Doctors can be arseholes sometimes

[postingfortraffichere]

GP today was a Complete arse and it's left me quite upset.

I requested a repeat prescription for anti depressant and she said am I TTC to which I replied yes.

She then proceeded to tell me that I should suggest going without them so to not harm the potential baby if I do conceive. And that I should try natural methods to improve my mood instead.

I've tried every natural method under the sun for many years, I finally after years of resisting taking anti depressants decided to take the plunge a few weeks ago and have felt like I've got my life back and feel much more positive.

Today has put me on a downer - not only am I struggling TTC but I don't need the gp trying to undo a decision and make me feel guilty for taking anti depressants when I've found them life changing.

Of course I could go without them as that's what I did for many years but I want my quality of life to improving and now I just feel so deflated at the doctors attitude and bluntness and guilt tripping.

She said anti depressants basically should be last resort - so basically I should only use them if TTC if I'm about to top myself?

I'm pissed off and feel shit by this. AIBU to be angry and now not know what to do.

Some doctors are weird about anti depressants, my regular GP and I had a plan for mine and they were working well (at that point and had been for several years) I had an emergency appointment for an ear ache with on call gp and she went off on one lecturing me about how I needed to come off them, etc.

I’ve not read the full thread & can’t comment on the way the doctor came across but I wanted to give you my experience.

I fell pregnant back in 2017 and took sertraline before conceiving, through my pregnancy and continued after. I can honestly say I did not have 1 medical person advise me against the pregnancy.

My midwife was obviously aware I was taking it as was the consultant at the hospital & to them it was a non issue as I wasn’t the only one who was/ had taken sertraline during pregnancy .

Must add the consultant was not for sertraline reasons but I have large babies and had already had a previous emergency Caesarian. My DS was born completely healthy with no side effects from the sertraline.

I’m not saying that you should ignore the doctors advice but I would suggest you get a second opinion for your own mental health

@Sparklingwine1 thank you and best of luck with your TTC journey.

I can't come off them it scares me - you are brave.

@Izzy24

I agree with all the information and comments made and offered by *@Theworldishard*. There is so much misinformation and unkind judgement on this thread. Unfortunately women are often advised by their gps that they should stop antidepressants in pregnancy and this advice is not simply not appropriate.

Thank you @Izzy24 🌺

@Aggy35 my depression is defiantly chemical imbalance. I have had many counselling sessions and it didn't fix it.

My life is great. I have a great house, career husband there's nothing to make me depressed but yet some days I really didn't see the point in life. For no reason. That's definitely seratonin levels off, no other explanation. I don't want to have those thoughts again.

My brain couldn't think at work at all. I couldn't get through tasks. My job is high pressure there's no room for sub standard performance.

@mineofuselessinformation Exactly. If the go was not being biased and giving facts / why didn't she point out the harm untreated depression can do too? She was giving one side to her advice.

Reading through this thread has made me realise, sadly, that despite various organisations trying to highlight the importance of mental health, our society really hasn’t understood.

Op, I was on anti depressants throughout my first pregnancy with full support from my gp and with no negative outcome, positive in fact. I don’t believe your gp is an arse but they certainly have a strong opinion. Is there a chance you could consult with another gp? I remember feeling like a hopeless failure when depression got a hold of me, why couldn’t I “pull myself together”, my very lovely gp explained it’s not something I could control, it’s caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain and anti depressants correct the imbalance. Years on I don’t suffer with depression (anti depressant free for over 5 years) but I remember it all too well and dread to think what the outcome would have been left untreated. I really hope you receive appropriate treatment.

I am currently sat in bed breastfeeding my healthy, happy 8 week old baby.

I took 150mg of Sertraline all the way through my pregnancy and am still on them. I also took them during my fertility treatment.

One of the reasons that I was put on Sertraline to start with is because it is the recommended one for pregnancy and the doctor knew we were TTC.

Any drug has a risk, and that goes for every single medication, prescription or over the counter. The risks to me not taking sertraline are far far higher than the minimal risk of it affecting the baby.

They will never give 100% on any drug in pregnancy as they can't test on pregnant women for ethical reasons (rightly!)

Please find a different doctor who will support you. Mental health is physical health and deserves the same respect.

I have been lucky that I haven't had any negative comments from all of the (many many) medical professionals that I have seen in my treatment, pregnancy and postnatally.

Good luck with everything!

@Theworldishard thank you for your kind posts

I find that different doctors and midwives give different advice regarding antidepressants and pregnancy. But certainly none of them ever advised me to stop taking them after they had been prescribed. At times they might have recommended a temporary change of medication to something with lower risk, but that's it.

I don’t think your doctor was being an arse!

Untreated maternal depression can be dangerous for mother and baby if severe and untreated.

I couldn't agree more with this statement.

@Niffler92

Some doctors are weird about anti depressants, my regular GP and I had a plan for mine and they were working well (at that point and had been for several years) I had an emergency appointment for an ear ache with on call gp and she went off on one lecturing me about how I needed to come off them, etc.

Yeah, I've experienced this too. My answer is no because without them I can't function. I need to be a stable parent.

