marytom [guest]
getting pregnant while on ADD meds Posted 9-3-2002 01:55

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I am searching for any information or research about continuing ADD medications while trying to get pregnant

I was just reading the Section of the Book "Understanding Women with AD/HD" about pregnancy and Medication.

http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=188


It suggested that many AD/HD Medications only be used by pregnant women if the benefit to the mother justifies the potential Risk to the Fetus.

There have not been any cotrolled studies about ADD meds and
pregnancy. Which really isn't surprising since most of the reseach
about ADD has been done on males.

There have been studies done on amimals who were given amphetamines while pregnant and their off spring had heart problems.

They also studied women who took dexadrine while pregnant. It said that when the children were not born with heart problem but heart problems showed up when the children were about 3.

Here's a link too
http://www.womensmentalhealth.org/topics/pregnancy_lib_ADHD.html

Tara,

What did you find out? I know that for now I am taking Zoloft for PMS mood swings. My psychiatrist says he will walk me through a pregnancy on it if need be. It is a class B. I am also taking gingko biloba. That helps when I remember to take it. He won't let me have another stimulant though. My life is chaotic. I want to get pregnant but I am so scattered. Write back if you want to talk.

I really haven't found too much more out. I too am trying to get pregnant. I haven't been on AD/HD meds for few years so I'm not about to start them now.

From what I have researched Omega-3 supplements may help during and after prenancy.

Yes, Tara...the same warning is in the Strattera packaging as well as well as warnings if you plan on breastfeeding.

I have also read that the hormonal changes that women go through during pregnancy are supposed decrease the negative AD/HD symptoms.

Women also tend to lead a more healthy life style while pregnant too. So, that may also be a factor.

Yikes! I wish... I'm 6 months pregnant and I feel more nuts than usual. My hormones are raging and I can't take anything for the ADD so I end up venting on my husband. Sigh... maybe I'm just "lucky". ;)

I asked my doctor about meds when trying to get pregnant -- he said that I'd have to go off of everything (Wellbutrin. Lamictal, Ritalin). I've been steadily decreasing over the last six months.

I recommend trying bright , light therapy for PMS, mood swings, depression, etc. Research indicates its effective and there's no reason not to even when pregnant that I know of. It really helps keep mood up -- as long as you don't do it so much that you get irritable.

Fish oil supplements are awesome -- for some reason ADDers "eat them up faster" in their brains. I take 5-10/day, depending on the time of the month. B vitamins are a huge help, too, especially folic acid (which as you know you MUST supplement before getting pregnant to have neural development of your baby, it's most important the first several months. Choline (a B vitamin) found in egg yolks is supposed to help baby's brain (and yours too). Also, for some reason, hydrogenated fats (in baked goods, chips, etc.) mess with your brain cells and "harden" them, making it harder to transmit messages.

Exercise really helps with the ADD too (and delivery, I hear). At least an hour a day -- moderate intensity --

Hope this helps -- additional suggestions are very very welcome --

PS is anyone else a little worried about keeping track of baby stuff?

I am trying to get pregnant now and still taking meds. I am fairly dependent on meds to stay focused. I am looking for either someone to tell me to keep taking them when I am pregnant becuase it does not adversely impact the fetus but ... no one is telling me this

So I am looking for an alternative treatment to help me stay focused.

Can you or (anyone) tell me more about the fish oil supplements? What do you take? How much? Does it really help you focus?

thanks

Originally posted by livingwithadd
I was just reading the Section of the Book "Understanding Women with AD/HD" about pregnancy and Medication.

http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=188


It suggested that many AD/HD Medications only be used by pregnant women if the benefit to the mother justifies the potential Risk to the Fetus.

They also studied women who took dexadrine while pregnant. It said that when the children were not born with heart problem but heart problems showed up when the children were about 3.

I'm wondering why you don't think this is appropriate to bring up in the threads on "should people with ADD procreate?"

It doesn't seem too unhelpful or dangerous for you to talk about here....

Dont you think this has something more to do with taking meds while pregnant, versus the "procreation issue"?

