Antidepressants pregnancy

Amantadine is used cautiously in patients with seizure disorders, psychiatric problems, renal impairment, and cardiac disease. Amantadine is a Pregnancy Category B drug and is used cautiously during pregnancy and lactation. Concurrent use of antihistamines, phenothiazines, tricyclic antidepressants, disopyramide, and quinidine may increase the anticholinergic effects (dry mouth, blurred vision, constipation) of amantadine... 

Pregnancy Category C drug and is used with caution during pregnancy. As with all anticonvulsants, when the succinimides are used with other CNS depressants (eg, alcohol, narcotic analgesics, and antidepressants), an additive CNS depressant effect may occur. 

Do not take the antidepressants during pregnancy. Notify the primary health care provider if you are pregnant or wish to become pregnant. 

Briggs G, Freeman R, Yaffe S Drugs in Pregnancy and Lactation A Reference Guide to Maternal and Fetal Risk. Philadelphia, Lippincott, Williams Wilkins, 2002 Chengappa KN, Kambhampati R, Perkins K, et al Bupropion sustained release as a smoking cessation treatment in remitted depressed patients maintained on neatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants. J Clin Psychiatry 62 503—508, 2001... 

Use of antidepressant drugs during pregnancy is discussed in the chapter on depression. 

If antidepressants are used, the lowest possible dose should be used for the shortest possible time to minimize adverse fetal and maternal pregnancy outcomes. 

When tricyclic antidepressants are withdrawn during pregnancy, they should be tapered gradually to avoid withdrawal symptoms. If possible, drug tapering is usually begun 5 to 10 days before the estimated date of confinement. 

One study showed that pregnant women who discontinued antidepressants were five times more likely to relapse during their pregnancy than were women who continued treatment. 

Ericson, A., Kallen, B., and Wiholm, B.-E. (1999) Delivery outcome after the use of antidepressants in early pregnancy. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 55 503-508. 

McElhatton, P.R., Garbis, H.M., Elefant, E., Vial, T., Bellemin, B., Mastroiacovo, P., Arnon, J., Rodriguez-Pinilla, E., Schaefer, C., Pexieder, T, Merlob, P., and Dal Verme, S. (1996) The outcome of pregnancy in 689 women exposed to therapeutic doses of antidepressants. A collaborative study of the European Network of Teratology Information Services (ENTIS). Reprod Toxicol 10 285-294. 

Rosa, F.W. (1994) Medicaid antidepressant pregnancy exposure outcomes. Reprod Toxicol 8 444 45. 

Nortriptyline and desipramine may be the tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) of choice, given their extensive assessment during pregnancy and well-known therapeutic concentrations, which should be monitored. 

If an antidepressant is withdrawn during pregnancy, it should be gradually tapered to avoid maternal or fetal withdrawal syndromes. 

The experience of pregnancy itself is often anxiety provoking, and symptoms sufficient to warrant drug therapy are common in this group ( 16). Although this discussion primarily focuses on the benzodiazepines (BZDs), antidepressants and buspirone may also be used for women of childbearing age with certain anxiety-related disorders. Perhaps the best-documented adverse effect of the BZDs is a neonatal withdrawal syndrome, which has been reported to occur with several of the agents (e.g., diazepam, alprazolam, and triazolam). In addition, there is a weak positive relationship between diazepam exposure and oral clefts ( 17). 

Prenatal Vitamins 55 Find a Care Provider 56 Depression and Antidepressants 56 Pre-Pregnancy Testing 60... 

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