Trying to wean off Zofran... any suggestions?

[artbeware]

I am 22 1/2 weeks and still taking 12 mg a day of Zofran. Without it, I lost 10 lbs b/w weeks 6-8, and visited the ER twice for IV hydration. (Tried reglan after first visit--disastrous. Found out about Zofran and insisted on it the 2nd time.) Problem is, my insurance only covers about 1/3 of my monthly dosage, which means I am spending a fortune on the rest (well over $2000 so far, I estimate. too depressing to figure out exactly). I was too miserable those first few months to figure out how to get drugs from Canada. I've figured that out now, but it's still a $36/day when ins. doesn't pay ($90/day when I buy locally. EVIL.)

So, at my doctor's recommendation, I've been trying unsucessfully to wean myself by skipping a dose. I've been feeling so much better the last couple of weeks (haven't vomited in about 3 weeks!) that occasionally I actually FORGET to take the afternoon dose. So I tried skipping, but the next day felt miserable, gaggy and nearly pukey.

I was wondering if anyone else had tried to go off Zofran and if so, how did you do it? Did B6 work? Unisom? B6 did nothing for me in the first trimester, but maybe now that I seem to have improved, I should try it.

Thank god for this site! It was my only comfort in those early days of misery. Good luck to all you other sufferers. No one deserves to go through this.

[MamaLily]

Hi and welcome to the 2nd Trimester forum! Glad you found us here!

Have you looked into the possibility of getting IV zofran instead of zofran pills? A lot of insurance companies will cover IV zofran when they won't cover the pills. Definitely something to investigate!

I'm glad to hear that you are feeling a little bit better. Forgetting to take zofran is a great place to be, LOL. When I was going through the worst of HG, I would count down the hours and minutes until I could take the next zofran. I'm sure we've all been there.

Unisom does work well for many HGers. I think it's worth a try. If you need info, there is a great Sticky post about it in this forum and in the 1st Tri forum as well.

Keep hanging in there! Let us know what we can do for you.

- Anna