Which antidepressant is safest during breastfeeding?
I have a history of anxiety and depression and now I’m thinking of getting back on some meds. I had waited through my pregnancy because I didn’t want a chance of harming the baby but now I want to get back on them and I’m not sure which one I should try. I was on Prozac 20 mg previous to being pregnant and it was helping my depression but not really my anxiety, and I have been on Zoloft in the past and couldn’t stand it because of the side effects. Now I’m breastfeeding, so I need to find out which anti-anxiety/anti-depressant is the safest to take. I also keep looking up on google what harm do they do on the baby, and all of them say “discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor” but what bothers me is none of them actually tell me the risks. I know the benefits, but what are the risks exactly?
Tagged with: Antidepressant • breastfeeding • during • safest
Filed under: Depression during Pregnancy Effects on Baby
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Have you thought of trying something all natural? I would recommend seeing a naturopathic doctor and looking into some remedies such as St. John’s Wort.
Call your doctor.
Zoloft is currently the prefered SSRI. However, there are many others that are considered safe if Zoloft isn’t appropriate for you.
Here’s a page with some great info.
http://www.kellymom.com/health/meds/antidepressants-hale10-02.html
My doctor and my childs pediatrician both said zoloft was safe to take while breastfeeding. Since I was extremely paranoid, I took my pills at night after my sons last feeding. (He was also about 7 or 8 mos old and was sleeping long stretches at night) I was worried about him getting it from my breastmilk, which he would. I’m not sure which side effects you have had, I’ve been okay on it this round. They also started me off on the lowest does possible at first to see if that would work. Good luck and have talks with both sets of doctors and make the decision that is best for you and baby.
Zoloft and Paxil are usually prescribed. Please know that any anti-depressant you take while breastfeeding will be present in your baby’s brain tissue. Because anti-depressants are relatively new drugs, and there are very few pregnant/breastfeeding women willing to participate in clinical drug trials, very little is known about the long term effects of these drugs on the baby.
Make sure to talk to a pharmacist about the risks. They will know more than your doctor .
I have been suffering PPD for 9 months. I have found that I am able to cope with out drugs by having talks with my husband about how I feel, taking time to calm down when I get upset, and reassuring myself that I will be normal again one day.
EDIT: I am in no way anti-medication. A mother should not feel guilty about taking an anti-depressant. For me though, I just could not find enough solid evidence that the drug prescribed to me was indeed safe for breastfeeding.
When I talked to my doctor about this she preferred to try a more natural approach first. She said that recent studies are linking antidepressants during pregnancy to heart defects in babies. She prefers to keep anyone of child bearing age off of them if at all possible. She suggested I take fish oil tablets, any omega 3 fatty oil is ok, and 5-HPT. St. Johns Wart is not safe while breastfeeding.
I would consult your doctor about what medications are safe while your breastfeeding.
Safest Antidepressants to Take While Breastfeeding
Studies have shown the safest antidepressants for nursing mother’s to take are Zoloft or Paxil. Both are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) and work well on relieving postpartum depression. When blood levels for these drugs are done on breastfed infants whose mothers are taking these medications, the traces are are either low or not present. It appears that the amount of these drugs that pass into breast milk is minimal.
Safety and Risks of Taking Prozac While Breastfeeding
Prozac is another SSRI that can be taken by nursing mothers, but precautions need to be taken if this is the drug that is chosen, especially if Prozac is taken before the infant is two months old. Babies whose mothers took Prozac at the end of their pregnancy as well as while nursing are at a higher risk of developing toxicity because the drug has a longer half life than Zoloft of Paxil and stays in the babies system longer.
iVillage reports that breastfed infants whose mothers take Prozac may be more likely to develop colic and might be fussier than other babies. Studies have also shown that breastfed babies whose mothers take Prozac may have a slower rate of growth.
Dr. Sears states that Prozac can be safe and effective in low-doses as long as the infant is monitored. If taken in higher doses blood work may need to be done to make sure there is not too much of the medication in the baby’s blood.
http://breastfeeding.suite101.com/article.cfm/antidepressants_and_breastfeeding
On this site towards the bottem, there are a couple charts that tells you what medications are safe to take while breastfeeding.
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/2/T028500.asp