Zoloft - Page 2

[thomrho]

try to avoid zoloft in third trimester

I've been on zoloft for almost 8 years. I have a 4 year old and a 19 month old (still breastfeeding btw). I was on 50 mg until the second pregnancy. I went to 100mg towards the end.

There has been a study that has led to the recommendation that zoloft not be used in the last trimester of pregnancy due to respiratory distress in the newborn. I think that this may have been what happened with my daughters. I've always used it through pregnancy and breastfeeding.

The only problem I've seen that might be related to my using it is that both of my daughters had problems with oxygen desaturation and respiratory distress when they were born. There oxygen levels would dip too low. My first daugther (born at 40 weeks, 9lbs 10 oz) had to be in NICU for three days on Oxygen. She weaned off of oxygen and has be fabulous! My second daugther was born at 38 weeks (still full term, 8lbs 4oz) but had go to NICU and then come home on oxygen for over a week. She weaned of the oxygen and is fabulous! They are both smart, happy, fun daughters. My only complaint about the whole ordeal is that I wish the second had been checked more quickly for oxygen desaturation. She had a "dusky" episode as they call it at 6 hours old and I thought I might lose her. I do live in Albuquerque where I live at a bit higher altitude. The higher altitude can make oxygen desaturation worse.

All of that being said...if you can avoid it or taper your dose in the third trimester, I would. However, if the symptoms are too severe, then I would--yes again--take the medicine. The biggest thing I would do if you do take the zoloft in third trimester is to ask the doctors to check your baby's oxygen saturation and for respiratory distress.

[thomrho]

other side effect

Oh yeah.
I have noticed that if my dose is too high, I get more tired than normal. And yes, I haven't been as aroused as I used to be. That could be the impact of the kids too.

Overall, the side effects haven't been too bad. I am thankful for it . I feel more like the person I really am.

[JuniperMama]

I was put on it when DS was about 6 months old for Post Partum Anxiety Disorder. I was on it for about a year and nursed that whole time. There were no issues for Owen at all - he was fine. It definitely helped me a lot - made me a much more sane mama. However, I GAINED a ton of weight, about 30# in that time and had absolutely no sex drive. At the time though, I really didn't care because I was much less crazy feeling. Once DS self-weaned I switched to Wellbutrin and eventually added some Lamictal. For me, this has been a really good mix and I have lost that 30# plus another 20#. (I still have another 50 to lose but that's another story. )

FWIW, I did not have any stomach issues or weird problems getting off it.

We are considering TTC in the fall and I'm really thinking about what to do while PG because I had super bad Ante (aka Pre) Partum Anxiety and I don't wanna do that again - it was NOT pretty...

[sheilajolene]

Has anyone else experienced weight gain? I really don't want to gain back the weight I just lost. That was really hard for me.

[Mosaic]

I have gained some weight, but I can't blame it solely on the meds because I think I eat to stay awake at the office... the zoloft does make me sleepy, but there are lots of things I can do to stay awake other than eat! So I have those same 5 pounds I always lose/gain back/lose again. In my book, it's better to be happy and a little heavier than it is to be miserable but skinny. I think you can easily avoid weight gain if you pay a little extra attention to making good nutrition and activity choices.

[mom0810]

The info above about zoloft during the third trimester was proven, in two studies that came out this summer, to be not true. Zoloft is perfectly safe in the last trimester, in ALL trimesters. It is now a class B drug. The info above is old info about zoloft and I understand how many people still think it is true, but two separate studies this summer showed that problems are seen no more often in people taking zoloft than in people taking nothing. So it really seems there is little to no correlation.

Better to stay on meds and not be depressed during pregnancy than to go off them and have depression . That has been proven to be MUCH worse for baby.

[anne1140]

I know this is about two weeks old, but I am very curious:

mom0810: Where did you get that information? I haven't seen that anywhere. Do you have a link you could provide?

Also, just wanted to say that on Zoloft, I actually LOSE weight, so it can have that effect, too. Also, I did have the crazy low sex drive, but it has gotten better the longer I've been on it.

[Autumn Breeze]

my husband lost weight on Zoloft. Of course he was on a myriad of other medications, but he really dropped a lot of weight, like 20 lbs, after starting Z

He lost a total of 40, and actually dipped below 100 lbs.

[thomrho]

On page 40 Pfizer still warns of the third trimester risk.

http://www.pfizer.com/files/products/uspi_zoloft.pdf

I would also make sure to look and see who funded any study this summer that found different results.

[mom0810]

There were 2 independent studies that came out very recently. Both said NO link to problems in 3rd trimester.

The risk of NOT taking meds is way greater than any miniscule risk there could be, anyway.

I have to take asthma meds, too, and of course my asthma meds are category C, where zoloft was recently changed to category B.

Very very very safe.