Psychiatrists have started prescribing Zuranolone, the first pill approved by the FDA to treat postpartum depression.
This gives mothers who are dealing with this condition new hope.
Taking Care of a Growing Concern
Particularly among parents in their 40s, postpartum depression is becoming increasingly common. Postpartum depression can affect up to one in five women. This illness can significantly impact a woman and her family, manifesting as extreme depression, worry, or hopelessness.
At UCLA Health's Maternal Outpatient Mental Health Services Clinic, where she oversees perinatal psychiatry, Dr. Misty Richards recalls seeing a patient who was still depressed five months after giving birth. Richards described a woman whose severe postpartum depression had caused her to cease eating and taking baths. According to reports, the patient's spouse missed work to care for his wife and their new child.
Postpartum Depression: How Bad is It?
Postpartum depression isn't just a short-term change in mood; it can have nasty effects. For moms, it raises the chance of suicide, diabetes, high blood pressure, and stroke.
Also, babies born to moms who have postpartum depression are more likely to have delays in development, emotional or behavioral problems, and even a higher chance of dying before they turn two. Years of thorough research led to the development of Zuranolone, the first medication to address this debilitating condition.
The FDA approved the substance in August 2023, but a lack of interested test subjects delayed its release. Before the FDA approved Zuranolone in 2019, an injection into a vein served as the primary method of treating postpartum depression.
However, this approach had significant drawbacks, including the potential for abrupt unconsciousness and the necessity for substantial sedation. These concerns led to its exclusive use in a limited number of specialized locations.
What Patients Have Said About Zuranolone
Several physicians have begun administering Zuranolone to their patients, closely monitoring them for 14 days. Some people have said they felt better as early as the fourth day of treatment.
Some of them felt sleepy at night, but they were fine in the morning. People who had long-term sadness that got worse after giving birth also found relief with Zuranolone when no other medicine worked.
Researchers are still studying Zuranolone's long-term effectiveness despite the promising results. The FDA's approval of this short-acting drug (taken for only two weeks) is a big step forward in the treatment of postpartum depression.
Brexanolone (Zulresso), previously the only other approved drug for this disease, required IV administration in a hospital. Like other types of depression, postpartum depression causes people to feel very sad and tired, lose interest in everyday tasks, and have trouble thinking clearly. In the worst cases, moms may think about hurting themselves or their kids.
Positive Results from a Clinical Trial
In a double-blind phase 3 study that happened in July 2023, zuranolone helped people with depression a lot more than a placebo. The study involved randomly assigning 196 women with serious postpartum depression to receive either Zuranolone or a sugar pill daily for 14 days.
People taking Zuranolone had significantly lower Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) scores than those taking the dummy. We also observed these changes on days 3, 28, and 45. Another thing that got a lot better with Zuranolone was the Clinical Global Impressions pain score.
Getting sleepy, dizzy, and drowsy were the most common side effects. But there were no significant side effects, like losing consciousness or having more suicidal thoughts. Zuranolone might be a new, quick-acting pill that can help with postpartum sadness, which is excellent news for many moms.
Zulanolone is a big step forward in the treatment of postpartum depression because it gives moms who are going through this challenging condition a new, good option. As more people take this medicine and feel better, it could change how moms get mental health care in a big way.
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