Has anyone taken citalopram during pregnancy?

[Clairebear86]

I have been taking Citalopram for a while , when I found out I was pregnant I just stopped taking them. I started to have withdrawal symptoms and had anxiety. I have spoken to my GP who said It is fine to continue the Citalopram during my pregnancy . I have read mixed reviews on the Internet and was wondering if anyone has had any problems whilst taking Citalopram during pregnancy??

[AllIWant85]

Lots of people do take Citalopram during pregnancy with no ill effect.

I personally weaned off them before conceiving ds1 but I could have continued at 40mg if needed. It's definitely not a good idea to stop suddenly. I cut down gradually over a few months and still had some pretty awful withdrawal symptoms.

[Mrspopper]

I am pregnant and have slowly weaned off. Dr advised that nothing would affect baby until third trimester so that gave me a goal to aim for.

[LMST]

Hi all
After many forwards and backwards discussions with my GP (rock and a hard place comes to mind) I decided to come of vital pram when I first found out I was pregnant.
First 6 weeks wee vert tough with withdrawal (dizzy tingly) but those physical symptoms passed.
Mood wise it's hard though. Up and down but the downs are like endurance battles I have to plough through.
I've decided to try and make it through without medication. In second trimester now and I'm questioning my decision daily. The tablets sit in my drawer and wait.
DH supportive and says just take them you can't go on feeling like this. Sister says you can't do it think of the baby. GP says only you can make the decision.
Refered to the maternity psychiatrist. He pointed out that me being depressed also poses risks to the baby (Arg! ) so need to consider which risk I'm more able to take.
Ground hog day.
It's so tough. I guess this is the beginning of the responsibilities of being a parent. Putting your child before yourself.
Trouble is I hardly want this baby now. I hate being pregnant and I dread the baby coming in October and being off on mat leave over winter.

Any hopeful stories or advice appreciated.

[Shadow1986]

Yes I have. I went down from 20mg to 20mg though. I also came off them at one point during the pregnancy but didn't like how I was feeling so went back on the 10mg.

I'm nearing my due date now and discussed breastfeeding with my GP. She has switched me to something else (can't remember what now) that supposed to be better for breastfeeding so at 38 weeks I need to come off citilopram and start the new media when I've had the baby, it needs a 1/2 week gap before starting the new ones

[Shadow1986]

Sorry that should say 20mg to 10mg

[HopeAvenue]

Hi all -

LMST can relate to your quandary -

I had been on citalopram happily for 3 years - it really worked amazingly for me & got me back to an even keel.

Decided to try for baby & when got preg decided to come off them which was a mistake. I didn't reduce as gradually as I should. At about 10 weeks I went back to doctor as was really struggling and alllllll my old worries and OCD fears were back.

Doctor was lovely, really supportive & said he would support me restarting the medication and also talked about the impact of stress/anxiety/depression on a pregnancy. I read all about risks of taking the medication but they seemed marginal either way.

I managed, just about, to hang on until 12weeks and am now on day 4 of being back on 10mg. Got some side effects but persevering because I know how helpful this medication is for me.

Just want to reassure us all, we have to think about our own health & wellbeing as well as the baby.

[shelbyelizabeth]

Hi all,
Just after some support and guidance really, i found out I was pregnant when I was still taking citalopram and after seeing my doctor he advised me to wean myself off 20mg of citalopram.
Iv been off them properly for two weeks now, but with the morning sickness, tiredness and mood swings I feel that I'm really not coping that well!
Today me and my partner went for a dating scan and seeing my little peanuts heart beat on the screen was one of the best feelings I have ever had!
I want to stay strong and happy for my baby as I know it is the best thing for peanut that I do so, but if I'm honest I'm finding it really rough! All my anxiety has come back, I'm crying all the time and I feel like I just can't concentrate as well as normal. I know these are probably heightened by pregnancy hormones but I just really don't feel myself.

I just don't know what to do for the best and if really appreciate some kind words and advise :) X

[KatyN]

I took it for both my pregnancies. Both children are fine. I would not have been had I not taken it.
Kx

[lauracumins]

I'm wondering the same thing. Have been taking 10mg for the past few months for anxiety but hoping to start TTC within the next few months. So many conflicting messages online! I worry how I'd cope without it as was having horrific physical anxiety symptoms beforehand.

