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I am currently taking 10mg of Celexa in my pregnancy for anxiety and OCD however I'll probably be increasing to 20mg.In my first pregnancy with my son I took Celexa and Klonopin for severe depression, anxiety and OCD. I started at 27 weeks and took the Celexa until 6 months postpartum. The Klonopin the doctors had me slowly start to wean at 36 weeks and I had my son at 38w2d. The only side effect I noticed was some shakiness and jerky movements my son made the first day, which the doctor reassured me isn't uncommon for all newborns regardless of if you took medication or not. No breathing issues, no NICU, no extra observation at all. It was a completely normal hospital stay. I encourage you to talk at length with your doctors about your options, go over risk vs benefit, etc. For me the benefit outweighed the risk. I need to be able to function to take care of myself, the baby I carry and my son that relies on me and this medication allows for that.And if anyone tries to judge you, ignore them. Mental illness left untreated is more harmful than the doctor prescribed medication would ever be. Listen to yourself and your doctor, you know what's best for you.
Lets talk Anxiety and Depression medications while pregnant
Some of you may know my story already. So I will spare the details.
But basically I have a long history of depression and anxiety. It got really bad in my first trimester and my OB prescribed me to zoloft and buspar which apparently are a pretty common combo during pregnancy because they are both considered fairly safe. Before I became pregnant I was prescribed to Xanax and before that Klonopin. Both worked fairly well after my body adjusted (I don't see how people can do so many of those things because all the did was make me sleep?) lol anyways.
I am on the highest dosage of both my current meds and they have both now stopped working. It could be just the buspar but it hasn't been good. The past week I've barely gotten out of bed. I have an appointment tomorrow about switching them but I am really nervous :(
So I am here to ask...
What anxiety or depression medicine have you or are you taking during pregnancy? Is it working well? Was your baby born with any side effects from it? I would like to start back on my klopin of Xanax but I am really afraid of it impacting my son negatively.
But I also can't stay depressed and having constant panic attacks right now. I am also afraid to switch depression meds because I have heard many horror storied of people who weren't pregnant?
I just need advise or some peace of mind. This is all so tough right now.
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Ha
thank you for your insight and sharing your experience. it helps me a lot to know I am not alone. Your strength is very encouraging
Ja
Oh, I also meant to mention in regards to my anxiety - one of my anxiety triggers is medication and its safety in pregnancy. I hate even taking a Tylenol in pregnancy let alone having to be on anxiety medication. So needless to say, my anxiety was outrageous at the idea of taking the klonopin. I cried right through the first dose, thinking I'd just made a huge mistake and harmed my baby. The first week was hard, but as time went on, my baby was kicking and fine, I began to trust the medication and understand how horribly I was suffering before it. Just sharing this in the event you struggle with similar fears and uncertainty.
Ja
My son is a completely happy and healthy 3 year old. :) He has the normal sassy "big boy" attitude sometimes, but no diagnosis for behavioral problems. He's well on track and advanced in some areas of development. I never wanted to take the Klonopin in my pregnancy because of your same concerns, but after a mandatory hospital stay for a psych evaluation at 27 weeks, I was strongly encouraged to take the Klonopin for my own safety and the safety of my baby. One of the hardest, most nerve wrecking decisions of my life, but ultimately probably saved my life. I'm so sorry you're struggling right now - I hope whatever you and your doctor's decide allows you peace and comfort during the rest of your pregnancy.
I suffered with anxiety from a very young age, but after I got married I knew I wanted children, so I stopped taking my med completely. I did a lot of research on natural ways to aviod anxiety attscks, and how to basically get out of them, if I had one. Well that was almost 6 years ago. I have had some anxiety over these years, but with the exercises I found in my research I have been able to control them very well. I also have to say I have great support in my SO he has helped tremendously. Without a support system it might be more difficult. Good luck on your journey, I pray you find something that helps you!
I just wanted to reach out & tell you I'm so sorry you are experiencing this. I was on Zoloft before I got pregnant & went off it. There are days I can't even get off the couch. I know I don't have it as bad as you but I do understand the struggle. Please reach out to your dr so you can get the help you need. Depression in pregnancy is a very serious illness. I will be thinking of you. Please keep us updated.
I wanted to say thank you all for the advise and strong words of encouragement. I went to the doctor today and they decided to keep me on my current medications but also prescribed me to Vistaril for the panic attacks and referred me to a psychiatrist who can then adjust my medication and also provide counseling during my pregnancy. So I am going to see how this goes. I have to start seeing my doctor weekly now too.I woke up this morning so disconnected and in such a daze. Everything around me left fake. I just feel drained and out of it. Hopefully something will give soon. I don't like feeling this way.
Ha
They are taking good care of me. I hope to get this under control
Ja
Sounds like your doctors have a solid plan for you. Therapy helped me loads along with the medication. I hope this is the road to feeling better. Sending luck and hugs!
I weaned off Prozac when I found out I was pregnant. I'm happy I made it this far without meds, but I'm thinking about going back on. I have a pretty strong feeling that post Parton depression will hit me like a freakin train... Meanwhile, it does cross into your breast milk, so I'm really not sure what to do. I'm a NICU nurse and have seen babies born with side effects POTENTIALLY related to some of these drugs. I already feel like a terrible mother.
EK
* postpartum lol - the autocorrect on this app is insane! Lol
Hi honey, first of all I'm so sorry you are going through all of this. I am a certified drug and alcohol counselor which doesn't mean much but it does mean I had to take physiology and pharmacology and I have a little bit of an understanding of what benzodiazepines (Xanax and Klonopin are both benzodiazepines) do to the body and a baby. First of all these are strong narcotics with high levels of dependency. They also cross the placenta barrier which means the baby will become dependent on them as well. I'm not sure what your experience was coming off of those but I'm sure it wasn't pleasant, and you child will experience the same dangerous withdrawal symptoms if you take them during pregnancy. I have a history of depression and anxiety as well so I know how difficult this is, if you have the resources available please try to take advantage of therapy as much as possible during you're pregnancy. You can return to the meds once the baby has been born.
Ha
thank you guys a lot. this has made me feel a little better. I am just really nervous about doing something that might harm my son :( especially since he is my miracle rainbow baby. I would never be able to forgive myself. I know Klonopin has worked well for me in the past. I definitely do plan on talking in depth with my doctor and they already mentioned referring me to someone that they partner with for therapy.
Ja
I agree, therapy is excellent in addition to medication. I did joint medication and therapy throughout my pregnancy and postpartum; it was a huge help in managing the anxiety and depression.
An
Absolutely Jamie. My pregnant brain wasn't able to quiet get my point across the way I wanted to. I agree talk to your doctor. I just wanted to add seeking out extra support through therapy during this time.
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