Percriptions and Pregnancy

[Scott86]

Now i have been perscribed to Clonazepam "klonopin" a benzodiazepine for the last 3 months. In the meantime my fiance and I are trying for a baby :)  I was wondering if taking these medications prior to her becoming pregnant would effect the child in any way?  She is actually alsoo perscribed to the same medication. Now if i knew she was pregnant i would ask her without a problem to discontinue the use of any prescriptions at all during the 9 months of the pregnancy. Basically what im wondering is if the use of these prescriptions prior to becoming pregnant would effect the child. like if i took them today and had sex with intentions of creating a child would that effect the child?

[Limonada]

I was on another antidepressant (same class as the one you mentioned), and my doctor advised that it was "probably" ok to take when pregnant, but that there wasn't enough research to support that.  I didn't feel comfortable with that, so I waited to TTC until I had been weaned off of it for over a month.  However....I'd dealt with my problems (did therapy in addition to taking the med), so I felt well enough to get off of it.  If your wife will be in worse shape if she goes off of the medication than if she were to stay on it - ie. if the potential risks will outweigh the benefits - then it may not be in her best interest to discontinue it.

As always, particularly where these types of drugs are concerned, the prescribing physician should be consulted.  And self-weaning is not recommended:  this should be done under the guidance and care of a doctor as there can often be side-effects.

Good luck!

[juliagulia45]

Here is the link to a very informative website about psychiatric conditions/medications and women's health. http://www.womensmentalhealth.org/ I consulted the studies on the site, along with speaking with my psychiatrist about taking the medication I am on, Lamictal, while pregnant. (I am bipolar and the risk of relapse while pregnant and not taking meds is very, very high, which can be dangerous to the fetus, so I chose to stay on the med, take extra folic acid, and pray for the best.) Definitely talk to both the ob/gyn and prescribing psychiatrist to determine if benefits of med outweigh risks.

[nickieb85]

Hey I was also on this medication and my doctor told me I needed to completely stop taking them before trying to become pregnant because it stops the egg from being implanted. I did stop them and I ended up getting pregnant.

[martikadragoon]

lol thanks! :)   I sent you a private message

[LosingMyMindInGA]

I swear you should be a doctor (not just a nurse)  :)   You know so much about so many things!  You're like a walking pharmacuetical catalog/medical dictionary LOL.  BTW that's a compliment!!

[martikadragoon]

Hey, Klonopin is one of those types of meds that increase risk for neural tube defects so your fiancee needs to be taking 3 MG (not MCG) of Folic Acid each day to help minimize that risk. 3MG won't hurt the baby if she gets pregnant and doctors have women with a history of babies with neural tube defects (like spina bifida) take 3-5mg with following pregnancies.

With a man meds won't normally affect a baby. the only ones that would are meds like Accutane or Soriatane and those cause defects respectively  1mo and 3 yrs after stopping the medication.

Your fiancee needs to be sure that if she's taken klonopin for a long period of time that she lowers her doseage before stopping it because stopping cold turkey can be bad/dangerous and can cause withdrawals. she needs to talk to her doctor and you do as well to go over risks of the medications your taking.   Go to both your personal regular doctor's and the OBGYN

[LosingMyMindInGA]

Whenever you are on any kind of medicine regimine and wanting to conceive a child it is best to consult with your physician ahead of time to discuss the risks vs. benefits and see if there is possibly a safer medication that can be prescribed during the course of trying to conceive and pregnancy. While some medications are Class b or c drugs, sometimes the benefits of taking the medication outweight the risks to the fetus as opposed to NOT taking them.  I would suggest that you and your wife make an appt with an obgyn to discuss all of this.  

[Billyboi]

This would depend on what you and your wife are taking it for and how much of it. However, it is recommended by my handbook that Clonazepam should be avoided during pregnancy if possible especially in high doses and frequent usage. It can cross to through the placenta and to the fetus, and there is a risk of neonatal withdrawal syndrome (however, this is more likely to occur if taken during labour or throughout a large part of the pregnancy)

Clonazepam is also classified as a category C drug for pregnancy here in australia which means that it is a "Drug which, owing to their pharmacological effects, have caused or may be suspected of causing, harmful effects on the human fetus or neonate without causing malformations".

However, it would be best to talk to your doctor about this, as he/she will assess the risks vs. benefits of your wife taking this medication and wanting to get pregnant, especially if she is using it for epilepsy. If not, then the doctor may also be able to recommend your wife a suitable alternative that can be safe to use during pregnancy. Hope this helps.