Pregnant with bipolar HELP

Remix · Guest

I am 12 weeks pregnant and i am bipolar, i was takin meds until i found out about me being pregnant....which was very early on, ive stopped but i really need the meds, can anyone suggest something that is SAFE to take DURING MY PREGNANCY??
HELP PLEASE

Carifairy · Veteran Joined: 16 Apr 2006 Posts: 2725

UNFORTUNATELY, there are not bi-polar meds which are safe for pregnancy.

You may be able to take anti depressant therapy, but the other drugs can easily cause fetal deformity.

You should seek the advice of an OBGYN doctor.

Guest · Guest

I am looking for a possible herbal aid???
Any advice, I am 4 weeks and cant cope w/o my meds.

Guest · Guest

Depending on your trimester several drugs are considered relatively safe.

Lamictal has limited data, however statistically they have not yet found an increase in birth defects.

Lithium can be used in the second and third trimester.

You should have your OB/GYN talk to your psychiatrist. Together they can determine what will work best for you.

pregnant and bipolar · Newbie Joined: 20 Mar 2007 Posts: 1

I hope that you get this... I am also pregnant and bipolar... I found this website that talks about the studies on taking meds and being pregnant... they say that in some cases, if not most, it can be worse for the mother and FETUS if the mother were to stop treatment. Here is the site:
www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/bipolar/treatments/bipolar.cfm
I Pray this helps you... Good Luck and Congrats...

ImmortalOne · Gold Member Joined: 05 Jan 2007 Posts: 437

I am also Bi-Polar and pregnant, however have gone unmedicated for over a year with good results. Do not use herbal remedies, sometimes they can cause problems or even loss of a pregnancy. It is hard to cope, especially with the mood swings. Do you have a regular therapist or psychologist you see?

MACEYKINDER · Newbie Joined: 09 Sep 2007 Posts: 1

I am 13 weeks pregnant and having mood swings like crazy. What can I do. I am a little scared. I already have a 2 year old. I started my meds when I was 6 months pregnant with him. What can I do?!

Guest · Guest

Im Bi-polar and take 3 meds for it. On wendnesday i stoped taking my birh control to start trying to have a baby with my husband. What can i do to hurry the process? i have made appointments with my doctors to discuss my options but we both want the baby now!!

billitant · Newbie Joined: 02 Jun 2008 Posts: 3

I am bi-polar and sought out pre-conception counseling from a paranatal oncologist before deciding to conceive (I was referred by my OB after demanding specialized attention given my condition). The counselor was fantastic. She researched all of the medications that I am currently taking (Zoloft, Trileptal, Lamictal) and wrote a detailed letter with notes and suggestions. I took this information to my Psychiatrist and we decided together that I would leave my medication as is and make appropriate tweaks as time progresses.

I am prescribed prenatal vitamins with an additional large dose of folic acid. I have to take 4 mg of folic acid per day, which is like 10 times the normal dose. The folic acid has been shown to counter-act the risks associated with various mood stabilizers and anti-depressants. I was told to take these vitamins pre-conception and throughout the pregnancy, in addition to the time period that I breast-feed. (Yes! I was cleared to stay on my meds while breast feeding).

You must work closely with your OB and your Psychiatrist to determine your unique risks for your particular situation. Don't go modifying your medication without guidance from your doctors. Keep in mind, taking pain killers such as Advil and Aleve are FAR more dangerous to your pregnancy than most bi-polar meds. One of my meds increases the risk of cleft palate from 3% (normal) to 9%. This is an acceptable risk to ME, given the alternative of not taking this medication.

Pregnant with bipolar HELP

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