The first-ever oral medication to treat postpartum depression is being utilized right here in Pittsburgh, and local doctors are calling this new pill a game-changer.”One mother said to me, ‘I feel more like myself than I did before my pregnancy, like, I feel like I’m back there, and that’s where I wanted to be,'” said Dr. Ewurama Sackey, medical director of women’s behavioral health at Allegheny Health Network. Sackey said this response gave her hope when she started prescribing some women with postpartum depression the new pill zuranolone, which is sold under the brand name Zurzuvae.”What we’ve found is people who are experiencing postpartum depression, this really does help lower their level of depression,” Sackey said. “It really does help them to better engage in the things that they want to do: therapy, bonding with their babies, being more functional, being with their families.”Before this new pill, the only postpartum-specific medication was brexanolone, which is administered through an IV over 60 hours and requires people to stay in the hospital during that treatment.Sackey said that’s “basically three days in the hospital. A lot of people can’t be there with (their) baby or (their) family members. And a lot of people experience some side effects on it.”The time commitment alone makes it difficult for a lot of new moms. That’s why this new oral medication may be appealing to more people.”In terms of this medication, zuranolone, you can take it at home, take the medication over 14 days. It is longer acting, and people seem to be tolerating it pretty well,” Sackey said.She said you can’t breastfeed while taking this medication, and you can’t drive for at least 12 hours after taking it because of the side effects.Sackey said mothers “do experience some sedation tiredness. A few people, some dizziness. But that gets better over the 14-day course, and we’ve seen people experience results within the first three days, like their mood is getting better.”So far, about 10 to 15 of her patients have tried zuranolone, and the response has been positive.”It looks like they are caring for themselves more, they’re showering more, they’re able to better discuss how they’re feeling,” Sackey said.She said this new medication is evidence-based and another great tool to help treat postpartum depression.”It’s really important, when we have something new or a medication, that you don’t push it on people, that you really hear them, that you’re with them every step of the way, that you give them options and agency, and that you’re there to support them in whatever decision they make,” Sackey said.She said, “We don’t know the long-term effects of it, but we’ve seen so far that it has been helpful to the research that was done for it to get FDA-approved. But also what we’re seeing firsthand with our patients in our clinic.”When it comes to postpartum depression, Sackey said a lot of work still needs to be done, but this new medication is a step in the right direction.”I do think there are a lot of areas where we do need to work on it. So about one in five birthing people experience postpartum depression or perinatal depression,” Sackey said. “We do have an issue in terms of Black birthing people, people who identify as indigenous, Latin, Asian. Their numbers are exponentially higher. And so I think it’s really important that we’re able to screen all people as well as get people treatment when they need it.”
The first-ever oral medication to treat postpartum depression is being utilized right here in Pittsburgh, and local doctors are calling this new pill a game-changer.
“One mother said to me, ‘I feel more like myself than I did before my pregnancy, like, I feel like I’m back there, and that’s where I wanted to be,'” said Dr. Ewurama Sackey, medical director of women’s behavioral health at Allegheny Health Network.
Sackey said this response gave her hope when she started prescribing some women with postpartum depression the new pill zuranolone, which is sold under the brand name Zurzuvae.
“What we’ve found is people who are experiencing postpartum depression, this really does help lower their level of depression,” Sackey said. “It really does help them to better engage in the things that they want to do: therapy, bonding with their babies, being more functional, being with their families.”
Before this new pill, the only postpartum-specific medication was brexanolone, which is administered through an IV over 60 hours and requires people to stay in the hospital during that treatment.
Sackey said that’s “basically three days in the hospital. A lot of people can’t be there with (their) baby or (their) family members. And a lot of people experience some side effects on it.”
The time commitment alone makes it difficult for a lot of new moms. That’s why this new oral medication may be appealing to more people.
“In terms of this medication, zuranolone, you can take it at home, take the medication over 14 days. It is longer acting, and people seem to be tolerating it pretty well,” Sackey said.
She said you can’t breastfeed while taking this medication, and you can’t drive for at least 12 hours after taking it because of the side effects.
Sackey said mothers “do experience some sedation tiredness. A few people, some dizziness. But that gets better over the 14-day course, and we’ve seen people experience results within the first three days, like their mood is getting better.”
So far, about 10 to 15 of her patients have tried zuranolone, and the response has been positive.
“It looks like they are caring for themselves more, they’re showering more, they’re able to better discuss how they’re feeling,” Sackey said.
She said this new medication is evidence-based and another great tool to help treat postpartum depression.
“It’s really important, when we have something new or a medication, that you don’t push it on people, that you really hear them, that you’re with them every step of the way, that you give them options and agency, and that you’re there to support them in whatever decision they make,” Sackey said.
She said, “We don’t know the long-term effects of it, but we’ve seen so far that it has been helpful to the research that was done for it to get FDA-approved. But also what we’re seeing firsthand with our patients in our clinic.”
When it comes to postpartum depression, Sackey said a lot of work still needs to be done, but this new medication is a step in the right direction.
“I do think there are a lot of areas where we do need to work on it. So about one in five birthing people experience postpartum depression or perinatal depression,” Sackey said. “We do have an issue in terms of Black birthing people, people who identify as indigenous, Latin, Asian. Their numbers are exponentially higher. And so I think it’s really important that we’re able to screen all people as well as get people treatment when they need it.”
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