Paxil for PPD?

I don't know if Xanax is going to be helpful for a tired mom but you will know soon enough. Prozac is also used for breastfeeding moms and it is available in generic at Wal-Mart for $4.

Good Luck.

I am on zoloft for ppd and have been very happy with it. My ob/gyn and pediatritian both said it is the safest for breastfeeding. I have no side effects at all, it just helps me cope better with everyday situations. I also have a few friends on zoloft who are also happy with it. Hope this helps, and good luck!

Oh my goodness- I think I can help you with that have you ever heard of melaleuca? They are a all natural store. They have everything including all natural vitamins that work with your system for depression. I love them. You need a membership to shop with them but I can help you with that since I am a customer already. Go to www.themomteam.com/kkortright or call me Ill pm you my #

Hi R.,

During 2005,I underwent treatment to rid Hepatisis C from my body, I received Hep C through blood tranfusions during heart surgery. I was put on Paxil during the treatment to fight depression and was very glad when I was able to reduce the amount I was taking and to finally get off of it. I think if you were breastfeeding when your doctor you put you on it means he or she is very bad news. Don't the medicines go right to your baby? Remember, doctors sometime over prescribe medicines but you must use common sense about using them after all it is your body.

Melatonin is a natural sleep aid that requires no prescription. You need to limit chaffine.

I hope you and or your husband find work soon, I will pray for you.

Sincerely, G.

Hey R.,

I'm sorry you feel so rotten on the medication - I would definitely talk to you Doctor about getting off of it. The previous post sounds like it has some helpful advice about the flaxseed oil and omega-3s! Definitely worth a shot! I would also check out PPD (etc) at www.kellymom.com. It is a wonderful website!! Good luck and HUGS!!!

K.

You should not be taking those medications unless you are under the care of a psychologist. Yes it is legal for your doctor to prescibe them, how ever medications like this can require fine tuning and this takes weekly careful observation. Medications only give you about 10% of the help your need. The remainder 90% you will need a proffesional for.
Please seek help from a mental health proffesional, this is a mental health problem not a gynocalogical problem. There are currently efforts underway to make what your doctor did illeagle beacuse no matter how well intenioned the practice, it is very dangerous for the patient.
You health insurance provider should be able to give you the names of doctors covered under your plan.
Good Luck!

I too suffer from anxiety and most recently post-partum. the benefits of breastfeeding are thought to outweigh the risks of the medication in most cases. I would not recomment Paxil because of weight gain and the sexual side effects that it causes. (many drs use Paxil for men who have pre-ejaculation problems) I do recommend Effexor XR. It helps tremendously without the weight and sexual side effects. In fact, it can make you less hungry! Most practioners say the same for the Effexor while nursing as they do the Paxil. It just depends on what you want to do.

Hope this helps

C.

I don't think you have post partum...sounds like it's just life, times are tough and doping yourself up will not help you function. I had a touch of depression after my third baby was born, but I got better without pills. I also am a nursing mother, I have never heard of a nursing mother being given Xanax. I can barely get my doctor to give me cough syrup. I hope you seek a second opinion, sounds like you need one...

Hi R.,

First, it would be wise to introduce natural remedies instead of drugs to address your condition, especially while nursing. XanGo juice has been on the top of the list....my whole family drink it with amazing results.
I can give you info where to get it and maybe help with starting your own home based business to help supplement your family income.
Rebecca

Hi! You have received some great advice so far. I was wondering if you have ever tried B-12? It is a great energy booster! I would also like to throw in that I took Paxil 6 years ago for about a month while in nursing school. I quit taking it after it did zilch for me. I hope you feel better soon. Please know that there are people on here hoping and praying for some sunshine in your life! May God bless you and your family!

CALL YOUR DR to discuss the side effects. DO NOT take yourself off the meds unless he/she agrees. There may be other meds that are a better fit for you. It may be that the side effects from these meds will subside in a couple weeks.

