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Original poster

ANTIDEPRESSANTS DURING PREGNANCY

66 replies

Krythia · 02/09/2006 17:44

I am 9 wks pregnant with my third - unplanned - and am in the midst of being treated for PND from my second, who is only 14 months. Doctor says my antidepressants (citalopram) are safe during pregnancy but not BF, and that I must change, but baby will be born jittery. Do any of you know of any antidepressants which you can take for both pregnancy and BF? I would like to change sooner rather than later. (please, no comments along the lines of 'just come off them' as I really can't, for the sake of the whole family)

OP posts:
BrummieMomInMerthyr · 02/09/2006 20:23

Sorry krythia i can't offer any advice but sending big hugs think anneb better not post any more comments, krythia needs help not judgement ffs

divastrop · 02/09/2006 20:26

soz i think i addressed my first msg to the wrong person,please forgive me i am not with it today.i meant to say krythia,not trinity,lol i warned the wrong person off willies.
anyway,ive posted on this topic in 'feeling depressed' and got lots of helpful info.
sorry again,im at the dozy stage of pregnancy

pussycatmomma · 02/09/2006 20:26

hi, just wanted to add that i have suffered with mental health probs for many years, but with support from therapy, medication and my lovely dh we are trying for our first baby, and i cant wait. comments from Anneb are at best misguided and at the worst ignorant and shows a certain amount of narrowmindedness. However, each to their own and all that, this is the www afterall.
If it helps anyone, i am currently taking prozac after being told that venlaflaxine, (my other drug of choice ) would have been unsuitable if i were to become pregnant.
As far as i am aware prozac is safe to take during pregnancy, in fact my sister went through ivf and was given it by her clinic and was told it was very safe.
The more the subject is spoken about and stigmas are gradually worn away the better.
Bearing in mind i did say gradually!

CountTo10 · 02/09/2006 20:27

Haven't got any experience of this but wanted to keep the topic bumped as it were although judging from a few inappropriate posts I would guess that this will be round for a while!! Have you got a lot of family support around you to help put when no 3 arrives? There's no perfect age difference so try not to worry about that side of things. I hope you get some good sound advice on this and look forward to impending bith announcements.

pussycatmomma · 02/09/2006 20:28

Sorry, forgot to say to Krythia, Good luck with your pregnancy and hope all turns out well for you x

Original poster
Krythia · 02/09/2006 20:35

thanks to pussycatmomma and countto10. Sadly, no family around - DH is in the Army and we are in Germany. Mum and dad are farmers so can't come out v often, and as for In laws, better if they don't, to be honest!!! Still, have a good network of neighbours here, but no-one I am close enough to to share the AD thing.

OP posts:
divastrop · 02/09/2006 20:39

the thread 'can i take antidepressants while pregnant' there are a few different ones discussed on there.i need to find out how to do links....

CountTo10 · 02/09/2006 20:41

Krythia its a shame you don't feel you have anyone you can share this with as I should imagine its isolating enough living with pnd but I know theres loads of threads etc on living with pnd and ad's etc on here and lots of people who would be more than willing to talk to you about it when you feel you need it x

Original poster
Krythia · 02/09/2006 20:41

thanks, divastrop, will go and check

OP posts:
Original poster
Krythia · 02/09/2006 20:52

just been for a shifty, does anyone have any experience of prozac during pregnancy and BF? Another one was zoloft, which I haven't heard of. Also, I think fluoxetine, which was another one people mentioned, is another name for seroxat, which I have not had a good experience with. I would love to be able to thrash this out with a GP, but the german one here is SO different from an english doc.... ho hum!

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harrisey · 02/09/2006 21:00

I have experience of this. I got pg accidentally (my coil came out) when my ds was 15 months and my dd1 3and a half. I was still being treated for PND from my previous pregnancy. I was on sertraline (as it is used in breastfeeding mothers) and it is also safe in pregnancy. I was on it until dd2 was 18 months and then came off with no bother at all.
I dont know if you can switch over to it while you are pregnant but it really doesnt affect the baby at all and I found it a good anti-d as well. I know what you mean about not just coming off! Ante-natal depression is much better known now, but my GP did ask me to see a psychiatrist for one appointment while I was pregnant to check about the medication.
My pregnancy with dd2 was very hard and I actually ended up on some other medication for a kidney problem, which could have made dd2 jittery when she was born, but it didnt happen and the paediatrician said jittery babies are actually quite rare and very easy to deal with, they might need to be in hospital a couple of days under observation but can be easily managed.
Please dont worry about it - I am sure it can be worked out.
How are you coping with the unplanned part of it all? I found it quite hard to get my head round it and my dh ended up having he snip even before dd2 was born as we knew no matter what happened there wouold be no more for a whole variety of reasons.
Feel free to CAT me i fyou want to chat, I really do know what it is like.

divastrop · 02/09/2006 21:02

fluoxetine is another name for prozac.i was on it in my last pg(from about 20 weeks)and dd2 was fine.i was still on it when i found out i was pg this time but i was told to stop taking it till after 12 weeks,though ive read other ppl have been told it was safe all through pg.

