Is there a time limit on how many days you can be on magnesium sulfate?

Hi all
Have a quick question. My cousin is 32 weeks pregnant and is in the hospital(has been for 10 days) dilated to 3cm and 70% effaced with between 3(on mag) and 10 (off mag) contractions an hour. Her ob wants her on the mag to stop or slow down the contractions- a specialist(don't know which one) says you can only be on the mag a certain amount of time and wants her off of it. Not being on mag to stop preterm labor(with my pregnancy) do you know if the is a time limit you can be on mag? IMO if the mag is working and the OB wants the baby in for 2 more weeks wouldn't this be a better plan than being taken off the mag and being put back on it?(Which has happened a couple of times) Thanks in advance.

 

I know of a "friend of a friend" twin mom who was hospitalized at 25 weeks and was on a magsulfate drip until she delivered at 32+4. I have heard its not good to be on a long time, but you have to weigh that risk with deliverily.ng super ear

 

No advice, just s, I hope she hangs in their a little while longer.

 

Thanks ladies! When my aunt called in a panic for some advice I thought I'll ask my TS friends. You guys are the best. T

 

I was on it for a month. I think it depends on why you're on it and how much. I was on a pretty high dose the whole time. They were going to take me off it at 34 weeks no matter what b/c the risks outweigh the benefits at that point. Another patient of my OB was on it for about 3 months, something to do with seizures I think. She was on a very low dose though.

 

My doc only had me on it for a day, until I reached 34 weeks. The doc said that it was worth it taking me off of it then because of how far along I was with my pregnancy and what it could do to me. HTH!

 

I think it all depends on why your on the magnesium in the first place. I was put on it for 5 days.. while they where inducing me to reduce the chances of having a stroke with such high protein levels and then after because I was still having alot of complications. The stuff made me sicker than a dog

 

As long as they are monitoring her levels so that they don't become toxic (a danger with mag) I think she can be on it for a while. I was only on it 4 days, but they were the most horrid 4 days ever - it's really Satan's drug. But's also pretty effective and did help buy me another 2 weeks gestation. Good luck to your friend!

 

I was on it three times... all three times at the highest dosage because I was at risk of delivering immediately. The first time I was on for 2 days (I begged to be taken off when the contractions had slowed), the second - 4 days and the last - 3 days. I pretty much cried the entire time I was on it... I could not see, was hot from the inside and could not move the lower half of my body. Since I couldn't see, I couldn't read, watch tv or do anything that would take my mind off it. Yet, I couldn't sleep, either. The good news, all three times, it worked and kept my babies in until 35 weeks.

My peri preferred to do a high dosage of mag for a few days and then when things stabilized to move me to terbutaline (it had few side effects for me and I could leave the hospital on the pump). I know you can stay on longer at lower dosages, but I think it really depends on how you tolerate the drug.

Good luck to your cousin. It sounds like the mag is helping... it truly is an amazing drug... amazing at how well it works, but how awful it can make you feel!

-Catherine

 

I was on magnesium sulfate for 56 days straight during my pregnancy and then also during my labor and first 48 hours post partum. My doc was prepared to keep me on it for as long as necessary.

She may not be handling the mag well though. I was able to stay on a pretty high dose (3.5-4 mg an hour) without developing too many complications. For three days at 5 mg an hour and that was pretty tough on my body.

Some women's body's can't tolerate the necessary dose (which varies depending on how they respond) for long and the if their bodies aren't processing the medication correctly, it can become toxic. That might be why one doctor wants her off of it.

My personal and unexpert opinion...if she needs to come off mag and her ctx can be managed with an oral med or a terbutaline pump, then I'd go for that. I doubt it's beneficial to the baby for her to stay on a medicine that keeps her pregnant if it is also making her dangerously ill. I've never heard of any problems with women taking mag more than once. Then again, if her doc wants her off for no reason other than the number of days that have passed, then I think that's odd.

 

I went into labor at 27 1/2 weeks and I was in the hospital until 34 weeks and I delivered at 35.....I was on the mag drip 6 different times. I know its not good to be on it too many times in a row.....they would do it and say if this doesn't stop you , you'll be having those babies today...then in a couple of days I go into labor again and they'd hook me back up......I went into the hospital dilated to a four and 95 percent effaced and stayed that way until the babies were born. The mag was painful and really hard on me personally but it worked so it was worth it. I'm pulling for your friend, I hope she makes it as long as possible.