Medication in pregnancy - please tell all

[doggus]

I have fibromyalgia and a very bad back and have to take strong codeine-based painkillers at the maximum dose every day. I also take clomipramine, an anti-depressant to help me sleep. When I was pregnant with ds, I continued to take this same combo of pills and cut down before his birth - unfortunately he was still born with slight withdrawal synptoms. Now I am pregnant again I am feeling horribly guilty about the amount of medication I take and to make matters worse, pregnancy is exacerbating my medical conditions. My GP's advice is to cut down slowly and take the bare minimum from 34 weeks which is what I intend to do.

I just wanted any stories of mums that had to take drugs during pregnancy. The 'can I take a paracetamol' questions on here make me feel even worse!

I ended up on a low dose of Prozac from 30 weeks PG - I was encouraged by the pysch to breastfeed, as he felt it would lessen the chance of withdrawal effects. it's all about balancing effect on quality of life and potential risk to mother of being unmedicated against any potential risk to the baby - i.e. you wouldn't be being prescribed meds without good reason so no need to feel guilty.

I'm 10 wks and am recovering from an infected tooth. Had the requisite paracetemol which didn't touch it and also erythromycin for 2 weeks. Dentist was off sick during this time and am allergic to penecillin so limited options. Emergency dentist started a root canal last Saturday, should be finished next Fr. Am told I may well need to take erythromyicn on and off throughout the pg as the won't take the tooth out. Have never known pain like it.

Owch Happy Tangerine! I had a botched root canal filling done ten years ago now! I'm a genetic freak and I have four canals instead of three. Sadly they didn't find out until after 18 months of agony, various drugs and even seeing a psychiatrist!

When I was pregnant with DD the tooth cracked and I had it removed - so happy

Back to drugs, last time I took bucketloads of codeine for SPD, this time my GP said I can't have any after 24 weeks, so I'm not having any yet. I think, however, that he is ill-advised and if my SPD gets bad again I will be taking as much as I can.

Hawkmoth - he is ill advised, the only danger from codeine is taking it in the last few weeks before birth as it can cause withdrawal synptoms. I have a good friend who had SPD and ended up on oxycodone, which is much stronger than codeine, from 24 weeks til the week before her C section where she cut down to the bare minimum and her lo was born without withdrawals and is a perfectly lovely toddler. Will you give it up a week or so before birth if you have to take it this time?