I have suffered from depression and anxiety for about 18 years and I have been on an off medication over the years. A year and a half before I became pregnant, I had a crippling bout of anxiety and depression. I was on lexapro, ativan, remeron, etc. I started weening myself off ativan and remeron and kept myself on a low dose of lexapro, 5 mg. When I became pregnant, I went off and I was concerned about how I would do through the winter being off meds and pregnant. I was very surprised to feel happy and a lot less anxious after 1.5 months of being pregnant. I was sick and nauseas but at least I was not stressed or depressed. I actually felt real joy. However, I am noticing a slight shift since I hit week 12.5 to 13. I am starting to feel much grumpier and a little down at times which I am wondering is due to the hormones regulating again. Does anyone know what I am talking about? Does anyone know why the first trimester hormones might subdue depression and anxiety?
I wish I could feel as happy as I did the first trimester the rest of my life. It really felt good to take joy and laugh without worries.
Re: Depression changes in Pregnancy
My doc told me that lots of women experience antidepressant effects when pregnant. I wish I had had them!! I think you're very lucky
I have no idea why it happens though- I suspect you're right and it's hormones fluctuating.
Make sure you stay on top of your symptoms. Lots of antidepressants are considered safe for pregos (I was offered Lexapro as a sub for my regular meds, but I had some icky side effects), so don't be afraid to talk to your doctor about restarting meds or switching to a safer SSRI if your symptoms become really bad. There are risks to being depressed and anxious while pregnant, and at some point those risks can outweigh the risks posed by medications. It's your call to make, with the help of your doctor, so don't let anybody bully you into thinking you can't take care of yourself while you're pregnant.
Good luck!!
I've dealt with anxiety for about 2 years now. I wasn't really taking anything regularly because, well, to be honest, I hate taking medicine so I just took Clonzapam which is generic Klonapin as needed. It was only .05 mg dosage, but doctor's, of course, advised I no longer take it, which sucks because that shit worked. Then they prescribed me Zoloft which I've been hesitant to take mostly because I'm so prone to stupid side effects and it takes 2 weeks to actually work. I had actually been doing well without taking anything at all, I went nearly 3 months with no anxiety attacks until Wednesday... but my Daddy passed away at the beginning of Decemeber and shit is just starting to hit the fan for me so I've been debating on starting it.
I hope that whatever has you feeling down goes away soon. I can certainly relate, and it is not fun.