Looks like my breastfeeding career is over since GP prescribed Escitalopram today.

[yelnats]

I finally went to my GP today and told him how I've been feeling lately, TBH I have been feeling quite low, tired and generally down for months now and today I finally plucked up the courage to ask for help. I have been muddling along for months for fear of being put on AD's which I really didn't want.

He has prescribed Escitalopram 10mg. He says I should take it at night but the pharmacist says I should take it in the morning - so confused now! AARGH!!

Has anyone any experience of this medicine and what are your thoughts on it?

Doc said I would be best to stop breastfeeding as they dont go together (dd2 is 1 and I am trying to stop anyway). Tonight DP put her to bed without a fuss so hopefully she wont get up looking for a feed in the night. Though I am also sad that I wont feed her again

Sorry for the long ramble that prob doesnt even make sense I just needed to offload.

Hi yel.
Come over and join us on the citalopram buddy thread, the girls are all lovely and great at giving advice!
Take it at whatever time of day suits you best, I started taking it in the mornings but moved to night time because it made me feel a bit sick at first and that way I slept through the side effects. I must warn you that the first week or 2 after starting them is not great, the side effects can be vicious but stick it out because it doesn't last long and you will feel much, much better when they kick in (not high or anything like that, just normal again). Some people don't have any trouble with the side effects though so you may be fine.

Thanks I will have a look for the thread.

sorry you're feeling low, but getting help is probably the wise thing to do.

I don't have any expereince of that medicine, but I've been under the care of the neonatal psychiatric unit since DD was born and they prescribed me sertraline as it is one of the better ones for BFing. I've been taking it since she was born and have BF throughout. Is there a specific reason for him giving you the citalopram? Is it worth calling in the morning and asking about a safer alternative?
then you can wind down te BFing in a way that suits you both rather than having to go cold turkey as it were.

I hope you feel better soon

Glad you said that lardy. Been trying to find out about sertraline but couldn't remember what it was called! You've just saved me trawling through 33 pages on another thread thanks.

He says I am more suffering from anxiety than depression (did a questionnaire thing and I scored 12 - said its borderline depression but he thinks more anxiety). Would that help for that?

Need to go to bed now cos I am sooo tired and I have a feeling dd2 will be up looking for some mummy milk soon, and dd1 has earache tonight. Great fun!

Most ad's are for anxiety as well as depression although they usually start you on 5mg for anxiety and 10 for depression. Just been looking at sertraline myself, see if this link helps.

Ooops didn't quite come out where I was hoping, you'll have to type sertraline into the search when that page comes up.

yelnats Hope you are feeling better this morning. Escitalopram is one of the anti depressants that is supposed to be more effective for anxiety.

Has he offered you anything else to help you deal with the depression/anxiety other than the meds? I don't know if you have a specific cause but it may be that it is worth asking about a talking therapy or CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) can be got on the NHS relatively easily although there is commonly a waiting list.

In the mean time if you fancy looking at it this is a free site for CBT and they have specific section aimed at treating anxiety www.livinglifetothefull.com

lardymardydaisy with name change here.

I hope you are feeling better today yelnats

I've just checked the blurb that is in the box, and it says sertraline is used to treat depression, OCD and PTSD, and that OCD is an anxiety realted illness. It says that it may help to treat the anxiety that may accompany your illness.

It is an SSRI like fluoxetine and paroxetine, if that is any help.

I took it whilst breastfeeding (with knowledge of my GP) !
(Oh, and I took it at bedtime so hopefully I would sleep through side effects - didn't have any side effects really (maybe I did sleep through them).)

i took lexapro while breastfeeding, doctor said the benefits outweighed the risks. taken many ads and found it the best but i did get withdrawal symptoms when i eventually came off it. ads are great temporary life jackets but they cant teach you to swim alone and they should ALWAYS be offered hand in hand with some form of counselling/therapy.
hope you feel ok today

Thanks for all the posts! I wasnt on yesterday - had a rough day and my mum kept the girls last night so I took the chance to have an early night. My mum never takes both girls at once as dd2 isnt a great sleeper but over the past few weeks I have managed to get her from co-sleeping to sleeping in her cotbed(all night) with one of the sides off - I think she disliked the bars. She slept all night for my mum so looks like she might even take them again - should give me a wee bit of a break at least. Have stopped breastfeeding now - not fed since Sunday night. I think it was time for us to stop anyway - she hasnt even looked for it really tbh - made a fuss for about 10mins on Monday night with DP but then didnt bother at all last night.

I haven't started taking them yet as I am a bit worried that I wont ever get off them - part of my problem there everything worries me!! GP hasnt offered anything else along with the meds though he wants to see me again in 10/14 days (from Monday) so he will maybe discuss more then. I dont know of any reason that I am feeling like this, well I have always been a bit of a worrier and get annoyed/upset about silly things that most people laugh off. However, I have been worse since dd2 was born but GP didnt mention PND though my HV was skirting around that theory about 6/7 months ago but I kept making out I was fine and that I was managing it myself.

I have taken this whilst breastfeeding
please do not stop if you dont want to

I think it is time to stop anyway - she is just over 1 year old and was down to 1 feed per day now anyway. As I said she hasnt put up that much of a fuss for it anyway.