Possibly pregnant, should I quit antidepressant? 9.3.6 to 60, and 40.3.6 to 50

[Owlietta]

I feel like there is a fairly good chance I'm pregnant, but it is too early for a test, as I would have conceived just a week ago. I already quit alcohol, don't smoke, have also cut back on caffeine, etc.

But, I do take an SSRI antidepressant (sertraline, 50mg. daily). This is a maintenance dose, low, mainly so I don't get anxiety/depression again. I already have permission from the doctor to taper down and/or quit, but from my experience, I just tend to get anxious/depressed again if I quit altogether.

Studies show a non-significant increase in some serious birth defects, but it seems like the risk to a fetus is pretty low. Still, I don't want to take any chances. I'm afraid of the SSRI being in my system during the 5th week, which is fundamental for organ development. SSRIs seems to be linked to prenatal organ defects, especially heart defects.

I start a new internship next monday, which makes me hesitate about quitting the antidepressant right now.

"What would happen if I quit (sertraline)?"
Result was 9, 3.6 -> 60

"How about if I reduce to 50 mg. every other day, which would be 25 mg. per day?"
Result was 40, 3.6 -> 50

I don't see any definitive answers, or one option being much better than the other, do you? I read Karcher, by the way. In 40 Deliverance, I am picking up a "stop worrying so much" tone, among other things. Right, and that's partly why I take sertraline.
My current inclination is to reduce to 25 mg. until I find out for sure whether I'm pregnant.

I am interested in any insights!

 

[rosada]

I see 9.3 as representing your uncertainty and 9.6 as representing not going further with the meds and 60 as referring to your situation, your wondering about limits.

Not sure about the second toss. 50 always sounds good but in reality it hasn’t always worked out that way. 50, The Ting, suggests everything is thrown into the soup so that does make me think there is no avoiding the influence of the meds.

I have to take off now but I just wanted to get the conversation started,

I know you are just asking this question out of curiosity in hopes talking options over here will help give you clarity but I do want to put it out there that of course you mustn’t base your decision on any thing we say here!

 

[legume]

I know you are just asking this question out of curiosity in hopes talking options over here will help give you clarity but I do want to put it out there that of course you mustn’t base your decision on any thing we say here!

well said and that's pretty much why i stopped myself initially before replying...

i agree with what you take out of it, that's "stop worrying so much" as i believe in some ways the state of mind and the thoughts we feed ourselves can be sometimes potentially more harmful than the drugs we take. yet as the ssri's aim to help with that mindset, the whole reading becomes a bit more of a conundrum.

i find it rather difficult to interpret, as i see what rosada already mentioned, the first cast and its changing lines could be about how you see yourself at the time of asking the question and wondering about setting the limits. i can also gather how Yi's answer would prompt you to then ask about reducing a dosage. and in comparison, the omens in the 2nd cast look more favourable.

but i also wouldn't worry too much about the "misfortune" of hexagram 9. sometimes the misfortune is referring to emotional state we find ourselves in, this could be the result of quitting medication, yet it doesn't have to mean failure. maybe more like an emotional crisis? thus maybe Yi's giving advice in that case not to strive for victory but take things step by step, find the right boundaries for the whole situation?

and i'm also thinking that 40.3 could speak of the burden you'd continue to carry if you keep on taking the medicine. then shooting the hawk in line 6 can mean that even if you continue, you'll eventually have to address the root cause anyway (and from Wilhelm: The image of THE CALDRON. Thus the superior man consolidates his fate by making his position correct).

i feel both readings are rather encouraging in terms of you finding the right way for yourself in this. maybe it's good time to find out or test out the best approach or solution. maybe it's somewhere inbetween the two readings?

and not I Ching related at all, but maybe worth mentioning, afaik, parmesan, walnuts, fruits and vegetables are good source of chemical precursor of serotonin and chocolate can be a great mood booster too

 

[Owlietta]

Thank you for the thoughtful replies.
I thought about it, and decided it's easier to taper down than to quit cold turkey, so as to avoid any withdrawals. 25 mg a day really isn't that much anyway. I'll quit completely if I find out I'm pregnant. It'll take at least a week until a pregnancy test can give reliable results, but I'll come back and update when I find out.

 

[Owlietta]

Got my period this morning, so I'm not pregnant. I'm feeling approx. 50% disappointed and 50% relieved.
I'm feeling great with a reduction to 25 mg. zoloft/sertraline, and I will continue at this minimal dose until I feel confident enough to quit completely.
I have to say, these 1.5 or 2 weeks of my life (questioning/anxiety of possible pregnancy) has been a great opportunity for me to examine how healthy my behaviors are or are not. I love that I gave up alcohol completely and cut back on caffeine without the slightest desire for more! I feel like this was a positive experience for me, overall. Let's just hope I can keep up the good spirits!

Thanks to you both, for your thoughtful comments, rosada & legume.

 

[Owlietta]

Oh, and also... last night I asked something like "sorry to ask again but am I going to be facing a mild disappointment?" (mild disappointment in my situation = not pregnant)
Result was 9.3
Interesting, since I already got 9.3
It was something about the spokes not being present on the wheels. In my case this could be a non-existent embryo, or some chromosomal aberrations..? I interpreted the husband and wife rolling their eyes at each other, as the mind and the body misinterpreting signals. It's the given that women do not actually know that they are or are not pregnant, so the mind gets tricked by the body. This happens all the time in the two-week-wait before pregnancy tests are accurate.
9.3 to 61, yes? 61 "inner truth" This says it all, I suppose. Monday morning quarterbacking, if you prefer.