I am breastfeeding and my doctor perscribed me zoloft for depression is it ok to take while breastfeeding

it is more than OK

according to Dr. Thomas Hale, who is the leader in research & author of ''Medication & Mother is Milk, a pharmacological guide'' - says it is the best! it is #1 on his list of antidepressants!

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http://kellymom.com/health/meds/antidepressants-hale10-02.html
When choosing a medication SSRIs r generally the preferred choice for a breastfeeding mother. Side effects from SSRIs r most common in the first 3 months postpartum; so with an older baby, there is little concern. Hale is ''choice hierarchy'' is as follows:

Zoloft
Paxil
Celexa
Effexor
Prozac

Yes! I mean no disrespect to the person who said it can all be cleared with good diet, exercise, etc., but I tried that for almost a year & it never made a difference! Granted, I did not go quite as extreme. but how many people can actually do all that & still have a life! I mean, u r a MOM for pete is sake! When I was diagnosed with Bi-polar disorder I thought I'd been taking pretty good care of myself, but I kicked it into high gear(although, like I said, not to the extreme). I still kept cycling & anytime a major stress would come up(I was in college, so basically anytime I had a test!) I just could not handle it. Zoloft has been a lifesaver for me! I went off of it while I was pregnant to protect my baby, but as soon as he was born I went back on it. I need to be in the best mental shape possible for my little guy! It is still controversial since a tiny amount is detected in the breastmilk, but the people who throw a fit about it tend to be extremists.

If u can go completely natural & organic & it gets rid of ur depression, more power to you! Having been down that road though, I know it does not work for everyone. Modern medicine has done so many wonderful things & it is perfectly fine to take advantage of a medicine that allows u to be a good mom! What would u rather- be able to be loving, playful & a great teacher to ur child, but have the tiniest amount of a medicine that has been proven to be safe get into ur breastmilk, or be so extreme about health that they feel u care about it more than them. Also, the second option might just make them rebel & become junk-food addicts, which is what happened to my husband!

NO. NO. NO.

I can not stress enough how dangerous this drug is. And not to sound like Tom Cruise here, but ur depression, post partum or otherwise, can be cured with diet & exercise. This is from someone who had terrible depression, anxiety, & panic disorder for years. I was a guinea pig for my doctor.he just kept writing prescriptions. After I began hallucinating from zoloft, I fired my doctor, left the practice, & got a homeopath.

Long story short, I only eat organic food, I do not eat any madmade products, i use only natural products on my body, I do not take any medication of any kind, I take fish oil, vitamins, & drink apple cider vinegar. I walk 4 miles daily. I horseback ride. THIS is what cured my depression & anxiety. In a matter of weeks I felt like a new person & it is been 6 years & I still feel fabulous.

I did not have any post partum with my son, but I was strict with my diet & I got off my c-sec pain meds in 4 days, got outside, & drank water & took probiotics to counter thr anti biotics.

You r nursing. Your baby needs u to have a clean body free from toxins & chemicals. Everything u eat & drink will affect ur milk. Eat well, exercise, & please I beg u not to take those awful antidepressants. I hope one day soon they will be taken off the market.

Mind over matter is also a powerful tool. I know it is not easy to hear that but I can look back & remeber what u r feeling & I realize now that u do have the power to get yourself better.

It is safe to use in lactation.

I would make sure your dr is aware that you are breastfeeding. I was on Zoloft after the birth of my son and was told NOT to breastfeed him while on the medication. Though that was many years ago as well.things may have changed between now and then. Best best is to ask your dr about it to make sure.

Did u tell the Dr. that prescribed the Zoloft that u were breastfeeding? Sometimes I have to remind my Dr. is several times that I am breastfeeding & then when they say they r going to prescribe something, I remind them again by asking ''Is it safe for me to take that while breastfeeding?'' Most Dr. is will look it up & see. Here is some info on Zoloft from kellymom.com:

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

Zoloft is the ''best drug choice so far''. It has a low, low transfer rate to breastmilk (17-173 ug/liter) in mothers taking up to 150 mg/day. In one excellent study of 11 mother/infant pairs, the zoloft was undetectable in 7 of the 11 breastfeeding infants' serum & minimal in the other infants. In two other studies of one & three mother/infant pairs respectively, zoloft was undetectable in the plasma of all 4 infants. A theoretical concern with Zoloft is that some babies may not gain weight as rapidly or as well when breastfed by moms on Zoloft; so weight gain should be monitored & dosage tweaked as necessary.

does ur dr know that ur breastfeeding? if she does & she prescribed it anyway then yes.



Since formula is a readily available alternative, many doctors will encourage moms to simply bypass breastfeeding if they r taking a prescription like Zoloft to treat things like postpartum depression or PMDD. Here at The Lactivist blog, we're trying to help moms make better decisions & get the information that they need, so I decided to do some looking into the Zoloft & breastfeeding issue to see what I could make of it.

(NOTE: I am not a doctor - always talk to ur doctor about drugs like Zoloft & their impact on breastfeeding. I am just trying to share some resources. EDITED TO ADD: Dr. Thomas Hale has a great reference book that goes pretty in-depth on different drugs & breastfeeding: Medications & Mother is Milk: A Manual of Lactational Pharmacology)

According to research, very small amounts of Zoloft r found in the human breast milk of a nursing mother taking Zoloft. Studies show that about 1-2% of norsertraline, the breakdown product of Zoloft, r found in breast milk. It is generally agreed that taking Zoloft while breastfeeding does not have an adverse effect on nursing infants, but there have not yet been any long-term studies, so the issue is still up for some debate.

Seems to be.
http://thelactivist.blogspot.com/2005/12/zoloft-and-breastfeeding-is-it-safe.html