :( :(. But I'm already taking them, and I can only feed DD for another four weeks so I'm gradually switching her over to formula. I wish more research was done on medication during pregnancy and breastfeeding. But as the psychiatrist said, it's so hard to carry out research as it's simply not ethical to test drugs on pregnant women or lactating mothers and infants.

Well, you are at one of the safest points of pregnancy - the second trimester. The first and third trimesters are when most problems occur with drugs. You might consider a second opinion, but I got really sick when I was pregnant with my first - kidney failure! - and was pumped full of all sorts of C class drugs - and things worked out for the best. I'm sure it will for you, too.