taking steroids..prednisone while pregnant...

[tricia448]

i have athsma and it had gotten really bad over the past few weeks. about a month and 1/2 before i got pregnant i had severe respitory problems with pneumonia and was hospitalized for a week. so after my discharge at hosp my treatments were breathing machine with 2 medications in it...high doses of steroids(prednisone) for weeks..inhaler and advair. shortly after i went  off the steroids i felt great. so i was just using my puff inhaler and advair. then a couple weeks later i find out i am pregnant so i stop the advair (category c ). i know stupid.  now i am about 22 weeks pregnant and my athsma had been horrible using puff inhaler 3-4 times a day. finally 3 days ago i  started my breathing machine with medications...still no relief..wheezing horrible...like i was months ago. called on call dotor and said o go to ER...long story short i am back on prednisone...anyone else take it? what are the side effects to baby? i have no choice..we had to weigh out the risks to the benefits...just curious what your experiences are?

[lynda544]

Hi tricia448,
I have asthma and took steroids at 11 weeks and at 26 weeks. Taylor is 1 year old now and as far as I can tell she is perfect. I also was on advair throughout my whole pregnancy. They told me it was very important to keep taking the meds because if I was short of breath, the baby was short of breath. I understand how you feel. Hang in there!

[Super_sally888]

hi,

my asthma dr told me that they treat pregnant women as if they are not pregnant when it comes to asthma, because airway function is more important to women's and their baby's health than any drug.

I guess they'll have you on the lowest dose that is effective.  Better you are healthy and breathing well.

You'd have to ask your doctor about side effects for the baby.... but I think at 22 weeks the baby has pretty much finished developing and is now mainly growing and maturing.... so the risks should probably be less.

best wishes