Posted by Cam W. on February 12, 2000, at 13:01:59
In reply to Re: Zoloft, Celexa, Pregnancy, posted by JohnL on February 12, 2000, at 10:24:14
> > I'm trying to get pregnant and have been told that there
> > seem to be no complications with Zoloft. Now my doctor
> > wants to switch me to Celexa, but there seems to be no
> > info on this. Any thoughts? Experiences?
>
> I believe all the tests done concerning pregnancy have been with animals, not humans. From those tests it seems SSRIs can be harmful, but usually only in doses much higher than the maximum doses we take. Of them all, I think literature says Prozac is the safest for pregnancy. They are probably all safe, especially if you can try to keep the doses at a bare minimum. This is one of those times when we have to make tough decisions between risk and benefit. If you think you could survive nine months without drugs at all, that might be worth considering. But if drugs are needed, the smallest possible doses should minimize any possible risk I think. Unfortunately I'm not aware of any human trials to tell us for sure. But if your doctor is comfortable with it, then there probably haven't been any adverse situations to cause him concern. You might want to ask him about other patients who have taken SSRIs during pregnancy and find out if there were any problems in any of them.
>
> It's just a guess, but maybe he is wanting to switch to Celexa because it has few interactions with other drugs. That is its primary selling point over other SSRIs. If you need some other types of drugs during pregnancy or delivery, Celexa might have fewer interactions with them than other SSRIs. Just a guess.Tam - Further to John's info. The first of the "Prozac babies" (the babies born to mother's taking Prozac - usually inadvertently - while pregnant when Prozac was first released) at now turning 20 years old. So far the incidence of behavioral and emotional problems are not being noticed as any greater than those of the general population. This is encouraging. I have also seen Zoloft used in pregnancy and, for severe depression, ECT is very safe and effective. For breastfeeding, Zoloft is quickly becoming the drug of choice because it does not accumulate in the baby. The babies seem to clear most of the drug they get from the mother's breastmilk on the first pass through the baby's liver. Blood levels of Zoloft (and it's metabolites) are low (in the single digit ng/ml range). As for absolute safety in pregnancy and lactation, we can never be sure, but it is better for a pregnant mom to be treated for depression; to give her fetus the best of emotional environments to grow in. Also, if antidepressant are needed post-partum, they should be used, because a mom NEEDS to interact with her baby to stimulate his/her growth (physically & mentally) and a depressed mom cannot do this efficiently. The benefits of SSRI antidepressant therapy in the depressed pregnant or lactating mom most certainly outweighs the risks, in most instances. Make sure to discuss this with your doctor. As for Celexa; this SSRI is 'cleaner' (does not bind to as many receptors as other SSRIs) so theoretically it should be as safe, if not safer, than other SSRIs. This is only a guess, because Celexa is new and no reliable data has been produced to make a comment on it's absolute safety in clincal conditions. Again, talk to your doctor, make sure he/she explains the rationale of antidepressant use in pregnancy to you and make sure you understand your options. Antidepressants are often very beneficial in pregnant women, for the proper emotional development of the fetus. Hope this helps - Cam W.
poster:Cam W.
thread:21267
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000209/msgs/21287.html