The decision to use any medication during a pregnancy is always made with great care after thorough evaluation by the patient and her health care providers. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) use during pregnancy has always been controversial and now even more so due to recent articles on the subject. Here are some important points:
• Depression and anxiety are common in women of childbearing age, and many of these women are being treated successfully with medications, especially the SSRIs.
• Stopping any antidepressant medication before or during a pregnancy can bring about a depressive relapse, especially in women with a history of severe depression.
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• Fetal and maternal well-being is paramount in balancing the risks and benefits of antidepressant treatment in pregnancies.
• SSRIs seem to work by boosting serotonin levels in the brain, resulting in mood regulation.
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• Prozac (fluoxetine) was the first SSRI antidepressant approved by the FDA, hitting the market in 1988. It quickly became one of the most prescribed medications in the United States.
• Prozac, Celexa (citalopram), and Zoloft (sertraline) are three SSRIs that have been used in pregnancies.
-Dr. P
