medication nightmare

[jenn70816]

help!  i just found out last week that i'm pregnant (i have no idea how far along, probably close to 3 months).  i took a pregnancy test in march that appeared to be negative.  i didn't think much about it, as i have never had a regular period (maybe 1-3 times per year) and have been not using protection for the last 6 years.  i have my first OBGYN appointment tomorrow.  here is the problem:  i have been on the following medications in relatively high doeses for the last few years: percocet, trazodone, neurontin, seroquel, and baclofen.  i tried to stop everything cold turkey, but that didn't cut it.  i freaked out and almost lost my mind.  i also worried that the effects of me quitting cold turkey would be worse on the baby than tapering off.  i went to the psychiatrist yesterday, he couldn't tell me anything except to taper off a week at a time until i'm off of everything.  i'm scared to death to go to the doctor tomorrow.  i'm also fearful of not having been on prenatal vitamins.  i know it sounds stupid, but i really didn't know i was pregnant.  i have had abolutely no symptoms of being pegnant except an increase in urination i attributed to a UTI.  please help!

[CheriWasHere]

Hang in there Jenn!  And don't feel stupid for feeling scared!!  My first post in the forum pretty much said, Hi. This is my first time pregnant and I am feeling scared.  It can be very scary especially for those like us who may be at a higher risk for complications.   I am feeling calmer now that I am over the initial shock, but there is always that little bit of fear in the back of my mind.  I am sure almost every pregnant woman has some type of fear. The gals on this site are good at putting you in your place! LOL  Nah.. really they all offer wonderful information and are very supportive!  I wish you the best of luck!  And I am sure after your visit to the ob you will feel more relaxed!  Take it easy and keep us posted!  Hugs!

[adgal]

I am glad to hear things went well and it sounds like baby is growing nice and healthy.  I hope you are able to rest easier now and can relax and enjoy this special time!!  Congrats again!!!

[40smama]

I'm so glad you're w/a pain management doctor - me too!  Ask his advice about cutting back.  From what I read, one has to be very careful cutting back on some of those meds.  My pm doctor also told me that being in pain was not good for pregnancy - not sure why he said that but it made me feel better.

I'm glad your appointment went well and congrats on your pregnancy!  Thank goodness you have a supportive doctor - good news! - jen

[rdh1981]

Glad to hear your appt was such a success!! It sounds like you have good OB! Congrats on slowing down on your meds already!!! You are doing the right thing!!!!!!!!!!!  

By the way, I am teacher too and summer sure can't come fast enough!!!!!!!!

[jenn70816]

hi all,
thanks for all of the advice and support.  i went to the doctor yesterday and againt today.  i had an ultrasound this morning and am only 6 wks along.  i'm not sure if that makes me feel better or scares me more!  it terms of the one category D drug i was taking, i feel much better, as i have only taken it 1-2X in the last 12 weeks.  i had taken much more of it prior to that (klonopin--for anxiety).  i'm still baffled that i'm only 6 weeks, but am more excited now than i was prior to yesterday.  i'm trying to relax and enjoy all that is about to happen.  we did get to hear the baby's heartbeat, so that was very exciting.  
my doctor was very supportive and is setting me up an appointment with a maternal and fetal medicine doctor.  i am waiting to hear from them as to when the appointment is.  i have an upcoming appointment with my pain management doctor.  although i have been steadily backing off of the percocet.  i'm down to 1 1/2 -2 pills/day (vs 4 or more).  i cut the pills in half and take them a half at a time rather than a whole.  
i teach school and will be out for the summer in a  few weeks.  i can deal with the pain in the summer much better than when i'm working, which should help me to kick the pills, except in the most dire of circumstances.  

[cmoretti]

Also, I notice that you are on percocet and that neurontin and baclofen can also be used for pain management. Discuss with your doctor that is in charge of your pain management about possibly changing these to methadone. It is really good for pain management and is one of the safest drugs for your body. The dose will have to start out really low....2mg but that small amount is very effective and can always be upped from there to find the right amount for your pain. Good Luck!

[cmoretti]

the most important thing to do is to NOT DO ANYTHING without consulting your psychiatrist! Going cold turkey will not only mess with your mental health, (this is obvious) but can also cause seizures and can be detrimental to you and your baby. The determination of what to do about your meds will be made by your psychiatrist. Fact is, if your mental health issues aren't controlled, they have found it to be more harmful to your unborn baby than the risk of the medication. Sometimes the best thing is to not change a thing, maybe change the medication, stop some or start others. Because of my level, and an inability to stop meds without bad results, they have decided to keep me on my meds because to take me off of them would actually do more harm than good. Your Psychiatrist will work with you to make the best determination for the health and safety of your baby.

