Early pregnancy and prozac

[niceglasses]

Sorry to be bleeting on about this, but just wanted to foster some opinions.

Lots of possible outcomes here - have had 3 positive preg tests, but also some bleeding (now stopped). Think my GP maybe arranging early scan. Complete unplanned preg - don't know how far on, but guess 7 or so weeks if it is viable at all after bleeding.

Do I stop taking Prozac which has made such a difference to me the last couple of months - it really has lifted a veil for me......don't know what to do. Am currently taking one per 2 days probably. But I could have lost the baby already.

Any advice appreciated and sorry for the bleeting on ad nauseaum.

Oooh I have 3 children already 5,4 and 2 and have had 2 m/cs in past.

Okay, first of all, this article is very reassuring.

www.babycentre.co.uk/pregnancy/isitsafeto/prozacexpert/

But I think it's worth remembering that from now on, particularly in England, there will probably never be any new drugs being licensed for use during pregnancy because a) there is no remotely safe way of testing and b) the effect of Thalidomide is never going to be forgotten. So drugs that were passed before that - like old antihistamines - will be recommended when new antihistamines can't safely be, even if they're just as safe and maybe more suitable.

Ask, ask, ask for opinions and do your own research. It certainly doesn't seem to cause miscarriage. Pregnancy has been a pretty tough and stressful time for me, for a number of reasons. I think if I'd been clinically depressed too I'd have found it very hard to cope, and you have to look after yourself too. Try not to be too hard on yourself - if you're told by a professional that it's safe, maybe you personally don't need to go the extra mile in assuming it isn't. I hope your pregnancy is safe and happy.

Thanks for that thoughtful post Macneil - don't feel too confident re this preg so may carry on with Prozac - has been such a help. Thanks once more.

Hi, Prozac isnt good in pregnancy, your GP can swap you onto something more sutiable... but wean yourself off them slowly. I stopped taking my ADs very suddenly, and I went totally backwards. Theres really no decent research on ADs in pregnancy, so I dont think you'll cause great harm, but, there are known safer ones. Good luck xxx (sorry, I cant think what I was on, ive been on so many)

Hi i took prozac til i was 7 months pregnant and only came off it because i was told that the baby would quite probably have side effects when born (due to no longer receiving it through me), but those side effects were going to be that baby was less settled and would possibly cry more - i decided that i wanted a baby crying at 3am cos it was a baby, not because of something that i had made happen (if you see what i mean). i worried that it would harm baby, but it certainly hasn't - she is fine (and actually a little gem - aah) and made the personaly decision when got pregnant that i was more use to the baby with prozac and happy, rather than without it and very depressed. hope that makes sense - and hope the pg is ok...

I am 8 weeks pg, am taking ADs (clomipramine), and will take them all the way through until 2 weeks before labour so the baby does not get withdrawal symptoms. I've checked with my GP, amd my psychiatrist, and both say this is fine. Whatever you do, please don't just suddenly stop taking them, as with the mixture of emotions, hormones and withdrawal, you will suffer. I'd check with the GP, but I am pretty sure Prozac is OK. Good luck.

hi

I'm on my 2nd pregnancy and took/taking Prozac with both. I'm currently taking 40mgs everyday (so obviously more than you) and 2 GP's/midwife and 2 consultants have all said that's fine, no problem at all, don't worry about it and don't come off it. The theory being that hormones are all over the place and coming off anti d's aswell will be too hard and might have a bad effect. Also if you stay on them after birth is reduces risk of post natal depression.

My first baby had no side effects and one of the midwives told me they see LOADS of women on all sorts of medication, especially anti d's and the only side effect they ever 'possibly' see is that babies are a bit more sleepy for first day and then nothing else.

Everyone has been very blaze about me being on prozac which I have taken as a very reasurring sign.

My doc said to me obviously, it's better not to be on any drugs when you're pregnant but life isn't like that and if you're ill, then you're ill and the mother's health and mental well being is just as important (if not more so) than the teeniest,slightest side effect the tablets might have on baby. My doc rocks!!

Stay on 'em - they're fab!!

Hi all, I?ve found this site very useful in giving accurate information on what you can and can't take in pregnancy.

motherisk.org

it's a hospital in Canada which does actual research on pregnant women to look at what is and isn't safe (their biggest concern is 'teratogens', which stop cell growth and cause deformities). they also do meta analyses of other research which has been done and come up with an overall verdict. there are 2 sites, a patient oriented one and a doctor oriented one. I prefer the doctor site as it gives you the citations for the articles on which the analysis was done. (I like to read the research first hand, but I?m a science geek).

hope this helps

Hi, I was on Prozac (Fluoxetine) when I first got pregnant but doctor's switched me over to Sertraline because it is a slightly lower dosage. My consultant has advised to continue taking throughout pg and beyond, through breastfeeding etc.

There are no known risks attributed to AD's but this is because of the lack of research. I was put under Ob led care because of them because of the risks to me of greater depression during pregnancy not because of risks to the baby. Now, at 38 weeks, I have today been released back to midwife led care as have been doing just fine.

I now have the opportunity to choose between a home or hospital birth which is wonderful and very empowering to someone that suffers from depression...

Don't stop taking any medication without the guidance of your doctor, but DO book an appointment to talk about your concerns and if your GP or midwife can't answer your questions, and its not unreasonable for them to be unable to - they can't be specialists in everything, ask him to refer you on to an OB at your local hospital so that they can help.

HTH and good luck with the rest of your pregnancy!
Cal

Just to say, if you find that your GP is very dogmatic about it and insists that you must stop taking them, it might be worth asking for a referral to a psychiatrist who specialises in motherhood and mental health. They are often much more up to date on the latest research than GPs.