I think it's time to wean.... - meds

Hillbilly Housewife wrote: my doctor gave me some meds and told me i can't do both. That he wasn't comfortable at all with the thought of me taking the meds (Effexor XR) and breastfeeding...

amynicole21 replied: Do you have to take Effexor? Couldn't you start out on Zoloft which is much safer for bfeeding?

coasterqueen replied: There are so many other anti-depressants you can take while nursing. Actually I just looked on Kellymom.com and this is what she says about Effaxor:

"Effexor is a popular drug for treating depression in Australia. It is less popular here in the USA due to reported side effects. Effexor can also be used in breastfeeding mothers if it is efficacious. It may be effective against hyperactivity. It is an SSRI and NRI."

So you CAN take it. But I'd still go for another one like Zoloft or Prozac.

Zoloft is the #1 recommended choice while nursing, but I took Prozac. Now being that Emilie is still an infant I'd probably go with something like Zoloft. There really is no reason why he can't let you take Z unless you've taken it before and it did not help.

Now, if you are wanting to wean, then that's fine, but there are other meds that are safer that will allow you to still nurse. IMO if you are having depression issues anyways and then try to wean, your body is going to go through hormonal changes w/that and that could cause a whole other bunch of issues.



ETA the link on AD from Kellymom: AD Meds

Hillbilly Housewife replied: Let's just say that he is starting me on this particular drug because of the low dependancy risk.

holley79 replied: I don't know anything about anti depressent (doesn't mean I don't need them though ) I hope they work for you though. My mom took Z and it really made her more loopy then she already was.

MommyToAshley replied: I don't have any advice, just wanted to support you in whatever decision you make. Sounds like you are making a well informed decision. I am pro-BF, but I don't think it makes you a bad mom to stop BF. You need to take care of yourself ... that will make you a better and happier Mom.

Jamison'smama replied:
I'm confused... Low dependency risk? What does he mean by that? Getting off Effexor is one of the hardest things to do--the side effects of withdrawl are awful! Wellbutrin is also pretty effective and great with depression as well as addictive behaviors. Not sure what your issues are.

Hillbilly Housewife replied: Interesting.... I hadn't heard that - and we discussed in length the dependancy risks, considering my situation almost 2 years ago. I don't know if you remember... but I was MIA for about a year... I was taking some pretty heavy stuff (legal stuff) and had an extremely hard time with that, and with getting off of it.

Although it was pain meds, not anti-depressants...I don't know very much about anti-depressants in general. Talk to me about Anti-inflammatories and muscle relaxants though...

I haven't picked up my prescription yet. Maybe I will call him and get some more information. I definnitely don't want to go through withdrawal again. It's worse than childbirth.

MyLuvBugs replied: Rocky you do whatever you feel is best , and don't let a doctor push any drug on you. Make sure that you do a lot of research on any and all anti-depressants that your doc recommends. Sometimes they don't tell you the truth about the drugs they push b/c sometimes they get paid by the drug companies . Sorry if that offends anyone, but it's true.

Just do the research yourself sweetie, and if you feel like you need to stop BFing it will be ok.

Hillbilly Housewife replied: Thanks all...for the info in both threads. I will definitely be calling my doctor's office in the morning.

coasterqueen replied: Here are some links I found on anti-depressant dependency just doing a search online. Seems like your doc might need to do a little research himself.

Here there are if you are interested:

http://www.join-the-fun.com/antidepressant-dependency.html
"The real danger comes with the SSRI's that have a short half-life, such as paxil and effexor. There are many, many horror stories coming out about people who want to stop taking these two drugs but cannot."

http://www.remedyfind.com/rem.asp?ID=13493
"Effexor etc. (Venlafaxine) is a member of a new class of antidepressants called "selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors" (SSNRI's). Cymbalta etc. (Duloxetine), approved in 2004 (U.S. FDA; European Union) is the other antidepressant in the SSNRI class. Unlike ?selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors? (SSRI?s) such as Prozac (Fluoxetine), Paxil (Paroxetine) etc., which only balance levels of the nerve transmitter serotonin, SSNRI?s have the ability to affect two neurotransmitters - serotonin and norepinephrine.

Venlafaxine has acquired a reputation for being one of, if not the single-most, difficult antidepressant to discontinue. Withdrawal side-effects may include: sensory disturbances including shock-like electrical sensations (called ?brain shivers? or ?brain zaps?); depression; fatigue; nausea; dizziness; headache; insomnia; and anxiety. The cause of these side effects is believed to be caused by Venlafaxine?s unique pharmacokinetic makeup. In order to produce its effect upon two neurotransmitters, serotonin and norepinephrine, Venlafaxine also contains an active metabolite called O-desmethylvenlafaxine (ODV). Both Venlafaxine and ODV have very short half-lives (the amount of time before half of the drug's peak plasma level is eliminated by the body). Venlafaxine's half life is 4 hours. Its primary metabolite, O-desmethylvenlafaxine (ODV) has a half life of 10 hours. In comparison, an SSRI like Prozac (Fluoxetine) has a half-life of 2-3 days. Because of this short half-life, Venlafaxine withdrawal symptoms can occur as quickly as with one missed, or delayed, dose."

http://www.rxlist.com/rxboard/effexor.pl?noframes;read=5008
This one is a journal of someone who thought that it wasn't a dependant drug and found out the hard way.

I could post more.....I'd definitely talk to your doc Rocky. There are definitely lower dependency ones than effexor for sure.

Jamison'smama replied: I agree with Karen here--- Our research is just personal but my DH feels it if he misses one dose--when he missed 2 or 3 (I forget) he was physically wrecked. When he went from 75 to 37mgs and then off completely- -his body was fatigued, he was tearful, he felt it in his brain in some strange ways---enough so he went back on it to get rid of the feeling. It is a powerful drug and he wishes he tried another route but feels stuck now.

amynicole21 replied: I missed about a week of my Zoloft last month, and while I got some headaches and was REALLY B**CHY ( ) the withdrawl wasn't that bad.