Anyone taken 'Metoclopramide' for sickness?

[Petal26]

Am 16 weeks and just been prescribed Metoclopramide for constant nausea. The doctor made it clear that the risk for baby regarding anti-sickness medicines was unknown so am going to try and save these tablets for particularly bad days i think (although they all feel like that at the moment :-(.
Has anyone tried these and had any success/side effects?
Thanks

No i didnt take them, nor would i either, after the thalidomide debacle. Have NO idea about these ones you've mentioned, but i wouldnt be taking the chance!

Are you forcefeeding yourself, even if you feel sick? i found i only ever got nauseous if my stomach was very empty..
hopefully you are close to the end of the nausea!

I'm feeling sick all of the time, whether i've eaten or not. Really struggling to look after my toddler and work and manage the house. I know it's not for forever just thought i might be able to get a bit of relief. I wasn't this bad last time...

Im pretty sure I had these, they did help. I couldn't keep water down though.

Hi petal. I took them the whole way through this pregnancy (from around 8 weeks) along with the occasional zofran (ondansetron) I found if I did not take the prescribed amount they were ineffective, resulting in me becoming severely dehydrated and having IV fluids. I needed to keep up the dosage, otherwise I would fall off the tracks and need to rebuild IYSWIM. When I was not able to keep the tablets down i was given it intravenously. I can't honestly say this was he best 12 hours of my pregnancy as I managed a full night sleep without vomiting and even kept down some breakfast. If you have been prescribed them, I would take them. Doctors are very very hesitant to prescribe anything category A to pregnant women. I believe metaclopromide is cat b? (But correct me if I am wrong).

It's my due date today, and 6 scans have said all is perfectly well, baby is in the high end centile for weight.

Also for what it's worth, my sister also suffered HG throughout her 2 pregnancies and took it along with zofran. She has 2 healthy, clever baby boys.

She is extreeeemely health conscious (im talking soaking lentils, grow your own veggies, only eat organic, chicken rearing, extended breast feeding, never touched a drop of alcohol type) so if she was desperate enough to take them- please do not beat yourself up.

What's the alternative?

ChicaMomma- thats a very unhelpful comment. I had constant vomiting to the point of nearly being hospitalised during my current pregnancy, I have a full time job and an 18 mth old to look after. I couldn't function at all and was prescribed metoclopramide by my GP who reassured me that it was safe to take. I took two tablets a day for about 10 weeks until I could start to keep food and fluids down. If the alternative is being unable to managed any nutrition or fluids whilst growing a baby, I would take the medication which has been prescribed.

I have also taken metoclopromide (also odanesetrpn, avomine and cyclising) orally and by IV drip or injection. I had hyperemisis in both pg, from weeks 7-16. On my first ph metoc was the only thing that helped me stand upright, keep fluids down and gradually get back to work. In my second pg metoc had no impact, but cyclizine seemed to work. Both my children are absolutely fine. The alternative was padding out with dehydration. Everything I swallowed came straight back.

Also have a look at Pregnancy Sickness Support

I haven't taken metoproclomide, but have taken (and am currently taking) other anti-sickness drugs (in both this and previous pregnancy which resulted in the birth of healthy babies).

I was very reluctant to take medication the first time round, but really did need it (HG, dehydrated, overwhelming nausea making life impossible). These medications are generally thought to be safe: doctors (especially GPs) are not going to prescribe you anything with known detrimental effects to your babies (and nor will obstetricians without fully discussing any potential risks with you). If you are not comfortable taking it, could you go back and discuss it further with your GP or midwife? From a medical point of view (with no particular knowledge beyond my own research) I would have thought that the second trimester is the safest time to take any medication (although I have also taken it throughout my first trimester).

Chica your comments are really unhelpful. Drugs prescribed these days for nausea and vomiting in pregnancy do not carry the same risks which thalidomide did. You are clearly fortunate not to have been in the position of really needing to take medication; unless you have been in this position I don't think you can really understand how debilitating it can be.

Agree with nunyabiz about taking the full dosage (from my experience with other drugs) - I have tried just taking them on an "as needed" basis and this really hasn't worked, whereas taking things consistently has been quite effective.

I was also hospitalised, for up to 2 weeks at a time, several times in both pg. There comes a point where what/how often/when you eat has no effect.

Oh yes, full dosage, no skipping doses. You need yo stay on top of the medication.

I took chlorpromazine until week 24...people who haven't experienced the despair of HG cannot comment regarding medication and the need for it IMO.
If it's really that bad OP then take them.

YY ^^

I took them, they were my salvation!

Metaclopramide did not work for me, but Cyclizine did. My friend with HG was the exact opposite. Before the cyclizine I was so ill I couldn't keep water down and had to be hospitalised, so they really did save my life. I hope you find something that works for you, I have never been so ill or miserable.

I took them in both my HG pregnancies - after ending up in hospital on a drip like others here.

I tried a variety of anti-sickness drugs and they were the only thing that took the edge off the constant sickness and vomiting.

Both babies were born with no complications and are now (10+ years later) happy, healthy, bright children. Not sure I'd have got through it at times without the medication.

Hope you feel better soon.

Petal I agree with bikerun if you feel uncomfortable I would suggest that you go back to your GP to discuss it further.

I have been on metoproclomide since week 11, I'm now nearly 22 weeks and so far so good scan wise. The prescription has saved me from being routinely hospitalised for IVs to address the dehydration that comes from endless vomiting and being unable to keep anything fluid or liquid down.

Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy, there's a lovely HG thread that you could follow, some of the lovely Mums there may be able to offer you additional support and advice. I've found HG can be gruelling and isolating.

Thank you for your replies ladies.
I am only reluctant as the doctor mentioned risks and as I am not actually being sick, just feeling really close all day long, I am questioning whether I really need them.
It's good to hear from others.

I took metaclopromide from weeks 8 to 19. If I didn't take it I was constantly heaving. I'm now 34 weeks and so far so good. I wouldn't worry about taking at as if it was unsafe they would not prescribe it in the first place. The only reason doctors are a bit wary is to cover their own backs as the research has not been done to prove it is 100% safe. I hope your sickness calms down soon OP

Hello, I work for UKTIS (funded by Public Health England) and write patient info leaflets for medicine use in pregnancy.

We have a leaflet for nausea and vomiting treatments, and metoclopramide is discussed, as well as some other treatments.

As others have said, there is no evidence that it causes probs.

The leaflet is here:
www.medicinesinpregnancy.org/Medicine--pregnancy/NV/

Hope that helps! :)