Question about Lexapro...mad the doc had me take it

OK.. so I need someone to give me some advice. A few weeks ago I was put in the hospital for about 4 days to try to stop contractions. At the time I was just about 24 weeks. Well, I got REALLY upset the second day I was there because no one was telling me anything, and they put me in with a horrible roommate. I was bursting into tears non stop. My doc had me take that anxiety pill Lexapro. I only took like 2 pills...one for a couple days. I asked like 50 million times if they were sure it was fine for me... i knew that the insomnia and crying wasn't any good either. They kept saying it was fine. I've been regretting it ever since and to top it all off TONIGHT on tv i see one of those random lawyer commercials that say "Did you take Lexapro while pregnant...does your child have heart problems or pulmonary artery issues". I started to freak out. My sis is a nurse and quickly said "oh you only had like 2....and the babies hearts were formed by then" But it also said something about taking it later in pregnancy. UGH!!!! I'm so aggravated that they even offered it. Anxiety pills have to be in your system for weeks before they are effective....so why the heck did they have me take those few.

Thanks for your help!!

 

I've been taking Lexapro my whole pregnancy (and did for my last, too). My doctors all felt that the risks for me taking it were much less than those if I didn't take it. I was given the final choice and I'm sorry to hear that it sounds like you weren't. That is the worst part of your post. I don't think you need to worry tons about the 2 pills affecting your baby, but hopefully the next time you are in a similar situation you'll have your say on what you would feel comfortable taking...

 

QUOTE(MellySue @ Feb 12 2009, 10:06 PM) [snapback]1188147[/snapback]
I've been taking Lexapro my whole pregnancy (and did for my last, too). My doctors all felt that the risks for me taking it were much less than those if I didn't take it. I was given the final choice and I'm sorry to hear that it sounds like you weren't. That is the worst part of your post. I don't think you need to worry tons about the 2 pills affecting your baby, but hopefully the next time you are in a similar situation you'll have your say on what you would feel comfortable taking...

Couldn't have said it better myself. I also took Lexapro for about 4 years before I got preggers and then for the first 4 or 5 months of pregnancy, then I switched to Celexa. My girls are fine, I'm sure your twins are ok too. I'm sorry that you had such an unpleasant experience with the dr's.

 

QUOTE(jen8675309 @ Feb 12 2009, 09:16 PM) [snapback]1188153[/snapback]
Couldn't have said it better myself. I also took Lexapro for about 4 years before I got preggers and then for the first 4 or 5 months of pregnancy, then I switched to Celexa. My girls are fine, I'm sure your twins are ok too. I'm sorry that you had such an unpleasant experience with the dr's.


Thanks for your replies ladies! I was lying here getting soooo angry! I guess I can't place the blame on the docs... my OB and the Peri I've been seeing have been wonderful... and I trust them, but I felt like that specific pill was being forced on me. I suppose I could have just refused to put it in my mouth...but when I would start to say "naaah...I'll be fine soon", the nurses would just stand there and preach about how it will be better for me. What could I say at that point when they wouldn't walk away?

I suppose the hysterics I was practically in was way worse for the girls. Anxiety must be hard on unborn babies, cuz I've been asked at the doc a few times since then if I'm ok in regards to that. They all check up on the "anxiety" I had more than the contractions! I suppose they go hand in hand though. But they get all serious when they bring up anxiety/depression.

 

Wow I am so sorry you weren't given much of a choice, it sounds like the best medicine for you would have been to keep you informed and to listen to your needs and desires.

 

I didnt take it while pregnant, but did after for ppd i was on it probably a year, but my insurance stopped paying for it and switched me to celexa.

 

I've been taking Lexapro for years. You see I use to take Paxil. I had a pretty bad pedistrian auto accident back in 2000.... I got hit by a Dodge Durango while I was at work (Chrysler) when I was crossing the cross walk. Nothing has ever worked for my Vertigo except for those drugs... it only works in about 10- 20% of closed head injuries/ vertigo and so on... Paxil was taken off the market for a while & it was replaced with Lexapro.

I was soooooooooo concerned with Lexapro while getting pregnant. I kept asking my primary, fertility, and ob doctors. I researched it as well. I would have put up with vertigo & bedrest the whole pregnancy if I had to. Anyway, I'm only on 10 mgs/day the lowest dosage. Nothing like that will harm the baby/babies. Now, if you were taking say 100 mgs/day or more for a long term the doctors would slowly whene you off. And have you off by the 3rd trimester for sure. Your couple of pills were ok. It's wrong how they handled your situation, but you are all ok!!!!!

 

Good info to know, I just started taking it again this week from a 5 month furlough. I didn't want to take anything with the babies growing just in case but decided that I really need it for me.

 

Thanks sooooo much for all of this info! I feel less alone, I really felt like I was the only one in the world who was on that medicine. I know that's silly... but I felt so dumb, and worried that i messed the girls up. You all are wonderful!