Antidepressants while pregnant??? Help!

Question

Does anyone know if it is safe to take Pristiq while pregnant?

Answer

(Continued from previous post...)

Personally it was a matter of weighing the risks of the detrimental effects that untreated depression can have on the pregnancy as well as the effects that pregnancy can have on untreated depression, compared to the benefits of continuing antidepressant therapy. For this reason I decided to continue treatment as my health can significantly impact my baby's health.

Towards the end of the first trimester I had a brief relapse and my doctor increased the dose from 100mg to 150mg. I was hesitant as I was already feeling guilty about exposing my baby to medications during pregnancy, but after increasing the dose I felt much better and did not regret my decision. My doctor explained that due to increased blood/fluid volume, as well as increased metabolism associated with pregnancy, the dose of almost any medication may need adjustment. I'm planning to return to the original dose of 100mg following birth.

I hope this info is helpful to you, but I can only speak from personal experience and recommend discussing your concerns with your doctor.

Answer

Talk to your doctor. There are ones that can be used in pregnancy but it's always best to ask your doctor to be sure

Answer

Talk to your doctor.

Answer

My doc said pristiq was one of the less safe one but there's not a huge huge risk from any of them considering what it could prevent. I'd talk to your doctor asap.

Answer

Hi Jess,

I have been taking Pristiq for about a year and I'm currently 37 weeks. I was concerned about it's safety during pregnancy so I made an appointment with a consultant physician of maternal/fetal medicine while we were planning our pregnancy.

She was very helpful and it was reassuring to know that Pristiq is not associated with an increased risk of congenital malformations above the population baseline (approx 3%). She did note, however, that Pristiq is associated with a slight potential increase of withdrawal syndrome in the newborn, but she advised that breastfeeding can help to reduce these symptoms as a small amount is passed on in the breastmilk.

The potential of withdrawal was my main concern with continuing antidepressant therapy as I do not want to put my baby's health at risk (I'm not sure if you've ever missed a dose/s, but the withdrawal symptoms are horrible and for this reason it can be difficult to discontinue treatment). I'm planning to minimize this risk by gradually reducing the dose over the following two to three weeks and also by breastfeeding. I've been assured that if the baby does experience withdrawal symptoms that they will likely only last 24-48 hours following birth.

She also mentioned that Pristiq has been associated with a potential increased risk of neurobehavioural abnormalities in children (but I'm not sure which abnormalities/disorders specifically).

(TBC - post is too long)

Answer

I am taking Brintellix which is new but my doctor approved it.  All doctors need to be involved because I was told that I would need extra sonograms with heart echoes for the baby just to be sure.  
For me - the pros outweigh the cons when it comes to staying on it.  I wouldn't be pregnant if I wasn't in this good place.  
Good luck mama!

Antidepressants while pregnant??? Help!

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