What are the risks associated with taking prometrium through entire pregnancy?

[hammyj7]

I am 21 weeks and have had to take Prometrium orally ever since week 8 of my pregnancy for low levels of progesterone, also after having 3 miscarraiges within the last year.  The diagnosis was a Luteal Phase Defect.
  I am currently still on the Prometrium although I only take 100 mgs everyother day as oppossed to the 200 mgs I was taking daily up until weeks 16.  I have asked my doctor repeatedly if it is safe for my baby and me to continue this as i have heard from another doctor and countless internet forums that a woman is usually urged to get off of it by the beginning of the 2nd trimester.  
The last appointment i had, I asked the doc if I should get off of it, but he said to stay on because progesterone is also used to prevent prevent preterm labor.  I find this whole experience ot be confusing and illogical because at 16 weeks he was just gonna let me stop taking it cold turkey. It was only after persistent questioning that he reluctantly informed me that I could wean myself off of it for 4 days.  He didn't sound sure about the outcome, and I found after further questioning that the placenta should take over, but that it might not, so that all we could do is hope and pray... I told him that I had that aspect covered, I just needed for him to help me weigh out the risks.  He said there really aren't enough documented cases of my situation for him to give the kind of answer I wanted.  I have been taking 100 mgs every other day and I am wondering if it's a good idea or if he is using me as a test dummy.  I just recently had to wear a heart monitor for 24 hours (after an EKG)  because of increasing heart palpitations that he said were possibly caused by being on the Prometrium. Everyone I know says he is a good doc including my family, so I hesitate to change docs this far into the pregnancy.  Does anyone know anything about prometrium, the placenta, luteal phase defect, heart palpitations during pregnancy, and fetal risk associated with Progesterone supplementation during pregnancy?  I need all the info I can get.

[connie900]

im 22 weeks and my dr says im at risk of having preterm lavor and he put me in prometrium 200 mg those any one know how safe is to take it at this far of pregnancy???? thanks and i will apreciate any kind of help thanks.

[JoyRenee]

Prometrium is absorbed quickly into the blood stream. It can't get you pregnant but it can help sustain a pregnancy.

[eys4opt]

I just started taking the prometrium 200mg a day i ovulated last tuesday and did what I was told to do... how fast does this really work is my question. My husband is excited and weve been trying for 6 years and well I dont want our hopes to get up! I'm 29 years old.

[hammyj7]

Thank you for responding.  When I asked my doctor about testing levels to see if they are stable after weaning off of prometrium (back when I was 15-16 weeks pregnant) he said that they don't normally test for that at my stage of pregnancy and that the results might be too dofficult to interpret.  I thought that sounded pretty silly since they'd checked for the same thing at least 3 or 4 times up until week 8.  I am so frustrated with this guy... Everybody seems to think he's a great doctor though!  Do you think it would be a bad idea to change physicians at this point in my pregnancy (21 weeks)?
I think I am weaning off of it now, actually I have been for over a month.. the next stage after taking 100 mg every other day would be what? Maybe to stop taking it all together?

[babyscience]

This is a tough one!  I was on it until 13 wks, at that point my midwife told me to get off of it....I was scared and asked her if I could stay on it longer.  She said there was no need and the placenta should take over.  I kept asking if it doesnt what do we do...she never answered and just said it should take over.  Anywho, once I got off I had her check my levels, they are suppose to be at least 20 for a sucessful pregnancy, mine was at 21...so in my opinion still low...but I had a healthy baby boy!  So if I were you, I would wean off of it...which I did with mine the last week I took it.  Then ask your doctor to check your levels a week later....if they are too low or you start having bleeding, I would get back on it.  I dont know what long term effects there are because it is suggested women take it only the first trimester.

[Brittny27]

I was put on prometrium 400mg a day and 50mg shots every other day until week 10 when the placenta took over production of it. However at my 10 wk apt I found out that I had lost the baby.  It was the prometrium that kept my body thinking I was pregnant still.  

My Dr's wife who is also one of the nurses at his office has to take prometrium through her whole pregnancies she talked to me about it because I read the warning labels also that said something about not safe for pregnancy she never said how much she was taking but all three of her babies were born perfect!  

[KM604]

I'm sorry, all I know is that many women take it early in pregnancy as a progesterone supplement, but I don't know what the time frame they usually take it.  I recently took it to help regulate my cycle because I am TTC and it was b/c I wasn't ovulating.  Good Luck and sorry I couldn't be of any help.