is fluxotine safe to take being pregnant?

[buzzzybee]

hi,ive been taking 20mg a day for the past 4weeks now for anxiety and feeling a bit low as ive had a crazy past year (my mum passed away and i gave birth just 4months ago!) i feel everyone would be better off if i keep taking them as im nicer to be around. i asked the dr who wasnt sure so she contacted some1 else then phoned me bk her personal advice was not to take anything but fluxotine has had the most research and are safe .I dont want to take anything but i dont want to get really down, does any1 have any advice pls? has any1 taken them whilst pregnant?

cheers,buzzzybee xx

The latest I heard (on Pea in a Podcast from the U.S.) was that all SSRIs were regarded as not so good in pregnancy. The main concern seemed to be in the third trimester and during breastfeeding, as the baby can get withdrawal symptoms. I'm taking Venlafaxine (Efexor) at the moment and am cutting it down gradually (only 6 weeks pg at moment), so that I'm completely off it by the 2nd trimester. Very scary for me, as I've been on some kind of anti-depressant for most of the last 16 years!

However, the other thing the doctor on the podcast said was that mums need to be in a good mental state during pregnancy, so if the drugs were absolutely necessary, women shouldn't feel that they HAVE to quit. In particular, if you're feeling suicidal or that you can't take care of yourself or baby, you shouldn't stop taking the drugs.

Don't know if that helps any, but at any rate I know what it's like trying to do the 'right' thing yet trying to take care of myself!

hi buzzzybee
I was on fluoxetine all through pregnancy and am now on 30mg and have breastfed my ridiculously healthy 18mo DS all that time. I have found that doctors are not necessarily as clued up as one would like (understandibly - they cant know EVERYTHING!!) so i went to a consultant who told my doctor off for worrying me unnecessarily and told me that it was safe. I made a point of reading all the studies published about taking it during and after pregnancy, and the evidence suggests that fluoxetine is the best one to take - obviously it would be better not to take anything - but it was found that a negligible amount, if any, was passed on through breastmilk, and even among mums who had taken 60mg the risk to the foetus was minimal.

IME if your depression/anxiety is stopping you leading a normal life and doing everyday things, then you need some help - and if ADs help then thats wonderful!

Are you pregnant again or worried about bf?

I took it all the way through my last pregnancy (40mg) and breastfed too. I even stopped breastfeeding quite suddenly because of infection and observed no adverse symptoms in little one. he is now 6 months and developmentally fine it would seem. (I was assured he would be otherwise I wouldnt have taken it!)

I'm now pregnant again and I'm much more confident about continuing with the prozac.

Hope that helps to reassure you xxx

hiya thankyou very much 4ur msgs x
ive not took any for 2 days now,feel a little strange! totally worried myself silly about what could happen if i kept taking it. i'm going to start taking it if i really have to. i'm waiting to hear from the hospital for my 1st scan,hopefully i can keep it all together xx

im bk on them.lol
i have to think of my other two and i just can't keep it 2gether