Re: Antidepressants while pregnant ----Robin

[Guest guest]

-Congrats on the pregnancy, Robin and on the VBG too (I think we

chatted a few weeks ago as I am a vbg'er too)...

As for Prozac...My very good friend developed severe post partum

depression after her first. She has since had three more children

for a total of 4 in the past 8-9 yrs. Her Dr kept her on the

antidepressants between and during all her subsequent pregnancies.

She truly truly needed to be on them, especially with the hormonal

influence of pregnancy. I would be really wary of stopping them,

Robin.

I too am under the care of a psychiatrist (though at this point its

more of a check in than anything else)...I won't bore you with the

gory details, but about four yrs ago, I went through severe post

traumatic stress disorder with severe treatment resistant

depression. I was hospitalized for over 5 months over a 1.5 yr

period. I was on many different antidepressants and treatments til

they found one that worked. I have been off all meds for almost two

yrs now...but my psychiatrist continues to keep a close eye on me -

I am at HUGE risk for not only post partum depression, but

antepartum too...especially in the third trimester when things can

go a bit wonky to begin with. Because of your history too, I am

wondering if you would be considered at higher risk too...It

wouldn't surprise me...

I think you need to be vigilant about monitoring your mood (and so

do I) and being very honest with yourself and others around you. My

worst fear is that I will try to hide things again and then almost

lose the battle...I have come a long way though, and I would like to

think I would ask for the help this time...

Wishing you all the very best, Robin,

Hugs,

VBG May 6/03

32 weeks preggo with #1...A little girl EDC Nov 10

-- In OSSG-pregnant , " Robin Irwin " <robin@b...>

wrote:

> Hi everyone. I haven't posted in awhile, but I try to read the

posts

> that interest me on a daily basis.. A little bit of background for

> reminder... I am now 1 year post-op from VBG. I am also 12 weeks

> pregnant with baby #1. When I first found out I was pregnant I

asked

> all my doctors what I should do about the Prozac I have been

taking for

> quite awhile now. I've been on antidepressants (have tried just

about

> every one of them until the last year or so when I found Prozac

works

> the best) for about 10 years. In the past I have found that

whenever I

> tried to taper off of them, I would become severely depressed and

> basically several different doctor's said that it is because I

truely

> have a chemical imbalance and am probably someone who would be on

> antidepressants for the rest of my life to regulate. So I came to

terms

> with that, however when I became pregnant, I asked several of my

> doctor's (my primary physician, my psychiatrist and my OB) what I

should

> do and I got 3 different answers... primary physician said " it

> shouldn't hurt " , OB said I could continue taking them,

psychiatrist said

> to stop and give a trial without...... so I went with what the

> psychiatrist said because I thought maybe she knew something that I

> didn't... like how I'll be sooo happy during the pregnancy that I

> wouldn't get the depression that usually comes with not taking any

meds.

> Ok, that was about 8 weeks ago. I've been off for about 8 weeks.

Now,

> I'm not *REAL* depressed, however I feel down more than usual.

I'm very

> irritable all the time with my husband and family. And I even had

one

> friend say that I seem sort of bi-polar lately (one day super

happy,

> next day crying over nothing). So I just made an appointment to

see

> the psychiatrist this afternoon and I guess I'm going to try to go

back

> on. I do remember the psychiatrist saying that if I needed to be

on

> anything, that Prozac is the best one because of the very low

incidents

> of side effects, especially to the baby...

>

> Does anyone have any experience with all this? Any words of

wisdom? I

> would especially like to hear from someone who may have already

had a

> child while on an antidepressant.......

>

> Thanks for listening.

>

> Robin Irwin

> VBG 9/17/03

> Starting wt: 293

> Current wt: 232 (keeps going between 229 and 233, w/ 229 being my

lowest

> prior to pregnancy)

> Goal wt: 165

> EDD: 3/25/05 w/ #1

>

>

>