Rivotril, Lyme Pregnancy and brestfeeding

[Manni]

Dear All, First of all I am sorry for my English I am not native English speaker. My story in a nutshell: I got Lyme disease in 2010 but I got diagnose just at the end of 2011. Among a lots of health problems (joint pain, nerve pain, fibromyalgia, hallucination, double vision, I can even enumerate my symptoms..etc) I had neurotic symptoms as well. I had panic attack 8-10x days and terrible anxiety, depression, insomnia, fear to go to the street etc... so beside the antibiotic treatment I got antidepressants (different kinds of in 4 years), 4x0,5 mg Frontin and 4x0,5 mg Rivortil, sometimes I took more Rivotril when I had panic attack at night. I don’t want to go more into details. So in 2015 I finished to take antidepressant and Frontin very slowly. Then I continued with Rivotril very slowly. Unfortunately in 2018 I stuck. At the moment I take 2*0,125 mg Rivortil per day and I can not decrease the amount further. Of course I would like to quit but it seems this is the most difficult step for me. I am 41 years old and I don’t have too much time to try...we would like to have a baby and I am going to have an IVF in August. I would like to ask your opinion and advice what to do. Do you have any experience, knowledge with Rivortil and pregnancy/breastfeeding? Can the baby have withdrawal symptoms if I take 0,25 mg Rivotril/day? Can I maybe substitute the Rivortil with something else, which is “better” for the baby? If you have any advice, idea, experience with the above-mentioned situation, please let me know. I am really afraid that my baby will be sick, or my baby will have serious withdrawal symptom. I dont't even know whether my Lyme won't be a problem....Thank you so much in advance for your answer.

[admin]

Manni:

Rivotril (Clonazepam) is a sedative ant-anxiety drug commonly used for severe anxiety. While it is not considered highly teratogenic, there is some risk with this family of drugs, particularly in the first trimester.

This is a discussion you need to have with an OB doctor. I'd suggest another alternative would be the use of an antidepressant like Sertraline. Over time, it is quite good at relieving anxiety disorders and is the best product you could use for this during pregnancy.

Go see and OB and discuss this situation.

Tom Hale Ph.D.

[Manni]

Dear Dr. Tom Hale!

Thank you so much for your quick answer. I have already asked my OB and he told me that this amount is not a problem, maybe we have to pay attention after delivery, that there is no problem with the breathing of the baby. But I still have doubt that is why I am trying to find useful information from high quality forums. If I think logically if I have withdrawal symptoms probably my baby will have too. What do you think?

Actually I am not from America, my country is not that developed unfortunately as yours.

My other thing is that I have already tried Sertraline (Stimuloton) and it was not effective without Rivotril. The thing is that I was not able to take any antidepressant without Rivotril or Frontin. Probably there is a connection with this fact and the Lyme disease, but of course I am not sure, it is just my feeling. What kind of problems could be happen if I take 0,25 mg Rivotril during pregnancy and breastfeedig?
Thank you so much for your answer in advance!