When were your PTL drugs stopped?

My doc told me today that he's going to stop my PTL drugs at 34 weeks. Our clinic does not stop labor after 34 weeks, but I'd ideally like to make it to 35-36 weeks, if at all possible. I'm on Nifedipine every 6 hrs & can tell when most doses are close to being due because my contractions start to pick up. I'm worried that if I stop the meds at 34 weeks, I'll deliver shortly thereafter. My doc said he doesn't use any tocolytics after 34 weeks, but I'm wondering about other docs. Would it HURT to stay on the meds til 35 weeks or so? When did your doctors take you off your PTL meds?

 

Hi!
I was on Nifedipine, too. I think I was about 31 weeks or so and was on it about a week until they put me on mag. to delay labor. They took me off a day before I was scheduled for a c-section and I went into hard core labor that night! It's amazing what those drugs can do to ward off labor!
Good luck to you!

 

They stopped my nifedopine at 29w5d, when baby A's water broke. At that point, if contractions were going to come, they wanted them to as it could have signalled infection. Otherwise I believe they'd have kept me on it until 34 weeks, which would have been tremendously far for for my pregnancy.

 

Hm. That's a good question. I am on the terbutaline pump and they told me not to stop it until the day of. Now I really am concerned about why some people are asked to stop it a week before delivery. I hope it doesn't affect the babies if stopped too late!

 

I'm also on Procardia every 6 hours. My OB said I would stay on it either until 36wks or delivery, which ever came first. But after my hospital stay this week he said he may stop it at 34 wks. We would see what happened at that point. So I guess only time will tell.

 

I was also on nifedipine every 6 hours and on hospital bedrest. I stopped them at 34 weeks. The doc talked it over with me and would want me on them at least that long, but also would have left me stay on them longer. I wanted to see what would happen if I stopped. I held out for a week longer!

 

I am currently on Procardia/nifedipine 3x a day/every 8 hours. I had PTL at 32 weeks and was in the hospital for the weekend. I have an appt tomorrow with the MFM doc and my OB tomorrow. My meds end on Sunday. They told me in the past that they would let nature take it's course since I will be 34 weeks on Sat.

I'm a little nervous because everyone responds differently. I'd like to make it to 36 weeks but I'm already 90% effaced so they think I will dilate pretty quickly.

I'm interested to know if they would extend the meds or not.

Good luck!

 

I was on MAg until 36 weeks (on it from 32.4 wks till 36). My Dr. was adamant they would not take me off until I either got a amnio result showing mature lungs of hit 36 wks. They did an amnio at 34 wks and 35 wks and both came back immature. I had them at 36.5 wks and both had no trouble breathing.

 

My docs wouldn't stop labor after week 34 but my peri did tell me to go ahead and finish my prescription which took me into 35 weeks, I was on Nifedipine. I thought for sure I would go into labor the second the meds were out of my system but it was exactly one week later when my water broke. It didn't hurt me to stay on it but if my meds had run out at 34 weeks he would not have given me a script for more.

 

I was also on nifidipene, but the extended release, so just twice a day (after being on 20mg every six hours while in the hospital) until 34 weeks. My doc said that there was no point in stopping labor after 34 weeks, so there was no point on being on medications that could cause side effects. I delivered at 35 weeks and 4 days. (and could definitely tell the difference with the contractions once I stopped the meds).

Good luck.

Erica.

 

Thanks for all the input. I calculated out my refills on my meds & noted that I'll have enough to put me close til 35 wks, so even if my doc says to stop them, I'll finish them out. I joked that I'll be the one who will go off the meds & deliver weeks later....it'd be my luck !

Thanks again...I was glad to hear others stopped around the 34 wk mark & it wasn't just me (I don't go to a high risk OB, so sometimes I wonder if he's more conservative than he should be!!)....

 

I was on terbutaline every 4 hours & could really tell when it was time for my next dose. At 34 weeks my Dr told me I could ween myself off of them if I wanted. Well, I was too scared. At 36 weeks he told me to stop & I did. I didn't have any contrax after stopping the meds. I did get off bedrest & went walking & shopping that day & the next. My water broke on the following morning. I still didn't have any contrax.