Terbutaline

I was wondering how many of you took terbutaline to stop preterm labor? My dr wants to put me on it but from the side effects I have read about on the fetus, I am not to keen on this idea. I am 32 weeks 3 days and to me the risk outweights the benefits at this point. I have had the steroid shots for their lungs and think that long term they would be better off without the possible long term effects of terbutaline if born now or shortly.
What is y'alls thoughts on this drug?

 

I was never on it. I was on Adalat, worked well makes you tired as hell though. The steroid shots are only good for 2 weeks, if you were to go into ptl again, and more then 2 weeks have lapsed then they will redo the steroid shots for lung developement. Hopefully your babes will wait a little while longer.

 

I was on terb as needed (when I had more than 4-6 contrax/hour) from 30 weeks to 36 weeks. Even at 36 weeks my babies were born very small. But we have had no cognitive or physical side effects and my twins are 5. I did a quick search and was unable to find any reliable information on terb and fetal/newborn problems. I would also say the risk of cognitive and developmental delays in preterm babies are also very high. And recent studies have reported high levels of psychiatric disorders in preemies born between 25-32 weeks with slightly lower rates between 33-36 weeks, and lower rates in full term babies... Just food for thought.

 

Like the pp, my peri felt that any risks from my medications (terbutaline, progesterone, nephedipine, percocet) outweighed the risks of prematurity. I was on the highest doses of terbutaline for 11 weeks, and delivered healthy twins at 34w4d. They are now five, and cognitively are quite fine.

Hmmmmm, unless stubborness and sassiness is a side-effect... :laughing:

 

I had no idea about the steroids having to be repeated after 2 weeks. My problem is I google everything and that is not always a good idea. When I google terb and side effects, it pulled up all types of things about autism and other neurological issues. That is why I wanted to ask y'all about it because many of you have first hand experience and the kids to prove it. Thanks for all the information. It's just such a scary thing having to make these decision that can affect you kids possibility.

 

I was on it every 6 hours from 30 weeks to 36 weeks. I have happy healthy 3 yr olds with no problems. I know it is low on the list, meaning that is what they start with, so it is teh safest with little side effect. When that doesn't work for people they work up to stronger drugs with more side effects. But it worked for me. I could feel when the 6 hours were almost up as contractions would come back. It worked.

 

not many people know about the steroid shot. I had it at 24, 28, 30, 32 and 35 weeks.

 

I was on the terb pump with my oldest from 30-36 weeks. She has been perfectly healthy with no issues (she was born at 36 weeks). With my son they were going to do the terb pump but I hated the side effects soo much they put me on a different one (can't remember the name...but its used to lower blood pressure as well and doesn't have the same side effects, I think it starts with a "b"). That one was much better. He was also born at 36 weeks.
My sister was very concerned because she read a lot about terb causing adhd and since her son has it and her best friends daughter has it and they were both on the terb pump she was very concerned. But I don't think there has every been any real connection between the 2.

 

I was on terbutaline for 4 weeks while on bedrest. No side effects what so ever.
My children were born at 35.5 weeks and no NICU.
I truly believe that medication saved them from being too premature, the second I went off the medication the contractions were in full force and I delivered 3 days later.

 

I was on it from 29 to 37 weeks. There were no effects on the babies -- who are now nearly 5 -- that we can tell (though to be honest, I never read about there potentially being any). I didn't feel great for the first week or so on the drug, but then my body got used to it and I didn't really notice it.

No matter how it makes you feel, it is much better for the babies to be born as late as possible. Since many twins are born before 35 weeks and the majority of them are fine in the long term, we may get the idea that that's "acceptable" for a twin delivery -- but those are still preemies, and there are significant risks to that too (as well as the fact that having preemies, even relatively healthy ones, makes the first several weeks/months MUCH harder). I'd take the terb.

 

Ouch! That shot was a pain in the... well, you know. :lol:

 

I had pre-term labor very early, around 25 weeks, and they gave me terbutaline shots a couple of times and it sent my heart rate way up so I couldn't use it very much. I was on Procardia instead for contractions and that seemed to help.

I don't know about the risks to the fetus while taking terbutaline but I didn't have any problems with my boys and I got the shot a couple of times. I also had the steroid shots and delivered at 35 weeks.

 

I was also on it for one of my singles and it sent me to the ER with tachycardia. They took me off of it and with strict bed rest I went to 37 weeks. I don't know about effects to the baby but the side effect to my heart was very scary for me.

 

This is what happened with me which is why they pulled me off it and stopped giving me the shots every week that I came in with pre-mature labor and why they switched me to Procardia.

Did it give you a sense of panic after you took it or got the shot?? It did for me, I hated it!

