Klonopin (Clonazepam) and Zoloft

[r3ady4baby]

Hello Ladies My husband and I are trying to conceive baby number 2. I suffer with sever depression anxiety, panic attacks and mood swings (I know, I'm a wreck). Anyways. I have been on a stable, happy, steady dose of Zoloft 50mg, Klonopin 2mg/day, and Gabapentin (Neurontin) 2700mg/day. I have now tapered the Gabapentin down to 1500mg/day after talking to my OB, and I will eventually be completely off of this. She says the Zoloft is fine, but the Klonopin also has to go right away. I have been experiencing horrible withdrawal symptoms from the Gabapentin taper, and have started to cut the Klonopin slowly and I am a complete mess. I can't even function.

My OB said as soon as I get a positive pregnancy test, the Klonopin would have to be cut right away. I have done TONS of internet research on benzo and Klonopin use during pregnancy, and I know it is a class D med, with the only studies being done on rabbits. It is associated (in rabbits) with an increased risk of clef lip or pallet if taken in the first trimester, and possible withdrawal effects in the baby after birth if taken late in the third trimester. I have also found a couple of trials on mothers taking Klonopin on the effects of the baby, and there seems to be inconclusive evidence that it causes increased risks in these things. It's all conflicting.

Anyways, I have tried to get off of klonopin before and ended up in the hospital with severe withdrawal symptoms. I do not want to go through this while pregnant. Is there anyone who has taken this drug while pregnant? What effects did this have on your baby?

Just wondering if I should just give up TTC all together because I am so miserable coming off these meds. I have to function because I have an almost 3-year-old, I'm in school, and I work. Please do not judge. This is very hard for me.

Thank you for any imput!

 

[kls9503]

I was taking lexapro daily and vistaril prn and my ob told me to come off all of it before getting pregnant. The vistaril was done fairly easily since I only took it if I had a real bad anxiety attack. The lexapro was much more difficult. I slowly weaned myself off over two months. Best of luck to you. I miss my meds but want the best for this little bun in the oven!

 

[AJR14]

Klonopin is a very hard drug. Are there safe meds they can put you on during pregnancy to replace it? Especially the first trimester. I know its hard, especially when you're dependent on meds. I'm a psychiatric technician so I notice a difference with meds. Klonopin is a common one that works very well. If you're not willing to give it up during pregnancy and try a safer medication, I wouldn't continue TTC. If you were to miscarriage or have a baby with a birth defect I think it would stress you out more. But your mom instincts should kick in and you'll find yourself to be stronger than you thought! You can do it Do some research on different meds.

 

[r3ady4baby]

Thank you for your input ladies

Of course I am willing to get off of these for the sake of my baby. Except for the Zoloft because the OB said she is actually very comfortable with it and has seen many babies born while their mothers were on it with no ill effects what-so-ever. She said it is the safest one to be on while pregnant. The only thing I am worried about is the withdrawal symptoms from the Klonopin while pregnant. They can be brutal, from shakes, sweats, tremors, headaches, insomnia, panic attacks, even seizures if you quit too abruptly. I agree that it would be best to wait another month before conceiving to make sure I am through the rough part, however, it may be too late Those are bittersweet tears. I'm cutting back every day as much as I can physically and mentally handle. I just would like to know if there was anyone with experience in this. Specifically with Klonopin, and a possible exposure to the fetus in the first trimester.

 

[AJR14]

I'm sorry I googled support groups and saw this one. I don't know how nice it is.

 

[AJR14]

https://www.mdjunction.com/benzodiazepine-withdrawal

 

[MamaLoCo]

Have you thought of slowly trading the pharmaceuticals for natural remedies? I used to be on a cocktail of Wellbutrin, Prozac, and Klonopin.

I couldn't take Zoloft because it made me yawn constantly...even if I didn't feel like I had to or could yawn, and definitely wasn't tired - it had me yawning through running a 5k. I think that means it was depriving me of oxygen!

I knew how dangerous the Klonopin was as far as addiction and developing a high tolerance, so my psych & I agreed that I could use it as more of a "in case of emergency" so I wasn't taking it daily.

I found that Kava Kava was a good alternative to the Klonopin.
5-HTP helped me get off of the Wellbutrin & Prozac.
Ayurvedic Herbs - my favorite being a blend by Himalaya called StressCare help with the tension.