Its widely known that taking many meds may be harmful to a baby in the womb. Non-ADD females may have others medical conditions that may require taking meds, perhaps while pregnant. Is it your opinion, then, that non-add women should not conceive, based on the off chance that they would have to take meds during pregnancy as well? What about women with another medical condition, other than ADD? Does your opinion apply to them as well? They shouldn't even consider procreation?

What is your opinion, wheel?

The male spermagenesis takes about 90 days. It has been shown that certain drug use during that period can cause significant birth defects, etc., in the progeny produced.

I would strongly recommend against use of those drugs in that period.

Women are constitued significantly differently. The same step (the halving of the DNA) that occurs in the male during that 90 days, happens in females TWO MONTHS BEFORE THEY ARE THEMSELVES BORN.

Thus, the vulnerablity from that factor alone exists for MUCH longer in women.

In addition to the impact of various drugs prior to conception, many, including alcohol and smoking cigarettes can cause problems for progeny related to which phase of pregnancy the mother might be in at the time.

This difference between male and female constitutions and roles radically increases the potential restrictions on women, not only before conception, but all the way through pregnancy and potentially 4 or 5 years of nursing.

It also means that the MOTHER of a female might have a negative impact on the GRANDCHILDREN due to drugs she may take or be exposed to...

(Does anyone really think that ROGAIN and having hair on your head should be so important that a preganat woman simply picking up a ROGAIN pill could cause birth defects? That warning is on the drug!) My pill container has allsorts of dust from the pils i carry in there... what if i reach inot my ocket to get a pill, and with its dust on my fingers touch a railling at a movie, that then a pregnant woman touches, and deforms her baby? Does the societal value of hairy heads really go that far?

Not for me personally!)

I would think it unwise to take some risks, and i would think information and discusion would be the best way to explore that, not, refusing to talk about things in a thread about whether people who are ADD should reproduce, or what role society might APpropriately play.

That is my opinion and my 2 cents. Does that sound like Hitler should be mentioned in this context to you?

Thanks for asking.

Pregnancy—Topical minoxidil has not been studied in pregnant women. However, some studies in animals have shown that Rogaine, when given by mouth, causes problems during pregnancy, although the studies have not shown that the medicine causes birth defects. Before using this medicine, make sure your doctor knows if you are pregnant or if you may become pregnant.

http://www.hairlosstruth.com/rogaine.html

Don't you just wonder what those problems are?

UMM, Guys, Males?

I don't mean to bust in on your biology-thon, and I appreciate the philosophy lessons, and I'm not trying to be rude or disrespectful, but this thread is for WOMEN who are CONTEMPLATING PREGNANCY and NEED HELP figuring out about their meds!

Perhaps there is another milieu more appropriate for you to discuss this . . . perhaps the MEN with ADD link?? Really, no ill will intended, but it bums me out when people get all "eugenics-crazy" on me, pro or con. I know a lot of us ADD people are a little on the kooky side, but a lot of us also have astronomically high IQs (you two are obviously intelligent), and the world is a better place for us. Think about all the "normals" you know -- what percentage of them do you think should have their DNA swimming in the gene pool???

ANYHOOO -- SRED -- let me answer your question. I am the natural med queen and I have taken years to perfect my vitamin/supplement regimen. The MOST HELPFUL are as follows (especially if you suffer from PMS) -- hundreds of hours of research helped me to cull out the following . . .

1) fish oil. Just take the kind that has EPA and DHA. Manic people got off of their meds and most didn't relapse in a Harvard study (they were taking I think 10-14 grams a day).

The more icky fat you eat (saturated and partially hydrogenated), the more fish oil you need. Get a decent brand like Natrol or GNC, and start by taking 3-4 capsules AT NIGHT. I stress at night because you will have fierce fish burps and perhaps icky tummy for a while. If you are wanting to get pregnant, I would shoot for anywhere from 6-10 a day. Sounds like a lot, but ALL of us are starving for Omega 3 fats -- the American diet stinks. Eat fish too. Baby will need the O 3s. Try flax seed oil, too.

2) MAGNESIUM, in a chelated form, anywhere from 250-500 mg/day. I can't stress this one enough. It relaxes muscles and helps all the other minerals to work. Take CALCIUM, too, about 1200 mg. per day. Chills you out. And a good multivitamin with iron as well.

