Pregnancy, Klonopin, Lamictal - scared!!

[amhb1980]

Hello All!  I am really hoping that someone can help me with information on this.  I recently found out (about 3 weeks ago) that I am pregnant - quite by surprise and we all know what that means - wasn't taking great care of myself.  I even fasted a couple of days trying to lose weight!  Anyway, I drank over the course of this time - I don't think anything too crazy but I honestly wasn't keeping track.  My psychotropics are what I'm really afraid of.  I am on 100mg daily of Lamictal and .5mg PRN of Klonopin.  I take the Lamictal for mood disorder although it's also a drug used for epilepsy.  The only place I've been able to find information about Lamictal and pregnancy is the epilepsy website, and many of those women have taken it to prevent seizures.  Anyway,  the Klonopin is PRN but I have had some severe anxiety and taken it almost nightly.  When I found out I was pregnant I quit the Klonopin right then (being only .5 mg I thought it wouldn't be bad). It has been.  Tonight I had to take another one:(.  My doctor told me to check with the OBGYN about the Lamictal but not to quit cold turkey.  Well....I'm on TriCare and SLOWLY waiting on a referall for a new OBGYN:(  I'm so worried.  I have cut my Lamictal down to 50 mg but I am so worried about even that.  ANY advice?  Anyone going through anything similar.? I've found threads on Klonopin, Paxil, basically everything BUT Lamictal.  HELP!

[Raerae336]

I was on 2 mg of klon my doc immediately weaned me off when i fpund out i was preg. As for lamictal i was prescribed thatbut never started takingit but when mu doc wanted to put me on it she wanted to make sure i was on birth control bc of the side effects for a fetus. Id definately talk to your doc asap. Maybe youll be lucky like me and your anxiety will mellow while pregnant. I went from at least five panic attacks a day to maybe one a week, best of luck you can pm me if youd like! I also wanna add i was on .5 mg xanax as needed but got taken off them.

[BeautifulMistake2010]

Sun,
Actually I wouldn't be so sure of that.. That's why my Dr is sending for a level 2 ultrasound.... Stopping cold turkey can affect not only mom but baby....It's not good to take the medications anyway until you see a Dr. who can tell you which ones are safe, but my OB told me that stopping cold turkey could have done more harm than good.

amb: I am not trying to scare you, I am just saying that I know exactly how you feel because I was on the EXACT same medications and told to come off them cold turkey! My "old" Dr. should have known better....

[SunWorshiper_26]

Klonipin CAN be used in pregnancy but it is not recommended. A better option would be zoloft. Also benadryl can be great for anxiety as well as B 6 and B12 vitamins (which also decrease morning sickness and increase energy). Don't stop the meds until you speak with a dr and are able to wean down and onto new meds that are safer. Don't panic this early it's unlikely it has caused any problems. I wish you the best!

[BeautifulMistake2010]

Take my advice, quitting cold turkey can be bad!!!! My Physc Dr. ( the idiot) in Indiana told me to quit cold turkey and I possibly could have done more harm then good... I would call the Dr who prescribed the drugs and ask them about slowly weaning off of them.. That is the best thing to do... Because I just quit my Lamictal, Klonopin, and ambien cold turkey, I am 15 weeks but have to go to a high risk pregnancy dr. on the 23rd for a level 2 ultrasound so make sure that me stopping my medication didn't cause any nueral tube defects, or heart problems.... I am freaking out myself... I've had 3 ultrasounds so far and baby is fine, but it's still not big enough to tell..... Call your prescribing Dr. and tell them you need to be weened off the medication slowly..... I may be facing a lawsuit with this Dr. if something wrong with this baby.....

Good luck!