Pregnant and on Zoloft

[courtney]

I just recently discovered that I am pregnant. I am taking 50 mg of zoloft. I'm not sure how safe this is for my baby, and would like to wean myself off of it. I am uncomfortable taking anything while I am pregnant, but all the things I've read on your site about side effects from weaning from zoloft are scaring me! Will  these side effects affect my unborn child? And how does zoloft affect the baby? I want to go off of it, and I'd like to know the easiest and safest way to do it.  Thank you!

[HFHS.MD-AJ]

I can understand your concerns about the possible effect of medications on your pregnancy. The general rule is to avoid administering medications to pregnant women, especially during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, except the expected benefit from the medication clearly outweighs the potential risk to the unborn baby.

Zoloft is classified as a Catogory C drug, meaning that there are no adequate studies about its safety in pregnancy. I urge you to contact your family physician, psychiatrist, and obstetrician immediately, to discuss your concerns. In order to reduce the risk of "Discontinuation Syndrome" from abruptly stopping Zoloft, you may decrease the dose to 25 mg daily for one week, then stop taking the medication.

[VAL]

Courtney,
  I was on Prozac during my pregnancy 5 years ago.  The doctors had me stop immediately as soon as I discovered I was pregnant.  After 3 months,  I could not stand the depression anymore.  I was put back on Prozac for the remainder of my pregnancy.  It wasn't easy, I still had panic attacks, but I could deal with them better.  My son was born 2 weeks early, but he is a healthy 4 (almost 5) year old.  Just do what you can do and if it is not working, tell your doctor you need help.  Good luck.

Val

[PamD]

The safest thing to do is to call your doctor!  He/she can help you get off the medication safely if that is preferred.  Your doctor is your helpmate and the best source of information.  Though the psychiatrists on this site are very good, they don't know you and your history.  So call your doctor.

[Silent all these years]

Call the doctor that gave you the Zoloft and let him or her know that you are pregnant. He or she should be able to tell you what the best course of action is. And get started on prenatal care and let the OB know about the zoloft. That may not be easy but it is the safest thing to do, for both of you.