anti-depressants and b*eastfeeding (Zoloft?)

[CactusPair]

I was on Celexa before conceiving and it was life-changing! I weaned off when I got pregnant, but assume that I'd like to go back on an anti-depressant after delivery. Depression has been a struggle for me since jr. high and I also had an impossilbe time staying alseep at night before Celexa. It seemed to regulate my brain and allow me to rest for the first time in decades.

 

I had untreated PPD with my older dc and don't want to deal with that again. :confused: I need all my emotional and mental energy to take care of these kids!

 

I don't think Celexa is recommended for nursing moms.

 

What did/do you take while nursing? I keep seeing Zoloft mentioned.

 

Did you use Zoloft? Paxil? How did it work for you? What were the side effects, if any?

 

I know this can be a sensitive topic. I appreciate your sharing any experiences!

[SonshineLearner]

I feel for you! I have had some issues with depression. I found that there are some "up" moments in nursing, because of hormones....and also that coffee....(a little) helps. http://kellymom.com/ is a great site and I bet they have some info on there, too!

Carrie:-)

[Nayner]

I took a low dose of zoloft. Not treating depression was not an option, nor was putting an end to nursing. I really can't recall any side effects.

[Jill- OK]

...consulted with your doctor(s) about it? (Psychologist and pediatrician)

 

A good book that I liked, when breastfeeding, was Dr. Thomas Hale's Medications and Mother's Milk. It goes beyond "don't take this or that", and gives you a rudimentary understanding of how certain medications pass through, and which have had long term studies done, on effects on the infant. Great resource. You can learn a lot about how medications work from this book.

Edited May 26, 2009 by Jill, OK

[asta]

This is a list that a friend of mine came up with and posted on another board:

Books:

Pregnancy Blues by Shaila Kulkami

Ride At Your Own Risk: A Guide For Pregnant Women with Bipolar Disorder by Christina Marie Bailey

Bipolar and Pregnant: How To Manage and Succeed, etc. by Kristina K. Finn

The Pregnancy Decision Handbook for Women With Depression by Stephanie S. Durruthy

Medications and Mother's Milk: A Manual of Lactational Pharmacology

Treating Postnatal Depression: A Psychological Approach for Healthcare Practitioners by Jeannette Milgrom, et al.

Drugs in Pregnancy and Lactation by Gerald G. Briggs, Roger K. Freeman, Sumner J. Yaffe

This Isn't What I Expected: Overcoming Postpartum Depression by Karen R. Kleiman, Valerie Davis Raskin

Beyond the Blues: A Guide to Understanding and Treating Prenatal and Postpartum Depression by Shoshana S. Bennett, Pec Indman

Shouldn't I Be Happy: Emotional Problems of Pregnant and Postpartum Women by Shaila Misri, M.D.

Sleepless Days: 1 Woman's Journey Through Postpartum Depression by Susan Kushner Resnick

A Mother's Tears: Understanding the Mood Swings That Follow Childbirth by Arlene M. Huysman

 

(it covers a bit of everything)

 

 

asta

[wendow1]

I've not taken it while bf'ing but I know Zoloft is considered safe.

[KristenS]

I believe Lexapro is one considered safe for nursing. I was told (back with baby #1) that Paxil wasn't, but since I could barely tolerate the side effects, it didn't really matter much for us.

[Terabith]

I was on zoloft through 2 pregnancies and nursing. (Youngest just weaned at 3.5.) No side effects were noticed.

 

Celexa is not recommended, but it is not totally out of the question either. Many moms have nursed while on it. You have to weight the costs and benefits. It might make sense to do a trial on zoloft, and if it's not helping, switch back to celexa. Do you have access to a psychiatrist or a lactation consultant? Both of those might be useful to consult.

[Mommy22alyns]

I took Zoloft at varying doses while bf'ing Becca from 5-16.5 months and all throughout my pregnancy and bf'ing with Sylvia. We had no problems. My OB/GYN is the one who put me on it.

 

I hate Paxil and refuse to go back on it, ever.

[joannqn]

http://www.kellymom.com/health/meds/antidepressants-hale10-02.html#Celexa

 

 

There's the link to kellymom's article about it. It gives a variety of drugs and their known issues with nursing and the hierarchy of choices. Zoloft is preferred, then Paxil, then Celexa, and so on. The concern is greatest in the first three months.

 

I tried Paxil before I even go married. I didn't stay on it long because of side effects. I was on Zoloft after my second was a year old (should have been on it after my first was born and as soon as my second was born). I worked ok for me. I was still miserable and unhappy but no longer suicidal. I finally quit it when I realized that it was causing severe brain fog for me which as causing problems on a practical level.

[CactusPair]

Thanks for all the replies! I have an appt. next week and will bring this topic up.:001_smile: It's good to go in knowing the kinds of things to ask about.

[skaterbabs]

You might want to invest in a copy of Hale's for yourself, it's a very inexpensive book (about $40, and is updated every two years.)