or if not sure im pregnant should i continue to take this medication
or if not sure im pregnant should i continue to take this medication
Thank you for your question and welcome to ADHDCentral.com.
I am not a medical professional and would not be able to give you medical advice.
There are no or limited studies on Adderall during pregnancy. This is because Adderall has been classified as a Class C medication during pregnancy, which means it has been shown to cause birth defects or miscarriages in animal studies. Some studies have shown later memory problems in rodents that were exposed to Adderall in the womb.
You and your doctor will need to discuss the benefits you receive from Adderall and determine if these benefits outweigh the risks associated with taking this medication during pregnancy. If you believe you may be pregnant, you should contact your doctor immediately and discuss this.
Some women have reported that ADHD symptoms improved during pregnancy. This could be a result of hormonal differences.
Eileen
Hello!
I want to add to Eileen's excellent advice by giving you the links to some previous questions on this topic with member answers.
Here is a similar question about pregnancy and Adderall and some member responses.
And here is yet another question and answer on this topic from our site which produced quite a number of responses and is still going strong. As you can tell, the discussion became rather heated with a diversity of opinions.
But here is information from the official Adderall site which you might want to read:
"Pregnancy: Pregnancy Category C. Amphetamine, in the enantiomer ratio
present in ADDERALL® (d- to l- ratio of 3:1), had no apparent effects on
embryofetal morphological development or survival when orally administered
to pregnant rats and rabbits throughout the period of organogenesis at doses
of up to 6 and 16 mg/kg/day, respectively. These doses are approximately 1.5
and 8 times, respectively, the maximum recommended human dose of 30
mg/day [child] on a mg/m2 body surface area basis. Fetal malformations and
death have been reported in mice following parenteral administration of
d-amphetamine doses of 50 mg/kg/day (approximately 6 times that of a
human dose of 30 mg/day [child] on a mg/m2 basis) or greater to pregnant
animals. Administration of these doses was also associated with severe
maternal toxicity.
A number of studies in rodents indicate that prenatal or early postnatal
exposure to amphetamine (d- or d,l-), at doses similar to those used
clinically, can result in long-term neurochemical and behavioral alterations.
Reported behavioral effects include learning and memory deficits, altered
locomotor activity, and changes in sexual function.
There are no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women. There
has been one report of severe congenital bony deformity, tracheo-esophageal
fistula, and anal atresia (vater association) in a baby born to a woman who
took dextroamphetamine sulfate with lovastatin during the first trimester of
pregnancy. Amphetamines should be used during pregnancy only if the
potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus.
Nonteratogenic Effects: Infants born to mothers dependent on amphetamines
have an increased risk of premature delivery and low birth weight. Also, these
infants may experience symptoms of withdrawal as demonstrated by
dysphoria, including agitation, and significant lassitude.
Usage in Nursing Mothers: Amphetamines are excreted in human milk.
Mothers taking amphetamines should be advised to refrain from nursing."
The bold is mine. It seems this is definitely a decision you need to make with your doctor's guidance.
I hope this helps some. I know this is not an easy decision to make.
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