Hi, my husband and I are thinking about expanding our family. We would like to have a baby. But, there is a small problem we have to deal first. I suffer from an anxiety disorder. I am on paxil therapy so I worry if I continue using this drug when I get pregnant what effect it might have on my baby. I know that a friend of mine who was on paxil when she got pregnant her doctor transferred her to buspar. Can you tell me something about the effects of both paxil and buspar on pregnancy?
Hi, and first of all, I would like to say that it is a great thing you and your husband are thinking about having a baby. And it is also very important that you discus your therapy before you start putting your idea into action. I believe that you shouldn't do anything on your own. After all you won't be able to take care of your baby if you illness is not controlled. Paxil is a very serious drug. It is designed to treat severe cases of general anxiety. Buspar, on the other hand, is used as a short term drug for the relief of anxiety symptoms. The thing about drugs used to treat psychiatric condition is that the doctors are not quite sure about their effects during pregnancy. There are not enough studies to show their benefits and side effects during pregnancy. For instance, Paxil was first a class B drug, which meant that it was thought to be unlikely to harm the unborn baby. Later, it was transferred into group C and now Paxil is a group D drug which means that the scientists have determined that Paxil can cause heart defects in unborn babies. Buspar is a pregnancy category B and this suggests that it is safer than Paxil. I would advise you to talk to your psychiatrist first and to your OBGYN too. Only these two persons and you can make the safest decision for you and your baby.
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