[BembaNugget]

Thank you Clairebear86 for making this thread because this is something I've been thinking about myself.
Me and my partner have decided we want to try for a baby and my doctor suggested I weigh up the pros and cons of coming off the Citalopram. I 'only' take 20mg a day and my partner is more than happy for me to continue taking the medication. Despite giving up smoking and alcohol and anything else that might affect my body as a human incubator, is it really worth feeling bad about not stopping the medication?
I suffer with the most horrific panic attacks at night and I just worry the physical symptoms mixed with no sleep would put more stress on my body and the baby.

[thegosling]

I've been on Citalopram for years and stayed on them whilst pregnant with both my sons, with no ill effect.

[Ronniestevens1]

Hi!
Sorry to jump into this thread! I've been on and off citalopram for years....currently on 20mg citalopram but would like to start trying to conceive too! I'm so worried my anxiety will come back ifrom I stop taking this tablets :, ( any advice welcome xxx

[Desmondo2016]

on my doctors advice I came off citalipram cold turkey when I got pregnant. I'm now 28 weeks and currently 6 weeks into sick leave with anxiety and possibly developing pre natal depression.

[Ronniestevens1]

HI Desmond2016
Has the doctor restarted you back on citalopram if you're feeling the way you are? I hope you start to feel better soon. I'm sure you can take citalopram whilst pregnant so I wonder why he told you to come off them? X

[LMST]

It's a really tough decision this one. The evidence around risks of taking it is conflicting but you just say to yourself 'oh come on tough it out for just the next 9 months or you might regret it'.
Hmm. Why are we so horrible to ourselves!!?

So I came off it when found out pregnant. First 8 weeks was very hard but then the second trimester was REALLY good. I felt great and really happy I'd made the decision to go drug free.
Then things deteriorated about week 25 (a particularly stressful period at work exacerbated things for me so don't take this as me saying that third trimester will be the pits for everyone)
I still wanted to be drug free. And to stay at work.
Not clever.
I got so ill that I stopped eating properly, had to reduce my hours at work and eventually was signed off altogether by the Occupational Health doctor who frankly told me I was very very unwell and needed to look after myself.
So on advice of my team I went back on the citalopram.

What I'm trying to say here is that we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to not take medication based on some evidence that there MIGHT be effect on baby but we end up causing ourselves a lot of distress.
So many women take citalopram and goodness knows how many other essential treatments during pregnancy without any il effect.
If you had a physical condition that meant you absolutely had to take medication to stay well you would. Why don't we cut ourselves the same slack on mental health? (Yeah, I know).

Anyway I've got 3 weeks to go now and I have finally accepted three things:

I have a mental illness and I owe it to myself and my partner to be responsible and accept treatment to manage it

Trying to function in the workplace or socially with untreated depression is incredibly hard and will wear you down to exhaustion (not great if you're also trying to grow a baby)

Although there is huge pressure to breastfeed I have made the decision to not breastfeed so that I can increase medication as soon as baby born- this gives me the best chance of coping and being a good mum, and I should not feel bad about this.

I hope this helps- there is no perfect answer here but please do cut yourselves some slack. Anxiety and low mood are horrible to live through- be kind to yourself.

X

[Thenorr]

Hi all,

Just wanted to add that i'd been on 20mg for years (out of habit more than anything I think - no doc had ever suggested coming off it!).

Took it throughout first pregnancy and breast fed on it - baby was fine and I was fine, no medical peeps seemed concerned at all. Decided to come off it at about 8 weeks pregnant this time, cut down over 10 weeks, 4 weeks after coming off it totally was THE WORST! (Would have gone straight back on it if it wasn't for some internet research) by 6/7 weeks free from it I felt much better, side effects all gone, mood stable.

The come down sucks but you need to give it time x

[Drucy]

Hi, what were the initial side effects and did you have to stop during third trimester?

[Charlottie01]

Hello, hope you don't mind me messaging.. I'm concerned about taking it. Was it ok with your children?