Did you ever stop antidepressants after PPD

[Anonymous]

I had a severe episode of PPD some years ago. Now postpartum, still on medication, there's breakthrough depression. Has anyone else experienced this and gotten back to normal? Or will I be on medication the rest of my life?

[Anonymous]

Hi, I had really awful PPD and started meds when my baby was 7 months old. I went off them after a year but then relapsed after a year and was on them for a few more years. I had PTSD from childbirth and hadn't realized it which was in large part why I relapsed. Then there were some really rough things in my family to deal with so I was on them longer than I had hoped to be. Ive been off meds for 5 years now. During that time I had an unplanned baby, early in the pandemic, but somehow didn't relapse badly enough to need meds. I made sure to walk an hour a day everyday with the second one, has my family support, and had had a lot of talk therapy and confidence in my ability as a parent that I hadn't had with the first baby.

[Anonymous]

Had awful PPD and started meds around 8 months and got off them a little before he was 2. He's 11 now. Mild anxiety and depression are still things I deal with, but I have non med ways of managing them.

[Anonymous]

Op here. My severe PPD episode was 3 years ago, within weeks of givingbirth. Had another baby a few months ago. Rarely I have a desire to self harm, (thatis easyto ignore) but otherwise mental health is fine, I'm happy and functional and sleeping.

That was my first episdoe ever, and I never really felt recovered from it. I feel instinctively thatif I go off meds I will be severely depressed.

Will I ever not feel like that?

[Anonymous]

Everyone is different but if you have a baby a few months old you're still on a hormonal roller coaster, are sleep self deprived, and probably rarely have a moment to yourself. Going off meds now would probably be a bad idea. But as your kids get older life may feel easier and you might feel ok about going off meds.

[Anonymous]

I always relapse if I try to go off. My last kid is almost 10 years old, and I really don't want to take medication forever. But I don't want to make my life worse by getting depressed again. I also need to be stable for my kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I always relapse if I try to go off. My last kid is almost 10 years old, and I really don't want to take medication forever. But I don't want to make my life worse by getting depressed again. I also need to be stable for my kids.

OP
What does that look like? I appreciate pp saying my life might get easier but so far it hasn't. The self harm piece is persistent and never existed before the major depression and if it is still there it's probably going to come back

[Anonymous]

I’ve been taking sertraline ever since having kids. I feel just like myself, but without anxiety, continuous irritability and depression. PPD spiked my depression but it’s always been there and likely always will be. Without the meds, I’m miserable and so is everyone around me. I’d rather be happy.
PS - most of my family is like me…not everyone takes antidepressants, but those that do benefit incredibly from them.

[Anonymous]

New poster here. Can you breastfeed on sertraline? Did it kill your ability to have an orgasm?

I had terrible (unmedicated) PPD with baby#1 and feel good now. I am terrified of having PPD again with #2 and want to be ready.

[Anonymous]

My baby had Prozac withdrawal at birth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My baby had Prozac withdrawal at birth.

Pp. It was fine. He's totally healthy and happy. Dr said if I nursed he wouldn't have had withdrawal, but I didn't want to nurse

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:New poster here. Can you breastfeed on sertraline? Did it kill your ability to have an orgasm?

I had terrible (unmedicated) PPD with baby#1 and feel good now. I am terrified of having PPD again with #2 and want to be ready.

Yes, sertraline (Zoloft) is recommended as one of the safest antidepressants for pregnant and nursing moms.

It did not kill my ability to orgasm…that part gets better as I get older, and is way better after kids than it was before.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for sharing, pp. Gives me a hopeful feeling!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:New poster here. Can you breastfeed on sertraline? Did it kill your ability to have an orgasm?

I had terrible (unmedicated) PPD with baby#1 and feel good now. I am terrified of having PPD again with #2 and want to be ready.

Yes, sertraline (Zoloft) is recommended as one of the safest antidepressants for pregnant and nursing moms.

It did not kill my ability to orgasm…that part gets better as I get older, and is way better after kids than it was before.

Are you still on zoloft

[Anonymous]

I started taking sertraline again a few months post partum for pretty intense ppa after being off it for years. It has made a huge difference and made me a better mom! Now pregnant with my second, have taken it throughout this entire pregnancy and will continue to do so. Also breastfed my first, withdrawal was okay for him and planning to do the same with my second hopefully.