meds while being pregnant and bipolar?

hi, i am bipolar and i am wanting to get pregnant. the doctor says i shouldn't be on any meds while being pregnant or trying for a baby, this scares me and was wondering if anyone else has still continued with their bipolar meds or which ones are ok to use while pregnant? polly

Hi. I am going to move your post to the bipolar forum as I think more ppl will seee it in order to help you. I am bipolar and have not been pregnant but i know a few ppl who have and have been off their meds whilst pregnant. They have struggled but have got through it. One reason for this I think is that they have had specialist perinatal psych care. I think this is something you should be pushing for. Good luck and see you in the bipolar forum!

Cracked

thank you polly

You are welcome

Cracked

I'm uni-polar depressed, and was able to stay on my meds after the first trimester was up. I don't know if there are any bi-polar meds that are safe for pregnancy.

Your doctor should be able to give you information on what can be done to help you remain stable throughout pregnancy. In my case, I was able to see a woman who had trained as a midwife and as a psychiatrist - if your hospital has someone like that, I highly recommend getting an appointment. Because of the dual specialisation, she was able to help me out a lot more then my doctor could!

I think it's imperative to get the extra psych care during pregnancy. So much happens, even if the doctor does find meds that you can be on, you'll find it very beneficial to have the extra care. Many places now have programs to support pregnant women with mental illness.

The more you can learn about it now the better off you'll be. I was thrown into all this, and it's a lot harder when you find out three months in that you have all these options for help.

I gave up meds while pregnant except for a small dose of seroquel. My obgyn referred me to a maternal mental health team with a pharmacist who deals with only pregnant mental health patients. She had access to all the drug research & reporting databases. She found that the tiny dose I took posed no risk, but there could be a risk to the baby if I didn't sleep or got too stressed out.

If there's a team like this where you live, they're worth talking to. They helped me out tremendously.

A lady I worked with who also had bipolar went off all her meds before getting pregnant and managed to stay stable. She went back on them after the birth. We both have the same team.

thank you so much i will ask my consultant what options are open for me.
polly

I know one person with bipolar who somehow "toughs it out." Once she is pregnant she actually feels really really good. The problem is the before and after.

Other women go on the (Edited by Mod - advertising) but they still have to go through the awful withdrawal symptoms of getting off the medications (not everyone has withdrawal symptoms but many do and it can feel like you are losing your mind.) Some psychiatrists will work with you on getting the nutritional support in lieu of the medications, but most are not trained in it since much of their training comes from the pharmaceutical reps rather than keeping up with all the research. There is just too much research always coming out. There are no "reps" going around pushing health and nutritional education on psychiatrists because there is no money in it.

Many women do continue to take meds while pregnant, but my understanding is that lithium and valproic acid among others can cause birth defects. Nothing stops you from getting a second opinion from another physician and trying to find some meds you can stay on. It's important, though, to make sure that you make medication changes before getting pregnant. The birth defects some medications can cause will happen very early in pregnancy.

Interesting that the product name is edited out. Are we only allowed to use the generic terms, such as olanzapine rather than Z*pr*x*? Or methylated folate rather than D*pl*n (D*pl*n is a prescription, but generics can be purchased OTC without a prescription) or instead of the prescription L*v*z* we just say "prescription fish oil"? I truly apologize. I didn't know.

Well, the generic for what was edited out as advertising is "micronutrients". The brand I gave is what has actually been used in all the research on "micronutrients" and is what my own doctor (and many others - psychiatrists and non-psychiatrists) has some of his patients using (I take it, too). It is not just the methylated folate) being used.

So here is some research others may wish to look into, but in each case, the TYPE of micronutrient study is the same - Google "micronutrient bipolar" to learn more:
Rucklidge, J. J., Johnstone, J., Harrison, R. (in press). Effect of micronutrients on neurocognitive functioning in adults with ADHD and Severe Mood Dysregulation: A pilot study. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.

Simpson, JSA, Crawford, SG, Goldstein, ET, Field, C, Burgess, E, Kaplan, BJ (2011). Safety and tolerability of a complex micronutrient formula used in mental health. new
A compilation of eight datasets. BMC Psychiatry. 11:62.

Database analysis of children and adolescents with bipolar disorder consuming a micronutrient formula.
Rucklidge JJ, Gately D, Kaplan BJ. new
BMC Psychiatry. 2010 Sep 28;10:74.

Successful Treatment of Bipolar Disorder II and ADHD with a Micronutrient Formula: A Case Study.
Rucklidge JJ, Harrison R.
CNS Spectrums. 2010 May;15(5):289-95.

Micronutrients versus standard medication management in autism: a naturalistic case-control study.
Mehl-Madrona L, Leung B, Kennedy C, Paul S, Kaplan BJ.
Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology. 2010 Apr;20(2):95-103.

Effect of micronutrients on behavior and mood in adults with ADHD: evidence from an 8-week open label trial with natural extension.
Rucklidge J, Taylor M, Whitehead K.
Journal of Attention Disorders. 2010 Jan 13. (Epub ahead of print).

Successful treatment of OCD with a micronutrient formula following partial response to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): a case study.
Rucklidge JJ.
Journal of Anxiety Disorders. 2009 Aug;23(6):836-40.

Multinutrient supplement as treatment: literature review and case report of a 12-year-old boy with bipolar disorder.
Frazier EA, Fristad MA, Arnold LE.
Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology. 2009 Aug;19(4):453-60.

Database analysis of adults with bipolar disorder consuming a micronutrient formula.
Gately D, Kaplan BJ.
Clinical Medicine Insights: Psychiatry. 2009 Apr;4:3-16. (2009).

Improved mood and behavior during treatment with a mineral-vitamin supplement: an open-label case series of children.
Kaplan BJ, Fisher JE, Crawford SG, Field CJ, Kolb B.
Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology. 2004 Spring;14(1):115-22.

Nutritional approach to bipolar disorder.
Simmons M.
Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. 2003 Mar;64(3):338.

Treatment of mood lability and explosive rage with minerals and vitamins: two case studies in children.
Kaplan BJ, Crawford SG, Gardner B, Farrelly G.
J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol. 2002 Fall;12(3):205-19.

Do vitamins or minerals (apart from lithium) have mood-stabilizing effects?
Popper CW.
Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. 2001 Dec;62(12):933-5.

Effective mood stabilization with a chelated mineral supplement: an open-label trial in bipolar disorder.
Kaplan BJ, Simpson JS, Ferre RC, Gorman CP, McMullen DM, Crawford SG.
Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. 2001 Dec;62(12):936-44.