As far as Klonopin withdrawals go, weaning off of it is the only way I can see you doing it without too much trouble. Perhaps you could consider replacing the amount you're reducing with some herbal or amino acid remedies. Kava, Holy Basil, Ashwagandha, GABA, Suntheanine, L-Theanine, etc.

Something that also helped me out a lot was taking up yoga.
I stopped doing it and I definitely notice a lot of my mood issues coming back. Meditation might work just as well. Omega-3's, primarily those high in DHA with Vitamin D are also beneficial for mental health.

Not all of the things I've mentioned have been researched thoroughly enough in pregnancy to say they're 100% safe but they're definitely safer than benzos.

 

[mamacastro]

Hi! This was a HUGE concern of mine when we found out we were having a baby! I am on 40mg Prozac and was on 1mg/day of klonopin. Since 5 weeks, I quickly weaned down to .25mg Klonopin a day and have stayed on my 40mg Prozac. My psychiatrist told me he wanted me off of the klonopin all together, but I was terrified!
I met with a high risk doctor per my OB, and she said these medications are COMPLETELY safe in pregnancy. I am not sure what dosages are safe, but she said so many of her patients have given birth to completely "normal" babies while on these meds.
She compared it to a diabetic having to come off of insulin or someone with hypertension having to come off of blood pressure meds. They wouldn't be told to just STOP these medications because that would be unsafe. If mom is in distress from depression or anxiety, baby will be too.
I hope this helped you a little! I posted a similar question at 5 weeks and I am now 11 weeks and baby is growing just as expected!

 

[r3ady4baby]

Have you thought of slowly trading the pharmaceuticals for natural remedies? I used to be on a cocktail of Wellbutrin, Prozac, and Klonopin.

I couldn't take Zoloft because it made me yawn constantly...even if I didn't feel like I had to or could yawn, and definitely wasn't tired - it had me yawning through running a 5k. I think that means it was depriving me of oxygen!

I knew how dangerous the Klonopin was as far as addiction and developing a high tolerance, so my psych & I agreed that I could use it as more of a "in case of emergency" so I wasn't taking it daily.

I found that Kava Kava was a good alternative to the Klonopin.
5-HTP helped me get off of the Wellbutrin & Prozac.
Ayurvedic Herbs - my favorite being a blend by Himalaya called StressCare help with the tension.

As far as Klonopin withdrawals go, weaning off of it is the only way I can see you doing it without too much trouble. Perhaps you could consider replacing the amount you're reducing with some herbal or amino acid remedies. Kava, Holy Basil, Ashwagandha, GABA, Suntheanine, L-Theanine, etc.

Something that also helped me out a lot was taking up yoga.
I stopped doing it and I definitely notice a lot of my mood issues coming back. Meditation might work just as well. Omega-3's, primarily those high in DHA with Vitamin D are also beneficial for mental health.

Not all of the things I've mentioned have been researched thoroughly enough in pregnancy to say they're 100% safe but they're definitely safer than benzos.

Thank you hun! I currently do yoga a few times a week. I just ordered me a pre-natal yoga DVD too. I have also heard of Kava. How well does it work?

 

[r3ady4baby]

Hi! This was a HUGE concern of mine when we found out we were having a baby! I am on 40mg Prozac and was on 1mg/day of klonopin. Since 5 weeks, I quickly weaned down to .25mg Klonopin a day and have stayed on my 40mg Prozac. My psychiatrist told me he wanted me off of the klonopin all together, but I was terrified!
I met with a high risk doctor per my OB, and she said these medications are COMPLETELY safe in pregnancy. I am not sure what dosages are safe, but she said so many of her patients have given birth to completely "normal" babies while on these meds.
She compared it to a diabetic having to come off of insulin or someone with hypertension having to come off of blood pressure meds. They wouldn't be told to just STOP these medications because that would be unsafe. If mom is in distress from depression or anxiety, baby will be too.
I hope this helped you a little! I posted a similar question at 5 weeks and I am now 11 weeks and baby is growing just as expected!

Thank you so much! So you know how I feel then. My problem is that hubs and I were TTC, then after talking to the OB, she said "OFF WITH THE DRUGS!" So we decided we should wait another month so I could ween off. Then I just realized that there is a good chance I could already be pregnant. Too early to test. It's exciting, but at the same time I would like to be down to a safer dose of the Klonopin but am really struggling with going off it. I'm scared for my possible-unimplanted-fetus I know the real fear should only come with a positive test. But I will keep you all posted, and I appreciate the help and kind words.

