Are you worried about Zofran affecting your baby?

[sarahp]

I just got a script for Zofran but not after fighting my dr for it. I dont usually see this dr as my dr is only working on mon and wed so he didnt know much about the drug.
But he told me it has only been tested on animals and not enough on pregnant women. Basically that I am taking it at my baby's risk.
I have made an appt to see my dr on monday but just wanted to know if anyone else had heard anything about the drug and what your dr said about.
Also dont want to take them just incase they wont give me anymore and I only have a 4 day supply!
Thanks

[mandypiee]

My Dr certaintly wasn't happy about giving me script too. I went to Dr to say how depressed and sick I was on Maxolon and I had tried everything, he basically said there was nothing more I could do but just wait till it passes. I had heard of Zofran through this forum and I questioned him about it, he just kept saying it was not proven to be as safe as Maxolon.. I guess from a legal point of view, they need to warn you but I have read many stories about mothers on this drug who go on to have healthy babies. I think it's something you should not rely on for a long time. Just till the first trimister is over. I'm not 100% confident in taking it but it works FANTASTIC. Really made me feel 10 times better.

Do a bit of research into it. I only got 4 tablets for $33 so i'm taking half a day and still makes me feel better.

[TeamAwesome]

I've been on it when the benefits outweighed any possible risk.

Maxalon didn't last long IF I managed to keep it down at all. I was so severely hydrated I couldn't keep down a sip of water that led to a couple of days in hospital. I lost 8kgs in 10days by 7.5 weeks and by 12weeks I'd lost 13kgs total, I could barely eat anything, Id' get dehydrated very quickly to the point of not being able to have a sip of water without violently being sick. I couldn't care for my kids and barely had enough energy to go from the kitchen to the lounge or the lounge to the toilet. I couldn't' shower as I had no energy to stand up, I also had two UTI/kidney infections as well due to not being able to keep fluids down properly. With three kids at home and DH working away from home I couldn't be that sick. and so it was Zofran combined with hydralyte iceblocks to keep on top of me being hydrated that got me through until I was 22 weeks when my hyperemesis disappeared.

MY GP is great though she had me set up with multiple repeats and for 10 tablets at a time as I was on 2 a day (which sometimes wasn't enough but it helped immensely) no way I could have made it through that time without it.

I understand what the GP was trying to say to you but I think when the alternative means that you are sick enough to warrant it. My baby is due soon and no ill effects on her where as I'm not too sure what the effects being so sick as they were having on my own health would have effected her.

[Ruby Sneakers]

As SM has said the positives outweigh the possible concerns

My OB didn't even put me on maxalon he gave me a script straight away!!! Can't be THAT bad.....

[caramello]

My GP wouldn't prescribe it either.

But I was in the hospital last night and the doctors gave me a script after the nurses demanded that they give me something stronger than maxalon. The doctors said it was completely safe. I'm also very, very sick at the moment - I haven't eaten a thing in a week and am struggling to keep down any fluids - I'm managing 125ml a day.

[futureherder]

I would try maxalon or stematel (sp) before having zofran.

[Pregnor]

My dr was more willing for me to take stematil - which is a c group med - than for me to take zofran. Which I thought was odd, but it seems the effects of stematil on the baby are only seen when taken in the 3rd trimester. But that made me too sleepy.

Maxalon didnt work, and for the price I dont think zofran works well enough for me, because it only stops vomiting, but my main problem is nausea and food aversions. I actually have had a lot of trouble finding a pharmacy that even stocks zofran!

So now I am just struggling though with nothing. I felt really good for a few days, but last night and this morning:barf: again. Oh well, i have gone form losing over a kg a week, to losing less than a kg a fn, so we're on the improve i guess. *sigh* bring on trimester 2

[RiffRaffMama]

I was given Zofran at hospital at 19 weeks when I couldn't stop vomiting. They tried Maxolon first but when that didn't work they didn't hesitate to give me Zofran so it can't be that bad.

