What happens when the mag stops?

[k-was-here]

I've been in the hospital on a mag sulfate IV for almost a month, and next week (at 34 weeks) I get to go home. The doc says there's no way to tell how long I'll make it before the babies come, but I probably won't go full term. I'm on a high dose (2.5g/h) but it still hasn't completely stopped my contractions. For anyone out there who took mag for a long time, how did you fare when you went off it?

[Angela]

Hi, k!
I am so excited to hear how close you are to 34 weeks!

Most doctors won't give mag for more than a couple of days, and some will only give it when labor appears to be eminent and they want to get steroids on board. I was only on it for a couple of days at a time, and it was SO wonderful to be off it. You will feel better within a few hours! How are your side effects now? Blurriness? Feeling hot? Fatigued?

You will still feel fatigued with being on bedrest for the past several weeks, but you can gain your strength back by pushing yourself just a little bit more each day. No matter what happens next, you have done an amazing job!

Angela

[Mom2Z]

Congrats on 34 weeks!  That's awesome!  I was on mag from 26 weeks to 28 weeks when I was transitioned to nifedipine.  My doctor was sonsitently on the phone with my insurance company to discuss the off label use, but worked!  I was in the hospital from 26-30 and I went home to full bed rest...made it to 36...you can DO this.  The mag was a little rough on me, but nothing I couldn'thandle.  I was hot ALL.the.time...and my vision was whacky.  They took 24 hours to wean me off and another 24 hrs to wean me onto nifedipine (which had it's own milder side effects)...generally I was ok on both...definitely was super happy to dump both drugs, but MAN they worked.  Good luck!!!!

[Mom2Z]

Oh, and my contractions started up immediaely...it was not pretty...hence switching to nifedipine...(a drug you can go home on)

[k-was-here]

Thanks for your replies! My first night on mag was awful - burning up, couldn't think straight, could barely move. But I woke up the next day feeling pretty decent, and it's been OK since then — except for being warm, but luckily I have a room with a functioning a/c :-) Tomorrow morning I'll go off the mag and then they'll see how I respond. Hopefully won't be contracting too much and I'll get to go home for more bed rest til the babies come (probably on Procardia, which I was on before and it helped slow the contractions down but didn't stop them).

[Angela]

Oh my goodness!!! You're going home! Let me know how everything goes tomorrow!

[k-was-here]

Yesterday they took me off the mag in the morning and by the afternoon when I wasn't contracting too much they sent me home (on procardia). At this point if I go into labor they won't try to stop it. I'm still contracting about the same as I was on the mag but every so often I get one that actually hurts (changing positions helps). So I'm not sure how long I'm going to last.

It's great being home, but really tempting to get up and do things while my husband is busy getting the babies' room ready, dealing with car issues, trying to get work done AND trying to wait on me. It helps a little that I have my orders not to clean/cook/lift things written on a paper from the doctor ... not that I would be much help if I could, because between a month of lying around losing muscle mass and gaining a slightly terrifying amount of weight (3 lbs a week in the hospital, which the dietician didn't see as a problem), walking around or even turning over is a huge project. Somehow typing on the computer makes me feel less guilty than watching TV, haha.

[niana]

 I was on mag from 26 weeks to 28 weeks when I was transitioned to nifedipine.  My doctor was sonsitently on the phone with my insurance company to discuss the off label use, but worked!  I was in the hospital from 26-30 and I went home to full bed rest...made it to 36...you can DO this.