Been on Lexapro, but Just Had Baby…not Helping With PPD?

Question by Suzy R.: Been on Lexapro, but just had baby…not helping with PPD?
I have been on Lexapro for the last months…I just had a baby 9 days ago and all of a sudden yesterday, I felt like I crashed..I’ve had crying spells for the last 2 days and just don’t wanna talk or be around anybody.

I will be bringing this up with my doctor at my 2 week check up, but has ANYBODY gone thru this where their anti-depressant stop working??

I feel as though I have taken nothing the last week…and what is the next step after the Lexapro?? I’m already on 20mg’s…CANNOT TAKE ZOLOFT!!!

Best answer:

Answer by Horsense
Although I haven’t even had children,
I know of two very helpful articles for you to read:

“I Won My Battle With Postpartum Depression”
– Factors that May Contribute to Postpartum Depression
– How to Help Yourself
– Tips for Men
– More Than Just the “Baby Blues”
http://watchtower.org/e/20020722a/article_01.htm

“Understanding Postpartum Depression”
– “What’s Wrong?”
– Disorders
– Causes
– Gaining Recognition
– Treatment
– How Can others Help?
http://watchtower.org/e/20030608/article_01.htm

I suggest that you read up on Lexapro:
http://helpguide.org/mental/medications_depression.htm
Find & then click on its name, & read hte article that opens up. Make sure you haven’t ingested something you shouldn’t have while taking it, or something. . . Part of what it says is:

“Pay close attention to any changes, especially sudden ones, in mood, behaviors, thoughts, or feelings. . .

“Call your doctor right away to report new or sudden changes in mood, behavior, thoughts, or feelings. . .

“Keep all follow-up visits as scheduled, and call the doctor between visits as needed, especially if you have concerns about symptoms.”

I don’t know how effective the following techniques are for PPD,
but you might want to check them out, too:

“Natural Remedies for Depression”
– Altering the brain’s chemistry to elevate mood
(By Donald Brown & Ronald Reichert, N.D.s, & Alan R. Gaby, M.D.)
http://www.chiro.org/nutrition/FULL/Natural_Remedies_for_Depression.shtml

“5-HTP And The Serotonin Connection”
http://www.chiro.org/nutrition/FULL/5-HTP_and_the_Serotonin_Connection.html

How sure are you that your thyroid levels are truly normal?
Low levels are often missed even when tests are run, & can cause or contribute to depression . . .

“The Thyroid Paradox”
http://www.project-aware.org/DocsCorner/Hormones/hormones.shtml

Answer by Ian
There are plenty of other options… there are over a dozen SSRIs, and then there are several TCAs, some MAOIs, etc… so, if you need to take a different drug, then you still have a bunch you can try. If you’re breastfeeding, the options are a lot more limited, but I know Prozac is safe to try (I was on that the last month and a half of pregnancy and the three months I breastfed my son). Also, you wouldn’t necessarily have to quit taking the Lexapro… lots of people take two SSRIs at the same time. I have heard of SSRIs slowly losing their effect over time, but I haven’t heard of it happening overnight, so it’d probably be good to stay on it for now, at least until whatever other meds you’re taking begin to work.

Also, if you need to quit breastfeeding because of your meds, that’s not a big deal either… all those studies that show how breastfeeding is so much better were done a while back, when formula didn’t even contain things like DHA, which is essential to brain development. So, the difference between breastfeeding and bottlefeeding for your baby isn’t as big as most people claim it is.

Having a baby is stressful for several reasons. Huge life change, big hormonal changes, possible lack of nutrients (especially if you’re still bleeding and such), very demanding baby not caring about whether you need some time for yourself, etc… there is a reason that a fair number of people get PPD.

Now, technically, in your case it sounds like you were already depressed before you gave birth, so that would mean you do not have PPD. For all practical purposes though, that does not matter. I would strongly suggest you try to get an appointment with a psychiatrist sometime this week if at all possible, especially if you are breastfeeding.

In the meanwhile, try to get as much support and help from family, friends, hired people (you could probably still hire a doula, even if you didn’t have one before, silly as it may sound – it might give you a nice break), w/e as possible. Try to get as much rest as possible (this probably means 2 daytime naps on top of sleeping at night). Try to eat as healthy as possible, but if you had to pick between stressing out over cooking a healthy meal or ordering a pizza, I’d opt for ordering a pizza… rest will probably do more good than nutrition, especially with vitamin pills available these days. If you have a partner, tell him to stay home from work. Etc. You get the idea.

Come to think of it, it actually sounds like you’re currently suffering from extreme exhaustion, rather than from depression. In order for it to be depression, it has to last for at least 2 weeks. Antidepressants don’t really help with exhaustion… rest does. The good news though is that it should go away easily if you can just get enough rest.

Sorry this is kind of in random order… I hope that at least some things I wrote were helpful. Just remember… things will get better… this is just a phase.

Symptoms of Postnatal Depression by Dr Williamson – http://www.lawsonclinic.com.au – Dr Michael Williamson, consultant psychiatrist, addresses the symptoms of postnatal depression and depression during pregnancy.

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Motherhood May Spur Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior
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