Citalopram is an antidepressant that belongs to a group called Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors. This is mainly used to treat panic attacks and also anxiety disorder and works by changing the level of serotonin, a chemical in the brain.
Citalopram During Pregnancy:
Many women wonder whether taking antidepressants is safe during pregnancy. Taking Citalopram during pregnancy is double edged sword. Taking it might pose threats to you baby but not taking it may hinder your well being. There are women for whom having Citalopram while pregnant is very necessary. This is because, pregnancy triggers different types of hormones in your body and in such a situation, an antidepressant is much needed to keep you in your best self and feel good about yourself.
See More: Wellbutrin During Pregnancy
Treating depression during pregnancy is very essential because it is likely to have negative impacts on your child. Untreated depression during pregnancy is known to give rise to a host of new problems; like the expecting mother might turn to alcohol and smoking to prevent herself from getting depressed and smoking and drinking are invariably bad for the child.There are some antidepressants which are very safe during pregnancy and some that have been proved harmful for either the mother or the child.
See More: Drugs During Pregnancy
Is Citalopram safe during pregnancy? This can be answered best by balancing between the benefits and the risks. The chances of birth defects likely to occur in a child due to intake of this medicine is very low hence in most of the situations the mothers health and well being is given a priority. Since most of the internal organs of the child is formed in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, this is the high risk time when any drug is very likely to affect your child. If you happen to consume Citalopram during this period, it is best to first consult your doctor.
Intake of drugs during this time generally leads to few birth defects like: heart defects, however cases have shown that women who take Citalopram in pregnancy have babies with a normal heart. Antidepressants are also likely to cause digestive and urinary system defects in your newborn and at times things might even go a notch higher and the baby may develop eye and limb defect.
See More: Echinacea In Pregnancy
Children may also develop movement problem and attention deficit along with trouble in learning and thinking. However, Citalopram is not known to induce a risk of miscarriage in women who consume the drug, not is it known to induce stillbirth.
If you have already taken Citalopram while pregnant it is best to let your doctor know about it and leave it upon him to decide whether or not you need that particular drug and should continue with it. However, if you are already pregnant do not suddenly stop taking Citalopram as it could be disastrous for you and your child. Do not change your medication without any prior permission from your doctor.
Seek medical assistance before you consume any type of medicine. Keeping your doctor in the loop regarding what you consume is very important for the well being of your child. Taking Citalopram does not necessarily require additional monitoring of your baby but it is better to be safe than sorry. It is however avoidable that you gradually stop taking something in this case Citalopram) rather than cutting it off completely at one go. There is no risk in getting pregnant if a woman consumes Citalopram and neither is the child affected if the father tends to consume this drug.
