Anyone take labetalol for blood pressure?

[surprisepreg]

Hey,

I saw the doctor today and she prescribed labetalol for the blood pressure issues I have developed this week. She said my baseline has jumped to much and that the spikes im having could cause a stroke. I just took one of the pills...but I must say its making me nervous.

Has anyone else had any experience taking labetalol during pregnancy?

Thanks!

-Laura

 

[lucy_x]

i was supposed to. I didnt. Sorry not much help.

When they made me take them in hospital, I felt edgy and nervous, I also cryed alot

I took them once i left hospital with my baby, My milk didnt come in (for 2 weeks resulting in going back to hospital and pumping every2 hrs to get my milk!! )and i spent 2 weeks crying and feeling miserable. (almost depressed) i stopped taking the tablets, my milk came that next morning (engorgment and everything!!) and i stopped crying.
I blame them for the worst 2 weeks of my life. And i will never take them again. (well after pregnancy anyway)

 

[lucy_x]

sorry iv realised im not much help.

If i was to do it again, I would take the tablets during pregnancy, especially if i only had 45 days left, and as soon as my baby was out and safe. stoptaking them . just my opinion, so please dont do this unless you feel you need to (i dont want to seem pushy haha)

 

[surprisepreg]

Thanks for the reply! I feel nervous about taking the meds...but I dont think I have a choice at this point. My bp has been getting higher every day for the past week...and it really has started to affect me. When I got home from the doctor today, I monitored my bp while waiting for my meds to be ready. I felt sick and uncomfortable. My bp didnt go below 140/80(ish) and was constantly spiking higher. I took the meds and I must say I feel much better and my bp has come down to 130/70. I really hope I dont have to be on the meds too long though. I really do worry about the affects they may have on Baby Shane.

 

[lucy_x]

As long as you feel comfortable then thats fine, the effects will be minimal at 43days to go (iv done my research!!), my BP was 140/80 when i was booked in (and wasnt told to take labetalol until 32 weeks) and when i was induced was 200/100. and that was woth a drip in administering it!

Hopefully tho things will regulate themselves after the birth, But please please note that if for some reason you start feeling depressed etc that it could e the tablets, i would'nt wish what i went through for those 2 weeks on anyone!

 

[surprisepreg]

Thanks for the heads up!!! Hopefully I wont have any depression... :-/

The doctor today said they may decide to deliver him before his due date...Im thinking that by 36/37 weeks that may be a good idea...less time that hes getting my meds the better!! Ive had steroid shots and he was big at last growth scan so he should be good to go around full term. Although the thought of an induction or a c section scares me. But not as much as having him inside me while my body isnt working right. :-/

Hopefully my bp will stay under control until 36/37 weeks. I dont want him delivered earlier then that.

 

[secretbaby]

Yes!! my bottom figure went up to 106 when they put me on them (I always have high bp in pregnancy) I was on them from around my 24th week (I was already in hospital with pregnancy complications (PPROM from 20.6 weeks) and my baby was born at 27 weeks not due to blood pressure but PPROM).

I took the tablets from April 2009 - April 2010 ... they did alter the dose - they tried to wean me off it too early and my bp spiked again... so they cut me down slowly over a long period of time.

I didn't have any side effects and non for baby - but reading the post above my milk didn't come in either (sadly we lost our baby due to PPROM so wasn't so was least of my worries at the time) BUT I know I needed to stay on the tablets - especially as my bp spiked when they took me off them.

If you need the meds you need them - labetalol (can never spell it) is safe for pregnancy use under guidance of doctor.

This time my bp is high ish bottom figure about 86 but has stayed there and not gone higher (has gone down a bit), for me this is brilliant. BP is all on the individual - they know what is high for me (they work it out on I think it was + so many points after booking bp to give them your baseline).

I would definitely take the tablets and will again if I am offered them.

 

[lucy_x]

Thanks for the heads up!!! Hopefully I wont have any depression... :-/

The doctor today said they may decide to deliver him before his due date...Im thinking that by 36/37 weeks that may be a good idea...less time that hes getting my meds the better!! Ive had steroid shots and he was big at last growth scan so he should be good to go around full term. Although the thought of an induction or a c section scares me. But not as much as having him inside me while my body isnt working right. :-/

Hopefully my bp will stay under control until 36/37 weeks. I dont want him delivered earlier then that.

bless you i was induced at 37weeks, and it was fine 5hrs in total and it really wasnt that bad! as i said earlier, my BP was upwards of 170/80 and i wasnt induced until then

good luck

 

[katy1310]

I was on them from 25 weeks till a few weeks after Sophie was delivered at 27 weeks and they didn't seem to have any effects on either of us...

I hope your LO stays inside you a while yet.

xxx

 

[surprisepreg]

Hey everyone,

Thanks for the replies! I started the meds last night...I was actually feeling really sick from the blood pressure at that point...so I was glad to have some relief. I was at work 2day so I couldnt see what my bp was...but I definitly felt some spikes. I just got home and its 155/75. The bottom number is great! Not much higher then usual...but the top number is still quite a bit higher then my normal bp. I have a couple of hours to go until my second pill...so I guess i'll rest on my left side and see if I can get that top number down a bit. I do feel a bit off and I have a pressure headache...which I figure is from the bp. Hopefully some rest and ill feel better.

