Can you take anti-depressants while pregant?

Question

Can you take anti-depressants while pregant?

Answer 1

Apparently you can but i don't think you should. My friend is on them and she is 2 months pregnant and doctor said it is ok for her to carry on taking them.

Answer 2

i don't think so. just ask your doctor maybe your doctor can give you a different kind of anti-depressant suitable for a pregnant woman..all i know is that pregnant woman drink mild medications or better yet don't drink any.

Answer 3

No, something in the anti-depressants can hurt the baby growing inside you.

Answer 4

that is something to ask your OB. I was allowed to continue with anti-depressants while pregnant with my daughter if I felt that I needed them. I decided to try living without them if I could, and I was fine. I am aure that there are some that are safer than others.

Answer 5

It really depends on the Dr.  I do believe some doctors do allow you to take certain anti-depressants.  You should just talk to your doctor about it to be for sure.  Review the following article.

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

Researchers from the University of California published a study last week in the New England Journal of Medicine that appears to put a damper on the long-held belief that today's most popular antidepressant medications are really safe in pregnancy. Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) are the mainstay of today's medical therapy for depression, because they usually work, and their safety and side-effect profiles are attractive. This class of medications includes the popular brand-names Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Celexa and Lexapro.

Although the usual warnings about unknown risks are always given to pregnant patients on these medications, until now, we've had little reason to worry about serious consequences of taking these commonly prescribed antidepressants while pregnant. This study suggests that women who take SSRIs after the 20th week of pregnancy have s sixfold increased risk of giving birth to a newborn with persistent pulmonary hypertension. Also known as persistent fetal circulation, this condition is a rare life-threatening lung condition that affects newborn infants immediately after birth. It is so rare, in fact, that a sixfold increase in risk only translates to about a 1% risk for women who take these medications in the last half of pregnancy.

The good news is that women who become pregnant while taking these medicines need not worry: the risk is only increased if they take them beyond twenty weeks. They will have plenty of time to get off the meds if they can. But, making that decision is tricky business. Some women might be just fine if they stop them, but many need these prescriptions to function. And, probably every woman who has a history of depression is at risk for postpartum depression, so stopping the medications mid-pregnancy might not be in their best interest.

I believe that this knowledge calls for even closer coordination of care among the patient, her ob team, and a psychiatrist. Each patient needs to be carefully and timely counseled, and if a decision is made to stop the meds, she should be monitored carefully for deterioration of her mental health status. The recommendation of whether to stop the medication or stay on it must be individualized and taken seriously, because clearly, the benefits of the medications do outweigh the risk in some patients. And, I agree with the authors: we need to know more about the management of depression during pregnancy in order to provide expert care for these patients.

RW, MD

Answer 6

I think it is possible to take certain kinds but only a GP will be able to give you the correct answer, he/she will assess the need for them and obvioulsy prescribe safe medication.

Answer 7

I was only allowed to take Imipramine - Your obstetrician will guide you on this.  If you taking some at the moment, get in touch with him asap.

Answer 8

you can take some. I have had my meds changed to a safe one. talk to your doctor who can discuss this with a pharmacist and the drug companies themselves (mine did). best of luck Im sure you will find a drug that works and is safe

Answer 9

It depends on why you need to take them and what kind. I am taking antidepressants to help control my anxiety disorder. I have stayed off them for as long as I could while pregnant. But you need to discuss this with your Doctor as some are safer to take while pregnant and others are obviously not.

Answer 10

if there is a need then yes, you will want to get them prescribed by your OB rather than any other doctor, and OB is going to make sure he puts you one one that is safest for the baby. if mom is horribly depressed it is better for her and the baby to take medication rather than suffer through depression. with my first pregnancy i was having uncontrollable crying fits every time i drove to and from work... obviously i had myself in a very unsafe situation, so my OB put me on Prozac as that was the one he felt was safest... certainly alot safer for the both of us than risking a car accident twice a day... oh and my son is 13 months old now, and has never been anything other than perfectly healthy

EDIT: oh prior to becoming pregnant i was on Cylexa my GP and i decided that it would be best for me to try to go off them for a time, goal was at least first trimester, and i did stay off them with no trouble until what i mentioned above... that was midway through the second trimester... it may have even been into the third that i started them, I'm not certain... so if you can be off them for first trimester it would be best, but don't make yourself sick over it