@postingfortraffichere I'm so sorry that your GP made you feel so bad about taking antidepressants. I was on sertraline when I conceived my little boy and took the decision to come off them while pregnant, my GP actually encouraged me to keep taking them and told me they were the recommended/safest in pregnancy. I suffered from a lot of anxiety during that pregnancy and it only got worse after I gave birth and I ended up back on them again and suffering from post natal depression (Baby was absolutely fine btw!)
I'm now pregnant with my second child and this time I've continued on sertraline with the full support and encouragement of my GP and midwife, I'm definitely noticing that my mood is much more stable this time round.
Your mental health is important and should be taken seriously, please find a different GP and don't feel guilty for looking after your mental health.
Good luck xxxx

@HollowTalk

My daughter had a problem with depression and she has found that yoga and running have been the best things to do to combat it. She also watches a lot of inspirational people eg on Ted talks and practises deep breathing exercises to help her in stressful situations. A really good diet helps, too. Have you tried things like that, OP?

I appreciate you're only trying to help but when I am having a depressive episode, I can barely get out of bed and brush my teeth, let alone go for a run or do yoga!! Going on anti-depressants enabled me to attend talking therapy and do these types of things - without medication I would probably not be here right not. Inspirational talks when I'm depressed are likely to send me into a rage! I can't even bear to listen to my favourite songs or watch my favourite funny shows. If only depression could be cured by exercise, deep breathing and healthy eating! I have accepted that I will have to be on meds for the rest of my life so whilst I was pregnant and breastfeeding I took Citaopram or Sertraline. My GP said the benefits outweighed the risks.

Yep total arseholes. Emergency approach at 8.40am for Toddler who woke up with ear ache or ear infection and she said to me.....you've left him like this all morning? I cried so much, I should have complained.

I was told by a consultant psychiatrist that the antidepressant I was on (fluoxetine) was perfectly safe during ttc and pregnancy. He wasn’t just being reckless because there was another type of med he would have recommended for me, that was not known to be OK for pregnancy, that he said I couldn’t have until after the birth.

@Peridotty

I agree with some posters that you shouldn’t have kids until your depression is better. It sounds like your depression is quite serious and unstable. A baby would probably cause it to get worse. I think for the benefit of the child you do need to have a stable parent. And the GP is right in telling you the risks. I am sure that the magnitude of the risk varies depending on which research study you are looking at. She is only a GP, perhaps a psychiatrist would be more able to quote to you the % of risk and studies better.

This is a completely hideous statement. Do you know how many millions of people are depressed?? It's a chemical imbalance of the brain. You wouldn't tell someone with diabetes for example, not to have a child as it could effect their parenting would you? You can have depression and be a fantastic parent, your sweeping statement is not only extremely offensive, it's absolute bollocks on top of that.

@lyntheyresexpeople

I am sorry you feel offended but having a child requires a lot of mental resilience, and thus is totally different to diabetes. Having recently gone through surviving the newborn stage and now I have a 15 month old who still doesn't sleep through the night, I know how mentally challenging it is.

You can't deny that many parents with depression may be more irritable, difficult to live with, may not be able to do as many things with their kids, lack motivation to get up, feeling down. These aren't the hallmarks of a great parent.

www.camh.ca/en/health-info/guides-and-publications/when-a-parent-is-depressed

There are different degrees of depression and I think mild depression may not affect parenting as much as severe depression (which I think OP has).

[quote postingfortraffichere]@Theworldishard thank you for your kind posts [/quote]
@postingfortraffichere you're welcome 🌺 mental health in pregnancy is something I am passionate about after my experience and I always want to help others. It makes me so cross when people are dismissive or give out wrong information. 💓

Your gp is an arsehole for not following NICE guidelines.

I just also think she is being unreasonable / would she tell someone with high blood pressure to stop taking their meds?

I can literally say yes, for this exact condition. My meds that I had been on for a decade weren't known to be safe in pregnancy (weren't known to be unsafe either) but the best protocol was to stop them completely, let them clear out, then I started on a less effective, but safer alternative during pregnancy.

[quote Peridotty]@lyntheyresexpeople

I am sorry you feel offended but having a child requires a lot of mental resilience, and thus is totally different to diabetes. Having recently gone through surviving the newborn stage and now I have a 15 month old who still doesn't sleep through the night, I know how mentally challenging it is.

You can't deny that many parents with depression may be more irritable, difficult to live with, may not be able to do as many things with their kids, lack motivation to get up, feeling down. These aren't the hallmarks of a great parent.

www.camh.ca/en/health-info/guides-and-publications/when-a-parent-is-depressed

There are different degrees of depression and I think mild depression may not affect parenting as much as severe depression (which I think OP has).[/quote]
You sound totally clueless. The op doesn't sound like she has severe depression at all. Also medication helps people to function by correcting the lack of seratonin in the brain. Many people with various mental illness make amazing parents just as some people with none make rubbish parents. Your post is so judgmental and condescending

Your GP was telling you the facts, some anti depressants do affect a foetus. Why don’t you just go back and discuss your reservations with her like an adult rather than just call her an arsehole?

mothertobaby.org/fact-sheets/sertraline-zoloft-pregnancy/