Title: Re: Largactyl
Hello Tina

I can only offer a personal experience of Largactyl (and thank god I was not pregnant at the time).  I had a 7 month old baby and had my first (and thank god only) migrane.  By the 4th day and after all alternate and traditional remedies were exhausted I presented to  Casualty at The Canberra Hospital.  I was informed that largactyl would be administered (at one twelfth the strength of use in psychotic patients.) I was given three doses of this (after waitng and seeing if the second took effect, it didn't).  I was warned that it could render you legless so not to attempt to move unassisted.  I went home several hours later and found it very difficult to breathe (as if my widpipe was constricting).  I felt totally off the planet for 18 hours after receiving largactyl.  My GP was most interested in it's use for migraine (and she prides herself as a bit of an expert).  But my wonderful midwife was not overly surprised as she did psych work early in her career.

I hope that an 'experience' of use of largactyl out of psychiatric care is of use in informing m/wives of its potency.

Yours in birthing solidarity

Justine Caines
_________________________________
Mum to Ruby 23 Months, Clancy 6 months
Both homebirth miracles

From: "Marty & Tina" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: "Marty & Tina" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Sun, 9 Sep 2001 17:38:48 +1000
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Largactyl


Recently I have been doing some work in a private hospital on the maternity ward.  Some of the Obs have been ordering Largactyl for hyperemesis.  I had never seen this before... is it becoming a common drug of choice in obstetric care?  I heard one time a couple of months ago that a woman with hyperemesis at approx 8/40 wks gestation was ordered this but then the pharmacist came to investigate the order & was not happy about it because ? it is not safe at this early gestation (is it safe at any gestation).  The pharmacist requested the doctor change the order.  Yet just 2 weeks ago I went back to the same hospital & it was again ordered for hyperemesis... can't say if it was the same Ob. though.

On a different note.....  I moved back to QLD in the middle of last year & had not worked in birth suite since my mid training finished in early 1998.  I discovered they were using Largactyl & another strong medication (can't remember the name of it - could start with a P) that I had only ever seen used in a high dependency psychiatric ward (usually for the acute admissions who were quite psychotic on arrival).  The midwives that I work with don't seem to question this practice & seem to feel that it is a beneficial medication in labour (I am talking quite generally - obviously not all of the midwives in this hospital feel the same way... I HOPE).  Is this also becoming common practice?  

Tina H.


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