Prozac during Pregnancy?

Evie+D

I am currently battling with myself over coming off of Prozac.  I've read mixed reviews about taking it while pregnant, but it seems that the findings are inconclusive.  I'm genuinely worried about coming off of this for the duration of my pregnancy (Not pregnant yet).  

Has anyone had a healthy pregnancy & baby after continuing anti-depressants throughout the pregnancy?

mrspharmd

Untreated depression is more detrimental to the fetus than Prozac. However, please talk to your doctor about this. They may want to do something different. The one antidepressant that is an absolute no no is paroxetine.

Evie+D

I have spoken with my Dr.  He said the decision is up to me.  I'm just asking for anyone who has actually gone through this.

mrspharmd

EvieD:

I have spoken with my Dr. nbsp;He said the decision is up to me. nbsp;I'm just asking for anyone who has actually gone throu

Evie+D

I'm actually planning a home birth with a CNM & doula.  They both said it's my choice, but that I should educate myself on the pros & cons.  My regular physician, who originally prescribed them to me also said it was my call.

mrspharmd

I would ask your pharmacist when you pick up your next refill. Hopefully they are knowledgable and willing to help you. I'm a pharmacy student and all I can tell you is what I have already said, and that fluoxetine is a Category C drug, meaning you want t

JuliaH21

I was prescribed Prozac for migraines and when I told my doctor I planned to ttc again, he said I could keep taking it, but he also said Imetrex was fine to take while pregnant too and that is pretty controversial (my previous gp and ob said defin

beckynsean11

krptcmschfmkr128:

E

ChuggingWater

packerfan4life:

There are actually many PCPs who feel comfortable prescribing depression medications. All physicians learn about

ChuggingWater

krptcmschfmkr128:

Just because they can and do, doesn't mean they should.  Just like OB's prescribing Clomid. There's a l

bdipaolo86

I took antidepressants while pregnant with all of my babies and they're fine. My OBGYN said the pros outweigh the cons. You could try having your doctor ween you off and see how it goes.

mrspharmd

ChuggingWater:

krptcmschfm

ChuggingWater

Our local mental health center is so overloaded due to budget cuts that they encourage consumers to obtain their medications through their PCP (if mild/moderate depression/no psychosis, etc). 




I wouldn't encourage someone deali

ChuggingWater

krptcmschfmkr128:

Chug

wordslikeswords

This is a tough decision, and I think you really have to weigh the risks vs. benefits. My psychiatrist looked at my symptoms and told me it was more likely that my severe anxiety would cause problems than the medication, and I agreed. I took antidipressan

slaughter182

Part of it might also depends on the dosage, correct? I'm on a low dosage (10 mg/day) and my OB-GYN said that she didn't see a problem with staying on it throughout pregnancy (not currently pregnant). It was prescribed by my psychiatrist.

bdipaolo86

wordslikeswords:

This is a tough decision, and I think you really have to weigh the risks vs. benefits. My psychiatrist looked

rahim444

I have done a bit of a research on this issue. What i found out was a bit disturbing.

"Some studies have also linked Prozac with premature birth and low birth weight but these findings have not been confirmed. In rare cases, Prozac could cause you and your baby to have high blood pressure, particularly if you are taking it in the second half of your pregnancy. 

There have also been reports of babies born to moms taking Prozac experiencing symptoms such as irritability, feeding problems and difficulty sleeping. Again, this is very rare. It's also not clear if it is a side-effect of Prozac in the baby's bloodstream or withdrawal from the drug after birth. Either way, these symptoms are temporary. "
https://www.babycenter.ca/x2343/is-it-safe-to-take-prozac-during-pregnancy

"According to the New England Journal of Medicine, a research was carried out on the side effects of drugs on Pregnancy, and it was discovered that due to the use of SSRIs such as Prozac by pregnant women, the infants were six times more likely to suffer Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension (PPHN) in new born babies. Especially, from the 3rd to the 11th week of pregnancy you must be very careful about using any drug. The fetus develops and it is most likely to be affected by any SSRI like Prozac and there is a higher risk of “poor neonatal adaptation”

https://www.effectsofprozac.com/p/prozac-during-pregnancy-sideeffects.html

What I seem to understand is that its not safe to take these medicine during pregnancy. There was a report in Daily Mail that suggested that the health of the baby might be at risk. Consult your doctor before starting out on these pills.

MrsWallick

I am a therapist and I worked in a women and children's hospital for quite a while. While many OBs may say its fine during pregnancy, I have seen many babies born to mothers who are on anti depressants/ anti anxiety meds who are very cranky and sometimes colicky due to the meds.

I'm not saying I think you shouldn't take it, but like all the other posts have said, it's important that you know all of the information and weigh pros and cons to see what's best for you and your family. Maybe see if a lower dose is possible to reduce some of the risks.

When I was pregnant I was taking a significant amount of allergy meds and at that time, I had no idea what/ if any meds were safe during pregnancy and when I asked my OB she said, "ahh I'm sure it's fine". I was very taken aback by the fact that she didn't seem to know anything about the particular drug and just brushed it off like yea, whatever. I didn't see her again. But point is, other posts have said this also, just because they can doesn't mean they should.