PPD, Anxiety and Medication

I am a new Mom and a regular on this board. I want to remain anonymous, because there are a lot of people that I know IRL who are also on here.

I would like to kind of keep this issue between my DH and I, but I also know that so many of you have had PPD and can offer some insight to me and other Moms.

I have been feeling very overwhelmed since DC was born. I get very irritated and have a very short fuse. Many small issues that I could have easily handled before now seem impossible to handle. I am very upset with my Post Partum body and have turned down invitations to go places/do things because I look and feel terrible. I cry very easily.

So, I was telling my BFF this, and she said that she had anxiety after her DC was born and that her OB put her on Lexapro for 6 months. That, diet and exercise helped her feel better.

So, I went to my OB and asked for an antidepressant, but he told me to go to my Family Doctor, so that they could follow my progress.

So, I did. He gave me the name of a Therapist and Lexapro 10mg. I read up on it, and was afraid, but he assurred me that he prescribes it often with very few patients complaining of side effects.

So, I took it last night at about 10 pm. At about 1 pm, I woke up, from a dead sleep- covered in sweat, sick to my stomach, and my heart was beating soooo fast, I thought that I was going to die. I woke up DH, and waited almost 2 hours for it to pass.

I spoke to my friend, who took the Lexapro, and she said that sounded like a Panic attack. I have NEVER in my life had anything like this ever happen to me until I took this drug.

I Flushed the rest of the pills down the toilet. I will never take another pill again! It was horrific!

My new plan, is to start to diet and exercise tomorrow, maybe also try a therapist and maybe some Saint John's Wort.

What do you think? I have never had toughts of hurting myself or my baby, which I heard can happen with PPD, I'm just kind of said and overwhelmed.

If you had PPD, what did you do, did you take an anti depressant?

Re: PPD, Anxiety and Medication

Sent you an FM.

Re: PPD, Anxiety and Medication

I had PPD really bad. I never took any meds. Looking back, I probably should have just taken them. The PPD lasted such a long time, about a year honestly. I feel like I didn't enjoy a huge part of my childs life because of it. It also makes me so afraid to even think of having a second child.

I am just being honest. I understand not wanting to take the meds. My doctor gave me Lexapro also... I never even opened the pack.

Hope you feel better soon!

Re: PPD, Anxiety and Medication

I agree...I think what you had last night was a panic attack. It takes a few weeks for the medication to get into your system. If after 3 weeks or so you are not feeling better, let your dr. know and they will change your meds. Not every medications works the same way for every person.

I have suffered from anxiety disorder since I was little. I know how you feel and what you are going through. I PROMISE it gets better. My hormones were all over the place after having DS. Luckily I didnt have PPD but my anxiety was very bad for awhile. It takes several months for your hormones and body to recoup from pregnancy and giving birth.




ETA: Even if you take the lexapro dont think you will have to take it forever and dont feel like a failure or guilty about it. It may be something you only need for a short time to get you back on your feet. It may also help to talk to someone.

Message edited 11/16/2008 8:51:19 PM.

Re: PPD, Anxiety and Medication

This is why you really need to see a psychiatrist when being prescribed anti-anxiety or anti-depressants. You need someone who really knows the side affects of the drugs and who will make you aware. I take Cymbalta for my anxiety and depression and my dr. warned me that for the first 5 days, I would feel absolutely awful, but that it would go away. And she was right. I felt just like you did for 5 days, and on the 6th day, just when I wanted to stop taking the meds, I felt fine. It really has made an amazing difference in my life. My anxiety shot through the roof once I had my daughter, and this has really helped level me out and make me a happier person.
On the PPD front, make sure you talk about all the things you are going through. It helps to get it all out. I was near suicidal after having Ava and therapy really helped me a lot. My therapist specialized in PPD and was just so wonderful.
I'm going to bump a website that really helped me through a difficult time. Please check it out. It's specifically for women going through PPD. Please feel free to FM if you need to talk

Re: PPD, Anxiety and Medication

Re: PPD, Anxiety and Medication

I had it bad and took Celexa(same as lexapro) I felt awful for 2 weeks when I began taking it, but the Dr warned me and told me what might happen. It lasted exactly the 2 weeks he said it would and was totally worth sticking it out for me. I was totally overwhelmed, irritable, angry, and cried at the drop of a hat, before the meds. I did have wicked anxiety thoughas well.
This med changed my life and I stopped taking it after 18 months.
I did not have PPD after DD#2

