Postpartum Psychoses and Drugs
Q.What role could the antipsychotic drug Haldol have played in the deaths of Andrea Yates' five children. The woman, who allegedly killed her children, may have stopped taking the medication before the deaths. In the wake of the Texas tragedy in which Andrea Yates allegedly drowned all five of her young children, many are left wondering what happened to this woman and her family.
A.Yates' husband, Russell, said his wife had been suffering from postpartum depression, and had previously taken several types of antidepressant medications including Effexor, Remeron, and Wellbutrin. He also said his wife had been on the drug Haldol, a powerful anti-psychotic medication used primarily for treating schizophrenics. It remains unclear whether she was on the drug at the time of the killings. Either way, Haldol indicates Yates may have been suffering from a much more serious disorder than depression, experts say. Yates' brother Andrew this week expressed concern that his sister "was taken off medication she should have been on." Although he said he could not go into details, many assume he was referring to Yates' Haldol treatment, since Russell Yates stated his wife had taken the drug in the past. Yates' attorney said he could not confirm whether his client had been taken off the drug. Different Postpartum Mood Disorders About 50 percent to 75 percent of all mothers experience a mild form of depression called the "baby blues," which typically comes on within the first few days following childbirth, lasts for several weeks at most, and is marked by crying spells and feelings of sadness, anxiety, and irritability. Another 5 percent to 10 percent of mothers go through "postpartum depression," characterized by deeper sadness and anxiety, depression, hopelessness, exhaustion, guilt, and a general feeling of being "not yourself." This type of depression ordinarily begins within weeks or months of birth, increases slowly over time, and has a longer duration than the baby blues. Much less common is "postpartum psychosis," which is suffered by fewer than 1 percent of all mothers. Symptoms for this disorder are similar to other forms of psychosis, including hallucinations, mania, delusions, altered mood, extreme confusion or agitation, paranoia, and disorganized thinking. Postpartum psychosis has a very rapid onset, usually within the first one to three days following childbirth. Experts agree that postpartum psychosis is likely triggered by the rapid fall in hormones, such as estrogen and progesterone, which follows the birth of a child. It is believed this fall in hormones activates a cascade of chemical events within the brain that ultimately lead to psychotic thoughts and behaviors. Psychotic thoughts can also occur with severe depression after childbirth, though the onset of delusional symptoms is much slower than classical postpartum psychosis, which comes on very quickly with dramatic and obvious changes in behavior. Psychosis with depression is more insidious in nature, with symptoms that gradually worsen over a period of weeks. A mother may begin with the more common form of postpartum depression, but then progressively develop psychotic symptoms as time goes on. Could the Tragedy Have Been Prevented? In general, doctors say it is difficult to predict if a new mother will suffer postpartum psychosis, though women with bipolar disorder or mothers with a history of severe postpartum depression are more at risk for developing psychotic tendencies after pregnancy. Given Andrea Yates' known history of major postpartum depression and possible psychosis following the birth of her fourth child two years ago, her alleged current break with reality is then much less surprising, experts say. By some standards, it may even have been anticipated. "The strongest predictor of a future episode is whether a woman has had previous symptoms," says Dr. Kim Pearson, a psychiatrist specializing in postpartum depression at both McLean Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital's Perinatal Reproductive Psychiatry Unit. "Mothers who have suffered one episode of postpartum psychosis have a 75 percent chance of experiencing another episode following their next child." Considering the chain of events and details shared by the Yates' family, Yates may have been experiencing major depression with associated psychotic symptoms triggered by the birth of her last child six month ago. Yates' husband said he had noticed his wife behaving "withdrawn, robotic," and with particular "nervous habits" that he recognized from a previous bout of postpartum problems. For people with temporary psychoses, the way they talk, think, and act will seem "off," as if they are "not themselves." Friends and family may notice a mother being anxious, confused, suspicious, irrational, hyperactive, speaking differently, or becoming overly focused on "the little things." For example, a person may develop small, seemingly meaningless rituals, or attach extra meaning to things in their environment, places, or events. Hadol seems to be a kind of anti-Psychotic "Prozac" in this regard. Prozac has had similar documented detrimental syndromes in certain patients---Makes one wonder if her doctors knew what kind of medication "stew" they were cooking up?(Andrea being the "oven").
Other Questions :
Residential care for depression (London)?
I'm looking for private residential treatment for depression for my brother who is suffering from severe depression. He lives in central London. Can anyone recommend anywhere?He has been receiving counselling for some time, but it isn't proving...
Antidepressants in pregnancy and breastfeeding ?
Can anyone point me to any good web resources on antidepressant use in pregnancy (and, while I'm at it, while breastfeeding)? (Just in case anyone was wondering, I'm asking professionally and not personally...)Neither of those directly cover pre...
Placebo Effect & Brain Function ?
Placebo Effect & Brain Function ?Study shows short-term changes in brain activity in patients who have positive responses to placebos. The article didn't say if they knew whether these 'brain wave' changes (via the quantitative electroencepha...
Depression Medication Comparison, depression hurts... ?
I think there are lots of different types of depression, and different causes for it. Sometimes the cause is purely physical - body chemistry. In that case, probably medication is the only thing that will help. However, it is possible to go ...
What is the definition of clinical depression?
I am also new to this group, although I have been lurking here for weeks. I have a question. What exactly defines clinical depression? I have been going through a very rough three years, with my little boy who has cancer. He was diagnosed in Ju...