Stress/anxiety and decisions about meds

cwallen314

Hi there. I'm about 17 weeks, and before conceiving, I was on a low dose of Zoloft (anywhere from 50-100mg) for the better part of 5 years for anxiety. I weaned myself off of it last March so it would be out of my system when trying to conceive, and have been managing fairly well until the past month or so. My husband and I moved to a new city and I started a new job in August, which has proven to be VERY stressful. Between the long hours and the nature of the job, I could feel the anxiety creeping back in almost immediately. A couple weeks ago in particular was really rough...crying everyday, feeling panicky about not meeting deadlines, not being able to turn my mind off, trouble sleeping, lashing out at my husband, etc. I did speak to my OB and she said she felt comfortable prescribing me Zoloft again. I got a script filled for 25mg but haven't taken it yet, as now I'm having second thoughts/doubts about the potential risks to the baby. I know it's one of the most common SSRI's prescribed during pregnancy and felt confident after talking to my OB, but after more research, I was surprised to see that it's a class C drug and that it hasn't been proven safe. 

I have another appointment this Thursday and plan to discuss my concerns further, but in the meantime, I am curious to hear any other mom-to-be's stories about managing stress and anxiety while pregnant. I feel trapped and a bit guilty if I take the drugs, like I am sacrificing my baby's health to maintain a career. But my only other options at this point are to continue miserably as is, straight-up quit my job (it's definitely crossed my mind, but wouldn't be a great move after only 2 months), or see if my OB would sign me out of work early due to stress (not right away, but maybe in another couple months). None of these seem like great options, but like I said, I'm feeling stuck Any anxiety success stories (with meds or without) would be appreciated!

Bigboobsmcgee

You can't take care of a baby (whether in your womb or out in the world) without taking care of yourself first. I'd talk to your doctor again to give you peace of mind but if you need the medication then you should take it and don't feel guilty about it.

I started Zoloft after my 2nd child was born due to extreme anxiety that was literally crippling. It's important that you get control of these issues now because they could be even worse once baby comes.

Good luck to you.

nackie

You need to take care of you in order to take care of your baby. If your doctor thinks it's safe, try not to worry too much about it. Most drugs seem to be class c, just because they don't do drug studies with pregnant women, not because there's anything inherently unsafe about them

nhunter112

If it makes you feel any better I take a class c drug as well azathioprine (imuran) its an immunosuppressive drug for my autoimmune disease. After reading research studies on it I've found Many people (more than not) taking it have healthy babies despite the warning of birth defects. and so far my baby is progressing normally and healthily. Have you tried looking into research studies done on zoloft? Like everyone else said you can't care for baby properly if you aren't caring for yourself properly. (: also have you tried lavender oil? It may help calm you by rubbing on soles of feet and maybe an air diffuser?

TacoSarah

Your blood volume has increased so a low dose will be diluted more than if you weren't pregnant. Then the drug will be filtered by the placenta so by the time the drug reaches your baby, the dosage will be extremly low. Plus your baby has developed all the important bits, the stage that drugs are most likely to cause problems is during the 1st trimester and you are clear of that.

Catagory C medications aren't considered safe as there isn't enough research done on them, but they don't possess clear known risks either. The usual stance is you should use them if the therapeutic benefit is higher than the risk to the baby.

Depression during pregnancy puts you at a much higher risk of developing PPD, so that is something you should also take into consideration when making your decision.

I've taken a catagory C medication this entire pregnancy and it's had no detrimental effect on my baby (I'm 36 weeks).

llybeck

I am not on Zoloft right now but I do have to take several class C medications for severe asthma. I had to with DD and everything was fine, the benefits definitely outweighed the potential risks. But after I had DD I ended up having to take Zoloft, I had a lot of issues with anxiety while pregnant (which can also be common) but it really amplified to the point of being almost crippling after she was born. If you are having trouble now, talk to your doctor! Things can get worse postpartum so it is a good idea to try and help the situation now. There are a lot of women who take medications for anxiety and depression while pregnant and Zoloft is one that seems to be pretty common to continue taking in pregnancy. And like PP said, class C medications mean that they haven't been tested in pregnant women, not that there are necessarily even negative effects. So many doctors are okay prescribing them and have for many other women. Good luck!

ecmb

Nothing has been proven "safe" during pregnancy, not even Tylenol- so that is a generic statement applied to all medicines regardless of class.

As far as I understand it, OBs prescribe meds when they think the benefits outweigh the risks.  Maybe in your case they think taking the Zoloft is better than exposing your unborn baby to all of the stress and anxiety hormones produced by feeling the way you currently do.  I'd talk to the doctor again and make a decision.

But I agree with others, you have to take care of you first.

(I took Lexapro until TTC)

shani12345

Take the meds! baby will be healthier in a happy moms tummy than a stressed moms tummy. I take two class c meds, which both have been cleared by the national board of teratology. Hope you feel better soon :-)

smount2011

My doctor put me on buspirone , buspar for short.  Its a Category B medication for anxiety.  Check with your ob and see if that is a possibility for you.

 https://anxiety.emedtv.com/buspar/buspar-and-pregnancy.html

cwallen314

Thanks for the encouraging words, everyone! I will definitely bring it up again with my OB tomorrow but I am leaning towards taking the meds. I agree that I can't imagine the way I'm feeling now can be good for the baby!

Csinger61

I quit taking my antidepressants (and anti anxiety meds) when I found out I was pregnant (26w) and made it about 2 weeks before I couldn't handle it anymore. My psychiatrist and OB both agreed on putting me on Zoloft (50mg) because the pros way outweighed any risks. From what they told me the biggest risk was low birth weight and I was already at risk of that because I was so stressed. It's been a really positive experience for me, and the baby is doing just fine! Taking care of yourself is definitely a top priority! Good luck!

2-Step

As pper said most drugs are class C because it is very hard to do trials in pregnant women and also many drugs haven't been around long enough for long-term studies of the children, even Tylenol is a class C. 

Have you tried any other methods of controlling your anxiety? I have a friend with anxiety issues and she does guided meditation daily with an app on her phone, has a weekly session with a behavioral therapist and has an arrangement with her work that allows her to take a few extra breaks throughout the day to take a brisk walk and refocus. It seems to be helping her, but it's not an overnight fix, so if you are miserable I believe you should listen to your OB and take the medication. I'm just throwing out a few other suggestions in case you haven't tried them. 

I agree with ppers that you need to take care of yourself to be able to take care of your baby, but I wonder if the idea of this medication is adding to your stress? Would getting a second opinion from another OB ease your mind? Sometimes that helps me with difficult medical decisions, just to know I did my due diligence and got opinions.