Getting off medications before TTC? (and intro)

mauigirl808205 · February 2013

Hi everyone! Just wanted to say hello and introduce myself and see if anyone had any advice or insight into my situation. I'm 26 and have a 5 year old daughter, and my SO is 29 and has a 2 year old daughter. We have been together for almost a year and hope to get married next year (although we aren't engaged yet.) He has said that he wants to TTC right away once we get married.

Has anyone been on medications that they had to quit before TTC? I currently take very low doses of Ambien and Klonopin. I plan on talking to my psychiatrist Friday to try to see if he thinks I can begin weaning off the medication so that my SO and I can TTC once we get married. What I'd like is to be medication free for a month or two before we TTC, remain so through the pregnancy/BFing, and then see where I'm at. (with any luck, after being off the meds for so long, I won't feel like I need them anymore)

Also, I'm currently on Mirena and my 5 years is up in May. I'm trying to decide what I should do for BC until we're ready to TTC. Should I go on the pill? Nuvaring?

Nice to "meet" you all!

mrsfrank · February 2013

I was on a few meds that needed to ween off of before TTC, I did it over a month and wish I had done it over a longer period, had some yucky side effects. Anyways, I did the nuva ring for a year and had zero issues with it! Good Luck!

mrspharmd · February 2013

I was on spironolactone for acne and it was WONDERFUL. But it's very harmful to a fetus so I quit that when I quit my birth control just to be on the safe side. Of course now my face has flared up since I have hormonal acne. Oh well at least I know what works for me so I can get back on it when I'm able to! And I charted for the 5 months my husband and I were TTA, so I knew when I was fertile and would avoid sex or use condoms during that time. Welcome and GL!

MNswimmer · February 2013

Defenently talk with your doctor, with my migraine meds I weaned off them over the course of 3 months. Pretty much everything else I was able to stop with out weaning.

The pill worked for me for years. For me it would depend on how soon after May you want to TTC. If it was only a few months I'd consider charting and/or condoms.

bdipaolo86 · February 2013

I know you definitely can't take Klonopin while pregnant and BFing but if you stop and realize you still need medication there are pregnancy safe medicines that can help with anxiety. I'm on medicines that are class C but when I was pregnant my doctor said the pros outweighed the cons so she wanted me to stay on them. Take a look on safefetus.com.

Makemineadouble · February 2013

I'm in the same boat. We are not ttc right now because I have to get off of my meds and klonopin is one of them. I didn't want to go back on bc so we are just using condoms. It's not ideal but it's temporary.

adunkin · February 2013

First, welcome and good luck with whatever you decide.

My doctors changed my meds to something "safer" (Class B - there are many new drugs on the Class A list) about 5 months before we started TTC. It gave me a chance to see how it would go and enough time to try something else if it wasn't working. After 5 months of TTC, I worked with my docs to stop all daily meds and only use prescription stuff when needed and only while waiting to O. (In case it was the meds that were making conception challenging.)

It wasn't easy - and it's really not easy being med free. Definitely have a conversation with your doc about it. Like a pp said, sometimes it's better to be on a low dose of something than go completely without. And it definitely takes time. Another website to check out would be the Otis Fact Sheets on meds put out by The Teratology Society.

Want a personalized experience?

Getting off medications before TTC? (and intro)

Re: Getting off medications before TTC? (and intro)

Choose Another Board

Search Boards