Ptsd And Pregnancy

[Missy]

So I'm totally new here but going through some stuff right now. I want to get pregnant, but I have PTSD. And am on a ton of medications. So I've been weening off the meds. Not fun.

I also started exposure therapy. And I'm having a really hard with it. I'm starting to feel really depressed.

I'm terrified of being pregnant without meds.

Any experience? Advice?

 

[catjudo]

You don't have to be completely off of medication for pregnancy. Some medications are, obviously, completely out of the question. There are others that are okay under certain circumstances. It is a matter of weighing the pros and cons. In some cases, for instance, in can be more detrimental to your unborn child to not treat depression than to take an anti-depressant. (Again, some AD are ok during pregnancy, others are not.) There are some medications that are okay during pregnancy, but not okay if you want to breastfeed (in which case you'd have to come off of them within a certain time frame before delivery). Everyone's circumstances are different. Have you discussed this with your psychiatrist and your OB?

 

[Missy]

Yep, they're both monitoring me. I tried going down to just 5 mg of Lexapro but ... I'm totally depressed again. I thought my nightmares would be back full-force, but it's okay. I'm just more restless and sleep-deprived without Ambien, Neurontin, etc. Just really frustrated that this can't be a pleasant experience for me.

Also a little freaked about how I'm going to feel while pregnant -- I feel pretty bad now and am still on some medication!

 

[Ga5bby]

I wasn't even thinking the meds side when I asked the question. Mine is more of a whoops, if I am pregnant. . . No I'm even more stressed and want the stupid snow cone.