Anti-depressant Sertraline (Lustral) while breastfeeding

[lau77]

I have been prescribed Sertraline for PND and am keen to continue breastfeeding my 2 week old. While sources imply it is safe no-one will give a 100% guarantee. Has anyone taken this whilst feeding?

Hello!

Been taking sertrqaline for about 3 months and have been feeding dd. She was 11 months whn I started so not quite the same but I looked into it lloads.

Go for it. I've had great results from sertraline and breastfeeding is fab even if there's a little of the drug in it. I was reassured that when I'd been on tablets 2 weeks I went back to the doctor and he checked out my daughter too.

Hope you PND is relieved soon. It all gets so much better!

also....

findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0CYD/is_24_37/ai_95792145

www.medscape. com/viewarticle/458925

I haven't taken it myself but have had a lot of patients that have with no problems and it does work.

Safety research is very difficult - it is quite easy to prove that a drug is dangerous but impossible to give the 100% guarantee that we all desperately want.

Even things we are 99.999999% sure are safe like ultrasound don't have that guarantee so it is always a balance of possible risk against probable benefit. With breastfeeding and pregnancy the tendency in medical research is to be over rather than undercautious which can be a good thing

We know that PND however is bad for babies so well done for getting treatment

Been taking lustral nearly 7 months since DD was 6 weeks old, still BF, no probs, Dr said I can taper off soon (the tablets not breastfeeding). scared to begin with but Dr said would be OK, read somewhere (can't remember where) that possible side effect might be poor weight gain so kept getting her weighed but DD has put on loads. There was a thread about antidepressants and BF on the mental health board see here

I'm nursing my 32 month old and my 11 month old daughters whilst taking Sertraline. I've been on it for nearly 2 years.

They are both happy, healthy girls, though obviously don't base your decision on anecdotal evidence!

It's the recommended class of anti-depressants (SSRI's) and the recommended drug out of that class for nursing mothers.

Try googling Thomas Hale - he writes a book called medicines and mothers milk which is a meta-analysis of all the available data. He also has a forum for q&as about drugs.

I was on it when bfing ds. My consultant looked into it extensively and was very happy that I could bf.

how long did it take to work and make you feel better

I'm feeding my 36 month old and my 16 month old and am 11 weeks pg. I'm taking 100mg of sertraline a day (2 years now for PND-OCD)plus an anti-epileptic and I've been assured that it's a better risk for my girls to get the very low levels of drugs through my milk than risking ffing (see explanation for seemingly offensive statement). Dr Hale has the latest research or you could contact www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk for personalised information from a trained UK pharmacist.

Explanation :- my eldest has asthma (3 different meds a day), exzcema (6 different meds) and has urticarial (hives) reations quite often. She was ffed for 1st two months before weaning back to bfeeding. Where as my youngest has mild exzcema only and has only had 40mls of formula ever. There is a very strong family history of these conditions on both sides so please don't anyone bash me!

Doh already replied ages ago

i HAVE BEEN ON SERTRALINE FOR ABOUT 4 WEEKS NOW WAS ON 100.MG AND THEN dr PUT ME ON 50.MG
HOW LONG DO THEY TAKE TO WORK BE FOR YOU FEEL BTEERE. CAN SOME ONE SAY PLEASE FEEL LIKE I AN GOING MAD HOPE

I've just been prescribed Sertraline for PTSD and Anxiety. I am Bfing my 6 and a half month old.

I've not actually taken one yet. The leaflet in the pack has terrified me

It's nice to read that other mums have been prescribed it, i was worried my Dr had it wrong.

I took sertraline while breastfeeding my son. It cured the depression within six months and did not affect my son in anyway.

worzsel, virtually all drugs are not licenced for breastfeeding mums because companies do not want to carry out the drugs tests.

However thousands of women have used sertaline while breastfeeding without any disasters. It isn't ideal to take medication while breastfeeding, but formula feeding isn't ideal either.

If you have clinical depression it can damage your baby's development if it is not treated. PND is often a hormonal imbalance and anti depressants work well.

Anti depressants don't work well if the personal circumstances are dire and the person has a real reason to be depressed. Being unhappy for good reason is not an illness.

I'm not unhappy, I'm not looking for a pick me up. M having anxiety attacks related to losing a baby, having emergency surgery while I was awake to try and save the next one then being told we'd lose him too and then having him 13 weeks early by emcs after an abruption.

Good reason, I think so - Good fun, not really.