Pregnancy and Anti-Depressants

[Collywobbles1984]

Dh and I want to try for another baby, but I'm currently taking AD's. I am going to book an appointment to see my GP, but just wanted opinions and experience on here from those who've been through pregnancy on AD's. I'm currently taking Citalopram and Mirtazapine. Tell me your tales...

Hi, I was 3 months pregnant when I found out. I had been taking sertraline and mirtazipine during that time. On discovering I was pregnant I was told it was safe to continue taking them but I stopped. My reasons for stopping were that I was also having to regularly take strong painkillers, which are not actually advised during pregnancy (I was doing this under medical advice), and I didn't want to take the ad's on top of that. But I know of other women who have continued to take ad's while pregnant and had no issues. Good luck op.

I was on sertraline in my last pregnancy (which sadly ended in a mc, but nothing to do with the meds!). I had been on it since DS was born, and had taken while breastfeeding.
I reduced the dose when I got pregnant last time, and only stopped before my current pg (15w now) because I felt I was ready. I would have been happy to continue taking them and will go back on if needed (have PTSD and had a bit of a crisis while pg with DS).

I took citalpram with DS. No issues.

I think its so complicated. I restarted pre-conception on citalopram as its worked for me previously, and the GP was aware we were TTC. However, I've since read fluoxitine is lower risk and I'm a little disappointed this wasn't discussed as an option. Also, I believe I may have to change meds if I want to breast feed, which to be fair was discussed when I restarted cit. At the time I think I was desperate to feel better and too worried about conception to think that far ahead maybe, but now that prospect seems really stressful. I am being booked in with the perinatal psychiatrist who provisionally advised me to continue on cit until we meet. The midwife suggested that GPs can be rash to stop meds and give out advice without full consideration of all of the issues so I feel its better to wait for the perinatal psych's opinion.

I was on 75mg of venlafaxine whilst we were TTC, although I didn't need it any longer as I was in remission from depression, but I was going through a lot of life changes (finishing uni, relocating, starting new job, as well as TTC) and venlafaxine has a very short half-life so can be awful to come off, so I didn't think it was an ideal time to start coming off it, and I had fears it would take us ages to concieve. I fell pregnant after 5 months of trying and I went straight to see the GP who advised that I try and come off it - but I wanted to do that anyway as I didn't need them for my mental health. However I was adamant I would be weaning off as slowly as possible because the last time I came off an AD (Citalopram), that was over the course of only 4 weeks and I was terribly ill for about 6 weeks (practically bed-bound with side-effects for the first few weeks). So agreed with my GP I would wean myself off super slow, and I was finally free of it when I was about 12 weeks. Withdrawal in the last few weeks were pretty bad but I was already so sick with HG it was difficult to tell how much was that and how much was HG tbf.

However, throughout that period and continuing on, my GP surgery are monitoring my mental health actively and have reassured me that should I start to deteriorate at any point, they will discuss with me what would be the best medication to try.

Talk to your gp. Citalopram has some rare but serious associated defects, I know too well.

Sorry guys, been dragged around Westfield by 14 year old dd today and not had a chance to come back on here! I'll read through the replies now...

I took anti depressants and anti psychotics in my third trimester. Had to stay in hospital for four days after delivery to monitor baby for withdrawal effects but he was fine and is now home, happy and healthy.

I came off Citalopram to ttc and became very ill, so ill that ttc was not a remote option for a long time. Now I am pregnant and on Sertraline, not ideal but the only way for me I think. I am a bit worried but only continued to take it on the advice of experts who don't seem particularly worried.

I would come off the drugs or not depending on how ill you are likely to get. I knew there was a high chance of me becoming completely non functioning and missing my chance to ttc at all by the time I had recovered.

There was a study done that showed a connection between women taking ADs and possible cardiac defects I think. If I remember the details correctly..... at a later date the women whose babies had those issues were monitored again through subsequent pregnancies....this time they were not on ADs. But the same risk of cardiac defects was found. So it was thought that in fact the data from the initial study had been misinterpreted and the ADs were not the risk factor in those women.