This article explores the case of a woman with bipolar disorder who develops HG associated with severe anxiety and sleep disruption, and discusses various treatment options.
Clinically significant anxiety symptoms are common during the postpartum period and frequently complicate the treatment of postpartum depression.  While SSRIs are indicted for the treatment anxiety symptoms, especially when they co-occur with depression, many women may need to use a benzodiazepine for managing more severe symptoms of anxiety or insomnia.Â
This large cohort study from Taiwan indicates that the concomitant use of antidepressants and benzodiazepines during the first trimester is not associated with a substantial increase in risk for overall malformations.
Cannabis use, as well as use of benzodiazepines and sedative-hypnotic medications, was more common in women with depression.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy specifically designed for insomnia (CBT-I) is a useful adjunct or alternative to medication for women during pregnancy.
This is another situation where the headlines don't really tell us the full story:Â Benzodiazepine Use Linked to Risk for Ectopic Pregnancy. (But at least it prompted me to read the original article in its [...]
Benzodiazepines and non-benzodiazepine hypnotics are commonly used during pregnancy. However, there data regarding the reproductive safety of these agents has been somewhat mixed. Although initial reports suggested that there may be an increased risk of cleft lip and palate, more recent reports have shown no association between exposure to benzodiazepines and risk for cleft lip or palate. A new study shows no increase in the overall risk of malformations among children exposed to benzodiazepines.
Clinically significant anxiety symptoms are common during the postpartum period and frequently complicate the treatment of postpartum depression. Â Â While SSRIs are indicted for the treatment anxiety symptoms, especially when they co-occur with depression, many women may need to use a benzodiazepine for managing more severe symptoms of anxiety or insomnia.Â
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