Pregnant and want my venlafaxine back!!!!!

[sarah76]

I've had recurrent major depression for the last 16 years. For the last seven years, I took venlafaxine. I stopped when I got pregnant and had a miscarriage at 7wks. Then I got pregnant again a few months later. Depression got worse, and GP prescribed fluoxetine. I've been on it for two months and it does nothing. Now 17 weeks pregnant.

I'm signed off work for this fecking everlasting morning sickness, depression, and SPD. Feel completely useless, no energy for anything. A good day is when I actually take a shower. Community mental health team have been involved.

Psychiatrist coming to the house in an hour, and I want to tell her I want my venlafaxine back. I've read a bit about it, and I know it's not recommended. I know there are risks. But I'm so miserable I can't see getting through the next five months and beyond feeling like this.

I remember the first time I took venlafaxine, it was like waking up from a bad dream, and had so much energy. I want to feel like that again.

Has anyone taken venlafaxine during pregnancy and breastfeeding? How did it go?

Hi, I haven't taken venlafaxine but am currently on Sertraline which is meant to be really safe for pregnancy and breastfeeding. I just wanted to add my support to you, I know where you are now and it's horrible. i hope you can get something sorted. xx

Have you thought about changing to another drug that is more suited/considered safer in pregnancy/breastfeeding?
I took sertraline with good effect on my illness and no detriment to baby.

The psychiatrist and social worker just left. They have to discuss it with a different consultant and will let me know next week if they are willing to switch me to something else. Just feels like it's out of my hands. Everyone is so reluctant to prescribe anything.

I'm sorry that you couldn't get anyone to give you a good answer today, it must be so frustrating to be in limbo. I think it sounds like you're doing great, you're aware that you need something to change and you're trying to do something about it. You hang in there and I really do hope you get something sorted.

Sarah, I too suffer from long-term depression and have found venlafaxine to be the only antidepressant that seems to work. With my first pregnancy I was told I had to come off them (and went onto a 'safer' one). It was awful, they didn't work at all I cried most days, felt so bad as a mother and my relationship with my daughter (now 3) suffered - I can't really remember the first six months of her life. At that time I took what medics told me for granted.

My second pregnancy I knew that I couldn't put my daughter, hubby or myself through that again. I stayed on the venlafaxine, 225 mg per day of the gradual release capsules (if that's relevant), throughout my pregnancy. The whole thing went so much better. When I was teary, it was the usual hormonal jitters and I was able to function normally. I am still on the same medication now and breastfeeding my now 4 month old son.

I had a really good maternal psychiatrist who researched it well (I can let you have the name if you need). The risks associated with venlafaxine are not entirely known because of the ethics of testing on pregnant wemen. Those that I became aware of are:

• slightly higher risk of stillbirth post 40 weeks (so I became a bit neurotic about kick charts)
• Possibility of the baby suffering withdrawal symptoms after birth (can be convulsions, shakes, headaches, visual disturbances, etc - the same kind of symptoms you probably get if you miss a dose). Withdrawal symptoms can be lessened if you choose to breastfeed as a much lower concentration does pass through breastmilk.
• It can have an impact on initial blood sugar levels in the newborn. My baby was a little twitchy after four hours or so. For that reason my DS's levels were checked every three hours (heel prick) until they were consistently above 2.6. Lots of unmedicated newborns have similar problems when breastfeeding until milk comes in. This was why we were in hospital for five looong days after birth.
• I also clarified that it was unlikely to cause any mental health/brain development problems. At least no worse than having a depressed mother during the first vital months of emotional development.
• I also clarified that there were no problems associated with mixing with pain relief meds for labour.

These are risks and you need to weigh them against the benefits to your health, that of your unborn child and that of your family. Some people may frown on me and my choices and the way I figured it was that there are women who smoke, drink or take narcotics through their pregnancy and their kids turn out ok. For me and my family it was well worth the 'risks'. I am dealing with motherhood so much better this time around. I am more relaxed, still liked by my hubby and daughter and have bonded brilliantly with my son. If I am lucky enough to become pregnant again, I will do exactly the same. Remember that this is your health, your baby and ultimately your decision.

PrettySprinkles, thank you so much for sharing this.