3) Stop drinking any kind of coke, coffee, etc. I used to drink coffee like it was going out of style. I did a two-day water fast and got off of it with minimal pain. Way more relaxed, less anxious. Soda has lots of phosphorus and robs your body of vitamins. Drink decaf green tea, too. Lots of antioxidants. Brain burns a lot of sugar (glucose) and free radicals can totally gunk stuff up --

4) Vitamin C. 1000-1500 mg/day.

5) VERY IMPORTANT -- B Vitamin complex, 50 mg. Add 100 mg. B6 and 100 mg. B1 to this and . . .

6) FOLIC ACID IS A MUST, MUST, MUST. You must build it up in your system (most people are deficient) and Baby must have it as soon as you conceive. I take anywhere from 800-1600 mcg. per day (about 2 - 4 times as much as in a regular vitamin). Folic acid chills you out too. You can't overdose on B vitamins, except B6, which will numb your hands and feet if you take too much -- over maybe 250 mg. per day.

7) Drink a lot of water.

8) Watch for food sensitivities. My major one is sugar. I am a (excuse the language) *****y wreck when I get on sugar -- lots of mood changes come from blood sugar havoc. Do you love sweets? The more you do, the more you need to ixnay on the ugarshay. Plus avoid, of course, refined bread, flour, chips, junk food. You'll feel way better, think better, and look better before and after baby!

9) Watch for reactions to commonly allergenic foods -- wheat, milk, corn, chocolate, citrus fruit. Some can cause delayed reactions. Reactions can include fogbrain, meanness, restlessness, hatred of mankind in general, sleepiness, skin eruptions, etc.

10) Try to avoid food colorings and additives. I was off sugar and chemicals for a while and felt great. I made some Kool-Aid with saccharin (which I can tolerate in SMALL amounts, unlike Splenda and Nutrasweet which both make me MENTAL). Anyway, after about 10 minutes I was giggling and flipping out and hyper. I thought, what's up? It was RED DYE #20. Totally spazzed me out. Same with MSG (also called "natural flavorings"). These are excitotoxins and make your brain HAYWIRE.

11) I have found digestive enzymes extremely helpful, which have betaine HCl, pepsin, papaya, etc. Low stomach acid can cause food to be improperly digested, and also cause you not to absorb iron, vitamins, etc, very well. If you have any digestive problems at all, try this. It doesn't matter what supplements you take if you aren't absorbing them.

12) Exercise helps so very much. Moderate, daily exercise is the closest thing you can get to a chill pill in this world, and the closest thing to the fountain of youth too -- anything that works your muscles for a solid period of time will benefit just about everything, including your thinking.

All of these suggestions should be relatively inexpensive and all are safe and beneficial before, during, and after pregnancy as far as I know.

Side note -- if you had to be perfect to have a baby, the human race would have died out long ago. A lot of people take a lot of medicines, and just the foods that we eat -- with the thousands of hormones, additives, etc., should be enough to make our babies come out with eight heads. If you want a baby, go for it.
I never thought I would have kids, but God is a miracle worker and I believe one day I'll have a healthy pregnancy and a beautiful baby!!

Let me know if you need any suggestions or help at all -- I really would like to help you out.

Amie

Amie,

While I cannot speak for other males on this Forum, I can tell you as a Site Administrator for the ADD Forums that there is nothing that procludes a male from commenting on any thread started by or about, females. The same holds true for females not being limited to the comments THEY can make in male-oriented threads.

The only limitation to posting in a thread (and its not IQ level) is that the responses/posts must be on-topic, and relevent in some way to the thread.

You should also keep in mind that many of us MALES have done some significant research on meds, and often come across information that pertains to women only (i.e. breastfeeding, pregnancy). We actually retain this information, and in many cases, will try and share our accumulated knowledge with those that ask for information on such a topic (usually females, in this instance).

If you're only seeking information from females, perhaps you should start your own thread that clearly states in the title "ONLY FEMALE RESPONSES WANTED", or perhaps a women's only group might be more your style?

