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Mental health

Citalopram and trying to conceive

12 replies

perkin40 · 20/07/2014 20:55

Iv'e been given this prescription as i'm having lots of anxiety and panic attacks. thing is, i'm trying to get pregnant, have been for a couple of years. Getting more and more anxious as it's not happening and this can't be helping. Would Citlopram calm me down and make me less stressed ? Hoping i might get pregnant once i'm more relaxed but i'm worried about the meds hindering my chances even more. Would do you think ?

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CalamityClara · 20/07/2014 20:58

I conceived a lovely, healthy baby whilst taking citalopram. I would honestly take it.

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perkin40 · 21/07/2014 08:52

That's great! May i ask how old you were when you conceived ?

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Trooperslane · 21/07/2014 08:53

Me too. Low dose so bf was ok too.

It has been a lifesaver for my crippling anxiety too.

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Reallystrugglinginside · 21/07/2014 08:56

I conceived my little girl whilst on it, no problems on it.

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CalamityClara · 21/07/2014 16:05

I was 35.

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weegiemum · 21/07/2014 16:07

I was on a similar ad (Sertraline) when I conceived ds and dd2 (was put on it for pnd after dd1). Conceived easily and bf all3 dc while on it.

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temporaryusername · 22/07/2014 21:00

I don't want to be alarmist because I know some people have been fine with these drugs when getting pregnant and it may be right for you, but I wouldn't risk it without a great deal of research and advice, and taking into account how much you will need it to function in a way that would be safe for you. If you have long term severe anxiety and depression then it may be worth taking, but it is in a way a last resort. These drugs are not proven to be safe. Now, I know it will probably be fine and it is most likely a sign of my anxiety that I worry, but I'm just sounding a note of caution. I would talk to your GP about whether Sertraline is safer during pregnancy and might be a better option to start on, I don't know if it is but I have read of people on citalopram who switched to Sertraline when getting unexpectedly pregnant.

www.drugs.com/pregnancy/citalopram.html

www.netdoctor.co.uk/depression/medicines/cipramil.html

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-23005367

Are you getting proper support and medical input on problems conceiving? I only ask because sometimes it is easier to write out a prescription for ADs than to provide the help someone actually needs. Obviously I am not saying some people don't need ADs, even during pregnancy - I have been on Citalopram, Prozac and Sertraline so I'm not unaware they can be needed.

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perkin40 · 22/07/2014 22:07

I took Sertraline a few months ago, but within hours had a sensitivity reaction, was sick and upset stomach so didn't take it again. I have been on Prozac and Venlafaxine in the past. I was put on Prozac after the birth of my first child for PND and actually got pregnant with my 2nd while on it. As soon as i found i was pregnant i stopped taking it.
I read the Citalopram leaflet and it said it could cause infertility in men, didn't say anything about women though. My husband started taken it one month ago actually as he also suffers anxiety.
The reason i am so anxious is because i can't get bloody pregnant! If i could just fall then i would be happy and wouldn't need anti d's. Maybe i should try acupuncture or some other therapy to calm me down but it's expensive and anti d's have always worked for me in the past.
Iv'e actually been told i'm in early stages of the menopause even though i'm just 37, so this is causing me a great deal of stress and anxiety. Don't want to accept it because i want to have a baby. Although my doctor did say i may not be menopausal and it could be stress that's messing up my periods. So i reckon if i take the Citalpram, it will relax me and then hopefully my periods will become regular again
I'm in such a muddle!

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temporaryusername · 22/07/2014 23:08

If your periods are irregular it could be any number of reasons, not menopausal ones necessarily. If that is all your doctor was going on, it isn't conclusive at all. When it comes to fertility you could get tests done to give you a more accurate picture, maybe a gynae referral would be best if you haven't had one already to look into that. You might not be able to get them all done on the NHS though, although you might, you'll have to check with the docs. I don't know if the Citalopram would help with stress/irregular periods. It might do, but maybe some real information from an ob/gyn consultant, and other things like counselling/exercise/all the usual waffle might too. If you knew more about what was going on, you might actually get some advice that would help more than just guessing at stress causing period problems. I guess it probably wouldn't do any harm to try an AD, if you get pregnant you could come off if you wanted. Just check with your GP and make sure he/she knows you are hoping to conceive on it, I'm sure you've already told them. Re the Sertraline, that sounds like a horrible reaction, I know sometimes side effects pass but I can see why you wouldn't want to take it again.

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perkin40 · 23/07/2014 11:19

Iv'e been tested for routine bloods, thyroid, aneamia etc and all clear. Iv'e also had hormone bloods taken and it appears that i'm borderline menopausal. My FSH level that stimulates ovulation is high, that indicates menopause. Although my doctor did say sometimes high stress levels can cause FSH to rise, stopping ovualtion.
I was under an infertility clinic last year and they said i had a few ovarian cysts but were unlikely to prevent pregnancy.

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temporaryusername · 24/07/2014 22:41

I'm not expert enough to advise really, I wouldn't know if the clinic did all the tests possible re advising on fertility or not. They probably did but you could check with them. I do seem to remember that FSH has to tested at a certain time in your cycle, and if your cycle is irregular it might be hard to know if it was the right time. I hope you can get all the fertility advice you need, and that if you go with the ADs you'll feel better. Keep trying and you might get good news any day. I don't know whether approaching it as trying to work on acceptance that it may not happen and being calmer with that, but still letting nature take its course with possible good results, might help. Only you know your circumstances, but whatever the case I wish you the best of luck with it all.

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perkin40 · 25/07/2014 22:04

Thank you.
Twice iv'e had my FSH tested on the correct day of my cycle in the last couple of years and both times iv'e had a high FSH, so it's not looking good. Both times though when the high readings were taken i was under a huge amount of stress, so i'm hoping this was what caused my FSH to rise.
Yes i do think i have to accept i may well not get pregnant and if i do then it's a bonus.
It's so hard though. My husband's dad came over to visit today, only see him once or twice a year and he asked why we don't have a baby yet. I said i'm too old and he said i'm being silly as lots of women in their 40s have babies. It's true they do. I think people think i don't want a child but this is so not the case. I just can't get pregnant!! I'd do anything to have a nother child.