How bad is bitter lemon/tonic water/quinine?

[MsScarlettInTheLibrary]

I've been drinking loads of the stuff as kind of an alcohol replacement drink and to ease nausea. Now I find out it's not good to have and I'm having an uncharacterisitic hormonal pre-scan freak out.

Tell me it'll be okay. Am 12 weeks and have not had a scan yet.

You will be fine.... don't worry.

I have a friend who totally over dosed on bitter lemon when she was pregnant. She was addicted to the stuff. 2 bottles a day and drank it for 3 months. This ended when she was violently sick and the MW said to leave off it. Her 16 yr old daughter is fine, beautiful, intelligent and with teenage attitude.

I have never ever heard of this before so I have consulted wiki

Abortifacient
Despite popular belief, quinine is not an effective abortifacient (abortion pill) (in the US, quinine is listed as Pregnancy category D [23]). Pregnant women who take toxic doses of quinine will suffer from renal failure before experiencing any kind of quinine-induced abortion.[24] Indeed, quinine is the only drug recommended by the WHO as firstline treatment for uncomplicated malaria in pregnancy.[25]

I am taking this to mean that you actually have to consume so much of the stuff that it will kill you of kidney failure before it will cause you to miscarry. I expect the odd glass of it will not do either of you any harm.

It pisses me off that there is so much scaremongering going on by self appointed experts on the internet who tell you to avoid everything under the sun and make us all totally paranoid.

Hold up a minute - what exactly is the problem with this stuff?

Never heard if it as being a problem. Have regurlarly treated pregnant women in South Africa who have contracted malaria with quinine and never heard of it being an issue.

The doses of quinine in tonic etc is minute (almost homeopathic ) anyway. Don't worry. No need to lay off it either, unless it is making you feel unwell

Well I started feeling really rubbish (probably completely unrelated) and DH suggested it might have been the drink so I googled and it seems that there is an argument about its safety - yep with regards to its uterine-irritant properties but ls in that it crosses the placenta and someone linked to a study where large doses showed birth defects. I know I'm being totally paranoid and fixating on something stupid but I'm coming up to the gestation of a previous loss and I think it's weighing on my mind. I probably drank 2l of the stuff in one day last week (was trying to convince friends I was drinking) and have been feeling rubbish since. Came to MN for a quick common sense slap upside the head.

Apparently large doses (as in lots and lots and lots of malaria tablets) can cause uterine contractions and some problems in the baby. However the only reason to consume lots and lots of malaria tablets would be to save your own life if you were dying of malaria. However, as mentioned above, quinine has been used to treat pregnant women with out it being a problem.
Since you don't have malaria and just want a few soft drinks, I don't think you need to worry at all.
I am so annoyed at the pages and pages of internet twaddle I have just read while looking this up. People with absolutely no health knowledge and not much intelligence have been contributing to forums answering this question suggesting that a few soft drinks are going to cross the placenta and harm the baby.

I started drinking tonic water with quinine in it when I was pregnant,I suffered really bad with achy legs and someone told me it helped...dont think it actually did help but I developed quite a taste for it,especially with vodka...

Isn't that always the way Kat2504. Thank god for MN. And thanks for the slap!

kat One of the CRESH girls was 12 weeks when she discovered she was pregnant (no symptoms, plus monthly periods as per normal) - she'd been in africa taking malaria tablets. Her baby is fine. How many of these anti-malarial tablets do you need to take? Faaaaahsands? Like that Vitamin-A thing, as long as you don't eat a polar bear liver you'll be OK.

Mmmmn, G&T, plenty of ice and a slice. What is it which is so moreish about quinine I wonder?

I would have thought the sheer quantity of quinine needed from tonic water to act as an abortive/teratogenic would be huge...you'd have to be drinking litres of the stuff a day.
I can't see anything on the NHS website or the FSA about avoiding tonic water.
I can see warnings about quinine tablets, but the dosings are significantly more than you're ever likely to consume with tonic water.
If worried, stop drinking it.
Baby will be fine. Good luck with your scan.

The slight bitterness apparently makes it more thirst quenching. I prefer it with vodka, of course. But it is a good drink to turn to when you have to pretend to be drinking vodka tonics.
Mmm I used to love bitter lemon and I haven't had one in ages. This has got me thinking.....

Drank bundles of tonic water when pregnant with both of mine (perfectly healthy babies) helps with reflux.

I have a proper thing for tonic water. And bitter lemon. I can drink that when I can't stomach water. Which is most of the fekkin time.

I do wonder, Alpine where one would even get a polar bear liver from, what with global warming and such.

I now want a glass of tonic water more than life itself. If my baybee is born with 3 legs it's your fault kat (and the rest of you).

salty If the papers are to be believed, washed up on a beach near you soon! But sometimes you can get them in Lidl in their "bushmeat" section.

Me too Alpine! Grapefruit juice and fizzy water makes a reasonable substitute.

I love Lidl. Makes me feel like I'm on holiday...

Always remember - if something as easily available as quinine was AT ALL effective abortificient, women wouldn't have spent centuries risking their lives to abort pregnancies using real poisons, and horrendous 'surgical' options. Their first try would have been a couple of bottles of tonic at least!

Late to the party, but thanks for reassurance and enjoyed the Lidl chat too. Also Norfolk and Norwich Uni hospital appear to recommend it as good drink to try during pregnancy!!! www.nnuh.nhs.uk/viewdoc.asp?ID=974&t=Leaflet

I drank shed loads when I was pregnant - i didn't realised there was anything wrong with it!

I've been getting leg cramps and last week my obstetrician TOLD me to try tonic or bitter lemon because the quinine helps - so I really don't think there's a problem with it!

I wondered why some people got all when I said I have it for leg cramps. They acted like I was a baby murderer. I really fancy a bitter lemon with a tonic water chaser for my breakfast now.

My midwife receommended it for my restless legs/leg cramps. I have a glass or two most days and I am not remotely worried by any of the scare stories I have read, they seem like Bad Science to me.

I’ve just read about the dangers of Quinine and I’ve had about a can a day of tonic over 6 days... this thread has put my mind at rest 😅