very worried- please tell me about terbutaline

[Anonymous]

At 35 weeks and 6 days (the other day), I went to the hospital with contractions that were 2 minutes apart (confirmed by the hospital monitor) and the doctor said I need to take Terbutaline to stop the contractions because I was too early to deliver.
I ended up with 2 shots of the medicine.
I have avoided medication throughout my pregnancy (with the exception of a prenatal vitamin) and I am very worried about the impact this medicine will have.
Please share with me you knowledge or experience with this medicine!
Thank you.

[Anonymous]

I have no advice for you OP because I know nothing about this drug. However, I am suprised that they were so quick to stop labor and shoot you up with drugs at almost 36 weeks. That's just 1 week away from normal gestation. I would have just delivered, but I obviously don't know you're exact situation.

[Anonymous]

op here- I was also very suprised because they only had me on the monitor for 2 hours, tried hydration for an hour and then insisted that I take the medicine.
Very worried. I'd appreciate any info. about other people's experience with this situation.

[Anonymous]

This URL might be helpful: http://www.twinslist.org/terbquestions.html

[Anonymous]

11:51 again, and I didn't mean to make you even more worried, I'm just suprised. Hopefully someone here can help give you piece of mind. Ultimately, what's done is done and it's not good to spend these last few weeks worrying too much. Try and take it easy and maybe call your OB about your concerns.

[Anonymous]

I have been in that situation twice - with both of my babies, although earlier, the first was at 32 weeks and the second time 30 weeks. I got the shot and then had to go on a terbutaline pill every five hours for weeks. I personally didn't like the side effects of it, racing heart, jittery feeling but the other side effect - possible delivery of a very early baby - for me was not an option. In both cases, the day I went off of the medication (37 weeks ) I went into labor and they let me 'go' so both of my babies were three weeks early. The thing that bothered me the most was the jittery feeling, but the babies heart rate didn't increase and I talked at length with several OB's from my group about it before I decided to continue with the pill until 37 weeks. It wasn't fun, but both babies were born just fine - 7 lbs and 10 apgar scores You're pretty close though, so if you really don't want the medication - try some modified bed rest and drink lots of water. Sometimes that helps things out. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

I have asthma, and I take a daily medication to control it that is in the same family of medicines as terbutaline. My OB warned me that it could interfere with labor, because the medicine is known to stop contractions. I had to be induced at 41+ weeks with both my pregnancies - and I had to be taken off the medicine for hours before the inductions would work on me. One of the inductions took 36+ hours.

Both my boys are happy, healthy, and doing great.

[Anonymous]

I know lots of people who have had terbutaline (including myself DURING delivery at 40+ weeks because of baby heart decels) and everyone has been fine.

[Anonymous]

I took terbutaline throughout my twin pregnancy. Both by shot and oral. Have two very healthy children. I have never heard of anyone suffering from taking it.

[Anonymous]

I was on the terbutaline pump from 24 weeks through 35 weeks when I ended up delivering. DD is 3 and is normal, healthy, bright, etc. I see no adverse effects from the drug.

Hope this is reassuring a bit.

[Anonymous]

i took terb from weeks 24-35 with my twin pregnancy as well. Kids are now healthy and bright 4 year olds with no issues.

However, I am very surprised that your doctor would use medication to stop labor at almost 36 weeks. Most physicians (including mine) would not aggressively stop labor after 34 weeks. I did quite a bit of reading about pre term labor during my twin pregnancy and it seems like this is an almost universal practice. Giving terb at 36 weeks is a bit odd. Probably just fine (because the drug is relatively benign) but many doctors would just deliver at that point rather than risk any side effects of the drug.

[Anonymous]

OP, terbutaline is one tocolytic agent usually given to try to stop premature labour. It may have unpleasant side-effects for the mother, but at least it is proven to be effective in preventing premature birth.

I was given magnesium sulfate, the other major tocolytic agent, at 32 weeks, and gave birth anyway 28 hours later. I did not know at the time magnesium sulfate had been found to have no effect on premature birth, that its use had been discontinued in Europe, and that it has serious side-effects for the mother, which I experienced!

So if anyone tries to give you magnesium sulfate, just say NO!

[Anonymous]

I was on it from 34 wks to 37 weeks, delivered 3 days after I stopped taking the pills. (I had the shots in the hospital, and I was on bedrest until 36 weeks.) I also hated the racing pulse side effect, but it got better after the first week. I would have kept taking it another week if I knew I would go into real labor almost immediately after stopping it. I know that babies are mostly fine at 34, 35, 36 weeks, but I really wanted to let my little guy develop as much as possible.

[Anonymous]

I had the shots only and have a healthy baby. Dont worry--the shots are better than a premature baby--although 35 weeks doesn't seem to be dangerously early. I dont know why they were so quick to make that decision.
Good luck. I know it's stressful.

[Anonymous]

Google terbutaline and autism. Wouldn't take the chance again.