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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 10 of 10. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Ang on October 2, 2000, at 14:54:32
Hi everyone. I am currently on effexor xr and I am doing very well on it. I have been taking it for several months now, and feel great. My husband and I are talking about having a baby. I have talked to my doctor about this and she said she's wean me off, at the first sign of pregnancy. This med has not been tested on pregnant women, so that means inorder to get pregnant I have to be med free. Anyone else having this problem?
Posted by Racer on October 2, 2000, at 19:01:10
In reply to Effexor XR and Pregnancy, posted by Ang on October 2, 2000, at 14:54:32
Not exactly, but close: we'd like to have children, and would need to start quickly since I'm aging and have a history of first trimester miscarriages.
I have been on Effexor XR for about a year and a half, and hope to start tapering off in about eight months, if all goes well. As for the pregnancy issue, that's where you have to balance out what you know and what you don't know. I haven't seen any research saying that Effexor is or is not tetragenic, nor anything to say that it damages fetal development. Personally, I'm just hoping that someone decides to test all this, in animals at least, if not in humans.
This is one of those, 'if it's not likely to happen to middle aged white men, why spend money to research it' things. I don't think pharmacuetical companies mean to neglect us, I think they just forget that we exist.
The only thing I have to say that might have some basis in fact is that I've read studies saying that drugs which work should be continued for at least two years at therapeutic doses before discontinuance, otherwise they tend to produce rebound depression and will be less effective in subsequent usage. Since depression tends to recur, I'd stay on for at least two years, just in hopes that the same drug would still be effective next time I needed it.
Good luck, though, and have a nice baby!
Posted by Racer on October 2, 2000, at 20:17:55
In reply to Effexor XR and Pregnancy, posted by Ang on October 2, 2000, at 14:54:32
Dr Bob's RxQx has a thread on the subject.
As I suspected, there isn't much more now than there was when last I searched. Basically, the overall impression I'm getting is: if you can stop taking it, do, but if you can't, well, keep taking it.
There's no real evidence it does anything bad to baby, but no proof it doesn't. It does pass through breastmilk, so bottle feeding might be a good idea. It probably passes through the placenta (though I didn't see this stated outright), and there's some evidence of withdrawal in infants and possibly fetuses.
On the other hand, most of what I read said that if it's necessary for the mother, it can be continued. I guess that means it ain't thalidomide...
Also, everything I've ever read says that depression itself causes brain damage. Maybe the prenatal Effexor helps prevent it? Who knows?
Hey, researchers, how about checking this out?
Posted by noa on October 3, 2000, at 7:39:02
In reply to did a search and..., posted by Racer on October 2, 2000, at 20:17:55
There is a book for women about depression and anxiety that touches on this subject. One thing the author talks about that I found interesting is that it takes a couple of weeks for the blood vessels that connect the mother's circulatory system with the placenta to develop. During that time, it gives you a window to discontinue meds without damage to the baby. This is good if you want to stay on meds as long as possible and are not absolutely sure you are very fertile and bound to get pregnant right away.
However, given the anecdotal reports about withdrawal problems with effexor, it would seem that one wouldn't want to be going through that and possible morning sickness during their first trimester.
I wish I could remember the name of the book or author. I'll get back to you on that. Or, maybe someone else here knows.
Posted by noa on October 3, 2000, at 7:49:56
In reply to Re: pregnancy issues--effexor, posted by noa on October 3, 2000, at 7:39:02
> There is a book for women about depression and anxiety that touches on this subject........
here it is:When Words Are Not Enough : The Women's Prescription for Depression and Anxiety
by Valerie D. RaskinIt is listed on Dr. Bob's "read" page (link at top of this page)
Posted by Ang on October 3, 2000, at 10:49:54
In reply to Re: Effexor XR and Pregnancy, posted by Racer on October 2, 2000, at 19:01:10
My pharmisist told me that they have done studies in Rats, at triple the highest dose that are given to adults. The outcome with this high of a dose was the rats had stillborns. > Not exactly, but close: we'd like to have children, and would need to start quickly since I'm aging and have a history of first trimester miscarriages.
>
> I have been on Effexor XR for about a year and a half, and hope to start tapering off in about eight months, if all goes well. As for the pregnancy issue, that's where you have to balance out what you know and what you don't know. I haven't seen any research saying that Effexor is or is not tetragenic, nor anything to say that it damages fetal development. Personally, I'm just hoping that someone decides to test all this, in animals at least, if not in humans.
>
> This is one of those, 'if it's not likely to happen to middle aged white men, why spend money to research it' things. I don't think pharmacuetical companies mean to neglect us, I think they just forget that we exist.
>
> The only thing I have to say that might have some basis in fact is that I've read studies saying that drugs which work should be continued for at least two years at therapeutic doses before discontinuance, otherwise they tend to produce rebound depression and will be less effective in subsequent usage. Since depression tends to recur, I'd stay on for at least two years, just in hopes that the same drug would still be effective next time I needed it.
>
> Good luck, though, and have a nice baby!
Posted by tenuous on October 3, 2000, at 16:19:03
In reply to Re: Effexor XR and Pregnancy, posted by Ang on October 3, 2000, at 10:49:54
Here is a summary of the study of the effects on rats of
venlafaxine (Effexor) during pregnancy:I also found a summary of a study of venlafaxine (Effexor) in
human breast milk, but I can't find the website address right now.Basically, during pregnancy the rats had reduced food intake
and this resulted in lower birth weights. However, at the time of
weaning the weight of the pups was comparable to the control
group. There was no difference in the number of live pups at
birth, stillbirths, mortality during lactation (breast-feeding),
or the manifestation of serotonergic syndrome in adult rats
(whatever serotonergic syndrome is ?!?!).As for lactation, the drug DOES get secreted in the milk and
showed up in the blood of the infants. However, the infants were
healthy and showed NO ADVERSE EFFECTS.
Posted by Ang on October 3, 2000, at 21:08:25
In reply to Re: Effexor XR and Pregnancy, posted by tenuous on October 3, 2000, at 16:19:03
Thank you so much. If you find out anything else please let me know. Everyone is so supportive here. I'm glad I did th posting.> Here is a summary of the study of the effects on rats of
> venlafaxine (Effexor) during pregnancy:
>
> http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10347775&dopt=Abstract
>
> I also found a summary of a study of venlafaxine (Effexor) in
> human breast milk, but I can't find the website address right now.
>
> Basically, during pregnancy the rats had reduced food intake
> and this resulted in lower birth weights. However, at the time of
> weaning the weight of the pups was comparable to the control
> group. There was no difference in the number of live pups at
> birth, stillbirths, mortality during lactation (breast-feeding),
> or the manifestation of serotonergic syndrome in adult rats
> (whatever serotonergic syndrome is ?!?!).
>
> As for lactation, the drug DOES get secreted in the milk and
> showed up in the blood of the infants. However, the infants were
> healthy and showed NO ADVERSE EFFECTS.
Posted by noa on October 5, 2000, at 18:12:21
In reply to Re: Effexor XR and Pregnancy, posted by tenuous on October 3, 2000, at 16:19:03
I found this site on pregnancy and medications on Dr. Bob's Links page:
Posted by noa on October 5, 2000, at 18:21:16
In reply to Re: Effexor XR and Pregnancy » tenuous, posted by Ang on October 3, 2000, at 21:08:25
Have you seen this--from Dr. Bob's RxQx?
This is the end of the thread.
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