Opinion on SSRI while pregnant?

Re: Opinion on SSRI while pregnant?

• kboydbowman member

  January 2022

  Hi.  I'll go ahead and answer your question here, but this would probably be better in the great big question thread (in case you have other questions in the future).
  
  I'm a clinical psychologist and also struggle with depression.  The information your doc is giving is pretty accurate.  There's no evidence that Lexapro is problematic, but that's not enough info to say for sure that it's *not* problematic.  It's a class C drug in terms of pregnancy classification, which means that there have been some animal studies in which some negative impact has happened to fetuses (the "what" can be variable from extremely mild to more serious), but so far we do not have data showing negative impact on human fetuses.  Unfortunately, *most* SSRIs are class C.  Including both Zoloft and Prozac.  Some SSRIs are worse (class D; definitive negative impact), like Paxil.
  
  There is no guarantee that a different medication will work as well as your current medication.  So really you have to decide between three options:
  
  1) Go off meds altogether.  No negative direct impact on the fetus, but potential for negative impact on you (which could, by proxy, then be negative for the baby).
  2) Change meds to something that's potentially slightly safer.  But no guarantees it will work for you, and you might actually have a bad reaction to it (Lexapro, for example, gave me panic attacks).
  3) Stick with your current medication, which has not been proved either safe or harmful.  You know it works for you, but there is the potential (however slight) for adverse impact on the baby (likely minimal, if there is any).
  
  I would suggest discussing all three options further both with your OB and with your MH provider and then making an informed decision. 

  Current pregnancy -
  First BFP on 1/4/22.  Due date 9/13/22.
  
  

  Four prior losses, no living children - 1 first trimester miscarriage, 1 blighted ovum, 1 chemical, and one extreme premature live birth daughter who died at 15 days old.

  
  

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• trapperkeeper87 member

  January 2022

  Everything @kboydbowman said is amazing information! I'll add that I was on 75mg of Zoloft before and through my entire pregnancy with my daughter, and the only thing I wasn't prepared for was that NICU was required to be present during delivery in case she had breathing issues. She was and is absolutely perfect and NICU wasn't needed for anything, so I'm very comfortable with doing that again with this pregnancy.

  DD 10/2019

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• robbi-lynn member

  January 2022

  Thank you for this thread. I’m pregnant with my first and have been on and off venlafaxine (Effexor) for anxiety since my early teens. I made the mistake of googling whether I should go off or not and that was a scary place to be. My OB said “if you need it you take it”. Still nice to know I’m not the only one. 

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• shannencbooks member

  January 2022

  I took Sertraline (Zoloft) during my first 2 pregnancies and both babies are currently alive and thriving with no issues. I'm continuing to take it with my 3rd because being off of it will be worse for everyone in the long run 😂

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• xtayhx member

  January 2022

  Hi! I’m experiencing the same thing you are. I’ve be been on escitalopram (10 mg) for about a year and a half. Of course my doctor advised me the same as yours. But did, in a way, state that a happy momma = happy baby. Being this is my first I’m nervous to get off the medication while experiencing all of these crazy physical, mental and emotional changes. I plan on bringing it up to my OB at my first appointment next week. But just want to say you are not alone! I’m struggling with the decision as well. I’m more curious of long term effects on my child? Sounds silly but will this have an impact on their future mental health? Just a worry wart over here, ya know? Lol 

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