AUGMENTIN anti-biotic when pregnant

[billiejo]

Hello,
I'm 18 weeks pregnant at the mo and have been getting bad cystitis and now i;m getting back tenderness, went to my GP (who's really CRAP) and she prescribed Augmentin, she's so uninterested that whilst she was writing the prescription i asked her if it was safe to take whilst being pregnant. Her response was " i think so" !!!! WTF?!! anyway, she said "i'll just check my book" , but couldn't find it listed so she went out of the room to check with another GP. When she came back in she said that it was fine. With her seeming so unsure i decided to check on the net to see for myself...have found lots of different views, some say NO, some say YES . I rang NHS Direct and the Doc said that in her medical Bible (she had to consult it to give me an answer) that it stated "only if the risk to the mother out-weighs the risk to the baby".
I'm so confused as to what to do, any ideas? thanks.

advice on this kind of thing often conflicts, and the problem with the internet is that there is all manner of alarmist nonsense out there. I wouldn't worry about your doc being unsure at first - at least she said she didn't know and didn't just say "yes" to keep you quiet.

I don't actually know anything one way or the otherbut if 2 docs have said yes, and you're in pain, then i personally would take it. maybe wait until jimjams sees this thread though - there was a recent study to do with problems in children who took augmentin in their first year - she'd know if there was also a suggestion that pregnant women shouldn't take it.

i've just looked up augmentin in the BNF (Bitish National Formulary) which is probably the bible that the nhs referred to as this lists all contraindications and side effects for drugs and there are none listed for augmentin.

i know that i have given it to pregnant women on the ante and post natal wards(when prescribed by a doctor) for things like a urine infection. so i am assuming that it is 'safe'.

do you have a day assessment unit/fetal assessment unit at your hospital,? you could give them a call or give labour ward a call and ask them, just expalin your concerns and see what they say.

my dd is 3 weeks old. i had 2 courses of augmentin whilst pg with her, as well as other antibiotics (i had an ear infection for 6+ weeks, it was grim). i was super-paranoid & kept making everyone check they were ok to take in pregnancy. i was more pg than you are now, but by 18 weeks all the baby's organs are formed. so in your position i would & did take it.

Thanks very much for helping to put my mind at rest, I'm not normally such a worrier when it's only my health at stake, but you know what it's like when it's anything to do with your babies/kids. I'm in quite a bit of pain so i think i'll just wait and see if anyone else posts in the next few hours and then i'm going to have to just go for it.
Thanks again.x