Pregnancy and ADD

[sred]

I am hoping to stir up a little more discussion about pregnancy getting pregnant as it relates to ADD.

My partner and I pulled the golie this summer and we hoping to get pregnant some time in the next year.

Medication is one of my main concerns: I am still taking medication(methlyphendate) for ADD but wondering if I should switch to an alternative. Is anyone else in this situation or have any advice on the topic? Also does medication impact our ability to concieve?

Any one take mediaction throughout their pregancy? Anyone stop?

Any ideas are welcome!

[ferrette1976]

I have never been pregnant myself, but I've heard that in extremely high doses (like way more than we'd take) Ritalin can cause heart problems in rats.

I have also heard, though I can remember where, that when you are pregnant your ADD symptoms get better. Must be the hormones or something.

I am also considering getting pregnant sometime soon. Personally, I would stop as many meds as I could. It's just not worth the risk.

Funny how they've never tested the effects of Ritalin (and many, many other drugs) on pregnant women. It just goes to show how backwards the medical community is. Do I sound somewhat disenchanted?

[FlakeyGirl]

My husband and I are both AD/HD and we have not had a problem conceiving. I was taking Adderall 40mg at the beginning of my last preganancy, for a few weeks or a month. As soon as I thought I might be pregnant, I self D/C'd immediatley. My Pdoc was annoyed with me. I felt very sleepy and hungry, I don't know if it was withdrawal or just pregancy. I didn't care. I wanted to stop b/c that is when the baby's neuro system is forming. I started having contractions (mild, but irritating) at about 24 weeks. I don't know if this was related to Adderall or not. It was also my fifth pregnancy and that could have been it. I was put on terbutaline, which was terrible. It gave me parkinsonian-like tremors round the clock. OB took me off that at 37 weeks and I delivered at 38. The baby was just fine. At eight months, she is a little slow in her physical developmental milestones. She learned to roll over late and is just now beginning to sit up unassisted. Ped is not worried. Her sensory milestones are fine. We think she just may not be hyperactive, wouldn't that be a nice change since at least 3 of my other five kids are AD/HD! Feel free to PM me if you have other ?'s.

[FlakeyGirl]

I just read my previous post, since I didn' t remember posting here. We have not had a problem conceiving....HA, that's an understatment. I always make ridiculous remarks like that unintentionally.

I've also heard people say that drinking alcohol can be a barrier to conception. Quite the opposite in our case, I'd have to say !

[mrsbusch]

I am taking adderall and strattera with this pregnancy. During my first pregnancy I took Adderall and had a perfectly healthy baby. (May have had to do with all of the prayer behind her)

She has been developing normally or early since day one. She rolled over at 3 months and walked around 10 months.

My Psychiatrist has been amazed (especially because she was scared of the effects that might have taken place.

There arent any studies done with humans and adderall, strattera or other medications like these becuase not many are willing to take the risks involved. For me, I didn't feel I had much of a choice. I had been taking the Adderall for over 6 years when I found out I was pregnant with my first.

[bellatauri]

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 10 mg abilify 1x a day and 60mg of addreall 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 by my pdoc. 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