Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C.

News of frustrating and sometimes serious side effects to antidepressants can be enough to motivate one to wean oneself off the medication. New reports show SSRIs have been linked to suicidal thoughts, a Parkinsons-like condition known as Tardive Dyskinesia, and serious birth defects in infants born to women who took SSRIs during pregnancy. But coming off antidepressants is not always easy and if done improperly can cause uncomfortable withdrawal effects, also known as SSRI discontinuation syndrome.

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Years ago, it was thought that pregnancy protected women from depression, but researchers have since learned that being pregnant and recent childbirth may actually contribute to a woman’s depression, filling her with a range of emotions that make dealing with the symptoms of the condition even more difficult. According to the Mayo Clinic, an estimated 10 percent of women experience depression during pregnancy.

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Women who have suffered from depression are more likely than women who have never suffered from the disorder to experience postpartum depression, according to the March of Dimes. Postpartum depression is a serious medical condition that goes beyond the so-called “baby blues.” Medical experts believe that a woman’s changing hormones following delivery may cause the disorder.

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Washington, DC — The use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors for the treatment of depression during pregnancy should be individualized based on their respective risks and benefits, according to a new Committee Opinion issued by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ (ACOG) Committee on Obstetric Practice. The Committee also advised that a particular SSRI medication known as paroxetine (Paxil®) be avoided, when possible, by pregnant women or women planning to become pregnant due to the potential risk of fetal heart defects, newborn persistent pulmonary hypertension, and other negative effects.

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Decisions about how to treat depression in pregnant women are increasingly complex. Patients and physicians must carefully consider and discuss together the potential benefits and risks of treatment with antidepressants during pregnancy. Two new studies provide important information to be considered in making such decisions. The studies included women who had been treated with antidepressant drugs that act as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or, in a few cases, other antidepressants. SSRI medications are the most commonly used drugs to treat depression in the U.S.

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced that early research studies with the drug Paxil (paroxetine) suggest that taking the drug during the first three months of pregnancy may increase a woman’s risk of having a baby with birth defects, particularly heart defects.

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The FDA and the drug company GlaxoSmithKline are alerting doctors about a new study on major birth defects seen in babies born to women who took the antidepressant Paxil during the first trimester of pregnancy.

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