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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to take the morning after pill?

33 replies

kenobi · 27/04/2011 21:02

I know no-one can make this decision for me but I'd love some advice/thoughts...

I am 35 and ttc. I have been feeling utterly rough with an appalling cough and cold for about 10 days now. But you know how it is, it's been Easter, I have a toddler and I haven't been able to stop. Just to cap it all off I was ovulating so we went for it.

Anyway to cut a long story short I went to the doc's today and I have a serious chest infection. I've been given some very strong antibiotics (co-amoxil?) and been told to take ibuprofen and paracetamol every 4 hours. I've been necking lemsip so good knows how much paracetamol and pseudoephedrine I've had in the last 10 days. I'm really worried that all this might damage the embryo, if indeed I'm pregnant.

Am I being totally precious and this is not a big deal? Or should I just take the morning after pill and not risk the egg/embryo being harmed by all this chemicals?

I have 24 hours to make the decision.

OP posts:
hardhatdonned · 27/04/2011 21:05

Did the doctor ask you if you could be pregnant or are TTC when they prescribed you your antibiotics? If not then i'd be thinking long and hard over whether i go back for the MAP or for a different antibiotic prescription.

It's your decision to make so it's not really for anyone to say if YABU or not.

ohmyfucksy · 27/04/2011 21:05

I have no idea medically, but there's nothing wrong with taking the MAP if that's what you think is best

RitaMorgan · 27/04/2011 21:05

An embryo at this point won't be sharing your blood supply will it? So I doubt the medicine can harm it.

RancerDoo · 27/04/2011 21:08

If you think you might be pregnant, and you might want to keep it, don't take ibuprofen as this can cause miscarriage.

Pregnant women do take paracetomol and antibiotics and things are fine. Did you tell your GP you are hoping you might be pregnant?

Presumably for you to be pregnant enough for any of the drugs to make any sort of a difference anyway would make you too pregnant for MAP.

Original poster
kenobi · 27/04/2011 21:09

hardhat - yes, I said there was a chance and he said, 'to be honest you need to get this infection cleared up fast particularly if you have a toddler in the house, and if you are pregnant then we'll deal with that when the time comes.' Which isn't much help one way or another.

ohmy - don't have issues with taking MAP per se but I am 35 and ttc so it seems like a chance lost if there's no need to take it.

Oh - Rita - didn't think of that, good point.

OP posts:
GwendolineMaryLacey · 27/04/2011 21:10

I was very ill at the end of last year, bad chest infection and pneumonia. I was also 4 weeks pg when I fell ill. I had a missed miscarriage several months after. Although I was told that the two things were unrelated, I cannot get over the fact that the baby died at 6 weeks just at the point where I was so ill that I was taken to hospital. Lots of nurofen (before I took the pg test) and loads of so called safe antibiotics.

I don't know what to suggest, dont know why I've mentioned it but the two things are definitely linked in my head.

penguin73 · 27/04/2011 21:10

Isn't this a questions for your doctor who will know the health risks as opposed to random strangers on the internet guessing?

Original poster
kenobi · 27/04/2011 21:10

Rancer, didn't know that about ibuprofen, thank you. Good point again about the blood supply.

OP posts:
MsScarlett · 27/04/2011 21:11

I totally understand why you feel this way, but the risk to the embryo is so insignificant. It won't even have implanted yet, and the placenta won't be formed for weeks, so drugs in your blood supply are highly unlikely to affect it AFAIK.

I got pissed as a fart on several occassions and ran a half marathon before I knew I was pg. Then during pg I had to take several courses of ABs due to UTIs. My dd is very healthy. Most miscarriages occur due to chromosomal abnormalities, and nothing you do externally have anything to do with it..

Good luck in TTC. x

meditrina · 27/04/2011 21:11

I doubt the OTC medicines will have any effect at all.

But you need to check this with someone you know to be qualified, and you need to check the AB. Can you get hold of the prescribing doctor early tomorrow morning?

pozzled · 27/04/2011 21:12

Get some proper medical advice. My guess is that the ABs and other medicine is unlikely to have done any damage to the embryo, if there is one.

