Antidepressants during pregnancy

[Binkybeany76]

Hello all :)

I'm nearly 15 weeks pregnant and I suffer from bipolar ,I only get the lows . I have reduced my meds with the help of my Doctor . I would have loved to have been able to have come off altogether( I tried the lowest dose ) but the agitation and darkness was just too much . I am very scared of what harm my baby may suffer because of this . I am at a dose that is semi manageable but I wouldn't say I was well , I feel grief stricken almost .however my baby comes first .

I am on 50mls of Lamortragine & 150 mls of Venlafaxine .

I was wondering if anyone else is going through a similar experience ? Or have had perfectly healthy children when being on meds?I have also stopped smoking , I'm 39 and had smoked since I was 14! I'm thinking that perhaps the combo of withdrawls from both antidepressants & tobacco could explain some of these feelings . I want to enjoy being pregnant but so far I feel like I'm trapped in despair every second .
Sorry for such a miserable post ! I think I'm just after some comfort in knowing that no harm will come to my baby .

Thank you :-)

Sorry to hear you're struggling - I'm not on the same meds as you, but I am on antidepressants (15mg of Mirtazapine), and have been on ADs ever since I was diagnosed with clinical depression 11 years ago. I'm 9 weeks pregnant too. My hubby and I had meetings with our community mental health team before we started trying for a baby, and gave a LOT of thought as to whether to come off the meds or stay on them. (The option of reducing wasn't there as I'm already on the lowest dose). In the end, it was decided to stay on them, as more damage can be done to your baby if you're depressed - yes, there are risks, but not enough research has been done on every type of med to prove once and for all how safe or dangerous they all are. You have to reach your own informed decision, but being ill is worse for your baby in my opinion, so the fact that the meds are keeping you well is worth the risk. It was for us anyway. Make sure you have regular monitoring, and do everything else in your power to keep well, both physically and mentally. And don't beat yourself up or feel guilty about taking antidepressants - thousands of women do, and have perfectly healthy babies at the end. Best of luck to you x

Thanks so much cazzabazz . We also spoke to mental health team , I tried to reduce before conception but I was in an awful job at the time and so it didn't work out . I realise I would feel considerably worse if I had come off them entirely , but the worry for baby's health hovers over me . What you have said is exactly what Docs etc have said , so I guess I should try to stop worrying as much as I do.

I do hope you're keeping well with your pregnancy . All the best and thanks again x

Just try not to worry about miscarriage or anything like that (easier said than done, as I worry loads too!), as miscarriages can happen to anyone, even women who've never taken ADs in their life. All we can do is trust the judgement of ourselves and of the medical professionals, and fingers crossed everything will be OK. Stay strong! x

Thanks so much ! I hope you have a great pregnancy and that everything goes well for you .

Wishing you the very best for you and your family :) Take care x

I'm under consultant care and currently taking 40mg Citalopram, which he has ok'd. The benefits to me outweigh any possible risk to the baby.