October 2015 Moms

Any Zofran Takers?

So I went to the ER the other night and they gave me zofran. The NEXT day I see a commercial on TV about how Zofran cause cause cleft lips, heart problems, and more! I am a FTM at 20 weeks and I'm terrified that it could harm my baby. Does any one have or had bad/good experiences with this medication?

Re: Any Zofran Takers?

  • I was in the ER for food poisoning last week and they gave it to me as well.  I hadn't heard about the negative things associated with it.  I am not a medical professional by any means but imagine that one dose wouldn't be likely to cause those things?  I will definitely ask my doctor this week :)  Sorry this isn't helpful... just wanted to let you know you aren't alone.
    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker

    BabyFruit Ticker
  • Loading the player...
  • Just did a bit more reading and it looks like the birth defects were associated with women who were taking Zofran regularly during their first trimester, when fetal abnormalities were more likely to occur.  Again, I am not doctor and this is all just from internet articles, but hopefully this will ease your mind a bit.  I doubt that one dose this late in our pregnancies would pose a serious risk.  In my case, I was much more at risk for sever dehydration since I couldn't stop getting sick that night!
    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker

    BabyFruit Ticker
  • Twins1015Twins1015 member
    edited June 2015
    I went to the ER in the beginning of my pregnancy, i couldn't hold anything down. I took it every other day for as couple months. My twin girls were fine. Didnt seem like they were affected by it. I had high levels for neural tube disorder on my bloodwork. Went in for my anatomy scan at 18 weeks and one of my twins didnt have a heartbeat and there is no explanation why. Especially because i was in my second trimester. Other baby is healthy.
  • I've been on it since week 7 and my doctor said there's nothing to worry about. He said it's likely a very small percentage of women whose babies had defects and the medicine probably wasn't even the cause. He said those dang lawyers just like to make his job harder. Haha
  • My friend took it her whole pregnancy (not sure if this included the first trimester but she definitely took it in her second and third) and her baby is fine and beautiful (as far as we know, so far) and just turned 1 :)
  • I've been taking it since week 12. I held off until then because of those commercials. After being super sick and not being able to keep anything down I decided my baby needed nutrition. Also, I figured my Dr wouldn't prescribe it if he didn't think it was ok. I can't tell you how many people have said "you're taking that!? Haven't you seen the commercials?" I just reply and say, "if only everything we see on tv were true!"
  • rue:Drue:D member
    I had the same experience as @beckles112 , my doc said the same thing about lawyers! I was on it for a few weeks although it got to the point where it wasn't helping anymore so I went back to Diclegis. The only problem I had it with it (other than when it stopped working for me) was that it caused major constipation. I thought it was just pregnancy in general but as soon as I quit taking it I was back to pooping normally.

    Anyway, the twins looked great at their anatomy scan last week, so it doesn't appear there are any issues there.
  • betharamabetharama member
    edited June 2015
    My friend took it for both of her pregnancies and her kids are fine. I took it quite a bit in the first trimester because I couldn't even eat or function and will take it now on the very bad days. There are conflicting studies out there and for me it came down to if I couldn't keep any food or liquids down that was harmful for the baby too. My quad test was negative for all accounts and ultrasounds have been fine. My doctor and husband (is a pharmacist) said the same thing about the commercials but they still bothered me!
  • I am not taking Zofran, but I am taking Diclegis for my nausea and vomiting. It is a Class A medication, meaning it is one of the safest to take. Zofran is a Class C and is not FDA approved for pregnant women. Maybe ask your doctor for Diclegis...I take pills at night and feel so much better!
  • I was prescribed and did a ton of research before taking it and decided against taking it. I was also on a different forum on another ap. And talked to this girl that was on it and her baby girl was born with a bunch of heart problems. I'd rather be safe than sorry. I took diclegis instead and worked ok and had really good reviews.
  • I went to the ER at 12 weeks for non-stop vomiting and they prescribed 1 Zofran. Baby is totally healthy and no signs of cleft lip at my 20 week scan. The nurses in the ER said the same thing about the lawyers in that commercial. 
  • You have to understand lawyers are motivated to make money and if they can convince upset parents that something they did caused their baby's problems that's a win for them regardless of how you or the baby are doing.

    Docs are motivated to get a healthy baby and a healthy mom. For women who are regularly taking Zofran in the first tri it's probably way necessary. It's also not good if the baby isn't getting any nutrition because mom is puking. Emily Bronte is thought to have died from hyperemesis! Single exposures of anything are unlikely to do any damage (especially 2nd tri) but I hate these scare tactics. They make women terrified and so the status quo of 'don't treat just suffer through it' keeps going. If you're doc has weighed the risks, trust them
  • As someone above mentioned, the constipation is horrendous so if you can get away with taking something else, do so. It was definitely a life saver for me and baby though. I have no doubt if I didn't take it I would have lost him because I lost so much weight and couldn't stay hydrated on my own no matter how hard I tried to hold it down.
  • The reason it is a class c medication is because it has not been officially tested on pregnant women, but there have not been negative effects during animal testing.

    There are risks with everything, but at some point the benefit out weighs the risk. It is not healthy for the baby if you cannot keep any food or liquid down.

    As with any medication, you shouldn't be taking it unless you absolutely need to. If just not taking it is an option, then you don't really need it in the first place. Diclegis is an alternative, but it is pretty much unisom and B6 and it can make you very drowsy. It did not work for me at all.

    I had hypermesis with my first two and was on a constant dose of zofran from about 6 weeks until 24 weeks and then 5 weeks until 19 weeks and I have 2 perfectly healthy children.
  • Another thing you can try is taking B6 with unisom at night. That has made all the difference for me--I was puking at midnight and waking up queasy--it's really helped and has also decreased the amount of Zofran I need.
  • My doctor prescribed Zofran for me too! After reading about lawsuits and seeing the commercials, I was appalled that she prescribed it. Needless to say, I didn't take it, but my coworker and I happen to be 2 weeks apart in our pregnancies and her doctor gave her Diclegis, so she shared it with me. I researched it as well and it is specifically for pregnant women, Zofran is not. At my next appointment the doctor asked what medications I was taking and I listed Diclegis. They had never heard of it!! That made me feel like my doctor/ nurses were not in the know and I thought about switching to another doctor. Anyway, Diclegis was great! I would skip the Zofran, but I doubt one dosage is going to harm your baby.
  • I think it's safe. Although I like promethazine better for nausea. Those quick dissolve zofran pills tasted horrible to me.
Sign In or Register to comment.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards
"
"