IVF and anxiety meds

[lmno]

Hello, I’m wondering if anyone knows if starting anti-anxiety medication (serotonin reuptake inhibitors) will have an impact on starting another round of IVF next month? My doctor has recommended I start taking them to deal with anxiety (not solely fertility related) but I’m worried it will mean we have to delay IVF. I’ve also heard that a history of anti-depressants can count against you in adoption applications (which might be where we end up depending on IVF outcome) which is also putting me off but feels very unfair if true. Any advice? Thanks in advance

[Sfarre]

You can check if medications are safe in pregnancy using this site: medicinesinpregnancy.org/ As far as I know, there are certain SSRIs that are fairly safe, I had a friend who took one throughout her pregnancy and her and her baby were both absolutely fine. There is sometimes a balance between the risks to you of not taking a medication versus the potential risks to an unborn child. I assume your doctor is well aware that you are trying to conceive also?

I wouldn't get too hung up on what history of taking medications may or may not say about you in applications. I have Bipolar Disorder myself, and was approved for NHS funding for IVF without any additional questioning. I personally haven't heard that about adoption, but I guess they do need to be thorough to check that placings are appropriate for the child.

At the end of the day, your health currently comes first, and the only way you are going to have a healthy pregnancy and be a healthy mother, is if you are taking good care of yourself. So if you and your doctor believe that taking a SSRI will help you best right now, then I wouldn't hesitate. Best of luck xx

[Sfarre in reply to Sfarre]

Also...I feel I should add: there are other ways to help more naturally with anxiety as well. Eating well, exercising regularly and getting a good night's sleep are all essentials if you suffer from anxiety. You may also benefit from taking part in activities such as mindfulness meditations, yoga or acupuncture for instance. I do all of these things to help me and it greatly helps my anxiety and stress levels. Hope that helps!

[Kcrochet]

I have depression and am currently taking 100mg sertraline. It wasn't a problem at all for my IVF approval and funding, and the dr at my clinic recommended I should stay on it once our cycle had started. The clinic did speak to my GP just before we started the cycle to check that I was mentally fit enough to go ahead with treatment as I had had some time off work earlier in the year.

I echo what Sfarre said - it's about weighing up the risks and benefits. Unfortunately the studies that have been done are never big enough to say definitively one way or the other what the risks are to a pregnancy.

I don't know about adoption but SSRIs are very commonly prescribed drugs, so hopefully that wouldn't count against you. I expect it's more about showing you are managing your anxiety and keeping yourself healthy.

I can also recommend gentle exercise, yoga and acupuncture for mood benefits if you haven't tried those already 😊

Good luck, hope you find what works for you xx