Thursday, February 17, 2011

Alternatives to Reglan for Pregnancy

Alternatives to Reglan

Because of the allergic and dystonic reactions I suffered because of ingesting Reglan, I had to turn to other options to control my motility and digestive issues.

The first medicine I took for this, while in the hospital a couple months before my Reglan experince, was Phenergan, which I took as an injection in my IV line.

It didn't make me sick, per se, but it did cause me to feel anxious and caged. I especially hated that they gave it to me late at night which ruined my ability to sleep. It was effective, however, in helping to control my system.

Next, I took Zofran. I've since taken Zofran in three forms – injection in IV, dissolvable pill, and infusion pump. It has been my saving grace, even though it hasn't been the most effective. Let's put it like this: I'll take slightly lower efficacy to avoid reactions!

Zofran as an injection in my IV was the least effective for me. Too low concentration, to inoften given.

The most effective form of Zofran for me was the infusion pump that I was tethered to for 6 weeks. It ran a needle into the thick of my thigh and kept me on a constant dosage, plus could deliver an extra dose on demand when needed. It was a pain in the butt because it caused scarring on my legs and it was painful to change out needles every 12 hours and find an uninflamed spot to poke. It was also annoying to wear a fanny pack with the meds in. But it was very, very, very effective! And my insurance covered it 100% - no small feat, because this is also the most expensive option.

Most recently, I've been taken the dissolvable Zofran pill. It was one of the meds the gastroenterologist put me on after the Reglan reaction caused my OBGYN to give up and hand off the case. It tastes a bit funky and isn't nearly as fast acting as the pump, but I've relied on this medicine for almost a year to “rescue” me when I feel like I'm on the verge of becoming ill.

In addition, I took herbal ginger pills, wore a seasickness patch behind my ear, and took both Zantac and Prevacid to prevent stomach acid from taking over my life. And with that enormous combination of drugs, I was able to get through the rest of my pregnancy with Baby Bunny #2 – and actually keep some food down.

What's your rescue med when you're feeling the ill effects of pregnancy?

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