Considering the stresses in your life right now, it makes perfect sense that you could be struggling with anxiety and/or post partum depression. The problem is that with this going on, you cannot always make clear decisions. Those around you may be able to see this more clearly. PLEASE make it a priority to take care of yourself. Your boys definately need you to be at your best (3 boys!! you need to be strong and energetic!!) It will also be tough to find work as your positive energy will not be shining through until you work some of this anxiety/depression out.

http://www.rphworld.com/pharmacist/viewlink-22927.html says that antidepressants generally only come through the breast milk in very low amounts.

The concern I'd have is the same as yours. I had anxiety disorder. I had it bad. And you know what? It was the same issue. The medicines just made it worse (and I tried everything, including Paxil and Xanax). I mean, by far. And wouldn't you know...this is a common experience. So why do the pharmaceutical companies make them? A few people feel "better" (sure, they do...they're sedated!), though, ok, they sure do have a lot of side effects...but oh, well, right?

Wrong!

Those companies aren't interested in people getting better. They're there to make money, plain and simple.

I'd get off of them both under my dr.'s supervision (probably taper down within a few days to a week), if it were me, and I'd start researching natural remedies immediately, and put into effect the non-supplement ones (like lavender essential oil, breathing techniques, hypnosis, neurofeedback...).

It was when I made this switch - and changed my eating habits, and dropped caffeine - that I dramatically improved, immediately.

Enjoy feeling better!

L.

I was looking at your about me, and anyone in your situation would be feeling depressed. My advice as a psychologist and someone who has gone through clinical depression it to find a psychologist and get some counseling/therapy.

Also if you are having bad side effects do not just stop the drugs, you need to taper off slowly and the psychologist or a MD can help you do it the right way. It took several different medications to find one that worked for me when I was battling depression after the birth of my first daughter.

Honestly the counseling helped me more than the drugs. You should be able to find someone with a sliding fee since you do not have income, you can probably get on medicaid also, or at least get the kids on it.

Also look into WIC and food stamps if you need that kind of assistance while you're trying to find a job. Your local health department can help you with the medicaid and WIC applications.

Please find a psychologist to help with your depression and medication. I am sure there are many who would see you for a reduced cost or even for free. You might just have to call around to find the right one.

Good luck and if you need to talk you can private message me.

Ok. I do not know who your doctor is, but you need to get off of the xanax. You do not need to take both. The paxil is just fine for only several months. You do not need the xanax and neither does your baby. Xanax is very addictive and your body gets to the point where it has to have it. It's just like any other addictive drug. Go ahead and take the paxil for about 3 or 4 months and then see how you are doing. If not , take them a little longer. I hope you get over this soon.
Good luck and have faith

Hi R.,
I know that many psychological medicines take 4-6 weeks to kick in full force, so you probably won't feel the full effects until then. Perhaps you can call your doctor and talk on the phone about whether you should continue taking them or not, due to the side effects. You can also discuss your insurance situation...they may be able to give you samples instead of a prescription. Have they mentioned any counseling? I've always heard that is helpful for PPD too and maybe you can do that instead of the meds. I think Catholic Social Services is an organization that offers free (non-religious) counseling, even if you are not catholic.
You should qualify for a state-run health program, like medicaid, at least temporarily. Every state now has specific programs for kids (often called CHIP or SCHIP) to make sure all kids have insurance. You can likely find out more info. about your specific state by talking to someone at the health dept., a social worker, or someone at the pediatrician's office. Different pharmaceutical companies also offer programs for people who can't afford medicines...but they don't advertise them, you have to ask. Talk to your local pharmacist (or 2 or 3) until you can find out for sure if you qualify. I hope this helps! Hang in there!!!

That seems like a strange thing for you doctor to do unless you have tried many other options first. Paxil has some pretty crazy side effects when you're getting on & especially off of it. It is also primarily for social anxiety disorder, not plain depression. And the Xanax is even worse if you're breastfeeding. I had PPD & took Zoloft. (Available as a cheap generic.) It's one of the mildest, as far as I know. I would get a second opinion, but don't go cold turkey off of the Paxil or you will wreak havoc on your body. At least get on something else before you do that.

You are taking Xanax, what do you expect? Sorry not to be rude! That's what is does. It is a downer. Xanax makes you relax and feel dopey. I would stop taking it if you can't take care of your baby. Try using just the Paxil for awhile and see what happens.