 

I was not given a shot I was on pills. The Dr. that gave it to me was not my normal OB and she told me to take it every 4 hours round the clock. Within several doses I was in ER. Yeah it did make me feel in a panic but it may have been because I was in a panic because my heart was out of control. They never gave me any other drug instead my OB said to only take it if I felt contractions. I took it once or twice but was too freaked out so just obeyed very strict bed rest and I went to 37 weeks. If needed this time I will refuse terb and look at something else.

 

Congrats on making it to 37 weeks, way to go Momma!!!

The terb shot make my heart rate sky rocket and I think the panic was more so because of the rapid heart rate. The Procardia was given to me in pill form and I took it twice a day and it worked but not as well as the terb shots for stopping the contractions. I took the Procardia for a few months but I found myself in triage at least once a week until they admitted me for strict bed rest and monitoring. I don't know, if the terb doesn't work or makes you ill, ask about Procardia. It's alot more gentle on your body and doesn't (at least not for me) cause panic over crazy high heart rates.

 

You could ask you doctor about giving you magnesium, they use it sometimes if a mom as medical conditions and cannot take terb, it would be worth to try first... There is also another one, I can't remember the name but it is one of the ingredients of Motrin (not ibuprofen but another one) and it seems to be safer for the heart...

Good luck and keep us updated and DRINK DRINK DRINK!!!

Mag

 

I did the mag in the hospital for 48 hours to stop contractions at 30.5 weeks, nasty stuff! I take procardia every six hours now and it seems to work some days and others it doesn't work well at all. I turned down the terbutaline pump, my doctor was ok with that because we are now 32.4 weeks and cervix is holding steady at 1.5-2cm dilated. I have been through a lot with pregnancy loss and fertility treatments the last three years, that my dr is pretty good about doing what I feel comfortable with. I hate taking medication at all while pregnant, so I am doing my best at staying hydrated and bed rest to prevent labor at this point.
Thanks for all the advice/info on the terbutaline.

 

I took a generic Procardia Nifedipine and it was awful for my body.... everyone is different. It dropped my BP so low I couldn't see and was so nauseated and had a pounding headache I literally couldn't function. I have only had that extreme a reaction to Imitrex. The terb had no side effects for me at all. So you have to take what is best for you.

 

I may want to avoid the procardia as well if one of the effects could be low blood pressure as my blood pressure is very low as it is. If I am upset about something it may get to 120/60 but most often it is like 100/50. I would be scared if it dropped to low. I am taking Cal/Mag/Zinc daily and try to drink as much as possible(but I hate having to pee every 2 min) to prevent preterm labor. I am also on weekly progesterone injections. I rest as much as possible including a nap everyday. I am hoping this keeps my cervix strong and these babies in! Next cervix u/s is next Thurs. Last one was at 3.9cm.

 

Non preggo me had low blood pressure that would drop even lower when I stood up but while pregnant my blood pressure kept rising due to the pre-eclampsia to taking it instead of terb was OK because my blood pressure was too high while I was pregnant, especially during the end of the 2nd trimester and all throughout the last trimester.

I think it all depends on a huge variable of situations and your bodies current health condition. I say, if you can tolerate the terb or magnesium then by all means use those if that means you can delay the pre-term labor and keep those babies cookin' as long as possible. But...if you are like me and can't tolerate those meds and have high blood pressure due to pre-eclampsia or just high blood pressure in general then look into Procardia. In my experience it doesn't work as well at keeping the contractions "comfortable" as the terb shots but it didn't cause my heart rate to sky rocket or send me into a panic attack due to the heart racing. I took it every couple of hours also, don't remember the dose, I want to say 40mg?? I'm not sure. It's def. not as effective but if you can't tolerate the other options it's something I would look into.

Like a lot of us say, the longer you can keep them in your belly the better you AND the babies will be. Believe me it's hard to leave the hospital after birthing your angels and in some cases miracle babies without them and not knowing when they will be at home and with you where they belong rather than in NICU or PICU for weeks not knowing day after day when your bundles of joy will finally get to come home. If everyone can leave the hospital as a family at the same time...WOW now that would be the best thing ever!!

 

I didn't use terbutaline long term in my pregnancy, but I had a few shots during an episode of preterm labor at 31 weeks. I had a magnesium sulfate IV for 48 hours in the hospital, but when the contractions would pick up despite the mag, I'd get a terbutaline shot.

My kids were born at 34 weeks, and my DS does have a speech delay and autism diagnosis. (He's quite high functioning though so most people can't tell he is autistic.) Anyway, I think you have to take anecdotal evidence linking terbutaline and long term negative effects on the babies with a grain of salt. Most people who take terbutaline in pregnancy are at risk for preterm birth. And I would be much more inclined to think that any health and/or developmental issues would be more likely linked to a resulting preterm birth than the terbutaline. My DS went into distress during birth and was born via emergency c-section with low apgar scores. If I had to make a guess for a reason for his autism, I'd say it was birth trauma, not terbutaline (or any of the other drugs I had to take in the 3rd tri for medical issues).