postpartum depression
Q.I have been experiencing moderate to severe boughts of depression since about 3 days postpartum, and am planning on calling the doc tomorrow morning. This is so different from the depression I experienced after my first pregnancy in that this time it the onset was very sudden and severe, and the first was very mild gradually building and peaked at about 6 months. I took Paxil the first time around, but I had already stopped nursing. This time I am still nursing and would like to know if the medications are safe during nursing. Also, is everyone treated with medication. My books recommend therapy, but it wasn't even mentioned last pregnancy, and I don't think it would help too much. I want the meds so I can function. This sounds kind of rambly to me, but I hope it makes sense to someone.
A.Different doctors will recommend different things. I took Prozac throughout my second pregnancy and beyond, and I'm still nursing my daughter. I don't think everyone is treated with medication, but certainly if the depression is NOT going away, meds are something to look at. I'm suffering right now and have been since one week PP. Ripley is now 5 months old and I am still BF'ding and will go to 6 months or longer. I take 150 mg of Zoloft every day (I used to be on Celexa...but it did nothing). The meds seem to help, but I think that the therapy does more. I see a therapist every second week and my Psychiatrist every three weeks. I still have bad days, but I haven't hurt myself (also experiencing self-mutilation....does it ever end?) in at least two months. See your doctor. My DH dragged me to go it because I thought that people would make fun of me. There is such a stigma that goes with depression. A lot of people are on meds and live very normal lives. I have that to look forward too, I guess :)) According to my therapist 90% of people suffering from Depression are "cured" (able to go off their medication) within 1 year. 7% will need medication for 2-3 years, and the remaining 3% will be on it for 3+ years. Of course some of that 90% may eventually have to go back on medication short term. Most PPD is "cured" within a year, there are apparently few cases of it lingering for more than a year or two at the most. In most of the cases of lingering depression Doctors have found that it seems to run in the family (hereditary) or stems from severe childhood abuse. Children diagnosed with depression are more likely to suffer from it longer than people who are diagnosed as adults. The longer the depression goes untreated, the more likely it is that you'll need more "drastic" cures to "fix it". (all info is from some literature my Doc gave me) I agree that therapy works better than the drugs do in many cases. I really feel that people on medication should be in therapy as well for it to work correctly.
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