[Spoodge]

:iagree:

I was on Zofran from 8 weeks. I could not function without it.

Nothing wrong with my little girl :D

Maxalon and stemtil did nothing. Hospy OB first perscribed it after I had a 2 day stay getting rehyrdated. If I get pregnant again I will not hesitate in getting another script.

Your Dr has obivoulsy never suffered HG if they did they would not hesitate in giving it to you.
It was the sickest I have ever been in my life and I had 8 months of throwing up hell. Zofran helped me function.

Sorry for the rant :laughing: Just annoys me these Drs who have never experienced being so sick.

Spoo

[sarahp]

Thanks for all your replies, It sets my mind at ease. I have only vomited once but the nausea is so bad i dry reach trying to eat and would vomit but struggle to hold it down instead. I took a 1/2 tab of zofran today (thanks mandypiee) and WOW i feel so much better just ate a full vegemite sandwich without any interruption and im full.
I also had alook in the mirror and saw the colour is back in my face.
YAY
Im off to my Dr thats looking after me for this pregnancy on monday and hopefully she'll give me another script and be a bit more sympathetic! :fingerscrossed:

[Sheer Bliss]

My OB was happy to give me Zofran, and suggested it over stemetil. Stemetil has been PROVEN to cause (fixable) defects in babies, whereas Zofran (in it's limited testing) has shown no defects, and actually a decreased chance of miscarriage in the study (although they said that it wasn't enough to say conclusively the zofran was the reason, just an interesting thing to take note of for future studies). It has been tested on Animals and shows no issues there. IMO OB's deal with the drug and pregnancy more often than a GP would and I took his word (plus I looked at the study on it when pregnant with DS1 before I took it) and the fact that it was B1 for pregnancy AND the fact that it WORKED!! It kept me hydrated and out of hospital and actually able to function with little risk to my baby/ies, so all good from here with DS1's pregnancy almost all the way through, and with the twins from about 5weeks until 28 or so.

[twinsRgogo247]

I used it from 17 to 38 weeks with my twins and they are perfectly healthy (and now 3 years old). It was the only medication that worked for me and I was told that if I continued to be so dehydrated that it would risk the pregnancy.
I would have preferred to have not used any medication at all during my pregnancy but usually when you are prescribed this it is not just for your run of the mill morning sickness. True hypersemesis affects your whole ability to function so if you need it you take it.

[southcoastmum]

Hi there,

I suffered terribly with HG through 2 pregnancies. Even Zofran didn't help much the second time.

Anyway, I just want to put this out there - I am visiting my sister-in-law in England, and over here she has been prescribed an antihistamine for the sickness. She has tried maxolon with no effect - but this antihistamine has 'cured' her. They also prescribe antihistamines for patients on chemo to help with their nausea (whereas in oz it's usually zofran)

I just thought I'd share because I was desperate for a cure - so hopefully this might help someone else! If I was to fall pregnant again I would definitly ask about an antihistamine. I trolled to net for ideas but never heard of this till now.


Back to the OP... I took zofran from 2 months - 9 months in second preg. It helped mildly but I was still very ill the whole time. I wonder why they are not following up all us women who take this drug to find out any effects? My bub was fine all round apart from her vision, which was very slow to develop but she is 100% fine now. I'm not suggesting that it is anything to do with the zofran tho. I would not have survived the pregnancy without it.


Good luck

[RmumR]

I've been prescribed zofran since being admitted to hospy at 6wks for dehydration.
I do GP shared care and my GP is more than happy to prescribe it for me as she had hypermesis in her pregnancy aswell so knows first hand how awful it can be.

I have repeat scripts so am well covered. though for me i find it works for a few days then stops working but if i take a break from it for a week then it works again for a few days. Still no miracle cure for me but every little bit helps.

When in hopsy last they gave me phenergan (strong antihistamine) and it works well for me too though can only take it in the evenings as it wipes me out totally.