Trying very hard to come off Escitalopram @ 7 weeks pg... but it was all too much, and have gone back to full dose. What now?

[Jackaroo]

This year we've immigrated, I lost my dad 2/3 months ago, I'm incredibly homesick, and life is pretty tense at the moment (pg. bleeding last week)..but I got down from 15mg to 10mg / day... but have just gone back up again, after a hellish 2 weeks.

I'm despairing of ever getting off them.

Any comments/stories?

Thanks

J

i was on anti depressents while pg and my baby was fine dont risk your own sanity please

Thanks Candy - what sort were they, and was it a decent dose, or a very small dose? TBH I htink I've been taking too little all along and was even thinking off upping them slightly before I got pg.

Anyone else?

J

I was on ADs throughout preegnancy and bfing. It is okay and certainly preferable to you becoming depressed. Don't rush to cpme off them - you have a lot to cope with atm.

thanks Nicky - I just managed to get 3 yrs DS to sleep this afternoon, he doesn't really do naps anymore - we both slept for 2 hours...

I do think that the reason it was easy to come off last time is that I was working p/t with no children to attend to so I just slept through as much of it as possible.. and was off it in a week.

Feels like a lifetime ago......

what sort of doses of ADs are you talking about btw, that would be really helpful to know...

J

i was amitryptaline cant remember the dose and it was only for 5 months then weaned off them then after my baby was born went straight on to lofeprammine to try and ward off post natal depression but unfortunatley i still got ill.

iwas on 40mg of citilopram until i was about 2-3 months pregnant, doctor weaned me off them down to 30 then 20 then 10 then 5.

i think all in all with your hormones in pg and the loss of your dad, you need to keep your sanity, then you can deal with other things, dont put to much pressure on your self just try to relax a bit more try not think about it or dawn on it

J, I was on 100 mg of sertraline when I beccame pregnant. When I found out I was pg (a lovely surprise!) I cut down to 50mg, which is th eminimum dose, but by 4 mths had to go up to 100mg. Post-natally, I was on 150 mg form about 2 mths post-partum.

2 years on and I am now down to 50 again and doing well on it this time. I am trying to come off them because I've been on them 15 years (!) and would like a break. There is no doubt that they saved my sanity and quite possibly my life. I had long-term mental health problems and anorexia. Most peolple are not on them as long as me, so don't panic! Many friends of mine have been on them for 6mths to a year - that seems to be the norm ime.

Take them to get you throught this difficult period. When things feel more stable, you can look at coming off them. Also, don't get too hung up on getting off them - that can make things worse. Re-assess yourself every 6 mths or so. ANd good luck. I lost my Dad 3 years ago. It is awful, but it does get easier.

Thanks so much all of you - it pretty much negates teh comment I had last time I was here which was "there's never a good time to come off, just give it a go". I'm paraphrasing, but it wasn't what I needed to hear! N2T, the thought of 15 years doesn't panic me, I've alreayd had 3 and I know how fast that's gone :-)

This week has got darker and darker, so I think I might go and see the gp tomorrow - thanks for answering, it makes such a difference to have someone to think it through with.......

J