I am on Oxcarbazepine, Ziprasidone, and Fluoxetine. They are all psych meds. I am on them because I have Borderline Personality Disorder, Bipolar type 2, PTSD and Social Anxiety Disorder (which the last 2 the doctor says I have he just hasn't diagnosed me with them). I am also SMI. My doctor told me I need to consult with my Psychiatrist first if I ever want to have a baby because I am on psych meds. My fiance is extremely afraid what I will be like if I have to stop taking them. Though he knows what I was like before I was even on any meds for my psych problems. We aren't planning on having a baby possibly until like 1-2 maybe even 3 years after we get married December 25th, 2017. We are getting married in Disney World. If I want to get pregnant do I have to stop all my psych meds? And if I continue them will it cause harm to the unborn baby.
If you take psych meds is it bad to get pregnant?
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butterbaby
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Well I'm just on my way out of this group but I thought I'd put my nurse hat on one last time..
Most psych meds carry some risk to the fetus but some are worse than others. I'm not familiar with those meds so I'd say check with your doc. In some cases the risk to the mother not being on the med outweighs the risk to the fetus and the docs will advise you to continue medication. It may also be that they try to decrease your dosage.
I was on several antidepressants a few years ago but knew once I got married that I wanted to gradually taper off of them if I could before getting pregnant. It is not easy and some days I want to restart meds but my husband is very supportive. I have explored alternative therapies such as using nutritional supplements which has been helpful, as well as yoga to destress. I'm not sure what your treatment history has been like but if you haven't done any sort of therapy I would advise that. I did cognitive behavioural therapy and it was very helpful for me. I believe it helped me to prepare for how to better cope with my emotions/irrational thoughts. In the end I think it will help me once I become a mother. Saying all this however, if I ever feel the need to restart meds I definitely will.
Sorry for the long winded response!
Most psych meds carry some risk to the fetus but some are worse than others. I'm not familiar with those meds so I'd say check with your doc. In some cases the risk to the mother not being on the med outweighs the risk to the fetus and the docs will advise you to continue medication. It may also be that they try to decrease your dosage.
I was on several antidepressants a few years ago but knew once I got married that I wanted to gradually taper off of them if I could before getting pregnant. It is not easy and some days I want to restart meds but my husband is very supportive. I have explored alternative therapies such as using nutritional supplements which has been helpful, as well as yoga to destress. I'm not sure what your treatment history has been like but if you haven't done any sort of therapy I would advise that. I did cognitive behavioural therapy and it was very helpful for me. I believe it helped me to prepare for how to better cope with my emotions/irrational thoughts. In the end I think it will help me once I become a mother. Saying all this however, if I ever feel the need to restart meds I definitely will.
Sorry for the long winded response!
Angel_blues
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I'm not sure what she was taking, my best friend has a beautiful boy and she was on a few meds while pregnant. She had a lot of doctor consults and they found the right type, strength and combinations for her.
meg_bellamy
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I am planning on taking escitalopram whilst pregnant under my doctor's guidance. I think it is really something you need to discuss with your doctors. They will assess whether the benefits outweigh the risks and whether you should change to something safer for the fetus. Good luck 
I am planning on taking escitalopram whilst pregnant under my doctor's guidance. I think it is really something you need to discuss with your doctors. They will assess whether the benefits outweigh the risks and whether you should change to something safer for the fetus. Good luck
I have severe paranoia that is controlled by the meds I'm on. I don't think stoping them would be the greatest idea. It would make my life a living hell.
jren
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I am on a medication for Social Anxiety. I was told by my doctor that this medication will need to be stopped once I want to start trying. There are other ways to manage anxiety and depression, such as breathing techniques and other natural methods you could look into. Most of these medications are very harmful to the fetus.
butterbaby
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I am planning on taking escitalopram whilst pregnant under my doctor's guidance. I think it is really something you need to discuss with your doctors. They will assess whether the benefits outweigh the risks and whether you should change to something safer for the fetus. Good luck
I have severe paranoia that is controlled by the meds I'm on. I don't think stoping them would be the greatest idea. It would make my life a living hell.
You know yourself best and what it would be like without meds. Your doc also knows what meds are best/safest for the fetus and will likely keep you on meds if your symptoms are severe. You just may require a little extra monitoring, totally worth it for the baby. Many healthy babies are born on many meds/drugs/alcohol/malnutrition etc. despite all the warnings. People have gotten so crazy about being super strict during pregnancy but look at how many generations of babies have been born without any issues. Yes it is ideal to avoid substances that may harm the fetus but it doesn't always work that way. So don't feel bad if you need to take meds, just be upfront with your docs and make sure they give you the go ahead before you start trying. Good luck!
meg_bellamy
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I am planning on taking escitalopram whilst pregnant under my doctor's guidance. I think it is really something you need to discuss with your doctors. They will assess whether the benefits outweigh the risks and whether you should change to something safer for the fetus. Good luck
I have severe paranoia that is controlled by the meds I'm on. I don't think stoping them would be the greatest idea. It would make my life a living hell.
I didn't suggest stopping them? Quite the opposite actually. It is really something you need to discuss with your doctors.
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