Doctor won't give me Propranolol

[bernieaa]

Not sure why as Google says it's ok. 22 weeks pregnant and having panic attacks

Yes, which is why you need a team supporting and monitoring you. Deciding they're wrong and taking medication against medical advice, and therefore without the monitoring and help that would come along with it, is not going to do you or baby any good. You need proper antenatal mental health help, not self-medication.

Why have you come on here asking for advice when it's clear you'll do whatever anyway? Go find an echo chamber to sit in!

But your doctor does.

it’s not clear what you’re trying to achieve with this thread. No one on it is your doctor and anyone who happens to be a doctor on it isn’t going to tell you to take drugs your own doctor has advised against.

You need to talk to the perinatal team. Perhaps your doctor can speed up the referral.

@bernieaa did the doctor offer anything else. You say Ssri's are bad for you. All of them? I took one years ago it gave me low platelets i and now taking the same one with no side affects! I also take a beta blocker (carvedilol) for ectopic heart beats - the ssri i'm on is to help with anxiety that makes the ectopics worse. Tbh i think you should go back to the GP - see a different one preferably who has an interest in mental health and see what can be offered to you if they really don't want you to have propranolol.

@HarrietJet you are coming across that way though. So perhaps you need to consider that you aren't aware of my life....

Yes they shouldn't be given to people with my mental condition/brain because it sends me manic. So I can't take them:

😂 you literally said I didn't understand mental health conditions 😂

lol you need uk proof read your sources

Are there any risks of taking propranolol during pregnancy?
There are no concerns that taking propranolol in pregnancy causes harm. Propranolol belongs to a family of medicines called beta blockers. Studies have not shown that beta blockers cause birth defects, stillbirth or preterm birth. Women taking beta blockers may be more likely to have a small baby; however a small baby can be due to underlying health conditions that beta blockers are commonly used to treat, like high blood pressure. It is therefore difficult to know if a beta blocker has also contributed to the baby being small

Yeah mine. You have no idea.

Apologies

Just an inappropriate wordplay that I hoped other late night wine drinkers might enjoy

no offence or confusion meant

I personally wouldn’t take anything that would put my baby at risk of death or being deformed.

If you believe you can take it then why not see another doctor and get a second opinion.

We got it, don't worry

"Beta-blockers may cause intra-uterine growth restriction, neonatal hypoglycaemia, and bradycardia"

It says it isn’t known to cause harm bug may affect your baby’s growth and you’ll need extra scans to make sure the baby’s growing properly.

It also says if you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant then talk to your doctor.

You’ve spoken to your doctor and he said no.
So you’ve got 2 choices - either take them anyway or get a second opinion.

You are entitled to a second opinion, ask to see another GP and if you struggle then contact the practice manager. During pregnancy there is invariably a risk/benefit to medications which haven't been tested and which have detrimental affects on the body which can be harmful during pregnancy. Ironically medicine actually isn't an exact science, GPs aren't Google they are highly skilled and whilst not perfect of course they take into account different things to make decisions. If they aren't content to advise it during pregnancy then that is their right and it doesn't mean they are wrong. Another doctor may have a different opinion when weighing everything up, not sure if there's much point mind seeking further medical guidance if you're going to ignore it anyway.

I was prescribed Bisoprolol when I was pregnant as I was told Propanolol wasn’t safe.

It was only after my pregnancy was over and when I had finished breast feeding that I could then be switched over to Propanolol.

I was on beta blockers a few years ago for panic attacks and was intending to start a family (but also wanted to improve my mental health before I did, because I was a mess). I was very strongly advised not to take propranolol while pregnant. I actually waited another couple of years before getting pregnant, until my anxiety had improved and I could cope without.

The perinatal mental health team I was under were amazing. They advocated for me when I didn't have it in me, I saw a psychiatrist who diagnosed PTSD (previously was always just assumed to be anxiety) and sorted EMDR therapy for me once I had recovered from the birth. They contacted me regularly to check how I was doing, and I used to see someone once a week in the last few weeks, just for a cup of tea and a chat. I also saw the mental health nurse right before my c section, and she came to visit the next day when she wasn't even on shift. I was very high risk for PND (actually ended up with PNA but not too severe), so they were doing their very best to keep me safe.

If you feel you really need occasional propranolol while pregnant, that's something to speak to your GP and midwife about. They will know your medical history and be able to advise you better than us. But I do know it is not ideal.

And so do a lot of drugs in pregnancy, funny how people recommend SSRIs and their side effects

Did you take daily?

Yes I did. But if a drug is unsafe, it's unsafe. The risk analysis for you specifically is for the GP to do.

I wouldn't be taking it daily.

No one is going to tell you to take it OP and we’re someone to say it’s ok then you can’t take their advice. There is no point asking randoms on the internet.

Pretty hard to take anyone seriously when they provide links that show it's safe but the poster is writing its not safe lol

It's not unsafe

Oh dear... Why anyone is still bothering to respond to you is a mystery, op.
You don't seem to understand a word of it.