Need help please! How early is too early for Zofran?

[imasurvivor]

Hello everyone, my name is Bernadette. I am in my second pregnancy with hyperemesis and I am about 7 weeks pg. I didn't start taking Zofran in my last pregnancy until I was about 11 weeks. My hyperemesis is bad again and the doctors are trying to get me to take it but I'm worried that it's too early. Has anyone taken it this soon in their pregnancy without problems occuring in their baby? I was looking on motherrisk.com and it said that no significant risk is present for taking Zofran after 10 weeks. I'm not sure if that means that I shouldn't take it earlier? Thank you in advance for any advice. I can't believe I'm going through this again already. I have a 9 month old baby right now.

[jlgrafix]

Hi Bernadette,

I also didn't start taking Zofran until my 11 week on my 1st pregnancy...docs wanted to try everything before giving me zofran.

this time around I started taking it at 7 weeks, as soon as the HG started appearing.

Jen

[emily]

I took zofran (both IV and oral) early in my pg and delivered a very healthy baby. She turns 3 this summer and she has been the picture of health since she was born. HTHs!

[MamaLily]

Bernadette -

Yes, I think it's fine to take Zofran when you need it. My peri was willing to call in a zofran prescription as soon as I needed it when pregnant. I think it's better to keep you away from dehydration and malnutrition as long as possible...and zofran will definitely help in those battles!

Are you trying any other meds? Unisom/B6? Meclizine? Reglan? Something along with zofran might be helpful!

Good luck to you! Hang in there!

- Anna

[Ivydragon]

Hi Bernadette, congratulations on your pg! Wow, a 9 month old, too. I think there's another gal here with a baby under a year and just newly pg, so you're not alone - and we've all had HG, so you're definitely not alone there!

I've known gals to start on Zofran at like 6 wks, so you should be just fine in starting it early. It's the steroids that you would have to wait on.

Like Anna (Mamalily) said, often combining the drugs works better than one alone, so let us know what dose of Zofran you are on, and how well it's working for you!

I was on Zofran from 9 wks until 41 wks, and my daughter is perfectly healthy. I wish they'd given it to me earlier - it stopped my vomiting cold, kept me out of the hospital, and w/ B6/Unisom I felt normal by 20 wks as long as I stayed on a low dose of all three. I bounced in and out of the ER and hospital for 2 wks unable to eat or drink before I found Zofran, and I'd hate to see that happen to you. Zofran this early is very common around here.

Let us know, Oh, there's also a great post all about Zofran/B6/Unisom that you should read - there are options to Zofran you should know about.

Andy

[imasurvivor]

Thank you all so much for your replies. I am having such a hard time with this pregnancy. I have been to the ER two times to be hydrated and I'm just 8 weeks. I wasn't worried about taking Zofran that early until I read on motherisk.com that there is "no potention risk known after 10 weeks." I am sure that this just means more testing needs to be done before but I am so worried about endangering my baby. I don't know how I'm going to get through this. I am blessed in having an amazing husband and family who are all helping me care for my beautiful daughter. She just started walking and has so much more energy than I can muster. I know that the medication's benefits will outweigh the risk if I keep at the pace I'm at. I'm barely drinking liquids and practically keeping nothing down at all. I have an appt with my doctor on Wed and am going to talk to her about starting the unisom and B6 combination. I was glad to read such an informative post on that. Again, thank you everyone. Thank God I can come here and find support from others who are suffering through each day of their pregnancies. May you all give birth to the healthiest and happiest of little miracles
Bernadette

[Ivydragon]

I know you feel so early still in your pg, but two ER visits for HG by 8 weeks doesn't surprise me in the least, it's VERY common. You haven't been on anything to slow HG down, and so it is running rampant. You have lost control of your eating and drinking so that you are in a constant cycle, and it has to be broken. That is why Zofran is usually so wonderful.

Although the official study on Zofran isn't officially published, it IS being studied, and if there had been strong indications found by Motherisk that there were problems with this drug, I would have been contacted personally. You have a very rough month coming, and you aren't going to make it through without medicinal help. You are not putting your baby at risk by taking Zofran. You are putting yourself at more risk by not taking Zofran, thus allowing the vomiting to stay out of control - and there ARE risks to that.

I know you are afraid of fetal deformity or death, and it's more likely than an HGer will loose a baby because HG is totally out of control for too long than to ever loose a baby because of the drug regimen that has been prescribed. Zofran is also one of the drugs that has a good safety rating, and is widely used. There are so many moms who have started Zofran early, and had perfectly healthy babies.

Is the ER checking your ketones to make sure that you are actually hydrated when you leave the hospital? Why not call your midwife now? Two days is a long time in the HG world, and there could be an ER visit between now and then, and hey, if there is, ask if you can have Zofran in your IV and a B6 injection, too (they are wonderful for nausea).

Andy