Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Mental health

Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you have medical concerns, please seek medical attention.

Flip

Original poster

Quetiapine in pregnancy? / having hit a rough patch....

14 replies

electra · 07/01/2009 00:43

I'm 26 weeks pg. I have had an uneventful pregnancy so far, and have felt fine mentally. Before I was pregnant, I was taking quetiapine. I don't have a diagnosis but my psychiatrist thinks I have bipolar...

Last week after a particularly stressful event, I became very upset and it took me a long time to calm down. Then the next week and ever since, I have been high, unable to sleep properly and all my 'old' behaviours are happening again. I've been advised to take my medication again. My psychiatrist is concerned that I should be monitored closely and that I need to stay well and avoid going downhill, and is worried about the stress effect on the baby if I keep getting upset.

Quetiapine is fine for me as a drug and very helpful whether I'm up or down.....but I'm worried about the baby of course as quetiapine is quite a new drug so not much long term experience to draw on. I feel a bit guilty about taking it.

Any experience?

OP posts:

Original poster

electra · 07/01/2009 09:37

bump

OP posts:

Original poster

electra · 07/01/2009 21:52

nobody?

OP posts:

hester · 07/01/2009 22:01

Hi electra, I don't think I've got anything useful to say but I didn't want your post go unanswered. I have some limited experience of mental health services and also of quetiapine, but I am NOT qualiifed to give advice. I don't know of any issues around quetiapine and pregnancy - I guess nobody does or your psychiatrist wouldn't prescribe it for you - but I do know how important it is to manage mental health issues in pregnancy. I'm sure your doctor feels that leaving your condition untreated is a higher risk than you taking quetiapine.

Do you trust your psychiatrist's judgement? Would a second opinion help? Are you getting other support to help you cope at this difficult time?

Big sympathetic hugs to you - this must be really tough.

Original poster

electra · 07/01/2009 22:33

Thanks for your kind words hester, I do think she is right and yes, she is particularly concerned because I am pregnant. I get a niggling concern because I think 'what if I have a different reaction to other people' But I will just have to take it. Being high is one thing, but it's different this time and my body aches because of the hyperactivity. Also, for me after a high comes a nasty low, usually and that is even worse.

OP posts:

PaddingtonBore · 07/01/2009 22:42

I have a teeny tiny amount of experience in this area. with most medicines, the key time to avoid taking them if you can is 1st trimester, so you've got over that hurdle ok.

hester is right that the rule of thumb is that if the consequences of you not being on meds could be quite dire, then your psych can prescribe. Studies on anti-psychotics and mood stabilisers in pg are very very limited, due to the ethical issues of running proper trials. However, there may be some drugs that are more/less appropriate during pg than others, and I'm afraid I'm not up to date on which these are.

there are some specialists in perinatal psychiatry with whom your psychiatrist can consult eg here. this would be the best place to get the most up to date info.

Original poster

electra · 08/01/2009 05:28

Thanks Paddington. My psychiatrist told me that haliparidol has a greater history of usage than quetiapine, but she thinks quetiapine is more likely to keep me well after I've had the baby.

She wants me to up my dose a little. Tonight I have only managed to sleep for 4 hours, even though I'm exhausted and look terrible - a sure sign that all is not well.

OP posts:

PaddingtonBore · 08/01/2009 09:04

Hi electra,
sorry to hear you've not been sleeping. would you get a chance to do some distraction/relaxation techniques for a few days, or is life otherwise too busy?

TBH in pregnanacy I would stay in close contact with your consultant, as your hormones can may things go a bit awry. Do you have, or would you consider seeing, a mental health social worker or a CPN for a bit? they can visit regularly and help with stress management. this sort of thing can help keep you on a lower dose of meds for a shorter period (not that meds are a bad thing per se).

mysterymoniker · 08/01/2009 09:07

friend has just been through this, she had a short admission during pregnancy and a change of meds from olanzapine to something more pregnancy friendly - might have been seroquel/quetiapine, will ask

Original poster

electra · 08/01/2009 14:35

Thanks again for replies. I do have a CPN - she has been to see me today. And I am seeing my psychiatrist again next week. I have discussed my concern about medication.

Paddington - my CPN said the same as you that I should try to find something that will relax me and that for the remainder of the pregnancy I should try to keep as calm as I can.

I am worried about the stress effect on the baby, of course. The poor child won't want to come out!

OP posts:

JoGenie · 25/01/2010 23:01

I take quetiapine for bipolar and have looked into what would happen if I fell pregnant. There isn't much data on quetiapine and pregnancy yet, though I have found a few case studies where women have taken it throughout pregnancy and had no problems. The concern is still that these children may develop behavioural problems at a later stage.
At the moment the advice is, if the mother needs it to stay well then she should stay on it. It sounds like you should really stay on it at the moment. Mania is totally exhausting and you need to rest. I find quetiapine helps me to sleep (in fact I can't usually stay awake about an hour after taking it).
After giving birth is a very risky time too and you will be probably be advised to keep taking it after the birth - a good idea because you need to be well to look after your baby. I ended up in a mother and baby unit for five weeks very unwell - you don't want to go through that.
Best of luck with the pregnancy, look after yourself.

percy73 · 25/07/2010 11:01

hi
i've just been put on quietapine by my psychiatrist as well as already being on citalopram, i'm 12 weeks gone and just wondered if you had had any complications in pregnancy and if your baby was o.k. as i can't really find much research out there to put my mind at rest

angel2001 · 01/08/2010 10:51

i have been on quatipine for a couple of years along with venafaxine and mitrazipine and never been told to take precautions on becoming pregnant now they put me on tegretol (mood stabiliser) been told to take the pill as it will cause so many problems in pregnancy. i have ask about falling pregnant on the other meds and they told me there has not been enough tests done to say whether it was safe or not. sorry if not much help but thats the only advice i have been given

Jennylou15 · 08/01/2012 21:36

Hi electra I'm now 30 weeks and on Quetiapine and have been since I was about 6 weeks I take 200mg a day. I was just wondering if taking this medication did have any effects for your pregnancy, labour and on your baby?

Evie30 · 29/06/2013 22:11

I have been taking quetiapine for several years and just wanted to share my experience during pregnancy. I took 350mg during my last pregnancy and had no adverse effects. My son is now 2 and is a normal healthy boy. I am currently 32 weeks pregnant and am taking 400mg quetiapine, so far so good so hoping for no problems this time either. Only downfall is I've been advised it is not safe to breastfeed, but for me bottle feeding works well to share with my husband so can try and make sure getting enough sleep. My psychiatrist advises the benefits of me staying well outweigh the risks I think.

Flip