Sertraline in pregnancy?

[TotorosOcarina]

Was told by GP today that its probably best to come off my anti-D's/anxiety tabs as am pregnant.

Am on 50mg sertraline.

She looked it up in a book and said baby can be born with an addiction. She did say though that 'sertralin' wasn't directly mentioned but its the same for them all.

I don't know what to do.

I've only bee on them 3 months but just feel scared about coming off them really.

Ask your GP to arrange counselling instead of meds. Counselling will prob be more effective anyway.

Come off them slowly, don't just stop taking them. Sertraline is actually much lower in what gets through to the baby than some other antidepressants.
I've just written a big entry replying to the thread "Experience of Citalopram in Pregnancy?" so take a look, the advise would be the same for you.

As I've also written, ask your GP for CBT instead. It's a talking therapy but very very effective.

Best of luck xxx

I'm on the waiting list for CBT.

Would it be best to start taking half a tablet or should I take a tablet one day then none the next?

Half a tablet a day definitely! Make an appointment to see your GP though and work out a plan with them as to how quickly/slowly to do it to avoid withdrawals.

the gp said one every 2 days to me

she was a bit hopeless though

No, you're more likely to experience withdrawal symptoms. If you can, get them to prescribe you a liquid form of Sertraline, then you can do it even safer!
Usually discontinuing them will take about 4 weeks.

I was on sertraline before, during and after my last pregnancy. Baby all fine. GP irresponsible to suggest that, I did alot of research at the time and there was a very, very small chance of it being a problem. However if I had been made to come off the medication and been anxious and depressed things could have been far worse for both me and the baby. It's not as simple as just asking your GP for counselling, you wait about 6 months then get 5 or 6 sessions before you're kicked on your merry way.

perinatal psychiatrist recommended sertraline to me when I developed antenatal depression. I started it at about 15 weeks and took it (50mg daily) until DS2 was a few months old.