Taking Quetiapine with a young baby-finding it very hard

[lickthelid]

Hi,
I'm at a bit of a loss and wondered if anyone might have any advice.

I had my baby last october by emcs and really fell apart. I've got a long history of anxiety/depression which has never been treated.

I was seen by a perinatal pschiatrist who prescribed me fluoxetine in increasing doses until in november I went into a mother and baby unit as I was suicidal.
In the unit I was prescribed quetiapine, 25 mg twice a day and came off the fluoxetine.

I improved and was calmer, I was discharged after 1 week.

My problems are still ongoing, although I don't have the sheer terror and panic attacks I had at first, everday I still feel I can't cope and have made a mistake. This is terrible to say, I love my son more than anything and just want to be a good mother for him. I tried for him for 3 years and never imagined that I would be anything but happy when I had my longed-for baby.

I know quetiapine is an anti-psychotic and wonder if it is really the right medication to be on? I don't take the morning dose as it makes me so tired and dozy I really feel I can't properly care for the baby. So I take 25mg a day. I have told the GP this so they are aware.

Before I got pregnant I was having investigations into my thyroid and hormonal balance, which found I had a high TSH and high prolactin. I've been back to the endocrinologist but am awaiting results and he says they may be unreliable as I've been pregnant-I feel 5 months on things should have settled down? I also still produce milk and have not had a period. I breastfed for 1 week.

I know this is really long so thank you if you have read this, I am just searching for a answer, as although I have had problems in the past I have never felt anything like this. I don't want to miss out on anymore of my bpy's life, I feel the first months of his life are just a blur and just want to be right for him now.

Oh what a tough time!

Are you still under psych? Would suggest returning to them and asking about a switch to a less sedating antidepressant rather than an antipsychotic (guessing you didn't have psychosis?) - SSRI antidepressants can have great antianxiety effects (Inc for panic disorders) but take at least 6 weeks to work and can increase anxiety in first few weeks - staying on Quetiapine may reduce this side effect while they kick in.

Hammer back to GP too for more bloods to chase prolactic and thyroid - could well be contributing.

Good luck!

Quetiapine in a low dose can be really helpful if anxiety is out of control, but maybe it is no longer the right drug to be on, not by itself in any event. It is licensed for the treatment of anxiety however. Who is in charge of your meds? Can you ask for a review?

Thank you for the replies-I'm not under a psychiatrist now, I was but after coming out of the mother and baby unit-a pyschiartic ward-at Christmas, I was not contacted by him for an appointment and he has not helped my GP with any medication advice-so lost faith!

HorribleDay, no I have never had psychosis and was actually diagnosed with depresssion in hospital so not sure why fluoxetine led to such an extreme reaction-I just got worse and worse the higher the dose and was on them for 10 weeks. Am very wary of taking new meds now.

I wouldn't say I was anxious, I have been in the past and was extremely so after birth/on fluoxetine but now I just feel numb and very low, all I want is to be able to hide away from everyone and everything.

My GP is the only person who has helped, she has now referred me to another psychiatrist but quite a long wait, feeling very hopeless about it all.

I'm not surprised you feel disheartened, or wary of new meds. It's bot unheard of to have a very negative reaction to fluoxetine - and it can be mitigated against if you DO decide to try a new type. Do you feel the Quetiapine is making you feel flat or numb perhaps? It sounds very rough for you at the moment. What would YOU like to be different right now? Thinking of you :)