Antidepressants

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An antidepressant drug is commonly prescribed for women with postnatal depression, especially if the depression is moderate or severe. Symptoms such as low mood, poor sleep, poor concentration, irritability, etc, are often eased with an antidepressant. This may then allow you to function normally, and increase your ability to cope better with your new baby.

Antidepressants do not usually work straight away. It takes 2-4 weeks before their effect builds up fully. A common problem is that some people stop the drug after a week or so as they feel that it is doing no good. You need to give it time. Also, if it is helping, follow the course that a doctor recommends. A normal course of antidepressants lasts up to six months or more after symptoms have eased. Some people stop treatment too early and the depression quickly returns.

There are several types of antidepressants, each with various 'pros and cons'. For example, they differ in their possible side-effects. (The leaflet that comes in the drug packet provides a full list of possible side-effects.) If the first one that you try does not suit, then another may be found that is fine. Therefore, tell your doctor if you have any problems with an antidepressant. Antidepressants are not tranquillisers and are not thought to be addictive.

About 5-7 in 10 people with moderate or severe depression improve within a few weeks of starting treatment with a prescribed antidepressant. However, up to 3 in 10 people improve with dummy tablets (placebo) as some people would have improved in this time naturally. So, you are roughly twice as likely to improve with antidepressants compared to taking no treatment. However, they do not work in everybody.

Some antidepressants come out in breastmilk. The amounts are very small and are unlikely to cause any harm to the baby. However, if you are breastfeeding your doctor is likely to choose a drug that is well established and has a good safety record with breastfeeding mothers rather than a newer drug with less data about confirming safety in babies.