Taking Mylan Ondansetron for Morning Sickness Can It Harm My Unborn Child?

I took it -- both the dissolvable kind and IV zofran. I got IV zofran for almost two weeks and the dissovable kind throughout my pregnancy -- until about week 30, I think. My daughter is perfectly fine. It's a pregnancy category B drug so it's generally safe.

Discuss this with your pharmacist and doctor.

With respect to Doris Day, some people don't understand extreme sickness. I do. I had it.It doesn't just "go away." It's there from beginning to end, all day every day, leading to hospitalizations. It's very serious, and there is a reason some people NEED these medications.

A., Here is some information I think you might find helpful.

The use of ondansetron has not been approved by the FDA for morning sickness. Drugs in the US are sometimes used "off-label"...meaning without FDA approval for that particular indication. During the past decade ondansetron has been increasingly used in the United States for Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy (NVP). While fetal safety data for doxylamine-pyridoxine (a very different product ) are based on more than a quarter of a million pregnancies, the fetal safety data for ondansetron are based on fewer than 200 births. Moreover, a recent case-control study suggested there was an increased risk of cleft palate associated with ondansetron. Recently, the FDA issued a warning about potentially serious QT prolongation and torsade de pointes associated with ondansetron use; the warning included a list of precautions and tests that must be followed. The drug is not labeled for use in NVP in either the United States or Canada. Based on the data available today, ondansetron use cannot be assumed to be safe during pregnancy.

A small study raised concern about Zofran increasing the risk of cleft palate. Since then a much larger study has eased concerns in this area. The new study of more than 600,000 pregnancies in Denmark found no evidence of major birth-related problems. References to this study: http://www.parents.com/blogs/parents-news-now/2013/03/01/... http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/02/27/preg... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/27/zofran-pregnancy... http://www.aboutlawsuits.com/zofran-pregnancy-study-no-ri...

Perhaps you could try the pyridoxine (vitamin B6) alone and see if that doesn't solve the problem. It often does. Or, you might also try a product called Mamalicious (www.mymamalicious.com) . It is available online or at Roots Beauty in Laguna Beach.

This is really something you need to research and discuss with your doctor BEFORE you begin taking any drug.

As far as I can find out on Google:
it's an anti nausea drug used during chemo therapy
no side effects were noted in studies with rats but no human pregnancy trials have been conducted so they say to take it only if absolutely necessary - they just don't know what effect it could have on unborn human babies.

http://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/lookup.cfm?setid=aa5...

Never take any medicine while pregnant if you are not sure about its effects!

If your morning sickness is too bad, there are medications that are safer to take that your OBGYN can prescribe to you. Please don't take any more without checking first.

A mother two posts behind you just asked about drugless remedies. You should check out her responses... Maybe you will get some ideas to manage yours as well.

There is no shame in needing a little help... But please, please don't take random anti-nausea drugs.

Good luck finding a remedy!

Talk to your doctor! We are not medical professionals... and knowing that some random person on the Internet says she used whatever and it was fine should not be enough for you.

you need to discuss this drug with your Dr.

Webmd says "Doctors are advised to avoid prescribing this drug for pregnant women unless the benefits outweigh the risks to the baby".

http://www.webmd.boots.com/pregnancy/morning-sickness-ond...

There isn't alot of research that has been done on this drug. Only you and your Dr will be able to tell if the benefits outweigh the risks. It certainly isn't good for your baby to have you dehydrated and not getting nourishment. So, if you are severly sick, then you need to do what will provide the best outcome.

ETA - I didn't saying that I didn't understand Hypermesis G like one of our moms here mentions having. The original poster didn't say that she has been diagnosed with it. There ARE specific medicines for that, as well as IV fluids and even hospitalization. My remarks are specifically for using the medicine the original poster is using. Doctors learned an awful lot after the thalidomide tragedy. They are NOT quick to prescribe a medicine that has not been researched for this purpose. The mylan ondansetron is off label for morning sickness.

Original:
Please read up on the drug called thalidomide.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thalidomide

That's a primer on it. If you read about children exposed to thalidomide, you would understand why most moms try very hard to ride morning sickness out and not take medications for it.

Better to have a dirty house and unwashed clothes than take the chance of a baby with birth defects.

We all understand morning sickness. We also know that it eventually goes away and a healthy baby is the prize at the end of the line. You can do this. Leave off the mylan ondansetron.

I took it throughout my pregnancy. Ask your ob.

Did your doctor give it to you. Then it is Ok. If not, call to,orrow and do not take any,ore. That is Zofran correct.

Was this prescribed to you by your OB? If not, you should not take it! It is my understanding this is a drug to fight nausea in cancer patients. To take for morning sickness without your doctors approval is insane IMO.

You should absolutely talk to your doctor before you ever take a med during pregnancy. That said, here is a website and it lists ondensetron as a drug used for morning sickness.
http://www.infantrisk.com/content/nausea-and-vomiting-pre...

Again, you should still talk to your doctor before you take it again, even though it is on this list. No website replaces your OB's advice on meds during pregnancy.

I'm in my 4th pregnancy. I've had Hypermesis G. with ALL. My first pregnancy it lasted for 8 months and I had a terrible time gaining weight and just getting by day to day. I have been prescribed Zofran for my pregnancies ever since (both through IV form and orally). I would not be able to function without it. It doesn't make everything better/go away (at least for me) but it DOES make life tolerable and I can actually consume water and food. I am incredibly thankful for it! My children (thus far) have no problems. Perfectly beautiful and normal. I hope this gives you some peace. Blessings to you.

PS. (After reading some responses) Only a doctor can prescribe Zofran. My OB/GYN prescribed it for pregnancies 2-4.