Secret Baby- Thank you so much for sharing your story. Im so sorry about the loss of your little one and I will be keeping you in my thoughts and prayers for your current pregnancy!

 

[Wirral_Kitty]

Hi, I've been on Labetalol for the past 2 weeks now and they have helped. My blood pressure at each appointment was creeping up and was up to 160/110. There has been some protein in my wee too. Initially they didnt seem to be that bothered about my blood pressure being so high??? and I was going in each week to the diabetes clinic and they were just recording it and finally one of the consultants said they think I should be on something for my blood pressure. At last!!! Started off on 100mg twice a day for the first week and it was still high so they upped it to 200mg twice a day and on monday my bp had come down to 110/80....yipppeeee! It made me so happy to know its come down. I dont think ive had any effects from them but the side effects well outweugh what can happen if its left untreated. I dont want to take any kind of medication whilst I am preg but I need to look after me, to look after baby!

 

[surprisepreg]

Im glad your feeling better! I cant believe they werent concerned and waited so long. As soon as my bp started getting near 140/90 they started to worry. When it went past that they started monitoring and when it stayed high they put me right away on meds. I was told today if it spikes back above 140/90, (unless its right around the time im do 4 meds) then I need to call right away and they may need to give me a middle of the day dose.

They dont want it up in that range...even for just a little while. Hopefully my bp will cooperate. I dont want more meds...and now its the weekend...so if there are issues id prob have to go 2 hospital. ugh! :-/

 

[SaraAbi]

I was on labetalol during pregnancy and for a few weeks after, I had no problems with milk supply when I'd had LO it came in with avengenge even after a c section, I was on 300mg 4 times a day, and also a drip at one point, I was also taking nefedipine. HTH

 

[surprisepreg]

SaraAbi- You dont know how much better you just made me feel! I really wanna nurse and im a bit worried that the meds may make it hard...although trust me I wont give up easily! Im also worried that my issues may lead to a c-section and I heard that makes it harder for your milk to come in. It makes me feel much better to hear that you were on the meds plus had a c section and everything was fine! Yay!

Thank you!!

 

[soootired]

hi, i have looked in to labetalol whilst pregnant and not heard anything about milk problems. it can pass into the milk so maybee if you are worried by this then you wont produce milk???? Labetalol is the safest. I refused to take atenolol for high blood pressure (nothing else was working) took labetalol every so often to see if it would work in the last few weeks and a bit while nursing and nothing wrong with baby or milk let down . I had very high blood pressure since 30 weeks resulting in a few hospital stays but it didnt turn into preeclamsia and i ended up being induced at 41+ weeks lol

 

[Windmills]

I had to take them too, but only for one night before I was induced and during my induction. They work wonders IMO, brought my BP down from 190/150 to something like 140/90!

 

[cole2009]

I have been on labetalol since early pregnancy. I have not had any problems with it. I take 2 tablets twice a day, at 300 mg in each pill. I had high blood pressure before I became pregnant. I was taken off the meds I was taking early on and was put on labetalol, the doctor said that this med is safer for pregnant women with high blood.

 

[hopedance]

i was on labetalol from 27 weeks (had baby at 30 weeks from the pre-e), and kept taking them until only a few months ago (LO is nearly 15 months now) and i've successfully breastfed so please don't refuse to take them because of that.

 

[angelstardust]

With all 3.

DS1 - High BP at 29 weeks, higher at 30, admitted at 31weeks Pre eclampsia diagnosed protein in urine) started labitalol. High dose plus extra when needed (average BP was 150/100, spikes at 180/115), induced at 35 weeks, BP took 6 months to normalise. Baby had hypoglycemia and severe jaundice.

Labitalol made me shake.

DS2 - Intermitent hospital stays, started labitalol (and others) at 30 weeks, admitted 32/6 weeks, started on extra medication (nephedipine?), placenta abruption at 33/3 weeks probably caused by pre eclampsia. Severe complications post birth (eclampsia, HELLP, kidney and liver failure, massive blood loss...). DS2 had hypoglycemia and jaundice, but generally was well given his situation.

DD - labitalol at 34 weeks, made me feel horrid. Like a wave of tingly stuff from the scalp down, I would literally melt into a chair. I also had GD as well as borderline high BP. C section at 37 weeks (yay!). DD had severe hypoglycemia but I had gestational diabetes. I got PE post delivery when I stopped the labitalol. Stopped taking it a day or so after and was fine.

In my experience, the main issue with baby will be low blood sugar after birth. This can be avoided by feeding baby as much and as often as you can. They will test her blood sugars (first sign is a drop in temperature). Mainly a problem if you breastfeed but as I said, just feed, feed, feed. Look into formula top ups if it were to be a problem.

Overall, labitalol is preferable to ANYTHING that high blood pressure can do to baby (or mum).

 

[babyerin]

I was hospitalized twice due to my high BP, the second stay i was induced at 39+4, had a quick six hour labour. I was taking labetalol from 37wks and was constantly monitored as my BP was spiking at 168/120 (i think it was that, cant remember exactly).

The labetalol brought it down but then protein appeared in my wee so they intervened. I was also told to keep taking it after having erin as my bp was still high...i weaned myself of them a few weeks later (dont recommend you do that, but i had been discharged from MLC)

I started BFing 10 days PP cos i had no support from the hospital so figured it out myself with the help of a lovely midwife...i could have fed a small country so labetalol doesnt affect milk supply.

HTH good luck!