Antidepressants/Anti Anxiety Meds and Pregnancy

[Yellie143]

Hi,
My husband and I want to try to have a baby soon and I am concerned about being on an antidepressant.  I have been on Paxil for about 2-3 months and am trying to get off of it because my doctor said I cannot be on it when I decide to get pregnant.  I researched Amoryn and Seredyn at Amoryn.com and it says they're all natural and there's rarely side effects.  I would just like to know if it is safe to take during pregnancy?  If so, I'll to switch from Paxil to those while I am pregnant.   Thanks so much for your help.

[Lovelyndawest]

Looking for advice. I am 23 weeks pregnant and my doctor has prescribed Zoloft for me and I took it for about 2-3 weeks earlier in my pregnancy. Then stopped after reading that it could lead to infant respiratory problems. I feel terrible and after sharing this information with my doctor, she told me to keep taking it as that only happens in 1 out of 10 infants and there are no studies that prove this causes severe problems with infants. I was too scared to continue taking it so It sits on the shelf. I have recently started looking into taking Sam-e along with my prenatal vitamins in hopes that it will elevated some of my depression and mood swings but I am not sure if that is safe to take either. I do have an appt coming up with my OB/GYN and will ask in my appt. But, if you have an advice please share.
Thanks

[rettaroo]

I just want you to know that I understand.  I started having panic attacks about a year ago and had to get on Lexapro.  I slowly went off of it over the past few months because my husband and I are wanting to try for a baby soon... Well, I started having dizzy spells too and I get really nervous at bedtime.  I want to get back on my med too....I am trying to tough it out...hoping it gets better.  I have heard that sometimes the natural hormones excreted during pregnancy help...  Idk though.  Just wanted you to know that you are not alone...

[Yellie143]

Thanks so much for your advice. Since my post, I've been trying to get off my meds, and haven't had the best luck.  I decreased my dosage in half and then went down to nothing and had really dizzy spells.  I am starting to feel better as I started back on the smaller dosage again.  I am really nervous that I won't be able to get off of this because it's helping so much, and I feel so good when I'm on it.. just like myself, like I should, and I don't want to be dizzy if I stop taking them.  I want to have a baby soon but I guess I'm going to have to see if I can get off this first.  I'm really confused because I want a baby so much, but I feel so right taking this medication that I don't know which to choose, and then I feel bad even thinking I would choose medication over my child.  Ughhhh it's very frustrating...  I really appreciate your posts back.. thanks so much for taking the time out of your lives to help someone you don't even know.  

[Bear13]

Please don't take anything while you're pregnant... especially anti-depressants, etc... those classes of drugs have been known to increase the risk of birth defects, especially in the vital first six weeks of fetal organ development.  The teratogenicity of the drugs is such that serious defects could occur... I've been through this myself and it was absolutely heart breaking.....  If I'm lucky enough to conceive again, then I would make damn sure that I have NOTHING (not even the "herbal remedies") in my system for a good three to four months before carrying.....  They say that there are a few medications that are "approved" for use during pregnancy, but quite frankly I don't believe (especially after my experience) that ANY of these drugs are "safe" during pregnancy.

[LeftCoastChick]

Please don't assume because something is natural, it's safe, far from it. For example, St.John's Wort can be toxic. SAM-E can trigger Mania in Bipolars. High levels of B vitamins can affect your liver and other organs.Valerian, the natural root of Valium can become highly addicting.  I can go on forever.
What I would suggest is have a consult with an OB/GYN to check what are safe meds to have. I know it's limited, but with will power and support you can do it. If you have a history of suicide ideations or attempts, it may be too dangerous. See a psychiatrist, if you don't have one, as a  GP is not trained in psychopharmaceuticals.