depression/anxiety meds while pregnant

mels823 · October 2018

Hi ladies!

We touched on this a while back, when we were all just getting started here. I had commented that I was going off of my Effexor, which I have been on since I was 15, only stopping for my first two pregnancies and a few year period in college where I self medicated with marijuana (and had way better results with any medication I've ever taken.. but that's off topic. lol)

My plan was to go off Effexor again for this pregnancy, and I have. However, it's been over a month since I've been off. I weaned off slowly over the course of a month before that. I feel like hell. I cry multiple times a day, my anxiety is through the roof, I lash out at everyone with anger. It's just not right. When I went off of it for my first two pregnancies it was nothing like this.

I'm so scared to ask my doctor to go on something to help. I mostly worry that once I have the baby, he'll have some sort of withdrawal symptoms and I don't want to put him through that.

I'm looking for some STM+ advice. Did you stay on your antidepressant/anti anxiety meds through your prior pregnancies, and if so, did you notice that your baby had a particular difficult time adjusting to... uh... being born I guess? lol

I thought I could handle this without meds, but I really don't think I can.

And yes, before the first "ask your doctor" comment, I have and I will continue to do so. The doctor's response of "it can have some negative effects, but many studies show there are no effects" is pretty off-putting. I'd rather hear IRL experiences from you all.

Thanks for reading my novel!

kangstadt · October 2018

I was put on Zoloft for my first pregnancy and stayed on it throughout at least the first few months he was born (while breastfeeding). My doctor's comments, as well as my sister's (an OB-GYN) were that Zoloft is the safest to take during pregnancy and breastfeeding, very little actually gets through to babe, and the benefits for the mother's mental health outweigh any potential risks. Even with the medication, I still had post-partum depression and the first six-twelve months of my son's life were *hard.* I did eventually wean myself off of it.

It's hard to say if there were any withdrawal symptoms with my DS since I don't have a comparison, but for what it's worth, I'm on Zoloft again and will continue it throughout my pregnancy (I'm on a small 50mg once a day dose however). Especially due to the increased risk of PPD since I had it the first time and I have a family history of depression/anxiety.

After experiencing PPD, I completely agree with the doctor's assessment that the mental health of the mother is more important in some cases than the potential risks. I have been struggling this first trimester, even on my meds, because I haven't been able to work out regularly.

That's another note I wanted to mention, are there any self-care things that you can do to help you feel better? Even if it's in conjunction with medication, it may mean you can get by on a smaller dose if you can find other things that help control your depression/anxiety. For me, if I don't work out four days a week and get that endorphin high, I feel miserable, mentally and emotionally.

Also, I think it's high time we started a weekly mental health check-in. I'm not always the greatest at controlling my own depression, but I have lots of tips and empathy for anyone else suffering!

sheknows6 · October 2018

I don't have any experience to add, but my DH suffers from GAD and depression, and has been on Prozac for quite some time. Mental health is still so stigmatized/taboo and yet it's so important to talk about- I think quite a few mommas on this board are probably in the same shoes as you.

I think at the end of the day, you have to do what is right for you, and sometimes your mental health/quality of life is more important when balanced with a low risk to the baby, especially if you aren't able to function. It seems this is hitting you hard, and I just wanted to offer some support. I hope you are able to find something that helps you.

mariposa_767s · October 2018

I was on Adderall before getting pregnant with my daughter. I weaned from it when we were TTC and, for obvious reasons, haven't been able to get back on it yet. While I was pregnant with her, my depression sky rocketed. I cried all of the time and felt very worthless. My OB put me on Zoloft. I stayed on it until I had her, through breastfeeding, and still now that I am pregnant again. It takes the edge off of my ADHD so I've been able to manage "ok". I still miss MY medicine, but something is better than nothing. With this pregnancy, it's my anxiety that is really high. I get flat out ragey when I forget to take my meds.

But...my advice is that something is better than nothing. We have a ways to go and, in my experience, it gets worse the longer you're without. Your OB will know the right and safest thing for you to take. Good luck.

ETA that I have never noticed any affect on my daughter. She wasn't underweight at birth and didn't seem like she was withdrawing from anything. I do feel like it's very safe and it causes less stress to get to the baby.

blueberrymomma · October 2018

I was on Lexapro (lose dose 10mg) my second pregnancy and while breastfeeding and didn’t notice and side effects compared to my first. I went back on it at 10weeks this pregnancy because my anxiety and panic attacks had worsen quite a bit. My doctor reassured me that the benefits of my mental health outweighs the risk. Also most medications haven’t been study on pregnant women because obviously that wouldn’t be good to make an unborn baby a test subject

molecularmolly · October 2018

I'm a FTM on a couple of psych meds, and a research nerd so I want to share what I've learned :-).

