FDA Approves First-Ever Drug to Treat Postpartum Depression
On Tuesday, March 19th, the US Food,
Postpartum depression, PPD, is a serious mental illness that impacts one out of every seven new mothers after childbirth. PPD is a very serious condition which can even be life threatening when severe enough. PPD can interfere with the bonding process between mother and infant New mothers suffering from postpartum depression can have thoughts of self-harm or causing harm to their child.
The new drug, Zulresso is only administrable to patients under strict monitoring at certified health care facilities as there are risks of excessive sedation or sudden loss of consciousness, according to Dr. Tiffany Farchione who is the acting director of the Division of Psychiatry in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.
Drug to Treat Postpartum Depression
Zulresso is administered intravenously over a period of sixty hours. Patients could see some mild side effects such as a headache, dizziness or sleepiness along with more servere side effects such as sudden loss of consciousness. The new wonder drug could come with a hefty price tag of $20,000 to $35,000 per treatment, with one sixty-hour vial costing $7,450
Dr. Jeff Jonas, CEO of Sage Therapeutics, Inc. said that the drug to treat postpartum depression will be available in June.
Postpartum depression does not go away on its own, if left untreated it can make it very difficult for you to get through your day, and can affect your ability to take care of your child or yourself. If you find that you have experienced any of the symptoms of PPD, it is extremely important that you contact your healthcare provider to talk about a treatment plan.
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Did you suffer from PPD? Would this new drug to treat postpartum depression have helped? Let us know in the comments.
