Anyone conceive whilst on malaria pills?

[JesterJemima]

hi all,

Just hoing for a bit of reassurance on this.....
Has anyone done this and it turned out ok?

WHO (world health organisation) say that it's ok - do we believe them?

thanks

I don't know any fact's (as such) or figures, but I know a friend of mine was advised against TTC by her doctor whilst taking the maleria tablets. But it wouldn't be the first time that a GP hasn't been on the nose. I would have thought if the WHO says it isn't a problem, then it probably isn't.

sorry if i upset anyone but i think the malaria pills teamed with necessary injections for the carribbean were the reason i lost dc1.
didnt know i was preg btw.

WHO says:

Women who may become pregnant during or after travel

Both mefloquine and doxycycline prophylaxis may be taken, but pregnancy should preferably be avoided during the period of drug intake and for 3 months after mefloquine and 1 week after doxycycline prophylaxis is stopped.

--

So they say the tablets may be taken but should preferably be avoided. And I believe them [science hat on].

Well, I don't know now. What Mrs Badger has said completely contradicts what I was told when I started to take doxycycline tablets. I was told that pregnancy should be avoided at all costs while on doxycycline because (if I remember right) it does something to bones - prevents them from hardening properly, I think. I was told this really strictly by a UK doctor and pharmacist - proper frighteners. However when I went to a Swedish doctor in Africa they said hmmm, well, we'd not advise pregnancy, and we'd certainly tell you to stop taking the tablets as soon as you suspected you were pregnant, but we wouldn't regard it as an 'indication for termination'.
Anyway, it scared me...
Later, when asking what I could take when I already was pregnant I was told mefloquine was ok (even in the first trimester), but malarone was uncertain and doxycycline was out.
Hope that helps.

Looking at that Jester, I don't think I would risk it myself.

Sorry about your loss LadyoftheFlowers

jester - is there a reason you would want to conceive while on holiday? Any medication is best avoided during first trimester, including conception. Malaria is not an illness you would want - why not play safe and wait till you are homwe and off anti-malarials. At least with malarone you only need to take it for a week after you come home. Are there vaccinations you need too or are you up to date? I would want to avoid pregnancy after vaccinations too.

I took Malaria tablets when I was 8 weeks pregnant with DD. The dr said it would be far riskier to catch malaria than it would be to take the tablets.
I had a smooth pregnancy and a healthy baby girl at full term.

I also had typhoid fever, and hepatitus A injections before I realised I was pregnant. Once I did find out, the Dr wouldn't give me Polio drops.

Difference is Kid that JesterJemima isn't pregnact ATM. I would wait than risk it.

Hi,

I am 6 weeks and have just finished taking Malarone for prevention of malaria. I think I will have only just concieved prior to taking them.
At the end of the day so many people in Africa etc will be taking malaria tablets and will concieve. I would ask your GP for advice.

I live in West Africa and am taking C+P (chloroquine and paludrine) as anti-malarial (I'm eight weeks preg). C+P is far less effective than other anti-malarials but the only one properly proved safe in early pregnancy (mostly b/c it's been around so long). I don't know how they've defined "safe". Mefloquine okay later in pregnancy, but I've had several docs out here tell me it's fine for early pregnancy as well. (Malarone isn't considered 'safe' just because it's not been around as long as C+P and mefloquine, so not enough time to come to a decision, I believe. Clearly they can't carry out experimental studies on pregnant women.)

If you cannot avoid being in a malarial area, then take something. Malaria is seriously dangerous in pregnancy, both for you and the baby. That said, there are malarial areas and malarial areas... you'll need to assess the risk.

Bottom line, you should talk to an expert who can help you decide IF you need to take anything and if so, what you need: try Masta.org.