Mood stabilizers: Mood stabilizers, sexuality and pregnancy

^{From: Understanding psychiatric medications: Mood stabilizers - Information for consumers, families and friends (© 2009 CAMH)}

Will mood stabilizers affect my sex drive and function?

Taking mood stabilizers may reduce your interest in sex. This can be a good thing for some people and not so good for others. If you feel your interest in sex is too low, talk to your doctor about it. Sometimes an adjustment in dose can help.

Although not common, some men who take lithium report a decreased ability to maintain an erection or to ejaculate. With bipolar disorder, many complex factors other than medication may contribute to sexual difficulties.

In women, mood stabilizers may cause changes in the menstrual cycle. Carbamazepine and other anticonvulsants may reduce the effectiveness of birth control pills.

Is it safe to take mood stabilizers while pregnant or breastfeeding?

Each woman’s situation is unique and should be discussed with her doctor. For any pregnant woman with a history of bipolar disorder, the question of taking mood stabilizers during pregnancy usually comes down to a risk-benefit analysis. All mood stabilizers carry some risk—some more than others; however, episodes of depression or mania can affect prenatal care and a mother’s ability to parent her newborn child. When treatment with a mood stabilizer helps to avoid a relapse or to reduce distress, the benefits may outweigh the risks.

Taking lithium during the first trimester in pregnancy is believed to slightly increase the risk of a heart defect in the baby. This risk has been shown to be .05 per cent (i.e., one in 2,000). Newborns must be monitored for possible toxic effects of lithium; these effects usually resolve within one to two weeks.

Divalproex increases the risk of spinal defects in the developing baby by approximately five to nine per cent. Divalproex is also related to developmental delays and cognitive problems in children. Carbamazepine increases the risk of spinal defects by approximately one per cent. Lamotrigine is associated with a potential increased risk for cleft palate.

Lithium can be passed to the baby through breast milk; however, the amount varies greatly from woman to woman. Some women may be able to breastfeed with close monitoring of lithium levels in the mother’s milk and the baby’s blood.

The amount of anticonvulsant mood stabilizers passed through breast milk is very small and is not considered to be a risk to the baby, especially when weighed against the benefits of breastfeeding.

If you decide to stop taking medications during pregnancy or while breastfeeding, it is a good idea to see your doctor more often to help you monitor for a return of symptoms.

Contents

• Introduction
• Do I need treatment?
• What do mood stabilizers do?
• Side-effects
• Types of mood stabilizers
• Starting and stopping mood stabilizers
• Mood stabilizers, other drugs and driving
• Mood stabilizers, sexuality and pregnancy
• Is age an issue?
• Where can I get more information about mood stabilizers?
• How can I find treatment or a support group?

• Print
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