morning everyone,
i've been on sertraline for 10-11months, feel settled on this dosage after having to up it from 50 to 100 and then to 150mg. me and my boyfriend want to start trying for our first baby next year, i mentioned this to the doctor last time i was there and he suggested reducing my dosage before hand, i reallly don't want to do that as i'm feeling the best i've felt in months and don't want to mess with my dosage, especially as i know it can make some women really emotional and crazy, i'm already that and not even pregnant!! want to keep on what i'm on so my pregnancy will be as stress free as possible, especially for my boyfriend who has been an angel and very supportive with my problems over the past year. any advice anyone?? do i have to reduce my medication or can i insist with my GP that i want to stay on the dose i'm taking now?? i've read alot of posts on other forums and they have had no trouble?? thanks all and have a good day :-)
Please, please come off it. I was on three different types of psychiatric drugs before I had my son and managed to come off them all because pregnancy protects you naturally from developing depression. I didn't believe this when they first told me, but I have bipolar type 1 and was fine. BUT make sure you go back on them immediately after giving birth. I didn't, and was hospitalised. X
I have also had a baby on all meds and would recommend coming off all of them every time. I believe that it has affected my daughter's cognitive development.
hi there livvyosc1,
thanks for your post, i was worried you were going to say that. a good friend of mine is exactly the same as me, suffered from bad depression and anxiety for most of her adult life, controlled it eventually with medication, started trying for a baby after reducing and coming off her meds and she had a terrible time during her pregnancy with her hormones/depression and anxiety, she said it nearly ended her relationship and she was an emotional wreck. that surely, has to be worse for the baby getting stressed like that. i was hoping you'd say that you'd had a fine pregnancy on the sertraline, i don't think i will be able to cope without it, as sad as that sounds, i rely an awful lot on my medication to keep me sane on a daily basis, without it i am simply just a nightmare and don't want it all to be a stressful time, if i'm stressed surely my baby will be too??? xx
Sertraline is a very effective medication and should be reviewed at regular intervals to assess an ongoing need for the medication.Like all medication it has side effects the higher the dose combined with the longer it is taken the greater the chance of side effects.In the majority of cases its recommended you take antidepressants for. 2-3 years though there are exceptions where people need to be on the medication long term.I have recently had to take 2 people off ant-depressants it's not easy.Without full background it's hard to make concrete recommendations the manufacturerers advise avoid in pregnancy unless benefits outweigh the risk as assessed by your GP. It might be worth getting some specialist advice from your local mental health team. But personally would agree with other post if there is any way you could come off them or reduce dose would be best. Lastly have you tried talking therapies these have helpedc some people always worth trying non drug treatments if no already. Tried
thanks for you're information tun1 i will look into alternative therapies and i have already had a discussion about it with my GP and he recommended reducing the dose rather than coming off completely which to be honest, i would prefer to do if possible, thanks again :-)