I was just wondering for those who opted for medication after pregnancy, what dose you went on please? Was it a very low dose? I was on Olanzapine previously and have only just come off this medication after three years and months of tapering before finally stopping. (I am so frightened about becoming unwell again but I've let everyone know to keep a super close eye on me during this time).
I understand you can go for the 'watch and wait' after birth and also go on medication towards the end of pregnancy and I'm happy and appreciative for you to share what you did and if the method you chose prevented you becoming unwell.
I would also love to know how long you stayed on medication after pregnancy before tapering and eventually stopping? I realise my staying on for three years is a long time and likely unnecessary but I had no support initially coming off and then when I did I was so afraid to come off but next time I would definitely like to come off sooner.
Thank you all 🧡
N x
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Rainbow9725
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I can share my personal experience with you. I took antipsychotic medication from week 36 of my pregnancy. My son was born at week 38 as I was induced due to my gestational diabetes.
I kept well during pregnancy and had routine checks with the perinatal team, I decided to take medication during pregnancy because I saw that in hindsight I was showing some signs of hypomania in the weeks towards the birth of my first baby. The dosis I started before birth was 2.5 mg of Olanzapine and then increased to 5 mg after birth. It allowed me to sleep for those first few months of the newborn stage which are so difficult for all parents. I was not in 5 mg for too long, 6 months, and then went down to 2.5 mg for about a month before dropping it off completely. Pp did not repeat for me though I did get some depression around month 2 or 3 postpartum that I was able to treat with medication and therapy and did not need admission.
I think the decision to take medication during pregnancy is very personal and dependant on your history. What I opted for suited me, but I know other mums who waited till the birth to start medication, it all depends on circumstances.
I am sorry you did not receive proper support to come off Olanzapine the first time and that can add to the worry around medication. My psychiatrist drew a weaning plan that was followed up by my GP when I was discharged from the perinatal team. And that was very helpful.
I wish you all the best in the near future and please do not hesitate to write here if there are any questions or anything you would like to share,
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. I'm so glad to hear everything went well for you.
Were the gestational diabetes brought on by the Olanzapine or was that something you struggled with prior to going on medication? Was everything ok with you and Baby?
May I also ask how you find coming off Olanzapine? Did you suffer any withdrawals?
No, the gestational diabetes did not have to do with Olanzapine it was diagnosed before I started taking Olanzapine. I probably also had GD with my first baby but it was not diagnosed at the time, and it tends to repeat in pregnancies. My dad had diabetes and that is another risk factor.
I was able to come off the Olanzapine the second time around with more ease than when I weaned off it after my pp. I think part of it was that I was coming down from not such a high dose and partly that my brain was not recovering from pp this time.
My baby did fine after birth. We were in hospital for 72 hours to observe him and the paediatricians did not raised any concerns.
Take very good care and do let us know how you are getting on, it is great you are looking for more information before preparing for a second pregnancy. It is also a good idea to set a chat with a perinatal psychiatrist, a preconception counselling meeting. Your GP can make a referral to the local perinatal team and it is a good opportunity to understand what support will be available to you and ask any questions you may have.
So I am not pregnant yet but we plan to be this year. I’ve spoken to 2 psychiatrists and their plan is to have me go on Olanzapine 2.5 in week 34 of pregnancy. I will also be taking an antidepressant the entire pregnancy and a low dose mood stabilizer (Lamotrigine) (just in case even though I’m not diagnosed BD) the entire pregnancy. I had prenatal depression with my first so hence the antidepressant will be continued the entire time. Once I give birth they plan on putting me on Olanzapine 5mg. Both psychiatrists have said that will be enough. Even though I was on 15mg Olanzapine after my PP with my first child - the way it was explained to me - after you have PP you need a higher dose to get better. But as a preventative - 5mg is plenty enough. To keep well. They also said that I will likely only need to stay on 6 months. But I think I’d like to stay on for a full year. At least on 2.5mg.
Both psychiatrists seem to be of similar opinion. I feel like I’m in good hands.
Ps. I also had gestational diabetes with my first pregnancy so I’m assuming I’ll have it with my second so I’ll be on a strict diet. I’m trying to shed off the weight and eat better now so that I don’t gain even more weight before going Olanzapine again.
Thought I'd share as I am currently going through this with baby number 3. I chose to take Lithium after birth and I have a low dose of 2.5mg of Olanzapine in the cupboard as a just in case, and using zopliclone to manage my sleep while my husband is on paternity leave. I'm on day 6 at the minute and reached the crying stage but my CPN is happy this is hormones balancing. I also have friends on hand looking for signs of unusual behaviour. I understand how worrying it can be as I never have an insight into my own mental health. Having a new baby in the house is such a blessing I didn't want PP to hold me back. I think if you have the olanzapine there as a back up ready in the cupboard, it helps with the reassurance.
All the best, and I'm happy to chat if you need any more advice.
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