I welcome responses to my post in a PRIVATE MESSAGE, so we can get this thread back to the topic at hand, which I will respectfully disengage from.

Originally posted by amiegrace
UMM, Guys, Males?

I don't mean to bust in on your biology-thon, and I appreciate the philosophy lessons, and I'm not trying to be rude or disrespectful, but this thread is for WOMEN who are CONTEMPLATING PREGNANCY and NEED HELP figuring out about their meds!

Perhaps there is another milieu more appropriate for you to discuss this . . . perhaps the MEN with ADD link?? Really, no ill will intended, but it bums me out when people get all "eugenics-crazy" on me, pro or con. I know a lot of us ADD people are a little on the kooky side, but a lot of us also have astronomically high IQs (you two are obviously intelligent), and the world is a better place for us. Think about all the "normals" you know -- what percentage of them do you think should have their DNA swimming in the gene pool???

This forum is for women with AD/HD to get support from each other. Like many other areas online that have the title "women" in it the target audience is women.

I guess I just assumed that both males and females on the forums would also have that understanding.

There are AD/HD issues that are unique to women only and men only. Each of the genders should feel safe to post and discuss.

I guess I just assumed that people would realize that the women section was for women and the men section was for men.

There are already some great groups for women with ADD set up. However I would like to members of ADD forums to feel safe and comfortable enough to post here instead of leaving ADD forums and going to those groups.

Ok, so if a male possesses the answer that a female is seeking, if the question is posted in this forum, the males are to stay out, and not reply. By the way, I didn't see anything in the posts made that would have made anyone feel "unsafe", but, being a "male", I suppose I would be blind to that.

I would suggest, then...that the titles of the respective areas of the forums be re-labeled to read Women-Only and Men-Only.

Heck, if I didnt get the message, and didnt understand the heretofor unmarked boundaries, I'm pretty sure other "males" didnt either.

------

Amie,

My apologies to you. Clearly, I did not get the Forum memo on this. :confused:

------

Should anyone else want to berate me, as the token male, for not understanding unpublished Forum rules (ironic as it may be), please do so in a PM, so I can leave this thread to its original intended purpose.

:heads to therapy:

Originally posted by amiegrace
UMM, Guys, Males?

I don't mean to bust in on your biology-thon, and I appreciate the philosophy lessons, and I'm not trying to be rude or disrespectful, but this thread is for WOMEN who are CONTEMPLATING PREGNANCY and NEED HELP figuring out about their meds!

Amie

Interesting thread...

sorry the "male contributions" constituted an intrusion...

...men frequently seem to be overly impressed with their contributions to pregnancy....

< grin >

****Dearest Men, please accept my apology if I came off as ungrateful for your contributions to helping with female reproductive technology -- I was hoping that my point would sound humorous -- I just meant that it seemed like you were getting off into tangents and it's hard enough for me to read through everything and keep track of what's going on.

Perhaps you don't understand that the ability to have/fitness for raising children is a very sensitive issue for most women, raised as we are that much of our worth hinges on our ability to bear and successfully nurture children. In my experience this is not quite as sensitive for men, and (oversensitive, perhaps), I felt some of your comments weren't really "in line" with the seriousness and sensitivity of the issue.

Although your contributions as men and fathers in the lives of children are VERY important, your feelings about parenthood and pregnancy are, by necessity, very different than women's. That's all I meant.

Again, I meant no disrespect! Subtlety has never been my strong point.

Sigh. Having ADD, I'm sure you can understand the yucky feeling of being misread and misunderstood.

I thought you completely within your "rights" and though perhaps not a popular opinion to hold, i beleive single sex gatherings have postive purpose when they are not designed to have negative purpose.

I only regret that i have to make another appearance here, where i ceded ground willingly, to endorse the merit of your observation and "desire" for a "womens' place."

Good grief! Back to topic??????

Are there any studies at all about Strattera and pregnancy? I'm pregnant and desperatly suffering without meds. Strattera was great for me (subtle but great if that makes sense) and I MISS it! However I would never take ANYTHING that would harm my unborn baby I am carrying!! I don't even drink soda pop or coffee now that I'm pregnant! I have three other children, and I "suffered" through those pregnancies and breastfeeding time as well. Is there any hope during pregnancy????? My husband is dreading this period of off meds yet once again!!!

