6 Weeks Pregnant--Quit my Xanax

[Krista]

I'm a 20 years old and have just found out I am 6 weeks pregnant. I have been taking about 2mg per day of Xanax (in the morning). I am willing to quit the Xanax cold turkey, but I was wondering if my child could have already obtained birth defects due to the Xanax I have been taking up to week 6!

-Worried mom-to-be.

[unsure_87]

my sisters doctor gave her xanax while she was pregnant so i dont think your baby will have birth defects although i wouldnt take it unless i really needed it. you should never quit anything cold turkey while pregnant. xanax is a drug that you get dependent on meaning that the baby is already used to taking it and you should ween yourself off of it NOT quit cold turkey as that will stress the baby out too much.

[Lilith]

My doctor said that the benefits outweigh the risks, the stress from quitting cold turkey may not be beneficial to you or the baby

[Valkyrie]

This is worth a call today to your provider before you take another dose. Your provider may want you to step off Xanax gradually, replace it with something else, or quit cold turkey - or at the very least they'll want to monitor you closely while taking the drug if, for your case, the risks of stopping outweigh the risks of causing problems for your baby.

Stopping Xanax can cause withdrawal symptoms, so whether you decide together to quit cold turkey or step off gradually, your provider will want to monitor you carefully to minimize any problems that the withdrawal may cause for you or the baby. Xanax is FDA pregnancy category D, which means that it can cause birth defects, but it also may in some cases be safer for some women to continue taking the drug. A doctor or midwife would also be able to give you more information on the chances of a problem considering the dosage and number of times you've taken Xanax.

It doesn't sound like this is true for you, but I say this just in case - Xanax is a prescription only drug but some folks use it without prescription and therefore might be worried to tell a provider about this usage. For the above reasons, I'd suggest if this is the case for anyone you do it anyway - I think your provider will really appreciate your honesty and it can go a long way to building a positive doctor/patient relationship.

I've given you a lot of information here and some of it may seem scary. But consider that some people stay on Xanax during pregnancy with their doctor's okay, so I'm hopeful that you've caught this in time. Great job, mama Stress is also hard on the baby - so try not to worry too much!

[indigoprime79]

Very doubtful.
And before going off cold turkey, you best talk to your doc. Withdrawals might be worse for the baby

[Ben H]

I completely agree with the other posters. Sometimes weighing the possible effects from taking the drug can be better than you not being on the drug. This is something you should talk to you doctor about. I currently suffer from Panic Attack Disorder and am on Lexapro but we are trying to get pregnant, my OBGYN is aware and I will discuss what to do when I do conceive.

[Victoria2]

Hello,

I think is better to talk with doctor ,and tell him all that! Is very individual so i think that no mater what type of advice we will give you, the best way to be absolutely sore that everything is ok is calla doctor!