We know that uncontrolled anxiety and depression during pregnancy can have major effects including preterm birth and low birth weight, and that medications that have been found to be pregnancy safe and control your anxiety/depression well lower these risks. Also, because there are background risks of having anxiety and depression not well managed during pregnancy, it's rather difficult to say if the medications are causing these same effects or simply not controlling symptoms well enough in mom to avoid them. (I'm not talking about deformities caused by medications, those are likely medication related, although again if the risk appears to be small it always could be background risk of defects that we all share as human mothers)

There are a couple of cool options if you want to know more about the safety or a particular med, or get help figuring out a medication plan. Mothertobaby offers free phone or online chag consultations for patients and doctors about what all the current research shows as the effects of taking a certain medication during pregnancy/birth. There also is a specialty called "Reproductive Psychiatry" that specializes in managing psychiatric issues in pregnant/post partum women.

Counseling can also reduce your need for meds and be very helpful overall.

If you have failed medications before and are looking to get off/stay off meds, then looking into Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation might make sense. Insurance is a bit picky about covering it (it's $$ for them), but it's the route I've chosen to go and I'm really hopeful it will work for me and maybe I can finally be med free.

Bringmemylongswordho · October 2018

I'm a FTM on Zoloft (depression/anxiety/mild PTSD) . My psych specifically prescribed it as I was TTC when I was referred to her. At my last appointment, she also said it was the safest, little to no risk and that any risk is outweighed by the benefits. And seriously, pregnancy so far for me feels like depression with nausea. I am having a hard time functioning as is, and am so grateful for the meds, cause dang.

So, there are options for you, and I hope you and your doctor find a better option for you soon.

kylierose84 · October 2018

I've heard that prozac is a great option as far as minimal side effects for pregnancy/baby. However if you've had the prozac poop out, like me, that might not be an option. I currently take 75mg of zoloft, and plan to continue while nursing. The side effects with zoloft are minimal, and my favorite thing my doctor said to me was that the side effects of having a severely depressed mother are harder than the side effects of the medication on the baby. You being healthy and functional is going to be the best thing for your baby, too.

mrstmoose · October 2018

I'm in the MH profession (just as reference) and stopped taking my Zoloft (on my own) and have since noticed my anxiety has sky rocketed. I'm planning on asking my OB on Friday if he's ok with me going back on it. We have to take care of ourselves before we can take care of anyone else!

mels823 · October 2018

I just wanted to thank everyone for the thoughtful responses! I had an appointment with my doctor the day I posted that and we had a long conversation. We decided that the pros of medication outweigh the cons at this point, so she put me back on a low dose. It's been a week and I can already tell a difference. I'm really glad I reached out for help. As much as I want to keep this baby safe, I also have two kids at home that I need to be able to function appropriately for too. Thank you ladies

MRDCle · October 2018

I'm so glad your doctor and you came to a good solution @mels823! You're doing a great job taking care of you and ALL of your kids.

LifeofLauren2 · October 2018

@mels823 for my first pregnancy I stayed on my Lexapro the whole time. There is potential for some withdrawal in baby and also slow reaction from baby upon birth. We didn't experience any complications due to that though. They did have the NICU team in the room for delivery just in case.

With this pregnancy I left my meds (Lexapro and Welbutrin) at work while I went on vacation so I had been off them for a week and a half when I found out I was pregnant. I decided not to start them again and see where we go. I've been a lot more emotional than normal this pregnancy. My OBGYN said that Welbutrin is one of the meds they suggest to pregnant women because there are no known side effects to baby. If I wanted to get back on my meds my OBGYN suggested I call my primary doctor as they would be more knowledgeable about the drugs.

My thought process is that if it gets bad enough where I'm crying all the time or hating my life or just overwhelmed I will call my primary and make an appointment. BUT, I would also talk to my pharmacist that I super trust because they are the ones who know the meds very very well.

Laurmi · October 2018

I'm on Zoloft this time around. I wasnt on anything with my DD but went on zoloft when she was about 6 months old and really didn't want to stop and go through withdrawal and risk my severe anxiety skyrocketing if I didn't have to. I'm doing ok but feeling extremely blah. I have zero energy or motivation and just overthink everything so much that I freeze up and vegg on the couch when I'm not at work or otherwise engaged. I feel slightly checked out!?!? I really miss my alprazolam that I took pre pregnancy on an as needed basis if I got too wound up in my own head. I seem fine on the outside but this is going to be a long 6 months.
Laura

ashleyefreiheit · October 2018

I have depression and anxiety along with bipolar II disorder. I decided to remain on my Lamictal and Cymbalta during my pregnancy as I have been on them for 7 years, and going off would be much more detrimental to my baby than staying on them. I have seen what I am like without my medication, and I am staying on them for my own and my baby's sake. There are numerous studies that show no increase in birth defects from most psychiatric drugs (obviously there are some Category D & X's which are no-nos). It's a difficult decision to make, and I can't help but feel guilty sometimes, but I have to remember that things would be much worse for me if I was not on my meds.

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