Antidepressants in pregnancy

[Camz]

Hello ladies

It's been quite a while since I've posted.

My partner and I want to try for a baby. We started trying the beginning of this year but I've had 3 miscarriages unfortunately and have put it down to the antidepressants that I'm on. I was on venlafaxine 225mg once a day but I'm currently weening myself off them in order to go onto more 'pregnancy-friendly' anti depressants. Unfortunately I suffer from severe depression and anxiety so I cannot come off anti depressants altogether. I was on fluoxetine before I switched to venlafaxine as the fluoxetine wasn't helping at the time. The circumstances I was in back then have changed drastically and life has improved immensely for me. I don't just mean in terms of my mental health. My mental health has improved because my situation changed and I'm loving my life at the moment.

Anyway! Now my doctor is sort of insistent of me going back onto fluoxetine but I'm not 100% sure. I'd been on them for a while and they did help but my mental health took a sudden turn for the worst a year ago where any medication and even sharp objects had to be kept away from me. I had to be observed whilst bathing as I kept trying to drown myself and such. Now I couldn't imagine feeling the need to do that again, but it's not to say that I'd never feel that way again.

I have a breastfeeding friend at the moment who also suffers from severe depression and she's on sertraline and was during her whole pregnancy. I read up about it and sertraline appeals to me more but I'm not sure whether to insist to my doctor that I want to try myself on sertraline or to let her put me on fluoxetine if she believes that's for the best?

I don't suppose anyone else has been in a similar position and can say which anti depressant has work best for them?

Thanks

[Bubbers007]

Ask for sertraline

[Camz in reply to Bubbers007]

You ever been on anti depressants before...? You don't just pick and choose what you want. And one doesn't just work for everyone.

Not sure if this is your way of giving advice. I'm actually finding your response a little sarcastic. Might not be meant that way but it seems it very much.

I opened up here about some very personal stuff genuinely looking for advice.

Please consider what you post before posting it. Something might seem simple or silly to you but it's not to the person who needs advice.

[Bpas_1968]

Hi There,

It is always best to chat these things through with your mental health team/healthcare professionals, but it's ok to do your own research too.

medicinesinpregnancy.org/Ab... this link is a website that looks at the effects on an unborn baby and the effects drugs may/may not have. Do a bit of research then have a discussion with your GP, and hopefully decide together what's best for you. Good luck.

Best Wishes

Jules

[Camz in reply to Bpas_1968]

Thank you Jules. I really appreciate that. I'll have a look at this website and as you say decide together with my doctor.

[Shemona]

Antidepressants can help relieve your symptoms of depression and keep you feeling your best — but there's more to the story when you're pregnant or thinking about getting pregnant. Pregnancy hormones were once thought to protect women from depression, but researchers now say this isn't true. In addition, pregnancy can trigger a range of emotions that make it more difficult to cope with depression.A decision to use antidepressants during pregnancy is based on the balance between risks and benefits. Overall, the risk of birth defects and other problems for babies of mothers who take antidepressants during pregnancy is very low. Still, few medications have been proved safe without question during pregnancy, and some types of antidepressants have been associated with health problems in babies, so visit a good doctor and research, in fact, there are a lot of mothers out there suffering from the same plight you can leverage on their experience,