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Mental Health (Expert Forum)
Effexor and pregnancy
Questions posted in the Mental Health forum are being answered by Dr. Roger L. Gould, author of the Mastering Stress and Depression program and affiliated with the UCLA. Department of Psychiatry. Topics covered include anger, attention deficit disorder (ADD), bipolar disorder, dementia, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), learning disabilities, memory, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic, personality disorders, phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia, stress, transitions, and work problems.
Doctor's Answer
by HFHS.MD-AJ, Feb 07, 2000 12:00AM
The FDA has labeled Effexor a "schedule C drug", meaning that its safety in pregnancy in humans is unknown. You may want to discuss effective methods of contraception with your doctor. It is usually advisable to be off psychiatric medications when trying to concieve.
Thank you.
I have tried weening off Effexor with the help of homeopathic remedies, but after a very traumatic period, I had to go back onto the Effexor everyday.
I would really like to have a baby, but am not convinced that it is safe enough while on Effexor.
Please help!!
I was on 75 mg of Effexor while I was pregnant and was told that they didn't evidence either way regarding the side effects on the baby. This was in 2005 and I have since found several sites to say that it has been reclassified and is no longer condidered safe. I had a relatively normal pregnancy and my son is now 2 and a half and healthy, however when he was born he had what they decribed as "jitteryness" for a few days and was a very difficult baby for the first few month, which I am sure was effexor withdrawal. If I were to want to fall pregnant again I would definitely ween off effexor and onto another drug. I just don't think it's worth the risk. At least Cipramil has been around a long time while effexor is still very new.
Good luck,
Tanya