Question about GD medication

Brooklynn114

After completing my three hour test, my second and third numbers were a little high. I've set an appointment to consult with a nutritionist and have been researching like crazy. During the research, I have come up with a few things that are quite disturbing to me. While reading up on Glyburide, I discovered that animal testing showed fetal toxicity and no human studies have been done. In fact, the manufacturer states that Glyburide should NOT be used during pregnancy. I don't want to alarm anyone, I'm just concerned that this medication is frequently prescribed to pregnant women. I have decided that I am not comfortable with Glyburide or insulin and will control my levels as best I can with diet and exercise, but I was curious as to how the rest of you ladies felt about this. If taking it while pregnant, there was also a warning that Glyburide should not be taken within 2 weeks of delivery without discussing it with a doctor, and that it should not be taken at all while breastfeeding. Again, this concerns me that this was information I had to find on my own rather than from my doctor. What are your thoughts?

sallysands1

FWIW: 

I took this medication while I was pregnant. My blood sugar levels weren't able to be controlled with just diet. It helped greatly. I'm not sure where you found this information or how reliable it is. But from personal experience the medication Glyburide kept me and my baby very healthy throughout the remainder of my pregnancy. I didn't have to take it immediately following giving birth. Once you give birth the GD goes away. They test you again in six weeks, just to make sure. You can test yourself at home with your kit if you so desire.

But that's just my experience.   

LeighAnne1941

Please don't write off medication altogether.  Everyone involved would much rather you control your GD through diet and exercise obviously but sometimes it's just not possible.

FWIW, Glyburide is not approved for use in Canada as it crosses the placenta and there has obviously been no testing on human fetal effects, so it was not an option for me.  However I've comfortably been taking insulin for over a month now.  Insulin is something your body produces anyway, my body is just not producing enough at the moment.

Kelly-renee

They usually get you to try to control your glucose levels with diet and exercise alone first anyways, when you can't control it due to your body's own issues or some other reason should you be prescribed a drug.  High glucose levels are dangerous for you and LO, so the risks and benefits of drugs have to be analyzed in every situation.

Jaclyn278

My high risk dr and two OB s said it is fine. My #s cannot be controlled on its own and I had to have my meds increased weekly! My high risk dr printed me out REAL research about the benefits of the drug and it doesn't cross the placenta. I trust my drs, and I agree with the pp, the benefits outweigh the risks of high sugar. You have to do what's best for you and LO

pixmama

LeighAnne1941:

Please don't write off medication altogether.  Everyone involved would much rather you control your GD through diet and exercise obviously but sometimes it's just not possible.

FWIW, Glyburide is not approved for use in Canada as it crosses the placenta and there has obviously been no testing on human fetal effects, so it was not an option for me.  However I've comfortably been taking insulin for over a month now.  Insulin is something your body produces anyway, my body is just not producing enough at the moment.

 

This - exactly!! I started with Glyburide, though, but had some pretty significant issues with it causing me to have hypoglycemic issues (as well as similar concerns over the safety from doing some reading too) - so switching to insulin was a welcome change. I agree with PP - our bodies produces this naturally, we just can't make enough due to the demand of our growing babies! I have been on insulin for about a month now, as well, and have been feeling great - but there was no way diet alone was going to work for the remainder of my pregnancy either! 

dafodils_lament

If I end up on medication at all my doctor will be putting me on insulin because that is the natural thing and does not cross the placenta. I hope to be able to control via diet alone but if that doesn't happen I will take the shots (and I HATE needles). I'd much rather take the risk that medication may pose rather than having my sugars get way too high and cause other issues.

Brooklynn114

Thank you to everyone for the extra input. I wasn't sure whether I should even post about this or not but I felt that it wasn't the sort of thing I should keep to myself. I appreciate the concern about our decision to turn down medication, but please understand this was not a decision we took lightly. After reviewing the many studies out there concerning GD and treatment options, we have found no significant difference in outcomes other than the potential to reduce our LO's weight by 6-8 ounces. We don't find that to be beneficial enough to expose her to the medications given. I'm sure that each of you have fantastic doctors that all have your best interests at heart but my experiences have led me to never take my doctor's word without verification. As the GD issue seems to be in debate in the medical community, we're comfortable with our decision. I also want to make it clear that I do not wish to influence anyone else's decision when it comes to GD. I only wanted to mention Glyburide to see if anyone else had these concerns. As for where I got the information, look up "Glyburide safety during pregnancy" and you will find several articles about the issue. Thank you all for your responses, and best wishes to each of you!