Post by Bookwormprincess on Apr 18, 2010 20:43:12 GMT
I haven't been on the forum for a couple of months now, but I have a big decision to make and was wondering whether anyone had any advice, epsecially those with experience of PP and anti-psychotics.
My preventative plan 2nd time round has always been to take anti-depressants throughout the pregnancy and then go straight on anti-psychotics after the birth, in order to try and prevent PP re-occuring. However, there is a new peri-natal pyschiatric service that has come online in Kent called MIMHS (Mothers and Infant Mental Health Service) and my Dr and care team have met with their consultant Dr, who strongly recommends taking anti-psychotics during the 3rd trimester as a more effective preventaive measure, because she says if it does happen again, taking it after delivery may not be enough to stop it in time (although of-course it's better than taking it after it has started or established itself). We are talking to this consultant tomorrow with lots of questions to help us decide what to do. The pediatrician has said it will have no developmental effects on the baby at this time, so he has no concerns there, but there will be short term withdrawal to deal with and he'll get back to us when he's looked into what to expect, but intitially he said it would only be a short term problem for the baby if anything.
I am undecided at the moment and need more info. But I am very scared of having another episode so want to do all I can to prevent it, however am I prepared to take more medication during pregnancy and one that made me feel numb and gain weight rapidly. I was kind of prepared for that after birth, but not before. It's the emotional numbness I fear the most from them, but that would be way better than becoming psychotic again. However, do I want to feel numb when my son is born? No, of-course not. No-one can tell me that the meds will make me numb again, but to be honest I felt so much better so quickly when I came off them, I'd be surprised if it wasn't the medication that made me feel that way.
Has anyone else on anti-psychotics felt emotionally numb and when you came off them did you feel back to normal really quickly like me? Does anyone know (Winegirl maybe? with your psych nurse training) how they could affect your moods if you take them when you are well and 'normal' for want of a better word?
A compromise (if I decide to take them at all) would be to take a low dose and see how I feel, and if I feel awful, i.e. numb and unemotional, then I can come off them again and just wait till I deliver. It really is a difficult decision, epsecially since there's a 50% chance I won't get ill again anyway, medication or not.
Your thoughts would be appreciated, but please be gentle with me as I am feeling quite scared of what may happen again to be honest. I did have a good cathartic cry with my husband the other night about it all, which I feel better for. I just wish I didn't have to think about any of this at all.
My preventative plan 2nd time round has always been to take anti-depressants throughout the pregnancy and then go straight on anti-psychotics after the birth, in order to try and prevent PP re-occuring. However, there is a new peri-natal pyschiatric service that has come online in Kent called MIMHS (Mothers and Infant Mental Health Service) and my Dr and care team have met with their consultant Dr, who strongly recommends taking anti-psychotics during the 3rd trimester as a more effective preventaive measure, because she says if it does happen again, taking it after delivery may not be enough to stop it in time (although of-course it's better than taking it after it has started or established itself). We are talking to this consultant tomorrow with lots of questions to help us decide what to do. The pediatrician has said it will have no developmental effects on the baby at this time, so he has no concerns there, but there will be short term withdrawal to deal with and he'll get back to us when he's looked into what to expect, but intitially he said it would only be a short term problem for the baby if anything.
I am undecided at the moment and need more info. But I am very scared of having another episode so want to do all I can to prevent it, however am I prepared to take more medication during pregnancy and one that made me feel numb and gain weight rapidly. I was kind of prepared for that after birth, but not before. It's the emotional numbness I fear the most from them, but that would be way better than becoming psychotic again. However, do I want to feel numb when my son is born? No, of-course not. No-one can tell me that the meds will make me numb again, but to be honest I felt so much better so quickly when I came off them, I'd be surprised if it wasn't the medication that made me feel that way.
Has anyone else on anti-psychotics felt emotionally numb and when you came off them did you feel back to normal really quickly like me? Does anyone know (Winegirl maybe? with your psych nurse training) how they could affect your moods if you take them when you are well and 'normal' for want of a better word?
A compromise (if I decide to take them at all) would be to take a low dose and see how I feel, and if I feel awful, i.e. numb and unemotional, then I can come off them again and just wait till I deliver. It really is a difficult decision, epsecially since there's a 50% chance I won't get ill again anyway, medication or not.
Your thoughts would be appreciated, but please be gentle with me as I am feeling quite scared of what may happen again to be honest. I did have a good cathartic cry with my husband the other night about it all, which I feel better for. I just wish I didn't have to think about any of this at all.