Taking antipressants during pregnancy?

[Mocat]

Is there anyone out there who is pregnant and taking antidepressants? I am 24 weeks pregnant and wondering if I've just about had enough of feeling anxious and struggling emotionally. Midwife and docs all say there are antidepressants which can be taken safely but I'm really worried about what effect they would have on the baby. I am taking regular exercise and receiving counselling for the mood but think that maybe it is time to go on the pills. Had postnatal dep after 1st preg and this is second preg. Took antidepressants eventually after 1st baby and got better. Any advice?

I saw a maternal physciatrist when I was pregnant. Her job was to prscribe medication to pregnant and breast feeding mums. She told me:

Prozac top choice, more research done on this than any other SRI's.

Next choice any of these: Amitriptiline, Nortriptiline Imipramine. These are the ones sufermum was on about. they are the older ant-depressants, but just as effective. They are also more sedating so may help with any sleep troubles. I think these 3 are safe for breastfeeding, but don't know about prozac.

I was on amitriptiline all through my pregnancy. Dd born absolutely fine, and full of beans. Mat Psych also told me the brain undergoes biochemical changes during pregnancy. I was overwhelmed with anxiety through most of my pregnancy, which disappeared as soon as dd was born. Literally straight away.

HTH xx

Forgot to say, lots more data on older antidepressants re pregnancy than newer ones, so safer choice IMO

I took fluoxetine (think that is how to spell it) whilst pg from 24 wks to birth; have taken sertraline whilst bf-ing 2 of my 3 DC. would have been in bits without it. Both of the DC are totally fine - better than that they are bright little people and did everything early. Me taking AD's has not had any negative effects on my children, but a positive one on the whole family because I am a)still here and b)able to look after them without feeling cr@p.
Good luck, look after yourself.

I was a bit worried about being pregnant and taking ADs, obviously. I asked my GP if it was OK and she said that huge numbers of her pregnant patients were on ADs - I can't remember her exact words but it was something like "if you went into the waiting room at the Women's Hospital and said that everyone who was on ADs had to leave, the room would be empty in seconds".

Mocat, don't listen anxious mums scarying you on MN, you should definately ask a fetal medicine expert. As advised from two fetal medicine professors from two different countries I continued my sertraline medication (big 100mg dose) throughout my pregnancy and had a perfect, 10 point girl. I would be much more worried about how you are coping now, you are absolutely right that anxiety with all its physical manifestations is not good for you or your baby.

Leonie - my psychiatrist has read it in his book. But when I saw the consultant he said that there was no reason why I wouldn't be able too BF so I am not totally convinced either way at the moment.
I am going to wait until nearer the time and see if I am going to need to change my medication then as apparently venlafaxine is a relatively new medication

I'm taking a/d's too and amm 33 weeks pg.

Didn't take when pg with ds and had a horrific time, despite trying alternative therapies like homeopathy.

Did lots of research this time before getting pg including talking to a friend who is a pharmacologist. I asked him if he would be happy for his dw to take sertraline if she was pg. he did lots of research and came back saying that if she needed ad's, he'd be happy for her to take sertraline when pg. Nobody (ie, GP or Consultant) has mentioned anything to me about possible withdrawal for baby, or not being able to bf....

Hope you feel better soon.
xxx

lots of good advice above. it's all a balance of risk/benefit. SSRI's and the older tricyclics are safe, the current advice is for any, other than paroxetine, during preg, and sertraline is the best for breastfeeding as the levels are the lowest in breast milk. but it is also what works for you, so if you're established, happy and confident on paroxetine, then there's no point stopping it or changing it.

for comparison, there are concerns re some asthma drugs in pregnancy, but no sensible health care professional would suggest that an asthmatic stops them during preg, and most mums and babies are ok. as I said, it's a balance of risk and benefit. and depression is as much an illness as asthma.

hedgehog1979-have they explained about withdrawal and everything to you?venlafaxine can have some pretty nasty withdrawal effects so i can understand the concern.

I have had some of the withdrawal symptoms already as they halved my dose when I found out I was pregnant and then when I seemed to be doing OK they dropped it further - this lead to a pretty unpleasant Christmas and new year for DDDDDH and me and also for my parents (unfortunately) so I am up on all of those things.

I should prob do some more research into them but I am the type of person who would panic manically if I found out something that I didn't understand or was not plain and simple. I have taken some of the medicines mentioned above and most of them have disagreed with me in terms of sickness, uncontrolled sleeping (ie falling asleep in lectures/exams at uni) and venlafaxine doesn't do any of this to me so I am happy for it with now

they are a good AD IMO,its just the withdrawal that was a problem for me,and i cross-tapered them with prozac.

i agree that you are better off not looking too much into things,there are horror stories about every drug in existance.i imagine coming off them altogether would be worse for you and the baby anyway.

I'm another who took dothiepin throughout pregnancy - have now been bfing for 20 months and still on it - dd is fine.

You need to do what is best for you. I was on fluoxatine for 10 years and came off them as soon as I found out I was preg. This is the worst thing I could of done I should of came off them slowly but like you I had concerns.
I haven't went back on them but I have suffered from depression all through this preg. Dont be scared by what 'needmorecoffee' said. The dr's wouldn't give you something if they thought it was going to put you or your baby at risk.
Only you know your limits and dont be ashamed or embarressed to start back on the AD. They do help and if you need them so be it.
xx

i rake 10mg of cipralex daily. in the early days of pregnancy i stopped taking it, but then it became clear i did need something to help me.i had conflicting advice, you need to be well in yourself to care for a baby so you have to weigh up the benefits to you.

Dear all,
I would like to thank you all for posting up here and being so open. I suffer anxiety in fits and bouts. Sometimes I get it under control and other times it seems to overwhelm me. When it overwhelms me I worry about the baby even though he / she keeps on kicking. I was particulalry anxious when I returned to Ireland two days ago because I was homesick for England and ended up taking the lowest dose of vallium (prescribed by a hospital consultant) as a one off to help with sleep.
I am going to go back on Monday to my clinic to check what would be the best prescription if I need it and get myself plus baby checked out. I have also decided to take time off work until the birth (I am now 23 weeks pregnant after IVF) because I want to go home.
Thanks once again and keep in touch.

Thanks Leonie, I am going to bookmark that page and print to take to my CPN next week.
Am starting to worry about consultant psych at the moment as he came out and said that the 75mg venlafaxine I am taking is useless and I may as well stop (WTF) I don't like this guy anyway as I have seen him all of 4 times over the last 18 months and have seen medical students and one of his associates who actually discharged me about 6 months ago because I was having a good day.
Good to know that there are other resources out there though

hedgehog-i have read in many places on the net that venlafaxine only works on serotonin at doses below 225mg per day,so in that case would be the same as an ssri.maybe thats what your psych was talking about?

my gp wasnt allowed to prescribe more than 150mg but the psychiatry waiting list in my area is closed as it was so long.

I posted on the same thing last year - hopefully this thread the postscript to it all is that DD was fine, I managed with the feeding fine and she and I and the rest of the family are all much better than if I had come off them. Good luck.

Took seroxat throughout my first pregnancy due to severe anxiety/panic attacks (20mg) and DS is now 3 and is perfectly normal! Am now on 10mg of seroxat and 21wks pregnant with my second child.