Breastfeeding Doubts???

you can go to safefetus.com and type in the name of the drug and it will tell you what drug category it is and info on whether or not it is considred safe in breastfeeding. I love the site! It also explains the different drug categories and their meanings. I hope this helps!

Yes, Zoloft is safe (an L2 drug). According to Medications and Mother's Milk by Thomas Hale PhD. (he is considered the leading researcher on medications and breastmilk) this is what Zoloft says:

Is has a long half life of 26 hours

It's peak plasma ratio (amount in your blood stream) is highest at 7 to 8 hours after taking it.

It has a 98% protein binding (PB) capacity - this is excellent since drugs with PB capacities over 90% make it harder to pass into the milk compartments.

It's molecular weight is 306 Daltons. Anything over 200 Daltons has trouble passing the mammary epithelium into the breast. In other world, the heavier the drug the less likely it passes. (I am on Remicade which weights 149,100!!!! daltons - needless to say, I nurse)

It has a very low Milk Plasma ration of 0.89 meaning that the ratio of the drug in your blood versus what appears in your milk is extremely low.

I can fax you the page from the book if you like. Facts like these based on research, physiology, chemistry and biology are always better than simple opinions.

In my opinion (and Hale's fact-based opinion) Zoloft is fine.

:)K.

I would check out the publications "Medications and Mother's Milk" the best resource of it's type out there to help you make a decision.

A lactation consultant can help...www.kellymom.com is a great resource for all bf questions. Here is "her" insight on 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 and minimal in the other infants. In two other studies of one and 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 and dosage tweaked as necessary

And here is the entire link on anti-depressants: http://www.kellymom.com/health/meds/antidepressants-hale1...

I took a heart medication successfully and nursed. It too had a low weight gain caveat, but my son was off the charts in growth, so it never was an issue.

Nursing itself is so good for you and baby and may help to alleviate depression in you and in the future for your babe.

By what I understand, the amount of the Zoloft that will pass through your breastmilk is unknown. The affect to the baby seems minimal, but there just doesn't seem to be enough data on the subject.

Some Dr.s out there just seem to hear the word "depression" and throw a pill at you. There are other things to treat depression other than drugs. Changing your diet, getting more excercise, talking with a girlfriend, calling your mom, listening to upbeat music... etc. I know. I had postpartum depression and got thru it without medication, even though it had been perscribed to me by my doctor.

Ask your doctor to tell you everything they know about the medication. If they can't tell you enough to ease your fears over taking it, you may want to reconcider. Also, ask them about behavioral therapies. What they know, what they reccomend, or if they can refer you to a therapist.

If you feel you need the medication to prevent you from harming yourself or your child, or that the depression is so heavy that you can't care for your child, medication could be considered. It's really a matter of weighing the options, pros and cons.

If you were prescribed Zoloft for depression, then it's important that you take the medication. I assume you told your physician that you were breastfeeding? What did they tell you about your medication and continuing to nurse? You can always call the pharmacist and ask them about the impact on your breast milk and then your baby. Again, it's important to talk with your doctor. You don't mention how old your baby is and this could would make a difference. Seeing as this is a weekend, the best place to get an immediate, general answer would be your pharmacist. They did give you information about the drug when they filled the prescription, read all of that as well.

I wish you well.

Ummmm.....this would make me very nervous too. But there is a good research article on Zoloft while breastfeeding here: http://www.obfocus.com/reference/Formulary/Drugs%20in%20P...
But I would also be curious why your doc prescribed you Zoloft in the first place. I don't know if you have suffered from depression before but it's possible that maybe you are having postpartum depression which might be better to treat another way. I had post partum depression & my homeopath helped me get out of my funk in a few days. If you'd like her contact info, let me know. And good luck with everthing.

I did a lot of research on taking SSRIs (of which family Zoloft is from) during pregnancy and breastfeeding and met with professionals regarding this. Although I take a different SSRI, only because I didn't want to switch from the one I was on, Zoloft has been shown to be practically non-existent in breastmilk. It is definitely one of the best ones for BF. I wouldn't be concerned about breastfeeding with it at all. Hopefully it will give you the relief you need. Best of luck.

I know the way you are feeling. I am taking wellbutrin for depression. I believe that zoloft is a safe one as well. It is more important for you baby to have a happy mommy.
Hope it works good for you, depression is no fun.
:(

I started taking Zoloft when I was about six months pregnant with my first. I was so depressed that I couldn't even work (I literally would be bawling in my car and couldn't get it together long enough to go inside). I have always battled depression, so I knew it wasn't just hormones.

I'm sure your doctor already told you that Zoloft is a safe antidepressant for pregnant or breastfeeding women. I had the same concerns and my doctor told me that the small, possible, side effects of taking Zoloft versus the baby having a depressed mom were far more favorable.

Here's a link to a helpful article on WebMD:
http://www.webmd.com/depression/features/moms-antidepress...

Here's an excerpt:
"Zoloft and Paxil. Based on all the studies' results, these are the "drugs of choice" for breastfeeding women, Wisner tells WebMD. Infants exposed to Paxil and Zoloft had undetectable levels of the antidepressant in their blood, she reports"

"There's such extensive literature about the potential negative impact of a mother's depression on her children," Hendrick tells WebMD. "They don't do as well in a variety of factors - scores on IQ tests later on. They don't have a secure attachment with their mother. As they grow up, they tend to show more aggressive behavior toward peers."

I hope this helps! A happy mom is a better mom :)

Dr. Thomas Hale wrote a book "Medications and Mother's Milk". Look in that or get in touch with a La Leche League leader who can look it up for you.

I have had great luck with acupuncture for depression, and many compassionate acupuncturists (like me) would take care of your baby while you are resting on the table. This doesn't answer your question, but it's another solution. A homeopath has tools to help you with weaning off Zoloft as well. There are studies that many people are dehydrated, and regular tall glasses of water work as well at lifting depression as Zoloft. What you eat affects how you look, feel, and act as well. Avoid the problematic foods and you might be able to avoid the Zoloft as well. Good luck.

I was on Zoloft for most of my 3rd pregnancy (out of desperation and with many misgivings) and I breastfed for 1 year while taking Zoloft as well. I was worried about the possible effects as well but thankfully, my daughter has no apparent problems (other than eczema which could be related to a lot of things). She is now 2 1/2 and I have since been able to wean myself off the Zoloft (very slowly & carefully) and start using a combination of St John's Wort & 5 HTP which works very well for me. Zoloft helped when I needed it but I didn't like the side effects and generally avoid traditional drugs so I'm happy to be able to use an herbal alternative now. Having said that, there are not a lot of studies done for those herbs (St John's Wort & 5 HTP) during breastfeeding so if you want to try them down the road, it's probably best to wait until you're done breastfeeding.

Best of luck to you!

If you are currently taking it, whatever you do DON"T just stop taking it without consulting your doctor. The rebound effects can make you much worse than you were to begin with. I am 99% sure that zoloft is fine while nursing, but you can always talk to the pediatrican and/or your OB to make sure.