experience of anyone takeing sertraline "lustral" anxiety medication whilst breastfeeding?

[MagicMojito]

Hi, i'd really appreciate any advice on this. I have been prescribed the above medication for anxiety. My gp admits he's not really up to date with the current breastfeeding advice so has a "switch to formula" mentality. I really want to continue breastfeeding DD if possible

Any advice/experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Just to add, my anxiety is a problem but I have been managing without pills for a long while, so i wouldn't be at risk to myself or anybody else by deciding not to take the medication. It would just hopefully make life a little easier/ more enjoyable if I could.

Hi,

your gp sounds fabulous....not!

I have been on Paroxetine (brand name Seroxat) for 18 months. It was the only 'safe' antidepressant my GP could advise for a nursing mother.

I had PND and anxiety, it is (if I remember correctly) used mainly for anxiety problems.

I have taken fluoxetine (brand name Prozac) in the past and had a crappy time on it (severe depression not related to PND) and really didn't want to go back onto AD's this time around. I actually love Seroxat though, that along with one to one CBT has really helped me overcome PND and put the anxiety down quite a few notches too

If in doubt there is an article, possibly in Breast Feeding Network, about drugs that can and can't be used whilst nursing. I haven't kept a copy of the link and it was 18 months ago that I used it, so I'm afraid you'll have to Google or hopefully someone will be along with the info shortly.

Hope you feel better soon

No experience of this specific medication sorry but you could try the Drugs In Breastmilk helpline (0844 412 4665). I found them really helpful when I had a query about antihistamines. Think it's ran by volunteers so you might need to leave a message, but a really lovely lady got back to me later the same day.

Hope everything works out for you

Thank you so much for replies, I wasn't really expecting any at this time of night!

I've been itching to take them since I got them as have been getting quite a bit worse lately but I'm a rather terrified of the whole thing if I'm honest
I will definitely ask about useing seroxat instead though. As stupid as it sounds Google is not my friend lately so I'm avoiding googling ANYTHING to do with health which makes finding info out on these things quite difficult!

And I will definitely make a note of that number ISpy

MIND have a list of safe medication to take for PND on their website.
I was just reading it a few mins ago

www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/postnatal-depression/self-help-and-treatments/#.VSMm7slwbqA

tired thank you, for that link.

I'm due to start talking therapy next month so I might try to hold off on the pills until then, it may sort its self out by then anyway. It doesn't seem fair to just hope DD will be OK when she's the one that would have to live with any consequences

Thank you so much for the advice! and for you all X

I'm taking 100mg daily while bf, and was told it was safe. Also took it while pregnant. My GP said it was one of the safest, and I heard the same thing from several other sources too.

It's the drug of choice for bf mothers.
Hardly any active compound gets into breast milk and studies have found only trace amounts in bf infants, even when mothers are taking 200mg daily.
I've taken it whilst bf both my dc (and throughout both pregnancies).
Hope you feel better soon x

Get well soon lovely

I've been on it for years and have breastfed two children for 4.5 years in total.

It is the preferred choice for pregnant and Breastfeeding women, having said that studies are thin on the ground as it would be unethical to do any sort of controlled trial. I believe anyway, I'm not a medic.

Thanks again everyone. I know i seem really silly (and possibly irresponsible) to be asking on here instead of talking to gp, but I just can't face going back at the minute, especially as I haven't even tried this medication yet. So this really is the nextnext best thing actually a lot more helpful and reassuring

Can I possibly just ask you one last question? Did any of the side affects effect your ability to safely look after your children on your own? Some of the possible side effects are quite terrifying and I'm the main care giver to DC.

Sertraline enabled me to get more sleep and feel less overwhelmed by noise, mess etc so for me I improved my ability to look after my children on my own.

Everyone's different though - could you arrange to start taking if over a weekend or if there's someone else around?

No side-effects for me, though the first few days of taking it I think were a bit rough - just felt on edge at first. I agree that it improves my care giving. But I'd agree with trying to have someone around to help out for the first few days; if you co-sleep you should also maybe stop that for a bit until you make sure it's not making you too drowsy.

Hi. I had severe depression in the last two months of pregnancy, having come off fluoxetine when pregnant, as the advice at that time (10 years ago) was to try to avoid ADs when pregnant. When dd was two days old I was prescribed sertaline by hospital psychiatrist because it was safe with breastfeeding. Had no side effects at all (had had quite a few with seroxat which I'd previously been on, and I knew that fluoxetine is found in breastmilk, though no long lasting effects found on baby). Breastfed for two year with dd, and then kept taking the sertraline. Suggested coming off it when pregnant with ds 18 months later, but doc advised against it, and I had a much easier pregnancy. Also breastfed ds for one year. I wouldn't hold off taking them if you need them.