Anti-Depressants/ Anti-Anxiety Meds While Breastfeeding

Hi,
I was on Zoloft for my post-partum panic attacks. I started when my son was about a week old and stayed on for about 3mos. I exclusively breastfed at the time and my ob said that very little passes through the milk and it doesn't usually have any effect on the baby. My son is now 3 years old and he is fine. In my case, it really helped with my panic attacks and anxiety. I started off with 25mg and went up to 50mg/day.

I also went to see a post-partum depression counselor who suggested fish oil supplements and protein in my diet.

I hope this helps.

I had problems with depression when i went on the mini-pill... if you are taking BC pill you may want to look for an alternative. Copper IUDs are great non hormone BC...

Hi Molly,

I agree with what all the other mom's suggested but I also think it is important when it comes to your physical and mental health to work directly with your doctor. They will know what the dangers are with taking medication and breast feeding. I know this as I have a medical condition and breast fed my son while on medication.

I have a very good friend who had been struggling with post partum and did end up taking medication. After a week she felt sooooo much better. If you can avoid medication that is great but if you can't don't worry or have feelings of guilt. Postpartum Depression is very common and you should not go untreated.

I hope things improve for you and that your doctor can help you find the best path for you.

Best wishes, N.

HI-I tool zoloft while breastfeeding. I started about 6 weeks postpartum while experiencing depression & severe anxiety. I lived in Denver at the time & wish I could receommend my Dr there to you. It took about 3 Drs & a support group to convince me to start taking them. I was very hesistant, but my Dr. who worked at Childrens hospital & specialized in working with moms who had postpartum depression told me that the research told them it was fine to take while nursing (while they told me it wasnt completely tested to take them while pregnant). I started feeling SOOOO much better. It was a godsend. I am pregnant with my 2nd now & will definitely go back on zoloft after I deliver. Most of the moms in my support group all had initial hesitations about going on meds while nursing to start out, but I would say the majority of us all did & really felt the difference. I was just looking it up online & http://postpartum.net/ looks like a good website. Good luck & dont hesitate to contact if you have any more questions. By the way, what kind of awesome job do you have that allows you to take your child to work?!?

Hi Molly-

I had an awful bout of PPD that lasted a good 5 months. I had the prescription of Zoloft filled and ended up never taking it. Maybe just knowing I had it if I REALLY needed it was enough. I also MADE time to walk for 20 minutes a day and I can't tell you how much the fresh air helped. I know it sounds too simple but it was enough to clear the head and receive some productive quiet time! Good luck!

Dear Molly,
I have worked with quite a few women with post partum depression. I refer them to the Pope Paul VI Institute for the Study of Human Reproduction. They have had amazing success in treating ppd with hormonal therapy.It is part of a new medical approach called NaProTechnology. I suggest you google NaProTechnology and post partum depression, or go to this link for more info http://www.naprotechnology.com/depression.htm
You would also benefit from charting the hormonal markers (Yes, this can be done accurately postpartum, when you are breastfeeding and not yet in cycles)and if you are going to be accessing the NaProTechnology, then you want to find a teacher of the FertilityCare System, or CrM system. In California, those teachers can be found at www.canfp.org

I would also recommend taking some form of Omega-3s. I'm nursing and I take flaxseed oil. It's good for the baby's neurological development and can also help you to feel better.

Hi molly,
Congrats on your new baby!
I had serious post-partum depression and anxiety with both my kids (6 yrm old girl, 10 month old boy). I tried breastfeeding with both of my kids but was never able to produce breastmilk :( I was on zoloft with my daughter, and it worked wonderfully, was okay'ed for breastfeeding.
I am on wellbutrin now, which my doctor said was safe for breastfeeding. Zoloft definatley worked better formy anxiety, but seriously reduces sex-drive. Wellbutrin had been working well in my case.
I wish you luck in trying to take care of yourself and your baby and hope you can find the right combination of treatments to help with the depression/anxiety.
Take care,
G.

