Citalopram

Are you breastfeeding? I would ask your pharmacist to double check you are able to take it. I was on citalopram and amitripalyn when I got pregnant and had to stop the citalopram immediately. I took amitrip till I was 28 weeks and had been weened off it by then.

I am now breastfeeding bubs and am back on amitrip but my doc wouldn't put me back on citalopram.

If your not breastfeeding then should be fine. I personally didn't have any side effects with citalopram. Ask your doc if you could start on a low dose and increase if needed.

If you are not comfortable taking the drugs perhaps you could ask your doctor to refer you to maternity mental health. They will give you a case worker who will come and visit and talk with you about how to cope etc. My case worker was lovely! IMHO one week in is a bit early for doc to be prescribing medication ... having a baby is a very emotional thing!

I hope you feel better soon. If you would like to know more about what the maternity mental health visitor did for me feel free to PM me.

Follow your gut instict ... it's usually right!

Good luck and I hope you feel better soon

Hey Charty, congrats on your bubs!

I was on citalopram 3 months after having my baby. It was prescribed as the safest anti-depressant to have while breastfeeding. I have come off it now as I'm pregnant again but otherwise would have weaned myself off after I'd been on for 12months (recommended if you are well again).

Just a couple of thoughts though. It seems quite early to be prescribing PND as often your hormones can take several weeks to calm down after the birth etc. Also sleep deprivation is tough to handle and can often manifest in anxiety, sadness etc. I would perhaps wait a week or two more (unless you are having thoughts of self harm/harm to others) to see if you start to feel better.

If you don't then I would definitely say go for it. Citalopram, unlike some other medications, works to sustain the natural positive chemicals your body creates and ensures they stay around longer than usual to help you feel more stable/calm. I had a few nights (two/three) where I felt more wired/alert than usual and that was the only side effect I had when going on them. Within a week I felt much better, although it can take several weeks for some people to see results.

All the best with your decision and feel free to get a second opinion from a medical professional if you are unsure. Services like Maternal Mental Health are there for people who need them!

To the above, my PND definitely had kicked in by week 2 so it is possible

How are you getting on Charty?

Hey Charty
Hang in there, it wont be like this forever I promise! The first 6-8 weeks are the hardest with bub, you will both settle into each other, your body will get used to the medication and you will be amazed one day when you go to bed at night (for the whole 3hrs or so) and realise that you hadn't cried that day Motherhood is a massive change to life and it just takes awhile to adjust.
Let us know how you are doing in a few days

Im on citalopram have been for a couple of years now its helped me get back to my 'normal' self, I used to constantly have panic attacks every day when I got pregnant I did a bit of research into citalopram during pregnancy and breastfeeding and consulted my GP and a specialist the research and drs told me that citalopram was one of the safest anti depressants to take while pregnant but while breastfeeding could cause learning disabilities in baby later in life. But Im on the highest dose. This is what I was told but others here seem to be told different so maybe check with your GP. I promise you you will get better you just need a bit of a boost to help you and medication will help. Do you have support from family or partner?