Weaning Off Meds For Pregnancy

[TypewriterGirl]

Does anyone have any experience with this? Did you get compression stocking to compensate for the lack of Midodrine? And can you keep up your salt intake? I'm worried about going off of Florinef and Midodrine, and contemplating staying on a small dose of Zoloft. I've also had one doctor advise to be off of medication for 3 months before trying, another said to only be off for a month. Any thoughts?

[Elenapap11]

Hi Typewriter girl.I don't take the same drugs that you do but i have been discussing the same issue with my doctors here in Greece.Both of them(neurologist and GP) told me that there is no simple answer to this question.For example when i get POTS crisis i can't breathe very well and the fact that i am not getting enough oxygen could be bad for the baby(they said it could cause brain damage or even be fatal for the baby).For me they said it is best to wean off meds gradually(3months before i try)but if they see deterioration i may have to take my meds even during pregnacy as not taking them could be more dangerous for the baby.In other words we are taking a risk either way.

I wasn't happy with the answer they gave me but they told me that there have been many women who had been taking antidepressants,beta blockers and all sorts of meds and still had healthy babies. Of-course i am also curious to see what other women in the forum did when they were trying to have a baby.I've been thinking of having a baby for a while but i am so scared of having to make such difficult decisions.

[doctorguest]

Just like with any chronic medical condition, medications may need to be continued throughout pregnancy for women with POTS. What we know after several studies on the subject is that many women remain on beta blockers, Florinef, Middorine and SSRIs, which has no negative impact on their health or the health of the baby. As a rule, the least number of medications, preferably one, and the lowest dose should be used for pregnant women with medical conditions, including POTS. The fact that a woman takes medications before pregnancy should not be a factor against becoming pregnant if pregnancy is desired.

[Jan]

This is what the Mayo clinic says about antidepressants during pregnancy.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/antidepressants/DN00007

[Rachel]

I didn't wean off of any medications prior to becoming pregnant. When I found out I was pregnant (I can always tell within 24 hours of conception) I immediately stopped two of my meds (amitiza and melatonin) and replaced them with ones that are safer during pregnancy.

Throughout my last pregnancy, I took midodrine, cerefolin, claritin, unisom, miralax and prilosec. I also continued salt, lots of fluids, gatorade, and compression. This was all under the supervision of my OB/GYN.

Because of my poor circulation, I believe it was actually safer for the baby for me to take midodrine during pregnancy. Without midodrine I have a lot of blood pooling in my abdomen and legs. When that much pools there may not be adequate blood flow and oxygen to the baby. I have had several miscarriages in the past (when I was not on midodrine or wearing compression), and the high risk OB I consulted with said that it was very plausible that the babies died due to lack of proper blood flow and oxygen. Nothing can be proved at this point, though. I don't say this to scare you, just to let you know that it can be important to take medication during pregnancy.

You might want to go see an OB/GYN, or even a high risk OB/GYN, to discuss your medications and what would be safe to take while pregnant/trying to become pregnant.

I hope that everything goes well for you.

Rachel

P.S. At 39 weeks I delivered a healthy, happy, 10lb baby girl.