Medication for PND

[what2eatwhenurbored]

Hi All,

I have been prescribed Anti-depressants (paroxetine) today and I am struggling to decide if they are the right move or not. I've declined several offers but today I started worrying that I'm short tempered around my baby and that my mood may be affecting him while I'm suffering with a lot of anxiety.

Quick history...I have been seeing my GP and HV regularly for 6 weeks and have been adamant I don't want meds. I'm on the waiting list for local PND services (counselling). I moved (back) to the UK 6 weeks ago from South America with my (now) 5 and a half month old son. I approached the GP initially with acute anxiety, nightmares and unwanted thoughts of son dying and fear of heights. I had huge difficulty conceiving, a traumatic induction and CS in a foreign language and no support in South America as my husband was away a lot and my friendship group was limited with no family either....finally, I have a history of depression in my late teens and PTSD following abuse and mental illness in my family.

My concerns are that given my circumstances anyone would feel pretty rough and now I am settled in the UK, making friends and catching up with old ones I'm keen to get a bit of support from the talking therapies but not to go back to medication which I last took 15 years ago.

If anyone has any experience or insight into the following I'd be most grateful.

Paroxetine?? Side effects? weight gain? (I recall it made me feel v edgy and I preferred fluoxetine but my GP says paroxetine is 'safest' when BF)
Anyone get through PND, anxiety especially, without meds or founds meds helped significantly?

Thanks for reading.

[Cargat]

Hi, so sorry to hear about your problems, you are going through a lot. I had depression and saw a counsellor (not as bad as you have had but I gave up work and stopped going out because of it) and took anti-depressants. After 6 months I did not feel I was getting anywhere and a friend put me on to a specific natural Aloe Vera product. I stoppped taking the anti-depressants and started drinking it every day. It balances you and puts all the things that are not right in your body back to where they should be. After just 4 weeks, my husband said I was almost back to my old self!
It is not right for everyone but it worked for me. I am now working again and glad I did not carry on with the meds.
Let me know if you want more info, but if not, then I do hope that you find the thing that works for you if it is not this.
Try and keep smiling luvvy.

[what2eatwhenurbored]

Thank you Cargat, I really appreciate your reply. I really feel that ADs are not the right thing. I have packed them away in a cupboard after sleeping on it and feel clearer today that I can cope until a counsellor becomes avavilable. I'm just exhausted and need to talk things through.

I'd be very interested to know more about the Aloe Vera product. I think I took Aloe Vera juice a few years ago when I did a big detox.

Very glad you're on the mend :)