Don't beat yourself up! You didn't know you were pregnant! The important thing now is to see your Psyc., start prenatal vitamins with Folic Acid 800mcg or more, eat healthy, and start taking omega 3 fatty acids in fish oil. The specific fish oil you need is DHA. you can get this at health food stores or GNC.

[40smama]

I'm currently researching all of your drugs - I'm on quite a few myself but let me tell you if the drugs are indeed category "c", it means that little studies are done to know the extent of effects to the baby.  What that truly means is that the drugs are evaluated case by case to see if benefits outweigh the risks.  If benefits do outweigh the risks, the medications are usually taken throughout the pregnancy.

I'll tell you what my pain management doctor said:  he told me to not go off one of my drugs as it could cause agitation to the baby in utero during the third trimester+.  I wish your psychiatrist was more helpful - they know more than any doctor about the meds you're taking.

I found a link for the trazodone:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trazodone#Pregnancy_and_lactation  The basic thing I got from this article is that taking this med is done by outweighing benefit vs. risks.  The big thing that I also got was not to breastfeed as it could be in the breast milk.



I couldn't find much about neurontin and pregnancy - I can tell you that I take lamictal for epilepsy & although it was a category "c" med, I continued to take it for the benefit outweighing the risks kind of deal.

I want you to know that you're not alone - i too was in a kind of medication nightmare - one thing that helped me was that my husband who happens to be a pharmacist was able to tell the doctors a thing or two about my meds and why i should continue taking them throughout pregnancy.

If you do have questions, contact your pharmacist.  He/she will be of great benefit to you and can answer so many questions about your meds - far more than your doctor.  Please pm me if there's anything I can do to help or answer any of your questions - jen

P.S.  Please don't worry about telling your doctor about your meds - it really will be okay :-))

[adgal]

Hi there.  I would agree with everything everyone else said, and would also like to add one thing...from reading your post, I suspect you are really beating yourself up over this.  You need to keep in mind that you didn't know, and you are clearly taking the responsible route in doing what is necessary for the health of your baby.  That is such a positive thing. I see women every day who know they are carrying, are using all sorts of drugs (some in prescribed situations like yourself, others street drugs) who do not attempt to get off of anything that may be unhealthy. You are doing everything right by working with both your pyschiatrist and your OB to take care of your health (I don't know much about the drugs you are taking, but I wouldn't think cold turkey would be good for you), and your babies.  Congrats on your pregnancy, and I wish you a healthy and happy 6 months!!!

[PamelaBee]

Hello welcome to the forum, and congratulations on your pregnancy!  I'm pretty certain the meds you listed are all Class C, which means they can pose a risk to a developing fetus.  You have an OB tomorrow which is good, so just tell your doctor your concerns and the meds your taking and he will best recommend what meds are safe during pregnancy.  You may even have an u/s tomorrow if you think you may be almost 3 mos pregnant, which will be able to detect a few things.  Don't worry and don't be scared...you will be in good hands after you speak with your doctor.  Please let us know how your appt goes!  Pam

[vizslamama]

You should definitely taper off of those drugs, especially where your mental health is concerned - keeping calm is important for the fetus and you run the risk of having seizures if you quit cold turkey on the drugs you mentioned. The effects on the fetus are likely more dangerous in the third trimester when the lungs are in development. And also you may want to look into seeing a high-risk OB, as they are more experienced in dealing with women on medication, dealing with mental health issues, +35, etc. I would start taking an extra folic acid just to be safe. But don't beat yourself up. You didn't know! Just be honest with your OB and go from there, everything will be okay! And congrats.

[jenn70816]

thanks so much for the support and words of encouragement.  i am praying that all goes well tomorrow and that i have a healthy baby.  i have wanted this for so long and am so afraid of anything bad happening.  does everyone get scared like this whether they are on medication or not?

[rdh1981]

Congrats on the pregnancy!!!! I am glad to see that you are already taking precautionary measure, like talking to your psychiatrist and going to see your OB tomorrow. Your OB will be able to give you a better understanding of how to taper of your medicine and your OB will not judge you because you are not on prenatals like you said you had no idea you were pregnant.  Just try to take easy until tomorrow and I know your doctor will make you feel much better tomorrow after all your concerns have been addressed. You need to stop beating yourself up. You are taking the responsibility to get of your meds and it sounds like you want to be your best and healthiest for your little one!!!  

Congrats again, I can't wait to hear about how your doctor put your mind at ease!!!