For those of you with bipolar disorder?!

For those of you with bipolar disorder?

I was just diagnosed with it yesterday, I am also 5 months pregnant, and I'm afraid to take the celexa prescribed to me for fear that it will harm my unborn child...any of you been through or know anyone who has been through a similar experience?

There seems to be reason to believe that Celexa (citalopram is its generic name) is safe for pregnant women. A Canadian study in 2005 found no significant increases in birth defects among 108 women tested. Below is a quote from a news report I picked up from Medscape.com (great site for health care related stuff):

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Dec 16 - The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) citalopram may be used cautiously in pregnant women, according to a report from Canada. The researchers report no excess birth defect risk, although an increased risk of poor neonatal adaptation was seen with late use of citalopram.

Previous studies investigating the safety of citalopram use during pregnancy failed to demonstrate an increased risk of teratogenesis, the authors explain. Nevertheless, some women choose to discontinue their drug therapy during pregnancy out of fear of harming the unborn child.

Anna Sivojelezova and colleagues from The Hospital for Sick Children and the University of Toronto, Ontario, investigated whether citalopram use during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, including birth defects and neonatal complications, in 396 women.

The researchers report in the December issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology that, among 108 women exposed to citalopram during the first trimester, only one baby (0.9%) was born with a major malformation, a case of umbilical and scrotal hernia necessitating surgical correction.

The rate of perinatal complications after third trimester exposure to citalopram was not increased over that in women not exposed to citalopram, but the risk of neonatal intensive care unit admission increased fourfold.

The investigators believe that the increased rate of neonatal intensive care unit admission may have resulted from an increased incidence of poor neonatal adaptation syndrome, which has previously been reported after late pregnancy exposure to SSRIs. "However," they write, "a pharmacokinetic study will be needed to prove this mechanism beyond doubt."

"In summary," the team writes, "our findings do not support an association between citalopram with any major teratogenic risk in humans."

They conclude, "Our data suggest that pregnant women who require pharmacotherapy with citalopram may continue their treatment during pregnancy with close monitoring of their condition by a qualified medical professional."

Am J Obstet Gynecol 2005;193:2004-2009.