Anti Depressants and trying to get pregnant.

Question

I'm on anti depressants for anxiety... could that prevent me from getting pregnant. One of the warning labels on the bottle says "can cause birth defects if used in 3rd term of pregnancy".

If I do get prego while on it I plan to stop until the doc says otherwise, but should I stop now while trying too?

Answer 1

You, your OB, and your therapist (or whoever prescribes your anti-depressant) need to make a decision together about the risks and benefits of staying on your meds both now and when you do get pregnant.

Ultimately, my doctors and I decided that the benefits of a healthy mommy outweighed the potential risks to my baby.  I take Lexapro and took it throughout my preganancy.  I delivered a healthy baby girl last summer.  I'm still on the Lexapro and TTC #2.

One thing I've noticed is that the warning labels are never the same from month to month!

My OB told me that there are no long term studies of the effects of anti-depressants on child development since the drugs haven't been around that long.  He also explained that the studies that have been done indicate that babies who are exposed to anti-d in utero may go through mild withdrawal for the first 24-48 hours with symptoms like fussiness and crying.  I figure since babies do that anyway, we could deal with it.

Good luck to you!

Answer 2

You should be asking your doctor all of these questions before abrubtly stopping any medication or trying to get pregnant. If it says "can cause birth defects if used in 3rd term of pregnancy" then it's probably safe in early pregnancy. But you need to check with your doctor before you do anything.  

Answer 3

This drug does have a lot of side effects, I would not use it if trying to get pregnant.. I wouldn't risk that chance.