 

[MamaLoCo]

The kava works almost too well if you take the herbal supplement (capsule form). If you want to try a more mild version of it, you can get Kava tea. Yogi makes one and it's called "Stress Relief"

You'd have to experiment with it to see what's best for you.

I will warn you that when I was much younger, I mixed the klonopin with kava tea and I was just...so zoned and chilled out. I started painting and created a few masterpieces...and realized that I can paint hahaha

 

[r3ady4baby]

The kava works almost too well if you take the herbal supplement (capsule form). If you want to try a more mild version of it, you can get Kava tea. Yogi makes one and it's called "Stress Relief"

You'd have to experiment with it to see what's best for you.

I will warn you that when I was much younger, I mixed the klonopin with kava tea and I was just...so zoned and chilled out. I started painting and created a few masterpieces...and realized that I can paint hahaha

Fabulous!! Where do you get it? Any good sites online to check out? I'm a big tea drinker, but also would be interested in the supplement. If it can help me get off of the Klonopin, that would be so wonderful! And it's OK for pregnancy?

 

[r3ady4baby]

Ok, I went to the Natural Foods store in town and bought Kava Tea and supplement to help with coming off the Klonopin after researching it. I skipped my afternoon pill, and I'm drinking some of the tea right now. Hope it works. Thank you!!

 

[r3ady4baby]

I just wanted to post this reply to anyone else who may be struggling with the same issue.

After a terrible night of horrible withdrawals from the Klonopin, in the wee morning hours I came to the decision that if I didn't take a Klonopin right then and there, I would have to go to the ER.

This morning I called a high-risk OB and they got me in right away. He basically told me that I obviously needed this medication to function normally. He compared it to someone with seizures or diabetes. You can't expect someone to just stop taking their meds during pregnancy if the benefits of the meds clearly outweigh the risks to the fetus. My blood pressure and pulse were through the roof, and he said this could lead to Preeclampsia if I were pregnant. He said you cannot have a healthy baby if you don't start with a healthy mother (and this means healthy psychologically also). I was in such bad shape and so nauseous that I was not eating or drinking anything, I could not get myself to school, or do any of my homework. To expect anyone to go through a pregnancy like that would clearly be more detrimental to the baby than any small risk from medication would. He also said, that in all his 25 years of delivering babies, he had not seen one single complication or birth defect on a baby due to the mother taking this type of medication. He had seen few birth defects, and those that he did see were just flukes and not contributed to any medication.

While he could not promise me a healthy baby, as no one can promise such things even to a mother who is not on medication, he did promise me extra monitoring. He mentioned a very in-depth 20-week ultrasound which checks every organ and it's functioning, and screens for any birth defects for peace of mind.

I just wanted to post this for any ladies out there who are looking for answers to questions like these. There is hope, and this doctor gave it to me today.

He wants me to slowly go back up in dosage to the lowest dose that I feel comfortable with and can function with.

Again, thanks for all of your kind advice. I wish you all healthy, happy pregnancies. I will keep this thread updated as I have seen many threads like these on message boards that are incomplete, leaving women without clear answers.

-Amy

 

[Mississippi03]

Im happy you got some answers from the high risk ob. I was going to say you need to talk to a psychiatrist about it. I work in mental health and would never advise someone to drop their meds without the supervision of their psych.
If you werent pregnant this month you could try the withdrawl over the next month but again only under the advice of a psych.. I wouldnt be taking an obs word for it.. They deal with vaginas not mental health.

 

[r3ady4baby]

Im happy you got some answers from the high risk ob. I was going to say you need to talk to a psychiatrist about it. I work in mental health and would never advise someone to drop their meds without the supervision of their psych.
If you werent pregnant this month you could try the withdrawl over the next month but again only under the advice of a psych.. I wouldnt be taking an obs word for it.. They deal with vaginas not mental health.

Seeing a psychiatrist on Thursday

 

[slr]

I have terrible anxiety and panic attacks. I had weaned off both the Zoloft and clonazepam, however after 1 year of TTC and now going through infertility, my anxiety has been out of control so my doctors recommended going back on these meds prior to getting pregnant. I was told the Zoloft is fine and if I needed the clonazepam, they would just need to monitor the babyfor withdrawal after birth. Just wondering how things turned out for you?