Seroquel and pregnancy?

[CrazyCatLady]

It has been suggested to me by a new doctor to consider trying out a very low dose of seroquel.  I am bi-polar and 16 weeks pregnant.  I haven't been on meds since my teens and I really do ok with out them the majority of the time.  Things could probably be easier for me if I ever found the right med that didn't have too many side effects.  But I definitely don't feel like I need meds.  And so I'm torn about experimenting while pregnant, when I don't really even feel the need to be on anything in the first place.  I got the feeling that seroquel was his "pet" drug and that he suggests it to many of his patients, pregnant or not.

I did take a VERY high does of seroquel as a teen for a couple of years and it made me fat (I gained 70 pounds).  I was also a teen though, with crappy lifestyle habits and was on a cocktail of other psych drugs.  So my experience could be difference this time, but it still makes me nervous.

My internet research has me more confused than ever about the safety of this while pregnant or breastfeeding.  Anyone have any experiences or advice?  Thanks :)

[Learning_Mum]

I don't know about pregnancy and breastfeeding, but I started Seroquel a few weeks ago and it's been awesome! No weight gain here and helps me sleep really well! I'm feeling really good. I really didn't want to take it after feeling really groggy and out of it the first day but I'm so glad that I kept on with it.

[Oubliette8]

I think it is a tricky issue. If you are not currently having issues, and dont feel you need any medications, and have a safety plan in case you do start to have problems then I would not take the medication. On the other hand, if a mother is having serious mental health issues while pregnant, the health and safety of the mother may come before the baby. And, of course, having a mother who is sane and rational may be of greater benefit to the baby than the potential risk from the drugs. I would not start medication though just because a doctor read your chart, saw you had issues in the past, and therefor wants you on medication because that is the conventional wisdom. Even if you've had issues triggered by pregnancy, I might be inclined to make a safety plan and wait until the meds are absolutely necessary. A safety plan might include having a key person or people that you contract with to tell you and help you if you begin having issues, since I know they can sometimes be hard for persons to recognize by themselves, a plan for hospitalization if necessary, etc. All of which you hope you dont have to use.

As far as antipsychotics and the fetus, I came across this a few months ago-
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/mad-in-america/201012/do-psychiatric-medications-impair-normal-brain-development
They used an SSRI for fetal exposure and antipsychotics for early-age exposure, and in both cases there were effects on the offspring.

I also found this abstract- http://ebmh.bmj.com/content/14/1/31.extract

A quick google search for anitpsychotics fetus turns up several results.

[a13xandra]

I have experience with PRN Zyprexa during pregnancy.  It has a shorter half-life then Seroquel.  The problem with anti-psychotics and pregnancy is that very few studies have been done.  The few that have been done have tiny sample sizes, so it is impossible to get a feel for whether your baby would be affected.  It is better than nothing to have meds on hand, though. 

[baillee]

Hi Everyone:

I hope there is someone out there who can shed some light on my problem with Seroquel....

When I was pregnant with my daughter I took a low dose of Seroquel and she is now experiencing some behavior problems..

She is 3 and she is only now just starting to talk...she has anger issues etc...

I was wondering if it was the Seroquel that did it or something else...

Looking forward to hearing from other parents who may have experienced these systoms after using Seroquel in pregancy...

Thanks

Baillee