Anxiety and Deplin

paigep8

Hi Ladies,

I shared with my OB that I have a history of anxiety/panic attacks.  I don't take any medicine right now and she is recommending I take Deplin.  Do any of you experience with it?  Thanks!

Duckie419

I don't think I've even heard of this. Which is crazy because I pretty much assumed I've been on all the meds for panic disorder haha let me know how it goes?

Eta for spelling

Cryssteen

I believe Deplin is a form of folate (folic acid) which somehow aids in depression... I don't know what to say about it since I have no professional experience with it.  But, considering it is a folate, I would ask your OB about taking that w/ a prenatal, which also contains high levels of folate.  It's marketed as a "medical food" which is not FDA regulated, as far as i know. 

haloform

Deplin is a form of folate, yeah.  A really high dose - like 7.5 mg or 15mg.  I think there have been some studies that showed it helped when taken in conjunction with an antidepressant - I'm not totally sure about it on its own for anxiety. I was prescribed it once in the past but ended up not taking it, so I don't have any anecdotal advice about it.  

Are you doing okay anxiety-wise w/out taking anything currently? Or do you feel like you need something, which is why your OB suggested this?

Personally, I l feel more comfortable getting my anxiety medication prescriptions and advice from my psychiatrist, because that's their specialty and they know my history well (including my past medications etc.). I currently take Buspar for anxiety.  It's safe during pregnancy and I've found it to help.

paigep8

She says it is natural and like a vitamin, but will probably do more research on my own.  I think my doc is brilliant, but does not have a super bedside manner.  I've had several friends refer her to me and I think she is great at her job, but I always feel a little nervous with her.  :-)

paigep8

@haloform- I am currently doing great with my anxiety, but I get really nervous before my appointments and ask lots of questions about every single tiny thing, so I think that with the fact that I told her about my anxious past has her wanting to be proactive about it.  I am hoping to keep the anxiety at bay for as long as possible! :-)  I do take magnesium every day and I have found that it really helps. 

How does everyone's anxiety seem during pregnancy?  I've heard some people's gets worse and some people don't have any at all.

Cryssteen

My anxiety is high, especially since I had a loss in the fall.  Maybe you can look into alternative therapy?  Coping mechanisms and whatnot.  I mean, wine isn't really the best option.. but something that calms you a bit like that would normally (says the wino).  Yoga? Aromatherapy? Baths?  I dunno.  Now I want wine.

Ktrego

I also struggle with anxiety/panic attacks but I've never heard of Deplin.  I am currently taking Zoloft for the anxiety.  I was on it before pregnancy, and my doc said to just stay on it.  I will have to go down to a lower dose in the third trimester, but she said I can go right back up as soon as the baby is born.

I've had some anxiety throughout this pregnancy, and sadly some of it has come with depression.  I have been blaming it on the hormones, but it's no fun.

You are not alone!

haloform

@paigep8 I'm glad that you're doing great with your anxiety!  I also take magnesium and I think it helps, too.

I've had my anxiety spike up a little since I've been pregnant.  It's still manageable, and I'm not having panic attacks, which is good... just feeling my general anxiety baseline is a little elevated. Yoga and listening to a relaxation/meditation app both seem to help some.

MalachiteDrake

Hello!

I am lurking over from N14 and I've been taking Deplin for several years now. The way my psychiatrist explained it to me was that Deplin is L-Methylfolate, a specific enzyme that the body usually produces on its own from the folate that you eat. It helps your neurotransmitters cross the brain-blood barrier when you need them to keep your mood level. My body apparently sucks at making it on its own, so Deplin has been a-m-a-z-i-n-g for me. No side effects and it takes care of probably about 60% of my bipolar depression and anxiety issues. 

I started on it pretty much right when my psychiatrist first heard of it (yay for being the guinea pig patient!) and I've only ever taken the brand name version; I think there's a generic out now, there wasn't when I first got my prescription. It was the only one of my three psych meds I could stay on when my husband and I decided to try to conceive again. As I'd had a loss before, having something to stay on for emotional stability was very helpful through the ups and downs of the first trimester. 

From my own Googling I did when I first started on it, Deplin seems to help only a small group of people, perhaps because of the specific function that it performs in the body. I read a lot of comments by people who had taken it and had it do nothing for them, some that had the same positive reaction that I did, and I think like two people our of several hundred that had poor reactions. I agree with @Anna930 that it seems more productive for depression than anxiety, but it did seem to help with both for me (though that may be it helping with the depression and then being less anxious just because I'm less depressed). If you can afford it, I'd say give it a go for a while, but I'd stick to the brand name so you know you're getting a solid supplement and not some 99% placebo. 

Good luck! >:D<