Pristiq withdrawals in baby
I'm really struggling with guilt. My baby is just over 72 hours old and I think he may be experiencing withdrawals from my medication. Tonight he has been shaking in his sleep, and has been quite irritable all day.
I just feel so much guilt that he is struggling because of me. Before getting pregnant I spent months weaning myself off the medication but then after I was completely off of them I experienced severe panic episodes, so decided it was best to go back on the meds.
I was on the lowest dose they prescribe in Aus, 50mg. And to ease my guilt at the time I told myself everything would be fine and it was just what I needed to do (I've tried other medications, like Sertraline, that are considered safe during pregnancy, but they didn't work for me).
Now I'm struggling so much with self hatred, and the guilt that my baby is being punished because of me.
And because small amounts of Pristiq are going through my breastmilk to him, I'm now also experiencing fears and anxiety that I'm actually harming him from the long term exposure to the medication.
I'm sorry, I know this sounds crazy and maybe it is - my mental health is just really struggling in general rn - I just needed to get this out. I guess I'm also looking for reassurance, and to hear other people's experiences of having to make the same choice. I'd also love to hear from anyone who's kids are a bit older now to help ease my mind that I'm not permanently hurting him.
Posted May 10, 2026, 2:08 PM UTC