IdrisTheDragon · 02/09/2006 21:09

Haven't yet read other posts, but I was treated for depression during pregnancy, and breastfed DD for 10 months. And we are both fine .

I take sertraline, also known as Lustral.

Original poster
Krythia · 02/09/2006 21:11

thanks divastrop - you have been a great deal of help! Harrisey - I could kiss you! I will ask the mad german doctor next week. Very intuitive to ask how I am feeling about no 3 - day before we found out, I had parcelled up all the baby stuff to take to the second hand shop without a backward glance and was looking forward to getting back to normal and starting retraining for a second career. It's taken me a while to get my head around it all, but keep trying to remind myself that lots of people would love to swap.

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IdrisTheDragon · 02/09/2006 21:13

I was being treated for depression with another AD (possibly citalopram but can't remember) before I got pregnant (unplanned) with DD, but they weren't really doing any good anyway.

Started taking sertraline when I was 12 weeks pregnant.

Original poster
Krythia · 02/09/2006 21:15

ItheD, did you swap from one to another straightaway, or was there a gap? If the former, I am curious as to how they tell you to do it.

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waggledancer · 02/09/2006 21:19

Krythia, as a health professional my understanding is that professional opinion supports a mother who is stable and functioning,despite the potential for withdrawal in newborns. Note I said potential there, cos it doesn't always happen. Your best bet is to ask for paediatric opinion, cos they deal with newborns, and to get them to liase with your midwife/obstetrician so your treatment is as good as it can be and your babies possible risks are minimised. Kellymom.com and La Leche are great resources for checking drug interaction in breastfeeding.

IdrisTheDragon · 02/09/2006 21:19

I stopped taking the ADs as soon as I knew I was pregnant (was shell shocked by being pregnant (DS was 13 months when I got pregnant)but felt that as they weren't doing much that it didn't really make much difference).

So there was a couple of months where I wasn't taking any, which in retrospect wasn't a good idea, but things came to a head when I was about 12 weeks pregnant and I realised I had to do something.

So not sure how to switch from one to another, but I imagine there is a way.

Original poster
Krythia · 03/09/2006 13:41

thanks ItheD. Waggledancer, they are great tips - I will research them. I have been trying to reduce the dose myself, from 20mg to 10mg (with GP approval), with a view to stopping, but this morning my husband gently told me that it wasn't working and I was better when on 20mg, which was brave of him, but I feel so sad for the children I already have that mummy can't be 'normal' and patient without the wretched tablets.

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MoreTeaAnyone · 03/09/2006 14:09

Krythia, It's great that your dh is comfortable and yes, brave enough to tell you that. You must have good support from him which will help you no end.

Still thinking of you. Be pleased that you dc can have a 'normal' mummy. Just because you need pills to make that happen doesn't mean you should dismiss it.

Original poster
Krythia · 03/09/2006 18:55

thanks!! You're right. Made me feel better

OP posts:
harrisey · 03/09/2006 20:42

Yes, you have to look at the anti-d's as something you need to regulate an irrregularity in your body chemistry - just like a diabetic needs insulin. I'm really very glad that someone invented them.
You are a great Mummy because you are so concerned about the effect on your children. Sounds as well like you have a very supportive dh. I wouldnt be here today without mine!

Surfermum · 03/09/2006 21:12

Hi Krythia. I took Dothiepin throughout my pregnancy and it was safe to take during breast feeding too. It's one of the older anti-depressants known as a tri-cyclic. I'd been on it for some years, had tried to come off it twice before and, in discussion with my GP, we agreed that the risk of me becoming depressed again was too great so I should continue it during my pregnancy. I stayed well and dd was born with no problems at all.

I don't give the fact that I have to take anti-depressants every night a second thought now. They keep me well - really well. In fact people are always really surprised when I tell them I take them. I don't get any side effects and I'd far rather be taking them and never have to feel depressed again. I don't even want to start messing around with reducing doses or anything, I'm not going rocking any boats!!

poppiesinaline · 03/09/2006 21:18

Hi Krythia, I do sympathise with you. I was on ADs when I fell pregnant unexpectedly with my 3rd. Its a horrible feeling isnt it? I was on Prozac. My GP recommended I came off them. I wasnt intending on bf so she said she could monitor me very closely and then pop me back on them if need be.

I have been trotting along. The baby is now 17 months. But I am planning on seeing the GP this week to talk about maybe going back on them.

Dont know what to say really except I presume the GP knows which are safe and which are not and it does sound like he/she is taking into consideration the severity of your depression. Have you considered not bf? and maybe coming off the ADs while pregnant but then going straight back on them as soon as the baby is born?

kbaby · 03/09/2006 21:56

Hi I took prozac while pregnant with DD however I was warned not to use it during bf and also it could make the baby juttery. I stopped taking it 6 weeks before my edd, DD was a jumpy baby(ie would get startled when I lay her down) but may have been like that anyway, she certaintly never showed any withdrawal effects.
I didnt continue with ad's while bf however I have just had another baby and will be seeing the gp tomorrow about ad's while bf as I have mild pnd.