medications and pregnancy

Tipsygypsy

Hi folks,
I'm sure many members here are on a multitude of medications, as I am. I googled my medications today and nearly all of them state that they cannot be taken during pregnancy. I assume therefore that given the equal status of the unborn to the mother, and the fact that the 2013 bill provides only for risk to life of the pregnant woman, and not her health, that if I was pregnant I would be required to come off of my medications (some of them appear to be probably very harmful to a pregnancy). I have to say I would not be willing to come off of my medications, the pain is unbearable without them.
Has anyone else got any thoughts or knowledge on this? How do other people feel about the probability of coming off of medications in the eventually of pregnancy.
Looking forward to hearing any thoughts.
Tipsy

echo beach

Tipsygypsy wrote: »

I googled my medications today and nearly all of them state that they cannot be taken during pregnancy.

They may not be advised during pregnancy but that doesn't mean they cannot be taken if they are needed.
While all medicines have risks, even if you aren't pregnant, the only medicines that are absolutely contraindicated during pregnancy are the small number that have been shown to cause harm to the developing foetus. If you are taking any of these, e.g Roaccutane, it is a requirement to use effective contraception and your doctor will already have advised you that you shouldn't become pregnant while you are taking them.

There are very few medical conditions that cannot be managed safely throughout pregnancy nowadays but many do require fairly specialised medical knowledge so you should tell your doctor if you have any plans to start a family so they can make sure you are on the most appropriate treatment.

Galbin

Your doctor will be able to advise more, but many meds are indeed okay. I would suggest checking out the book, "Expecting Better" by Emily Olsen. I got it in my local library. There is an entire chapter there on meds and pregnancy. In a nutshell, few medicines are tested on pregnant wome. So most meds are labelled as "dangerous" even if they don't cross the placenta.

huskerdu

Whether you need to come off all your meds or need a revised medical plan during pregnancy is dependent on your condition and your individual circumstances.

Anyone on long term medication should talk to their doctor about the risks and discuss all options before getting pregnant or as soon as they know that they are pregnant.