clonazepam and pregnancy

Hello,

Please help me.
I have taking clonazepam 0.25 mgs daily.  

for the past 9 years.  My question is, there is the possibility I may be pregnant. I am concerned this medicine may have damaged the fetus, if there is a pregnancy. I am also afraid to just stop this med without tapering for fear of withdrawl (withdrawal),I have too much stress for too many years a go and also muscle Twitching, and just clonazepam had help me to continue my life.and now i want too much to have a child.but i am afriad of risks.in addition i am 31 years old  Can you give me any advice.?  I'm sure there are many women  who take an anticonvulsant for epilepsy,  which I know clonazepam used for so, what do these women do?  Continue their medications or stop them?  I DO NOT have epilepsy, but have taken this medication for panic/anxiety (STRESS) disorder.

THANKYOU,

[bhups1]

Hi, "because of experience with other members of the benzodiazepine class, Klonopin i.e clonazepam is assumed to be capable of causing an increased risk of congenital abnormalities when administered to a pregnant woman during the first trimester. Because use of these drugs is rarely a matter of urgency in the treatment of panic disorder, their use during the first trimester should almost always be avoided. The possibility that a woman of childbearing potential may be pregnant at the time of institution of therapy should be considered. If this drug is used during pregnancy, or if the patient becomes pregnant while taking this drug, the patient should be apprised of the potential hazard to the fetus. Patients should also be advised that if they become pregnant during therapy or intend to become pregnant, they should communicate with their physician about the desirability of discontinuing the drug."  Taken from http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/clonaz_wcp.htm

Please visit website http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/clonaz_wcp.htm for more information.

[jenleg79]

Hi am on 1mg of klonopins. And was on 2 n half threw my 1st and 2nd trimester. My baby has no health problems from taking this pill. I'm now in my 3rd trimester and can't seem to go lower then 1mg! I curse my DR for putting me on them! She even told me she dosent know the proper way for cutting down! Real nice! So I'm going to see my physchitrist because my primary care is tapering too fast! If I need to stay on 1mg I can deal with that. My ob dr told me the risks of getting off during pregnancy are dangerous to both mom n baby.  If you think of how bad the withdrawals are for you while tapering off think of baby too. Some people don't understand how bad the withdrawals are. I've done a lot of research and 99 percent of time baby is just fine and there are no complications. So in my opinion I'd say if you need to take them for panic n anxiety disorder take them! Good luck to all. This drug is awful.