Are you taking B-complex vitamins? Try taking a good multi-vitamin along with that. Make sure you are eating all your meals and try to stay away from sugar which zaps all your energy. Try exercising at least 30 minutes a day even if you have to pop in an exercise DVD or walk with the baby in a stroller. If you can get your blood flowing and actually break a sweat you will be amazed at how effective this exercise is for your depression. Getting outside in the fresh air is helpful too. Remember too that this is a very short time that you will feel this way. Having a baby is very stressful and joyful at the same time, a major life change that demands of you physically more than you ever have had to give. Take care of yourself physically and you will be up to the challenge. The more you exercise the better you will feel.

I have actually been taking Zoloft for about 3 months and I have been nursing my 5 month old. My 1st baby I didn't think I really needed it so I just waited it out and I regret it now, because I would have enjoyed my kids and husband that much more. With my 2nd (now 5 month old) I decided that I needed something because I was so moody and felt low all the time for now reason. I have been off work this whole time and would eat healthy, exercise and still it didn't get better on its own. My doctor and pediatrician said that Zoloft is the safest thing to take when you are nursing and their are no side affects for the baby. My daughter is very happy, sleeps 12 hours at night and is very healthy. Overall, I think Zoloft has made me a happier mom and I really enjoy my kids and I feel like I have so much more energy. Good Luck

Molly,
When I was nursing my kids I had to take tegratol (for siezures) and paxil for anxiety. The side effects of them were none to the baby, but I gained 80 lbs between the two of them. That only added to the depression. I no longer take either one of them. For me the lexapro seems to work the best for the depression.
W. M

As soon as I could, I started running, drinking lots of water, getting plenty of sunlight everyday and eating a very well-balanced diet.

I would cook with lots of green leafy vegetables making meals as much from scratch as I could. Go light on salt and fat, follow http://www.mypyramid.gov/mypyramidmoms/ and I took a multi-vitamin. Sometimes Dad had to cook or bring home food; it is not easy to prep with two young kids, sometimes the choice is to sleep or cook and I chose sleep. If this combination does not work, you should be getting additional help, but know your typical depression cycle (crankiness over what kinds of things, pulling back from relationships, etc) and let people who love you know when you need the extra sleep and time to yourself but don't isolate yourself. My lifelong cyclic depression (16 years now) is usually triggered by inconsistant sleep and lack of exercise; light and poor eating habits only make it worse. Organic foods (when you can find and afford them! So only choose the unprocessed ones where you eat their skin if money is tight), avoiding milk products except unsweetened yogurt, whole grains, etc. seem to keep the sugar levels more constant too. Take care of yourself so you can take care of those kids! They will take everything you have to give, huh?

I breastfed the first until 16 months and only stopped due to pregnancy making it uncomfortable. I am still breastfeeding the second on demand and she is now 17 months. Breastfeeding sure takes off the weight! I am at my high school weight again! And over time it gets to be quite a comfortable routine too. Just try not to have too many goals when the kids are with you or you will both be frustrated. This goal thing used to get to me too. Kids don't get goals until they are at least about 7 yeras old and more concrete.

I took Celexa for depression throughout my pregnancy and am currently continuing to take it while nursing. What my psychiatrist told me was that Zoloft is considered SLIGHTLY better than Celexa for breastfeeding moms, but it's only very slight. My baby is nearly 2 months old and it does not seem to affect her at all. I have personally had no side effects from Celexa at all, whereas Zoloft was awful for me. Good luck and take care of yourself.

Hi Molly,
I recommend exercise. It may seem too simple, or you may think you don't have time but try it - you will see positive change. Try running in your neighborhood - maybe you already have a baby jogger? I recently moved to a rural little town that has no gym (which is okay as since baby, I have no ability to get there) but I do have lots of home exercise suggestions I would love to share if you are intrested - just let me know.
In terms of Zoloft...I don't find that sufficient research has been comepleted on the effects of the meds secreted into breastmilk for me to be comfortable with it.
I hope this helps and reach out if I can provide some exercise ideas!

Hi, Molly--

There are situations in life when we meet our ups and downs and they are good for us to recognize our strengths and weaknesses and learn from them. From what I gathered through reading, postpartum depression is a normal feeling and not a "disease." That is why it is called "postpartum"-it happens after birth. I cried at the hospital when I had my baby 36 years ago, for an unknown reason. After the incident, things went on as I thought they should be after giving birth. Let the flow of life continue and experience its beauty.