Thank you.

There aren't many people around, or so I've found, who stay on ADD meds after they become pregnant.

However, I'm one of the few.

I took Adderall XR throughout my first pregnancy and only had complications near the end with pre-eclampsia (Med related? Don't think I'll ever know). My daughter was born 2 1/2 weeks early because of induction-high blood pressure, etc. She is a perfectly healthy baby.

I am now pregnant again (due in less than 2 weeks). This time I am taking Adderall XR along with Straterra and have been taking it since before I became pregnant. Everything has been fine in this pregnancy-except for having high blood pressure. It's not through the roof or anything, but it's been high enough to have my OB pay careful attention to it.


For me the effects of not taking the Adderall would have been a life-changer that I did not feel I could cope with, especially on top of the stress of pregnancy. I think it's probably necessary to mention that I have been taking Adderall for over 8 years now. And also important to say that my doctor, if given the choice wouldn't really want me to be taking these meds while I'm pregnant.

If i decide to become pregnant again how long do I have to stop taking meds before I do accually get pregnant so no damage is done to fetus or child after it is born?

The thing is that nobody knows. This topic just came up on an ADD Professionals mailing list that I belong to also.


I would ask my Dr how long he or she suggests to stop taking other types of meds like SSRI which research has show may cause problems if taken while pregnant. Also ask about other things like caffiene.


It is tough choice for a women to make. It's really frustrating when she tries to educate herself about the issues and can not find the answer.

I also suggest that women contact NCGIADD and ask them
Contact

National Center for Gender Issues and ADHD
3268 Arcadia Pl NW
Washington, DC 20015

Phone: 888-238-8588
Fax: 207-244-9933
email: contact@ncgiadd..org

Amie, ....loved reading your post...good information!

Hey all,

SURPRIZE!! I got pregnant (unintentionally!!!) after writing my last post -- God works in mysterious ways!!

I went off my medications. I was taking Wellbutrin and Ritalin. So far pregnancy seems to have stabilized my mood quite a bit, although I am taking lots of vitamins/B vitamins, fish oil.

I am about 6 weeks along and I am TIRED, dragging big time.

My gyn. told me that it's okay to take Wellbutrin after the first 3 months of pregnancy -- the first three months all the major organ systems are formed and Wellbutrin is in the same category as drugs like Tylenol.

Anyone else pregnant? Is there a thread for pregnant ADDers? I am okay with the little one in my belly, but what happens when I have to actually take care of the itty-bitty?

ADD parents, help, advice???

The male spermagenesis takes about 90 days. It has been shown that certain drug use during that period can cause significant birth defects, etc., in the progeny produced.

I would strongly recommend against use of those drugs in that period.

Women are constitued significantly differently. The same step (the halving of the DNA) that occurs in the male during that 90 days, happens in females TWO MONTHS BEFORE THEY ARE THEMSELVES BORN.

Thus, the vulnerablity from that factor alone exists for MUCH longer in women.

In addition to the impact of various drugs prior to conception, many, including alcohol and smoking cigarettes can cause problems for progeny related to which phase of pregnancy the mother might be in at the time.

This difference between male and female constitutions and roles radically increases the potential restrictions on women, not only before conception, but all the way through pregnancy and potentially 4 or 5 years of nursing.

It also means that the MOTHER of a female might have a negative impact on the GRANDCHILDREN due to drugs she may take or be exposed to...

(Does anyone really think that ROGAIN and having hair on your head should be so important that a preganat woman simply picking up a ROGAIN pill could cause birth defects? That warning is on the drug!) My pill container has allsorts of dust from the pils i carry in there... what if i reach inot my ocket to get a pill, and with its dust on my fingers touch a railling at a movie, that then a pregnant woman touches, and deforms her baby? Does the societal value of hairy heads really go that far?

Not for me personally!)

I would think it unwise to take some risks, and i would think information and discusion would be the best way to explore that, not, refusing to talk about things in a thread about whether people who are ADD should reproduce, or what role society might APpropriately play.

