pregnant and off citalopram and other anti D's

[Bunnygotwhacked]

I was taking citalopram 40mg and then i got pregnant having done a little looking online and finding lots of anecdotal evidence that it was safe.
Fast forward spoke to my gp on the phone even with the citalopram i still find it hard to go out as i had run out, mentioned that i was pregnant and she wanted me to start reducing immediately. I agreed noone wants to be on these pills and the thought of coming off them was quite liberating.
It took me a few days to get my prescription and having been fine i thought instead of going straight back on the 40 i would start the cutting down immediately.
I went straight to 20mg every other day and i was ok more anxious than usual sure but that was to be expected .Then i read the report the other day about the heart defects and decided that was it I had already risked baby enough no more.
I have been getting worse since but today has been the first day i can recognise that it is down to stopping the meds. I am speaking to the gp later managed to get a phone appointment by saying it was an emergency as i was feeling very desperate earlier.
I am wondering what I can ask gp should I go back on my citalopram when lets face it it was helping but not enough is there another safer one i can go on? I don't think i can cope with having nothing or is this all just because i cut down so quickly?

[clareabouts]

When I was ttc my GP took me off Citalopram and put me on Sertraline, which I got on with better anyway.

[LEMisdisappointed]

This makes me so for you! Bloody scaremongering, sexist shit, there is a whole thread on here about it somewhere. Your GP is being totally irresponsible as well. That is FAR to quick to come off of citalopram, you have gone from 40mg a day to 10mg a day - its too quick. Please get some medical advice over this and at least take 20mg a day for now. I think you are feeling bad because you have cut down too quickly. 40mg is a high dose, they can't just cut you to nothing, are you haveing any counselling at all??

[Bunnygotwhacked]

Thats kind of what I am hoping for Clare tyLEM i am speaking with gp later today between 1 and 3 I have phoned positive steps and self referred am just waiting for a councellor to phone back

[Bunnygotwhacked]

The most useless doctor i have ever spoken too tbh and i am a bit cross asked after other possible meds to be told there wasnt a point in changing as they all have the same risks though he was unsure what those risks are hadnt heard of any possible risks to unborn baby then went on to say people should only take paracetamol or at a push cocodamol whilst pregnant. Then asked if i had tried kalms or quieter life then suggested i get some girlfriends round to massage me don't know quite where he was going with that. In the end he said it was up to me what i did as 30% of prescriptions doctors wrote out never make it to the pharmacy and patients will do what they will regardless
This was my face

[LEMisdisappointed]

That is outrageous

[MirandaWest]

That is rubbish. I was taking citalopram when I got pg with DD and panicked and stopped cold turkey about 6 weeks. By 12 weeks I was suicidal and luckily had a good GP who fast tracked me to a psychiatrist as that was the protocol for pregnant people. I was on sertraline from then until DD was about 18 months and breastfed her until 11 months. There are risks I am sure but for me there was a lot greater risk of not taking it.

[Steffanoid]

I reduced my dose from 30 to 20 mg when I got pregnant and stayed on it throughout, he's a week old we're combination feeding -research has suggested that it may affect milk production, not sure if this is the case for me or I just dont produce enough for him but do bear that in mind,

theres no need to go cold turkey the stress on you is not good for your baby

[Bunnygotwhacked]

Well I have taken the decision to go back on the citalopram i can't get through days like these without it so am on 20mg for now i know i will need to reduce in the end months and i will perhaps councilling will be in place by then and will no longer need it i can hope

[Bunnygotwhacked]

sorry steff only just saw message had a panic attack half way through writing that and only just came back to finish that is really good news thank you for telling me am feeling slightly less guilty now as an aside oats are good for upping milk production and is fenugreek and rest so lie down lots and eat flapjack not entirely sure what fenugreek is

[Steffanoid]

what a good excuse to eat flapjack!
im still on the 20 now while bf, I have counselling too which really helps me, although like anything it's not for everyone or you might not see the right specialist first, some people are better in group for example,
another thing that we researched irt being on the citalopram is that it's best to try and breastfeed as tge baby has been getting a tiny amount of it through the placenta and will continue to when you feed - it really is shown to be a teeny amount - if you dont feed the baby could -not guaranteed- have withdrawal from the tablets like you would but again this can't be proven completely as you can't do tests on babies and mums like this

[working9while5]

Pisses me off no end this sort of thing. There is a 70% rate of relapse if you come off the ADs while pregnant as opposed to tiny weeny risks if you stay on. Sertraline and fluoxetine are supposed to be the best for pregnancy and breastfeeding I think but certainly a quick withdrawal is hardly a bundle of laughs for anyone. Moron.

Hope you get sorted asap x