Posted by Cam W. on May 31, 2001, at 14:50:54
In reply to Effexor Withdrawal and Pregnancy, posted by Marie B on May 31, 2001, at 12:33:19
Marie - I am sorry if I am going to be vague on the topic of antidepressants and pregnancy. It is just that every case is individual and must involve informed consent between a pregnant mother and her doctor. Anything I could say may be taken the wrong way and I am not up to a liable suit.
I will tell you that Effexor is too new to have any real data on its effects in pregnancy. It is classified as a Schedule C drug in pregnancy. That is, there is a slight risk of fetal problems "in animals", but no human studies have been done (for obvious reasons).
You are very correct that there is a definite risk versus benefit issue going on here. The risks of a depressed mother not taking care of herself properly (eg. not eating right) and the potential for a depressed mother to do harm to herself or her fetus is very real. But are these risks worse than taking a drug to treat the depression? In some cases, yes; in other cases, no. Here is something to read regarding psychotropic medication in prenancy. See table 3 as well:
http://www.aap.org/policy/re9866.html
You could ask your doc how he/she feels about substituing the Effexor with Prozac for a couple of weeks to avoid the Effexor withdrawl symptoms.
Pregnant women are at a high risk to relapse during pregnancy. Many times it is far safer to medicate than not to. Again, the decision is done on a very individualized basis. The other option is electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). ECT is the treatment of choice in pregnant women and little risk to the fetus. Again, ask your doc if this is a viable option for you.
Good luck with your decision - Cam
poster:Cam W.
thread:64904
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010530/msgs/64923.html