We invite your comments as we post more cases and clinical scenarios to our blog. Treatment decisions in the field of women’s mental health are often not straightforward, and we would like to encourage discussion among clinicians on these issues. You are welcome to leave your name, but comments may also be submitted anonymously. Please keep in mind that all comments are reviewed by our staff prior to being posted on the blog; unfortunately we can not respond to any individual health inquiries on the blog or through our website.
Are there support groups for those with anxiety disorders during pregnancy?
Thank you MGH Center for Women’s Health,
I had an unusual experience while taking anti-depressants during both of my pregnancies that I thought might be useful for some. During each pregnancy, I chose to remain on my medication. I took Celexa during my first pregnancy and Lexapro during my second. Each time, around the beginning of my second trimester, I began to have diarrhea and vomiting that would not stop until I went off of the anti-depressant. Each time I went to my local ER, conferred with my own PCP and Psychiatrist, and even had a GI evaluation. None of my local providers had heard of this effect of an anti-depressant. I am also curious to hear about whether other women have experienced this phenomenon.
Your website continues to support and inform me!
Kristen
Concord, MA
Hello,
Thank you for a wealth of information of women using SSRI’s during pregnancy. I have been suffering from anxiety/depression since very young and was only diagnosed in 2000 at the age of 20.
I was on .5mg of Clonazepam when I found out I was pregnant in 2007. I was weaned off the Clonazepam at around 13 weeks and put on Zoloft. I stayed on the Zoloft until about 28 weeks at which point I was weaning off prior to delivery of my child. I gave birth at 36 weeks and my son was in the Neonatal unit for 1 week with low blood sugar and jaundice. Since then he has been doing remarkably well. I even breastfed for 14 months while on the Zoloft as I experienced a pretty bad bout of post-partum. I am now trying to conceive again and am concerned of being on the Zoloft, but my doctor and psychiatrist feel that the anxiety and depression would be worse for the baby and me than being on the medication. Thank you for all your information. Motherisk at Sick Kids here in Toronto, Canada was the only place I got information from.