Terbutaline

[Anonymous]

I am the bedrest poster who is now just on "homerest" with some outings. I am now 35 weeks and am concerned with stopping labor at this point with the drug terbutaline. There are a lot of unknowns and it's not even FDA approved for pre-term labor!! As I sain in a comment on my previous post, each doctor that I've seen has a different philosophy on use or non-use of terbutaline. A nurse from the high-risk perinatal level at Fairfax Hospital called me and said to make my own informed decision on what to do next. SOOOOOOOOOO confusing!!!!!!!! Has anyone been through this with their OB practices??? I'm sure it's very common.

[Anonymous]

I have taken it. It is scary to be asked to make an "informed decision" when you aren't trained. It is also really easy to worry more about side effects than about underlying conditions. It's hard.

Terp has been around forever, and was given to scores of pregnant women before effects was something we worried about. It is never going to be approved, because no one is going to do a study for such an inexpensive drug for which an "informal study" has already been done. (by informal, I mean it's been given for decades.) It is hardly used for asthma anymore because the newer drugs are better.

It is a drug for asthma. All of the really bad effects listed on the web are things that happen to asthmatics who have taken it for years, and not to moms who take it for a few weeks. The drug is a long muscle relaxant, which relaxes a uterus as well as any other muscle.

I am not a doctor, but here is my take. Preterm labor is REALLY SERIOUS. You are only talking about taking it for 2 or 3 weeks, so I can't imagine the side effects mattering - that's hardly any time at all. I would take it.

Please note: it will make your heart race, and it might make you grouchy. These are uncomfortable effects on you, but unless you have an underlying heart condition, they are uncomfortable, but not harmful.

Good luck.

[Anonymous]

I am so grateful for terbutaline. When in preterm labor at week 23, it stopped in its tracks. I am sure there may may bad effects to taking it, but I have ssen the effects of having a baby too early, and have never seen anything that was blamed on terbutaline. 35 weeks is a tough call, you are early, but in two weeks you are considered full term. Hope you get there. good luck

[Anonymous]

I was on Terbutaline from Week 33 and on strict bed rest (I think I also replied to your other post). I was on rather high dosages of it as my contractions were coming pretty often. At that point, my main concern was the baby and was willing to risk it. Every extra day in utero was, for us, a great gift. I went off at 36.5 weeks, I think, so you probably only need to take it for a week or so - a short amount of time that is, IMO, worth it to bring your baby as close to full-term as possible. Good luck with whatever route you choose...you are almost there!

[Anonymous]

Hi, I thought I'd give some (doctor) feedback, and also this is my second pregnancy on Terb.!
If anyone is in "true" preterm labor terb does not really work. However, what it does do is stop contractions if it's from uterine irritability, becuause the theory is that multiple contractions can end up causing pre term labor. for me it causes a lot of side effects but the contractions leading to pereterm labor early in pregnancy is very scary. Also usually if you've been on it, it is stopped at 36 weeks, since after that there is little concern for the baby even if you do go into labor. Hope this helps!