Original poster
kenobi · 27/04/2011 21:12

penguin - doc was deeply noncommital. I know it seems weird to ask strangers on a forum but people have already been helpful.

OP posts:
Gemsy83 · 27/04/2011 21:12

what antibiotics are they?

HRHPrincessZombiePlan · 27/04/2011 21:12

Does the info leaflet with the abs say anything on it? If it does say that those abs are not for use when pregnant, just call the gp's emergency service and explain there is a chance you might be pregnant and get their advice on the situation. Better to check if you are worrying, they won't mind in the least.

IIRC paracetamol is ok in pregnancy (not sure about ibuprofen though - best check before taking).

onepieceofcremeegg · 27/04/2011 21:13

Just a cautionary note re the paracetamol, regardless of your decision about any potential pregnancy.

If you are taking paracetamol every 4 hours that is already technically an overdose, let alone the lemsip that you are "necking" in addition to this.

Sadly I have nursed people who have had paracetamol od (either accidentally or otherwise) and for some people even a few tablets over the recommended maximum is very dangerous.

Hope you are feeling better soon. Could you make an urgent GP appointment for tomorrow morning and get some medical advice which may help you come to an informed decision?

Original poster
kenobi · 27/04/2011 21:14

Gwendoline, that's exactly the sort of thing I'm scared of. Though the fact this is so early seems to be in my favour with blood supply?

OP posts:
Xales · 27/04/2011 21:15

Why not do a pregnancy test? If you are not pregnant then no need to worry about MAP.

Gemsy83 · 27/04/2011 21:17

I find it all a bit strange though tbh- if an embryo HAS been fertilised taking the MAP would prevent a pregnancy occuring. The antibiotics could harm the embryo. Im not sure why taking the MAP and not knowing whether it would have been an embryo that turned out to be a viable pregnancy would be better?

mouseanon · 27/04/2011 21:19

I would avoid the ibuprofen (having read above), it will make you feel better but not actually help you get better, but paracetamol and AB's should be ok. If it's early enough to take the MAP the baby won't be sharing your blood yet anyway. I have had to take a lot of AB's while pg and baby was fine.

penguin73 · 27/04/2011 21:19

Point is Kenobi I can tell you my experiences and scare you, others have given you positive stories so how will you decide which to trust/go with? If your doctor didn't answer the questions you wanted push him asking him specifically about risks etc. If you still think he is being vague ask a second one, a pharmacist or phone the mat unit at your local hospital for advice.

Supermoo · 27/04/2011 21:21

What antibiotics do you have? Most are ok in pg, certainly less harmful than untreated infection. Talk to your pharmacist if your GP is dismissive of your concerns.

LadyInTheRadiat0r · 27/04/2011 21:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

GwendolineMaryLacey · 27/04/2011 21:25

I can see I'm the lone voice of doom, sorry, I don't mean to be. What I didn't really make clear was that I felt that my illness was responsible, more than the drugs. Infections and raised temps are supposed to be bad news and that was my issue. But I'm only one person, lots of people here are talking sense.

Original poster
kenobi · 27/04/2011 21:31

Hi onepiece - I haven't been taking the Lemsip in addition to paracetamol (it was what I was taking before I saw the doc), and I haven't been going over the instructions but I take your point and I'll be careful.

Can't take a pg test as way too early.

gemsy - I would rather not risk a miscarriage due to a damaged embryo that was my fault, I think I'd never forgive myself. But then I think - I'm being melodramatic.

I get your point penguin but I am looking for personal stories - it gives me a bigger base of experience to make my decision from.

I think I won't take the ibuprofen anymore, and I'll be a grown up and call the surgery tomorrow.

Gwendoline - how rubbish for you, I really feel for you.

Thanks so much all.

OP posts:
maighdlin · 27/04/2011 21:31

I was taking prescription strength NSAIDS when i conceived. I stopped them immediately when i found out and no one was concerned at all. I think its when the umbilical cord attaches that these types of things become an issue. ATM if you are pg its probably still a zygote floating around in there.

Also you can only take the MAP up to 72hrs after sex and even then its only 30% effective, not sure of exact % but the effectiveness goes down the longer you leave it.

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