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Requip & Pregnancy

Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2005 6:40 pm
by RPayne
Hi
There's lots of discussions here about coming off medication prior to getting pregnant. I'm trying hard to find any information or experiences people have had (or know of) of people who have continued to take Requip - either through not knowing they were pregnant or later in the pregnancy.

GP is being very non-committal and is not giving any more information other than to say that it is a balance of risk.

Any experiences and information appreciated.

Posted: Wed Aug 24, 2005 8:59 am
by trevb
Hi,
ive had no experience of this but here are a few bits and pieces about this below that you could digest....

http://www.rls.org/publications/documen ... ay2004.pdf

http://www.wemove.org/rls/rls_dtp.html

http://www.rlshelp.org/rlsrx.htm says this:
(7) Pregnancy and RLS
If the symptoms are severe enough to warrant drug therapy, then the sedative category of medication has been used for treatment (with the approval of the patient's obstetrician). Many RLS specialists will prescribe the opioid category of medication during pregnancy, due to their safety in pregnancy.

The risk of RLS medication in pregnancy is as follows (Category A,B,C,D,X, where A is the best and X is the worst and should never be taken during pregnancy; Category A drugs are quite safe and have a proven track record in pregnancy, Category B drugs have limited data and experience and should be used only if clearly needed, Category C drugs generally have no adequate or well controlled studies in pregnant women and should be used only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus):

Pregnancy Risk Category
Drug Name

A
None

B
Pergolide (but limited data), Ambien, Percodan (short term use), Dostinex, Ambien, methadone (low dose), Percocet, Percodan, OxyContin

C
Mirapex, Requip, Sinemet, Ultram, Darvon (short term use), codeine (short term use), Vicodin or Lortab (for short term use), Sonata, Lunesta, Tegretol, Neurontin, Catapress

D
Xanax, Klonopin (and most benzodiazepine sedatives),
Darvon, codeine, Vicodin, Percodan, all for long term use, methadone (higher doses)

X
Restoril



http://sleepfoundation.org/hottopics/in ... =17&id=176
said this-

Another study by Dr. Lee, "Restless legs syndrome and sleep disturbance during pregnancy: The role of folate and iron" looked at the likelihood of developing RLS during pregnancy. Dr. Kryger explains, "Those who developed restless legs syndrome were found to be iron deficient and/or folic acid deficient before becoming pregnant. So common sense mandates that women who develop RLS during pregnancy have their iron status checked by a doctor." The good news is that for most women, according to Dr. Kryger, restless legs syndrome goes away with childbirth.

hope this helps?
trev

Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2005 9:11 am
by RPayne
Many thanks!