Doc has prescribed me promethazine for morning sickness but.....

[mountainboo]

My partner has been speaking to his mum and they have both decided they dont think i should take it. I'm really P155ed off because noone knows how sick ive been feeling and im desperate for relief. please give me some advice, on both sides. is it true there was a medicine in the 70's that caused deformities which was also for morning sickness?

[CheekyChops]

You are thinking of Thalidomide, taken during the 1960's for morning sickness (amongst other things). Inadequate tests were carried out before it was released and it resulted in the birth of thousands of babies with deformaties.

I can't say that I have ever taken promethazine but I would imagine that the lesson had been learned following the Thalidomide episode and that drugs are tested much more thoroughly these days.

Obviously it is up to you whether or not you take it but having a look around, it seems that it isn't even a prescription drug, it is available over the counter in this country so must be pretty safe.

[CheekyChops]

This is from the NHS direct website:

If you are vomiting a lot, the antihistamine medicine, promethazine, may help. There is no evidence that it will harm your unborn baby.

[redcrx]

mountainboo, what makes them think that they are correct in how to treat your sickness and your GP isnt?

Yes, thalidamide caused a lot of birth defects and heartache for many but do they realise how ill you are feeling without it?

Bad morning sickness is awful, i was lucky not to get it but a friend of mine is due in 23 days and she still cant eat a thing without bringing it back up. She has lost 3 stones during her pregnancy.

Have you thought about doing some research on the drug or asking your partner (not his mum as it has little to do with her at all) to speak to your midwife or GP about his concerns?

The baby will take what nourishment it can from what you are eating and then take what it can from your own reserves but this really wont be helping you to keep strong and healthy ready for giving birth and the months after.

I really hope you can get the help to feel better and stronger without the advice from your mother-in-law

[mountainboo]

thanks cheeky and redcrx. I have a meeting with my midwife tommorow so on what you have said i shall definately speak to her with mr mountainboo in the room so he can get some clarrification. i feel very sorry for your friend. i hope i dont get it that bad.

[redcrx]

how strange mountainboo, i have just got a text from her as i was typing to say shes been prescribed anti-sickness pills lol

better late than never i suppose.

Oh and to have it that bad is very rare, ive only ever known one other woman with it like that, all the others that had bad sickness were prescribed some drug and were fine after that or it just dwindled out at abou 12-15 weeks.

[mountainboo]

thats good. poor girl, getting the med this late on but as you say better late than never.

[Goodsoulette]

The thing about these drugs are they arent actually licensed for pregnancy, there have been no reported problems with developing babies but there has also been no controlled studies on people.

Your doc will prescribe these to you when the benefits to the mother outweigh the risk to you baby.

Good luck and god I hated it when my partner would talk to his mum. From, is she sure shes pregnant? to should she be working? and shouldnt she bottle feed so she knows hes getting enough........grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

[rabbitygirl]

I was terribly sick with my first, all 9 months, and after I'd had baby I was hollow where my tummy was. I called it my soup tureen tum! It is really unpleasant, and after being the same during my 2nd pregnancy (and feeling faint a lot too) I decided 2 was all I would have. During No.1 I was prescribed Debendox which is not mentioned here but later became very controversial re poss birth defects. The only problem I had was keeping the flipping thing down long enough to take effect. By the time of 2nd pregnancy most were too nervous to take it including me. In fact my neighbour was so concerned with my state that she insisted I take hers until I got a script.

Later, 2 normal babes later, I was asked to sign a petition against Debendox which I refused and pointed out my perfect 2 sons. This woman verbally abused me and said her sisters baby was harmed by the drug and that it was irresponsible not to sign. I gave as good as I got and told her there was no evidence of this drugs harmfulness and I certainly could never claim it to be in my experience.

Maybe Debendox is still around and the drug you mention is similar. You must decide yourself because as Goodsoulmate says there have probably been no tests on people and the industry waits until problems begin.

Good luck. I hope you find a solution and enjoy some of your pregnancy. I certainly remember even 27 years on how horrible the sickness was. For me I found a dry cream cracker nibbled 1st thing in the morning would work more often than not.

[Skreecheeboy]

My colleague just popped a sprog out and she was a vegetarian. Apparently meat is a trigger for pregnant women to chunder as it used to be a lot more dangerous to eat meat before the days of fridges. Perhaps trying to eat less meat might help keep stuff down? She came into work everyday right up till 2 weeks before she was due and was by far healthier looking than some of my other colleagues that have had kids. I've also talked about this with other folk I know that have had kids and they agreed that even the smell of meat was enough to set the off when they were up the duff.

[mountainboo]

Thanks for all you input everybody, its all valuable advice. Rabbitygirl, Im glad you stuck to your guns with that debendox prescription, sounds like that woman was out of order in what she said to you. I have decided only to take this medication if and when I absolutely need it. Thanks again everybody