Sharing a potentially useful resource for some of you ladies.

holliberry28 · July 2014

So I know that there are some of us who struggle with either depression/anxiety, PMDD, or Postpartum, so I wanted to share this website that was recommended to me by my psychiatrist yesterday. It has useful information involving the risks and benefits of staying on medication during pregnancy and/or breastfeeding. Mass. Gen. Hospital compiled current research and data so that we all can make informed decisions, whatever that decision may be. My Dr. is affiliated with Columbia and says this is one of the few resources that is current with the new developments in the field.

https://womensmentalhealth.org/specialty-clinics/psychiatric-disorders-during-pregnancy/

womensmentalhealth.org

I hope this as helpful for some of you as it was for me. If this overwhelms you though, please don't read it. Different people respond differently with having more or less information.

eevieemariee · July 2014

This is extremely helpful! Thanks for sharing.

beckynsean11 · July 2014

Thanks for sharing!

holliberry28 · July 2014

Jess11213 said:

What a great thing to share. I had pretty bad depression during my 2nd pregnancy and after, although I am convinced a lot of that had to do with environment and circumstances (abusive X, no family nearby). I have since moved on and married my amazingly supportive husband and I am hoping I don't have any issues if and when I get pregnant this time, but info and knowledge is always a good thing for me. Thank you!

@Jess11213, glad to hear you're in a healthy and happy relationship close to family. Best of luck to you!

holliberry28 · July 2014

Brewgirl1980 said:

Super. Thanks. I have diagnosed severe anxiety and OCD which have become less severe as I have gotten older. I have over the past few months tapered myself off my medications. I took zoloft during my first pregnancy but would like to refrain from taking it during my next one (whenever the hell that may be).

This helps people like me. So thank you.

@Brewgirl1980, I'm glad it's gotten less severe over the years. Mine has gotten worse, I have severe OC health anxiety. So I think I'll have to stay on my Zoloft if/when I get pregnant.

myatala · July 2014

Thank you for sharing this! It affirms the assessment my ARNP made of my current psych meds and why we felt reasonably comfortable continuing with them during pregnancy.

holliberry28 · July 2014

@myatala, it's comforting to know that others stay on during pregnancy. I have to go up now from 150 mg to 200 mg and my psychiatrist assures me that the dosage, while originally thought to increase the risk of preterm labor by a few weeks, now may be an insignificant amount, even days.

You're not on Zoloft by any chance, are you?

proudtobeazebra · July 2014

Thanks so much for posting. I have severe depression and moderate anxiety, and have already had conversations with doctors about my medications. I struggle with guilt about staying on medications while pregnant, but also know I would be non-functional without them. It's great to see a confirmation of what my genetic counselor reviewed with me yesterday.

holliberry28 · July 2014

@swimmergirl‌ , I asked my psychiatrist specifically if her patients that stayed on went on to have healthy children, and she said thank god, they all did. But, on the other hand, untreated depression and anxiety could have more risks than the actual meds. Good luck to you. pm me if u have any questions!

KatzKiss · July 2014

I took Prozac throughout my first pregnancy with no ill effects. I did have postpartum issues, but it was due to the fact that my thyroid went kapoot.

holliberry28 · July 2014

KatzKiss said:
I took Prozac throughout my first pregnancy with no ill effects. I did have postpartum issues, but it was due to the fact that my thyroid went kapoot.

@KatzKiss‌, thanks for sharing. Were you on a low or high dose? Being on a high dose of Zoloft worries me despite reassurance that dosage doesn't matter. Have you stopped taking Prozac after have DS?

myatala · July 2014

holly628 said:

@myatala, it's comforting to know that others stay on during pregnancy. I have to go up now from 150 mg to 200 mg and my psychiatrist assures me that the dosage, while originally thought to increase the risk of preterm labor by a few weeks, now may be an insignificant amount, even days.
You're not on Zoloft by any chance, are you?

I'm currently taking Paroxetine (Paxil) for my depression/anxiety and Lamotrigine (Lamictal) for mood stabilization. (I have Bipolar II with anxiety.)

KatzKiss · July 2014

holly628 said:

I took Prozac throughout my first pregnancy with no ill effects. I did have postpartum issues, but it was due to the fact that my thyroid went kapoot.
@KatzKiss‌, thanks for sharing. Were you on a low or high dose? Being on a high dose of Zoloft worries me despite reassurance that dosage doesn't matter. Have you stopped taking Prozac after have DS?

I was on an average dose. I did stop taking it eventually and switched to Zoloft only because Prozac loses its efficacy after a while. It's been a couple of years and I am now going back on it.