I would check with you doctor about the side effects and did your doctor know your are breastfeeding? and Walmart has a hold lot of generect drugs I don't know if the two your are taking are on the list but I would check but I would check on the side effects asap good luck

Those are both, I believe, L2, which means safe for breastfeeding. The scale goes L1 (Tylenol) through L5 (chemo and some anti-seizure meds), with even L3 being considered safe for short-term use or when the benefit outweighs the risk.

Now, on the PPD -

I'd first call the doctor's office to see what she recommends towards stopping or changing meds. Paxil is one you really should wean off, instead of going cold turkey, and I don't know about Xanax.

That said, when I was battling depression during pregnancy with my second, my midwife gave me some very wonderful, very helpful advice: increase Omega-3 fatty acids. She recommended flaxseed oil capsules, 1000 mg 3X daily, and give it a week to work. After a week, since that didn't quite "cure" it, (I stopped getting worse, but I was hovering in a grey fog), she told me 2000 mg in the morning, 1000 at lunch, 1000 at night. The next increase, which I ended up not needing, was 2000 in the morning, 1000 at lunch, 2000 in the evening. Do not exceed 5000 mg a day!

Sounded like hippy bunk to me when she said it, but I really believe it saved my sanity, if not my life. It worked better than any antidepressant I've ever been on, cheaper, and so much safer. I now take it for a week before and a few days during my period, and my PMDD is WAY better, too.

You might try adding some flaxseed oil and see if it lets you cut back or eliminate the other meds. Can't hurt to try, and help feels so hard to come by with depression and anxiety.
Damiana tea, hot or cold, available at health food stores is also known to help with hormone-induced anxiety. While pregnant and going to school, I took a great big bottle to class with me, and just rode out the stress. I also use it when I am hormonal and want to bop my kids for being little heathens. It can be sweetened with honey or sugar, and it's pleasant, once you get used to the flavor, which is... different.

Hang in there. It's going to get better!

Peace and blessings

My suggestion is to get off of all those drugs. Unfortunately, doctors are great for what they do, but all they know to do is a quick fix with drugs. Women go thru post-partum after baby is born because their progesterone level has dropped from 400 to zero. I have studied this for over 4 years and have read Dr John Lee's book. I suggest that you get a natural progesterone cream and use it twice a day. Arbonne has a great one called Prolief. Ck out web at www.successfromtheheart.myarbonne.com

I have taken Paxil before for anxiety and the side effects do go away. However, if you do decide to stop, CONSULT your doctor first! Stopping on your own is not a good idea. And, the side effects you will have from NOT taking the medicine might be worse. You must wean yourself off and do it under your doctors care. My ppd only lasted about three weeks. Good luck to you!

How long have you been taking the meds? If you've just started, you will experience side effects that will end up waning a little, or that you learn to deal with.

But yeah, Xanax.... it's uh, tough stuff. Did your dr. tell you NOT to take it at the same time every day? It has very addictive properties to where, if you do, your body actually starts expecting it at that time every day! And yeah, it'll make you dopey, which may not be what you want with 3 kids.... My dr. prescribed Ativan "as needed", which she described as "Xanax's little brother" - pretty much nil addictive properties - but it still made me really tired, and I stopped taking it because I wasn't going to compromise the quality of care that I was giving my then-2-yr-old.

Also, I have taken Paxil before - for about a year, 9 or 10 years ago - and I will say it totally wipes out your sex drive (probably TMI, but I'm talking sensation and everything -- literally EVERY part of my body felt like my elbow, if you get me)!! With a 2-mo-old you may not be back into the swing of that yet anyway, but that is one of Paxil's infamous side effects.

Run a search on a company called Native Remedies. They have specific NATURAL herbal blends that have been thoroughly tested, and carry some that are specifically for postpartum and for breastfeeding moms!

But FIRST....talk to your dr. about the side effects, and as others have said, DO NOT get off of these meds cold turkey or without talking to the dr.! But tell her that from what you've researched that these Rx meds are not what you want to be doing and you want off ASAP. Bring info from the natural site so she can read it and see what you're wanting to do.

Best of luck!!