anti-psychotics and being a mum

[5MoreMinutesPlease]

anyone any experience? have been on them in the past and worked well, came off post partum but have been coping well and even thrived. however now starting to get symptoms (voices, obsessive thoughts, trouble leaving house..) don't want to go back on to them as concerned about the sedating effect with co-sleeping or even just waking up for baby but don't know what other route to take.
has anyone been there?
really worried about being judged if i go back on them. people hear anti-psychotics and think psycho and knife in the shower scenes, dont want ss or his dad to pounce on it

[GetDownYouWillFall]

Psychosis is poorly understood I think - people think psychosis = psycho. That is not the case, as you know.

I was on olanzapine for about a year after my DD was born. I was also on ADs. I told people about the ADs but I kept the anti-psychotics quiet TBH, as I was afraid of people's reaction, like you.

I never found olanzapine prevented me waking - what one did you take in the past? There may be one that is less sedating? And even then, the sedation wears off after a few weeks.

I think if you are hearing voices and having obsessive thoughts you really need to be back on the anti-psychotics I'm afraid. You don't have to tell people you're on them.

[MitchyInge]

hm

will reply properly tomorrow but have been on many over past decade - some for a few years at a time, everyone v different tho, depends (I think?) if you are fast or slow metaboliser of these meds

[MitchyInge]

main thing am thinking is less sedating anti-p, abilify is the opposite of sedating but still an effective anti-psychotic

have you ever been on a depot or had that suggested?

[5MoreMinutesPlease]

whats a depot? i don't think so.
i'll mention those meds to my case worker, i've been on respiradone before to no effect then found seroquel very helpful but it knocked me out been on sulpride too as i found anti-p's with an anti-d effect help me but could try a new anti-p with a seperate anti-d.
i know i dont have to tell people but the medical people will know and the hv will start coming round again, i just wanted so badly to stay well. a letter from a psych before i found out i was pg said it was unlikely to ever fully go away and if i go back on meds i go along with that. if it's never going to go away i don't know how i can carry on.

[GetDownYouWillFall]

you don't have to believe the psychiatrist you know. They don't know everything.

Mine told me I would be on psychiatric meds for the rest of my life.

I just did not accept that.

I have been off olanzapine nearly a year now. Came off lithium just over a month ago. Now reducing my AD. No ill effects.

[5MoreMinutesPlease]

they know you get copies of all the letters these days, tbh i feel like unless it involves/has an impact on ds i don't want to know. your psych writing your never going to get better is not gonna help. thats why i'm weary of going back to meds, it'd feel like giving up. am supposed to get cbt but havn't. would love to go down the non-meds route.
congrats coming off meds and staying healthy well done!

[MitchyInge]

depot is antipsychotic by injection, very slow release - usually a tiny bit to start with to make sure it suits you, then maybe once a week or once a month

it might be less sedating than daily pills as is in your system more gradually and more constantly sort of thing

ok you might have the kind of condition that is unlikely to ever fully go away but that doesn't mean you can't make good recovery and lead normal life - there are lots of things that can be done to help minimise the impact of various symptoms, the hearing voices network is good and they might have meetings near you?

[adanaivy]

i have heard voices for about a year now and in all honesty i dont think ne one can help me stay strong but myself ive bin on alanzopine myself and hated it as i have two small children so they stuck me on felouxatine and its supposed to stop the voices but it bloody doesnt the only thing i wonder is y it happened and ive even stopped wonderin that these days at the moment i am 39 weeks pregnant with my third baby my voices can be really nasty telling me im going to have a still born baby telling me im a slag wen ive had the same partner for the past four years with two beautiful girls if it wasnt for my kids and oh i think i would of give up but i still enjoy my life no matter what because i am due my baby soon i have come of my tablets as i want to breast feed and i feel no different i take one day at a time and stay strong as it is all i can do i do wish it would all go away but i have learnt to except it as part of my life and dont think things will ever change my cpn and shrink both reasure me that the voices are not real but wen i hear them so clearly like wen i talk to people i can actually c i find it very difficult to believe i know im not on my own with this and it upsets me that so many people are in the same boat as me i have found its always decent people that experience this ive never heard of drug dealers or murders hearing voices and i think it stinks but children make my life worth living