weaning off tablets to have a baby

[zarzlee71]

Hey everyone. just feel like putting my feelings out there. I am currently on citalopram and have decided (with doctors support) to wean off them so we can have another baby. I feel so desperate to have another though so the wait is killing me =/ but after my last baby I refuse to conceive until I have got off these tablets fully (youngest was born with heart disease, I wasn't told by the doctors that these tablets could cause it )

Hello there. I'm no expert on the medication, but saw your post and want to just give you some support and encouragement. I live in Devon with my husband (he went through quite a long spell of extreme depression). We have four children between us and we're happy to give you a good listening to at any time via email, phone etc! Kathy

Thank you so much. I have been suffering for quite a while (since I was 14 =/) I weaned off them through my last pregnancy but it was quite hard. think I need to find some different calming techniques, I suffer with anxiety quite alot. I am starting the weaning tonight so im quite nervous, I get the withdrawal really bad so im hoping I can cope xxx

Make sure you cut down gradually, don't go cold turkey. Have you talked about maybe swapping to a more pregnancy safe medication? I am on mirtazapine (though the lowest dose) and will be staying on it and potentially increase if I fall pregnant and my anxiety increases. My Dr's said it's about finding the right balance of what is going to be best for baby AND mum through the whole pregnancy, as for lots of people the benefits of being medicated outweigh the risks.

Good luck.

I don't want to be on anything with this next baby. I firmly believe it was the tablets that caused my son's heart disease and I don't wana risk that happening again. We nearly lost our youngest so I feel deeply that I need to be free from drugs. I am doing it with Dr's guidence though, gradually xxxx

Hi,
I'm new to mumsnet and just came across your thread. I'm also on citalopram but am ttc whilst on low dosage. I wonder if you'd mind saying what mg you were taking in your 1st pregnancy? I've been told that if I were to become pregnant there is a very low risk of problems but they are usually on higher dosage (I'm on 20mg) and that I should aim to be off them by third trimester & this will lower the risk even further.
Any info/help you could offer would be great

Hi OP - I'm on 10mg of Citalopram and trying to come off it so we can have another DC. I've had depression on and off since my teens, this latest bout was PND.

Dr has advised me to try skipping 2 tablets a week (so I'm not taking them sunday or thursday) - I've been doing that for a month and noticed no ill effects so now I'm going to cut out another day, too. We can do this!!