KatzKiss · July 2014

myatala said:

@myatala, it's comforting to know that others stay on during pregnancy. I have to go up now from 150 mg to 200 mg and my psychiatrist assures me that the dosage, while originally thought to increase the risk of preterm labor by a few weeks, now may be an insignificant amount, even days.
You're not on Zoloft by any chance, are you?
I'm currently taking Paroxetine (Paxil) for my depression/anxiety and Lamotrigine (Lamictal) for mood stabilization. (I have Bipolar II with anxiety.)

How is Paxil working for you? My doctor is toying with the idea of putting me on it. My only concern is starting it, getting pregnant, and having to stop. Plus weight gain.

PuppyLove84 · July 2014

::lurking::

@holly628, are we the same person?? My psychiatrist recommended the same exact website for me yesterday, too!

FYI I'm on Effexor and am now going to attempt to wean off of it for my pregnancy; if I need to go back on, we're going to try Zoloft because it has worked for me in the past and there have been more studies on it than Effexor.

myatala · July 2014

KatzKiss said:

myatala said:

holly628 said:

@myatala, it's comforting to know that others stay on during pregnancy. I have to go up now from 150 mg to 200 mg and my psychiatrist assures me that the dosage, while originally thought to increase the risk of preterm labor by a few weeks, now may be an insignificant amount, even days.
You're not on Zoloft by any chance, are you?
I'm currently taking Paroxetine (Paxil) for my depression/anxiety and Lamotrigine (Lamictal) for mood stabilization. (I have Bipolar II with anxiety.)

How is Paxil working for you? My doctor is toying with the idea of putting me on it. My only concern is starting it, getting pregnant, and having to stop. Plus weight gain.
-----
Zoloft didn't help me much with depression/anxiety. I was still taking a lot of Lorazepam (Ativan) on a daily basis until I switched to Paxil. Now my general anxiety level is so much better that I haven't needed any Ativan in months now. I'll continue with my current meds during pregnancy and then wean off the Lamictal in 3rd tri in anticipation of breastfeeding.

holliberry28 · July 2014

@puppylove84, that is strange! Do you live in NYC? I had asked my Dr. if she could share her research studies with me and she told me that it's her job to interpret the information b/c it's pretty dense. Then she recommended that website. Zoloft has helped a lot, but I'm still gonna try to go up to the max dose (200?) because last week was diagnosed with white.coat.hypertension. OY.

@katzkiss, I hope the Zoloft works quickly for you and you don't have to go up too high a dose.

@myatala, is your doctor comfortable keeping you on Paxil during pregnancy? It's the only one that seems to carry a higher risk than the others. I'm sorry the zoloft didn't work for you. Anxiety is the worst.

PuppyLove84 · July 2014

holly628 said:

@puppylove84, that is strange! Do you live in NYC? I had asked my Dr. if she could share her research studies with me and she told me that it's her job to interpret the information b/c it's pretty dense. Then she recommended that website. Zoloft has helped a lot, but I'm still gonna try to go up to the max dose (200?) because last week was diagnosed with white.coat.hypertension. OY.

@katzkiss, I hope the Zoloft works quickly for you and you don't have to go up too high a dose.

@myatala, is your doctor comfortable keeping you on Paxil during pregnancy? It's the only one that seems to carry a higher risk than the others. I'm sorry the zoloft didn't work for you. Anxiety is the worst.

Nope, GA! Must be a well known website in the psychiatry circles! I was at 200mg of Zoloft when I switched over to Effexor because I tend to get tolerant of Zoloft after about 2 years on it. Weird but my doctor says it can happen. If I'm off it for a while, it generally works again when I start it back up, but then after a couple years, same thing again.

Also my doctor did say that the only medicine she knows of with a higher risk is Paxil, too... just FYI. But if it's the only thing that helps a patient, she'd still recommend it over being highly depressed/anxious.

holliberry28 · July 2014

@PuppyLove84‌, thanks for sharing. This is my 9th month on Zoloft and next week I'm upping the dose to 200 to see if it benefits me more. I was never really medicated before so even the medication made me anxious! Haha. It makes me feel better there are others here going through the same experience. I appreciate you all so much

myatala · July 2014

@holly628 @PuppyLove84‌ my ARNP and I discussed the risks/benefits of the Paxil and went over the statistics together. Husband was also present and involved in the discussion. When I'm insufficiently medicated I can very quickly slip into the worst of my illness.

We did cut back on the Lamictal in preparing to TTC but have kept my Paxil at the maintenance dose we settled on. My ARNP has worked with a lot of pregnant patients so she has experience with med management for TTC, pregnancy and postpartum.

My OB is more conservative re: psych meds during pregnancy but he's not a specialist in psych meds and every prenatal care provider I've seen (midwives, then my OB) has been conservative about med use in pregnancy.

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