Re: PPD, Anxiety and Medication

Re: PPD, Anxiety and Medication

I could have written a lot of your feelings myself! I had PPD after my daughter and with my son I have had touches of it. But right now more than everything, every Sunday night I fee l overwhelmed and exhausted. I hate my body and my life. I am so overwhelmed with all I have to do, being the main bread winner in my family, and my job. My DH is not home weeknights so I can never just go out with friends and weekends he likes to have 'family time'. By the end of our family time I hate him so much I want to smack him because I am working my azz off until 11:30 at night and he is sitting around after the kids go to bed. (before that we are 50/ 50).

I never took meds, probably should have but I don't like too.

Try to know what you are feeling is normal. You didn't say how PP you are but give yourself some time. I am 6 months PP and I am still not back to my weight. I am trying. With my daughter I was back in all my clothes in 6 weeks and it's driving me nuts but it is what it is.

Also try journaling to get it all out.

Hang in there it does get easier that I can promise.

If you ever want to talk feel free to FM.

Re: PPD, Anxiety and Medication

I had PPD after the birth of my twin girls. I went back to work 5 weeks after they were born, my relationship was horrible, heck there was 2 of them for goodness sake...I never did anything about it.

Years later I was going through a really bad spot in my life. I couldnt eat or sleep...everything was caving in around me. I decided to seek help so I could handle things better for my girls. I went to a psychiatrist who put me on Wellbutrin and Zoloft. It took quite a few weeks for things to get better but the meds soon started helping a LOT!

I went off the meds about 18 months or so later....

During my pregnancy with DS my DH and I had spoken about PPD. I had joked to him that if he thought I needed meds to please let me know b/c I might not see the signs....

I didnt get PPD with him right away but I definitely went through a period of where I was snapping at everyone, didnt want to leave the house, felt irritable all the time etc...I went back on the meds some time in the spring. Things are finally starting to get back to normal around here...

Im still upset that I can lose any weight...I too turn down invites to see old friends b/c Im ashamed of how I look.

IMHO I would give the meds another shot. Maybe Lexapro wasnt the right one for you..

Re: PPD, Anxiety and Medication

A lot of your feelings are normal and to be expected. I too get flustered/overwhelmed and am very upset about my body now but you will get through it and it will get better. It's great that you are seeking help. Maybe there is a different drug you could try. I took Citilopram after my m/c when I was dealing with depression and it was a very low dose almost no side effects and it helped. Good luck!

Re: PPD, Anxiety and Medication

I had PPD, not where I felt like I would hurt myself or the baby but enough that I was crying a lot, feeling overwhelmed and very anxious.

After about 4 weeks of feeling that way I decided to see my Primary Care Doc. He prescribed Lexapro also.

After about a week or so I started to feel so much better. I was so much happier and enjoyed my DD more than I did before the meds.

It does take a week or so to kick in so Im not sure if the pill you took really had an effect yet. I am preggo again and I am off the meds, but plan on going on them once the new baby is born. I never ever want to feel like I did with DD. It was horrible.

Things will get better, but maybe you should give the meds a try. It really does work wonders. For me, anyway.

Re: PPD, Anxiety and Medication

I have PPD, had it for 2 years undiagnosed! 1 year PP from the birth of my 2nd baby girl.

You don't have to have feelings of hurting yourself or your child to have PPD.

I was overwhelmed, easily irritible, fatigued, easy angered, easy to cry, headaches, neck pain that never went away. I would snap at DH, even my DD's..I felt like i was always in a fog.

I'm on 75mg of Zoloft...made a WORLD of difference. I feel like old self again, i have self confidence, respect for my self and take interest in doing things.

There are LOTS of meds out there that can help also talk therapy is great for mild depression/ppd, but if gone into moderate PPD, you will prob needs meds just to get over the hump.

FM me if you need to talk..I've been on meds for almost 5 months now, and I WISH did this sooner and I REGRET i didn't for the damage i did to my marriage..