That is my opinion and my 2 cents. Does that sound like Hitler should be mentioned in this context to you?

Thanks for asking.
I understand what you are saying, and I am not going to call you Hitler for it. But here's the thing: we each have the opportunity to form our own opinions about what constitutes too much of a risk for OUR child, and what dosen't. We also have the right to decide if we should take any risks at all. And from what you are saying, it seems like you would CHOOSE to not take any risks should you decide you wished to have a child. And that is your right, and it's okay. But, you do not have the right to tell someone else what to do with his or her body. And so everyone is going to have to do their own research and weigh the risks and decide what is acceptable and what is not. their are also differing medical opinions about medications and pregnancy, which makes things even more confusing.

On the issue of whether or not people with ADD should procreate (and I wonder if I should even address this), maybe you were not allowed to post a thread on that topic as it has the potential to become to hurtful or inflammatory? Think of how many fights could come from such a thread, and if the moderators intent is to keep this board peacful, then that is probably why such threads are not allowed.

I am sorry I contributed to and continued to take things off topic in my above post. I responded before reading through the whole thread, so, sorry.

I don't really have any good advice to give women who want to be pregnant but are on meds for ADD. I have considered this situation myself, as I know I may someday wish to have children, but it seems there's medical advice that says that you must absolutely stop all meds and then there's articles that suggest not enough studies have been done to establish a link between birth problems and ADD meds, and so they may or may not harm your child if you take them throughout pregnancy. I am interested in this topic though, and to see what others have done and what the outcome was.

Hi,

I realize that if everyone who wanted to get pregnant when this thread started actually DID get pregnant, your kids would be 1-2 by now! But I thought I'd post these two websites that my Dr gave me to look up the effects of medication on pregnancy. He said he uses both of them to give advice to his patients about pregnancy and medication.The first on is from the Massachusetts General Hospital Perinatal Psychiatry Program and women's mental health center.
www.womensmentalhealth.org (http://www.womensmentalhealth.org)

The second one is www.otispregnancy.org (http://www.otispregnancy.org) which is the Organization of Teratology Information Services. What the heck is teratology??? I thought you might ask, so I looked up the definition.
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=baseline align=right width="5%">Teratology... </TD><TD vAlign=top>NOUN:The biological study of birth defects.


Hope they're helpful. Happy conceiving!
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Hi.. maybe this will help or I might be too late for some. I got pregnant while taking zoloft. My dr had me see a neonatal specialist who actually had done studies with pregnant women and antidepressants. He said the concern with the class of drugs I was taking and the fetus was osification of the skeletal system. I believe that translates to the skeleton not properly forming in the fetus, so I had two high intensity sonograms 6 weeks apart. Everything went great!! She was a year yesterday so I believe that the risk to the mother outweighed the risk to the baby and so did the neonatalist, his view is this if the mother stops taking her drugs and she attempts suicide who is she putting at risk? He was citing a case that happened while he was a resident.
So that is my experience :)

Hi... I got pregnant while taking Adderall XR and Zoloft. It was an unplanned pregnancy - I wouldn't have taken the Adderall at all if I'd planned it.

What's strange is that before I even knew I was pregnant, I could not tolerate the Adderall. It made me feel really bad so I reduced the dose. When that didn't help I quit taking it. The Zoloft did not have any negative side effects and I stayed on it for a couple of months before tapering off. Zoloft helped me a lot while I was trying to deal with my feelings about the pregnancy.

There has been information recently about hazards of taking SSRIs like Zoloft in the third trimester, so do some research on this if you are planning to take SSRIs.

I have NOT had any improvement in my symptoms because of the pregnancy. It is harder than ever to function without my meds, I was doing so well and now things have almost ground to a halt. I can barely keep up with going to work and taking care of a few things around the house. My creativity is all but gone, and I scare myself with my driving. I can't speak for everyone but I would NOT count on ADD symptoms lessening during pregnancy. I cannot wait to start again on the medications.

This loss of ability to function could be due to untreated - or undertreated depression. I have a light that I use in the morning - the kind of light used to treat seasonal depression. It seems to help a little.

I don't mean to sound so discouraging but I do think that one should be prepared for functioning to be worse during pregnancy.