I have also read that breastfeeding is good for both the mother and the baby. Whatever the mother takes in, the baby also gets. Nothing beats having the regimen of eating organic fruits and vegetables, more fiber, wild-caught salmon, and other foods that contain the least toxic ingredients or better yet, toxic-free. Sunshine and exercise are also good for you and ultimately, for the baby, too. There are natural and science-based supplements that are available.

Any drug is considered toxic and you do not want to pass that on to the baby. In the first place, the body does not need drugs nor at any time will it be drug-deficient. The body heals itself, and it is our responsibility to feed and care for it properly. It was Hippocrates who said, "Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food." As far as I know, there is no safe drug.

What we need to do is to remove the toxins from our body. Most of us are overloaded with them so that we end us with different kinds of symptoms. May I suggest Natural Cellular Defense as detoxifying agent? It is 100% natural, safe, and science-based and carries the FDA's GRAS (generally recognized as safe) designation. To feel your best everyday, there is Essential Daily Nutrition that contains the power of over 150 life-essential nutrients. Visit www.mywaiora.com/502042 for more information. I know they are good and can improve your health because my family and I have been using them for over two years now, and we are reaping their benefits.

Let me know if you have any questions regarding NCD and EDN. I would be happy to answer them for you. I hope that you will feel better and find the best way to deal with the situation. In my experience, it will pass naturally.

E. C

Hi Molly,
I had awful post-partum depression with my first child, and so when I got pregnant with my second child and started experiencing depression symptoms, my doctor put me on Zoloft. I was on it from about 12 weeks into my pregnancy, until my daughter was 6 months old. I breastfed and everything turned out fine! I wish I had been on Zoloft with my older child; I can only imagine that the first year of her life would have been so much better for the both of us if I had been in a better place mentally.

I wish you all the best, and congratulations on your new baby!

Hi Molly-
A good friend of mine had really bad post partum. Her doctor told her that 10 to 20 mg of prozac was the only thing that was safe while breast feeding. And they did not want to go over 10-15 mg unless she really needed it.

As far as natural remedies go, the biggest thing is getting up and moving around. The endorphines that cause chemical happiness are started up by movement- start with a walk every day if you can- then when the baby gets bigger, a power walk with the stroller. Sometimes a good yoga video does it for me. Also, since you are breast feeding, a diet change might help you. Lots of fruits and veggies (that are baby safe, of course), and loads of water. I just kicked my caffeine and soda habit and will NOT go back. My head hurt for days and my stomach- oh the nausea. Also, I am not sure how much protein a breast feeding mother needs, but when my husband and I went about 80% veggie, we noticed a huge change in our bodies and our spirits. The key is to realize that depression is a natural occurrence and as long as you recognize, whether it is a slightly down day or a severe blow, and you do what you can to counteract it, you are making a positive change. The last thing is to watch an uplifting flick or get yourself into either a personal Bible study for mom's or a prayer book or a daily encouragement or something that feeds your emotional and spiritual health. These little things will make small changes and hopefully boost you enough to keep afloat. If those things do not work, go for the medication. The one thing to know (my husband takes depression meds) is that they do not work right away. Some of them are in and out of your body daily, but most of them take 2-4 weeks to really stabilize you and get you feeling better. When and if you take them, and then when and if you go off of them (more exercise seems to equal less meds for the body) taper off. Cold turkey can toss you for a mental loop.
I hope this helps and that you feel better.
-E. Mc

I also wanted to add- just now thought of it- that if you can, steer clear of refined sugar and anything with it in it. It is a serious depressant for people who may be more sensitive and I have found that personally, after a month of removing it about 95% from my diet, that it really affects me when I do have it and not in a good way. I think I just never noticed it before because I got used to the way I felt. BUt now, I feel loads better, and it is amazing.

HI,
I took Celexa my whole 2 pregnancies and breastfeedings. Then, after much agonizing, I went back on Gabapentin (neurontin) which really works for me. I also use guieded meditations and journaling to help with my anxiety. good luck to you and I hope you find what works.
L.

Dear Molly,

I had to go on antidepressents and wanted to get pregnant and breast feed. My therapist said the only thing that was safe for both was Prozac. The only side effect for baby would be sleeping more. Hope this helps!!