Infertility Support Group

Hey there,
I used to take the anti-depressant Celexa but my dr. suggested to get off when ttc. What helps me is deep breathing excercises, meditation, prayer and journaling. Hope this helps.
Good luck.

After my second m/c, Sept 06 I was sliding down a dark hole. My doc said, "If in a few weeks you aren't better..." well, depression runs in my family & I have had clinical depression before & knew where I was headed, so I told her I did not want to feel any worse. She put me on Lexapro & I took it for several months. When I changed Drs & was ready to again ttc the Dr changed me to Wellbutrin. I have noticed that my depression and anxiety increase when I have tried to easy off the meds. My Dr & I decided to continue for now.
Depression and anxiety can cause chemical imbalances & are additional concerns that your Dr needs to know about so she can treat you not just physically but emotionally as well. I also recommend you consider talking to someone. I saw a therapist, & then shifted to counseling with my pastor.
I am a counselor myself & while in grad school, I had a professor discuss that chemical imbalances are two sided, correcting the imbalance & addressing what inspired the imbalance in the first place. Like when a sink is suppose to be at a certian level, two things effect the levels - the faucet (turns on & off), and the drain at the bottom (opens and closes). From time to time one 'works' too much/ too little & an imbalance can happen. When depression sets in it is like the faucet is turned down or off &/or the drain is open too long or too much. Fixing just one will not return the 'levels' to normal. Anti-depressantsare like the faucet & therapy the drain - if you just add to the happy feelings w/meds and do nothing to close the drain the 'problem' is not fixed & may return.
I am sorry I didn't mean to go off on a tangent... My intent was to impress apon you that your best health INCLUDES good emotional health. And if improving emotional health will improve your over all health it needs to be done, especailly when ttc. SO, talk to you Dr and let her advise you about what may be right for you, whether you decide on anti-depressants and/ or therapy.
good luck & lots of baby dust!

I take buspar, which is actually an anti-anxiety drug. It's class B on the pregnancy scale, which is pretty good. Talk to your pharmacist, he will know more than any doctor. Good luck!

they can interfere with implantation. just drink tea and try to force yourself to relax. take yoga.

I am back on Zoloft. I went off it when first started ttc, but it got too painful. The studies show that as long as you don't take it past 20 weeks, there is no increase in chances for any birth defects. The nurses really helped me out on this one. As with everything else, every doctor has a different opinion. If you are depressed enough that you feel you need some help, it is better to take the pills then go through the pain of depression. Just my thought anyway!

There are things you can do to try and help. Talking, crying, exercising (even just walking), journaling, taking all your vitamins (esp B's)
But, if your doctors and you feel you need meds, there are some they can prescribe.
You need to talk with your doctor. I met with my high risk doctor before we started this whole process and if there was a med she said I could not take then she tried to find one that I could that would do almost the same thing. Or they can give you lower doses. But, again, if you think you can get through it with out meds then that is better for you and a baby. That is for you and your doctor to decide.
Good luck.

well, i am on zoloft and my ob/gyn said it would not affect my ttc... hmmm... either i need to get another opinion, or maybe it's ok...

I was on celexa for a while, but switched to prozac when we started ttc. According to my dr., prozac is the only antidepressant that's shown to be safe while pregnant. There aren't enough data out there about the others. I'm also only on 10 mg/day, the lowest dose possible. The dr. said that taking something is better than stopping the medication, which would increase my risk of post partum depression later.

I have been dealing with depression since I was a teen. When we decided to start TTC I met with both my OB and my med provider, both of whom said the meds I am on are okay. I am on zoloft 200 mg. and inderal LA 60 mg. In my case the docs were more concerned with the effects of me being pg and depressed. I guess I am considered at higher risk for post partum depression, especially if I am off my meds...I will probably reduce my dose when I become pg...in my opinion it is better to be on the antidepressants than be depressed...its harder to get pg if your body is depressed...

I'm taking Lexapro and the nurse practitioner said it is safe if you are TTC. My infertiltiy doctor said nothing about me taking it. There are things you can take out there.