Saturday, March 7th, 2009
It can be very difficult to decide whether to continue taking antidepressants if you’re planning to get pregnant or have recently become pregnant. There hasn’t been a great deal of research on the effects of antidepressants in women who are pregnant. But there has been some. Here’s what the research tells us.
If you take antidepressants late in your pregnancy, your baby might get withdrawal symptoms soon after birth. In one study, some mothers who took the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) fluoxetine (brand name Prozac) late in their pregnancy had smaller babies.
Another study looked at more than 3,500 women who took antidepressants during the first three months of pregnancy. It found that women who took the SSRI paroxetine (brand name Seroxat) were more likely to have a baby with birth defects than women who took other antidepressants. The babies mainly had heart defects. Earlier studies didn’t show a higher risk of birth defects from paroxetine or other SSRIs.
Taking an SSRI in the second half of pregnancy might increase the risk of your baby getting a serious lung condition called persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPH) soon after they are born. Babies with PPH have high blood pressure in the blood vessels in their lungs. This makes it difficult for them to get enough oxygen into their blood. In the US, about 1 to 2 babies out of every 1,000 get PPH shortly after they are born. A study found that babies whose mothers took an SSRI after the 20th week of pregnancy were six times more likely to get PPH than babies whose mothers did not take one of these antidepressants. Taking other types of antidepressants at any time during pregnancy or taking an SSRI before 20 weeks of pregnancy did not increase the risk of PPH in babies.
If you’ve had major depression in the past you’re more likely to have a relapse while pregnant if you stop taking your antidepressants. In one study, researchers followed 201 women who’d had major depression in the past. Some women stopped taking antidepressants when they became pregnant, while others chose to continue taking their antidepressants. Out of the 82 women who carried on taking their antidepressants, 21 (26 percent) had a relapse. Out of the 65 women who stopped taking antidepressants, 44 (68 percent) relapsed. (The numbers of women don’t add up to 201 because some women dropped out of the study.)
Talk to your doctor if you take antidepressants and are pregnant or planning to get pregnant.
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Friday, November 21st, 2008
There’s good news for women experiencing antidepressant-induced sexual dysfunction. The erectile dysfunction drug Viagra may help them with orgasmic difficulties.
It may not be all good news, however. The “little blue pills” do not seem to aid other aspects of sexual function, such as desire. In an interview with CNN, psychologist Lenore Tiefer of New York University School of Medicine also questioned whether the side effects from the drug – such as headaches, indigestion and skin flushing – might outweigh the benefits.
Pfizer spokeswoman Sally Beatty told CNN that the company had no plans to pursue FDA approval to market Viagra to women with sexual dysfunction. Although their internal research found it to be safe, their results were inconclusive about whether it worked.
Sexual side effects are a common complaint for those taking antidepressants, in particular those taking drugs called SSRIs (includes such drugs as Prozac, Paxil and Zoloft).
The most common side effects experienced include decreased libido, erectile dysfunction, delayed ejaculation and anorgasmia.
Other ways to counteract sexual side effects include:
* Scheduling your daily dose so that you are taking it right after you would generally engage in sexual activity.
* Switching to a medication with a lower risk of sexual side-effects.
* Lowering your dose.
* Taking a “drug holiday” (stopping medication for a day or two prior to sexual activity).
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Sunday, September 21st, 2008
Most people believe that pregnancy is perhaps one of the happiest days of every woman’s life. Contrary to this, not all future mothers are ecstatic or joyous during their pregnancy. In fact, many women suffer from minor to serious cases of depression while they are pregnant. During pregnancy, hormonal changes occur in a woman’s body. Pregnancy hormones make women more susceptible to anxiety and depression problems. As sudden feelings of sadness and low moods are generally regarded as expectable effects of pregnancy, women tend to ignore such signs, without knowing that they are probably suffering from depression. For such reason, doctors always remind pregnant women to observe their mood swings in order to determine if they are already showing symptoms of depression. It is also frequently advised to pregnant mothers to update their doctors on the times they feel unnaturally low or sad, for mental and emotional health are very essential in pregnancy.
Antidepressant medications in pregnancy
Treatments for depression that are commonly recommended to pregnant women are psychotherapy and prescription drugs. For mild or non-severe cases of depression, medical experts only recommend therapy sessions as treatment.
Medications, on the other hand, are advised to severe cases of depression. These antidepressant medications are the ones prescribed by doctors as therapy drugs to use during pregnancy. Despite the efficiency of medications as treatment for serious cases of depression among pregnant women, some people are still reluctant to adhere in drug treatments for a number of safety issues.
Depression treatments for pregnant women are more carefully considered by doctors for these involve two patients: the mother and the baby. In consultations, doctors should let the future mothers know the benefits and risks associated in their recommended treatment, particularly the medications.
Risks in using antidepressant medications on pregnancy
Despite the notable side effects associated on the use of prescription drugs, women are not really prohibited on using antidepressant medications during pregnancy. Studies on the benefits and risks of these medications help people in choosing which prescription drugs work best. Clinical evidences also guide pregnant women which medications are safer to use and which ones should be avoided.
The following are three common types of antidepressant medications that pregnant women should avoid:
1. Paxil : Paxil is one type of antidepressant drug that is associated with fetal heart defects once taken during the first few months of pregnancy. Medical experts do not recommend the intake of Paxil medication to pregnant women. As for the risks on the baby, continuous intake of SSRI antidepressants may result to temporary withdrawal symptoms such as sleep disturbances and gastrointestinal complications.
2. Tricyclic antidepressants : Tricyclic antidepressants are the older classifications of antidepressants. Pregnant women are discouraged to use these types of medications, for these may pose higher risk for unborn babies to have physical deformities.
3. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
When pregnant women take antidepressant medications like Celexa and Prozac, their unborn babies are more susceptible to develop serious lung complications. Despite such possible side effect on pregnancy, serotonin reuptake inhibitors medications are proven to be effective drug therapy for depression.
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