Jen

<HR style="COLOR: #d1d1e1" SIZE=1><!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->


I just found out 2 weeks ago that i am about 2 months pregnant with my first child. I am 22, I don't drink, I dont smoke, but I am add w/ a mood disorder, and due to this I am on Abilify, and Adderall.I take 10 mg Abilify 1x a day and 60mg of Adderall 2x a day. Unfortunately I am unable to function at all w/out my meds. I become this huge bumbling mess of a person that shows no remnants of the person I am able to be when I am properly medicated . Even knowing that they are a neccessity, and not just a quick fix I feel guilty and selfish like i may be intentionally hurting my baby because I feel my sanity to be more important then my child's life. Even though I am on the lowest dose of Abilify and have absolutely no side effects personally and on a med dose of adderall w/ no side effects either, I still can't help but to feel this way. Is this normal to feel so guilty, and has other expectant mothers either now or previous pregnancies gone through this? I realize that if im no good to myself, then I can't be any good for my child, but at what risk should I say enough is enough and choose either to be pregnant or to choose personal function? Please someone tell me I'm not alone in feeling this way, and that this is a normal reaction to being add/adhd and pregnant. Thanks for any advise I appreciate the comments ~ Bella

Also as far as i can tell by research, both drugs that i am are class C drugs, where there isnt enough evidence in either direction to claim them as safe or unsafe to use to medicate pregnant adder's. Thanks again for any imput once again . Have a good one ~Bella

Bella,

Of course this is not an easy topic, but if you and your doctor have determined that you need these medications and that the benefit to you outweighs the risks to your baby, try not to be too hard on yourself. It's normal to feel guilty. But if you need the meds, you need them.

You have done research so that shows that you are concerned and trying to do the right thing. Not everyone is so fortunate as to be able to go off their medications while pregnant.

While I'm at it, you might want to check out a book called Medications and Mothers' Milk by Thomas W. Hale. Breastfeeding is not always ruled out just because you are on medication.

Jen

Hi,
This may not be the right thread, but I'm sure you are the right women to ask!
I know that people with ADD are very likely to have a parent (or two!) with ADD, but do you know what percentage of children born to parent(s) with ADD are themselves ADD?
For example, if the mom has ADD, is the baby 90% likely to have ADD?
50% chance of ADD?
10%?
Are the statistics any different if the father is the one with ADD?

I don't know anything about who passes to who because I am not 100% sure which parent gave it to me (both?)
My brother and I are the oldest (him) and the youngest(me)
I don't have kids yet but he does and his two boys 13 and 10 both have add (treated very young so hopefully will avoid some of the pitfalls we have!) and they beleive their little girl 5 also does ( not so clear to me but whatever) the oldest of my nephews also has aspbergers syndrom ( see co=exisiting disorders)
so basically
it is two out of four in my generation
and for him 3 out of 3
I am pretty sure my kids will have it because I think my husband my have it and some other more pervasive ld as well
I hope this helps
mscola

Hi,
This may not be the right thread, but I'm sure you are the right women to ask!
I know that people with ADD are very likely to have a parent (or two!) with ADD, but do you know what percentage of children born to parent(s) with ADD are themselves ADD?
For example, if the mom has ADD, is the baby 90% likely to have ADD?
50% chance of ADD?
10%?
Are the statistics any different if the father is the one with ADD?
According to Dr. Edward Hallowell a child with one ADD parent has a %30 chance of being ADD. A child with 2 ADD parents has a %60 chance of being ADD.

Hi Just wanted to get an update on your baby. Was it a healthy birth. I am stressed out of my mind trying to figure out what to do about whether or not to take meds while being pregnant. The thought of not being on meds is daunting. It scares me to death. Any additional info would be greatly appreciated.

Take care,

Bri

My mom took amphetamines while pregnant with me.

And here I am.

Stimulants are vasopressors. They decrease blood flow. Don't do it. I had a miscarriage in November, and i think it was possibly due to the Stimulant medication. (Even though i take 1/2 a tablet QID.)

NB. Fetal Brain Development occurs thru all 9 Months of the pregnancy.