Zoloft and Long Term Effects

Dear Mom,

I also developed Post partum, and was given a Prescription for Zoloft.

I researched and I I just wasn't satisfied,

So I opted to wean my baby to formula and stop breastfeeding, due to my fear that something would go wrong.

While weaning I felt better, And never had to take the meds.

I am sure this is not the case for everyone, But this is my story and experience.

Good luck

M

1 mom found this helpful

Hi B.! Even though you may not be able to find studies out there now about this topic I have no doubt that there would be something passed on through breast feeding. Post Partum is terrible and I have know a few friends who suffered from it. Have you tried Nutritional supplementation before going the medication route? I say this because I have seen so many 'illnesses' subdued and even irradicated from supplementation. I am a Shaklee distributor and I have seen many lives changed as a result of nutritional supplementation. Let me know if you are interested and I will give you some ideas. Also don't forget that these drug companies have a huge amount of capital (ever drive by their corporate buildings.. WOW!) and can control/cover up just about anything that comes out about their drugs. Keep up the good work B., you are absolutely doing the right thing by breast feeding.. I bf all three of my girls and no allergies and very healthy kids! PS. Im 42 too!

I don't have any advice on this topic, since I am formula feeding my baby.. but just wanted to say good for you for doing everything possible to give your baby the best. If for whatever reason, you decide to switch to formula, just know that it is ok and also really good and healthy for your baby. After my first son was born, I suffered severe depression and was put on zoloft and made the decision to switch to formula (just for good measure, I was nervous etc). I wound up having to feed him soy because of his sensitive stomach, but anyway- he was a very strong, healthy baby on the formula. He was always in the top percentile of his height and weight and rarely got sick (occasional cold during the season). He's 2 now and verrry smart and ahead of a lot of friends kids developmentally with milestones etc. I now have my 2nd son, who is 5 weeks old and also on formula-- he too is doing great. so, if you do decide you don't want to worry about side effects, just know that your baby will do very well on formula too! Congrats on your baby and good luck with whatever you decide to do :)

I started taking Zoloft after my son was born 8 years ago. I still take it today and have had 2 girls and took it while I was pregnant. (The benefits outweighed the risks) They are 4 1/2 & 2 1/2 and there have not been any issues to date. I did not breastfeed however so they were only exposed to it while they were in womb. Good Luck and feel better.

I would suggest reading a few books by Dr. Daniel Amen first as well as Dr. Hyman's Ultramind Solution. There are usually alternatives to the drugs such as amino acids but it's important to see someone who knows what they're doing and is experienced with this. Both of these books are likely to have some resources or websites that can point you to a local practitioner or someone you can work with via phone/email.

All the best to you! Hope you find a non-drug solution and good for you for researching first!

I am 39, have clinical depression and have a 16-month-old son. He is beautiful and happy and curious and perfect (I think - but I'm partial!) My husband and I are both physicians and we did a lot of research (on our own, with a geneticist, with my OB/Gyn, with my psychiatrist, and later with his pediatrician - I tend to be somewhat anxious, too!). We decided that the benefits for me of staying on antidepressants during my pregnancy outweighed the risks of exposure for our unborn son. Parenthetically, I had a relapse of my depression while pregnant even while on medication. I ended up breastfeeding him for a short time, but had to stop (unrelated to the psych meds). If I could have continued to breastfeed I would have, I think.

The medication I was on then and am still on now is Effexor, which is an SNRI (similar to, but not exactly the same group of drug as, Zoloft, which is an SSRI). There is no good data on antidepressants and pregnancy or breastfeeding, only registry data (which means women who are already on certain medications and are pregnant or breastfeeding are followed and outcomes are recorded). It's the only way to get this type of information because it is not ethical to conduct scientific studies on pregnant women. There is not a huge amount of data, either, but the most data out there is actually on SSRI's. In any case, I don't have exact numbers for you, but the dose of medication that babies get through breastmilk is something like 10% of what the mother ingests. That said, there does not seem to be a correlation between long-term adverse effects (behavioral or academic) and exposure to SSRI's. Now like I said this is not exact information, nor is it medical advice, but Zoloft is probably pretty safe as far as antidepressants go in breastfeeding.

If I were you, I would talk to your baby's pediatrician and your own doctor (psychiatrist), and even go see a geneticist to get more accurate information yourself and make and informed decision. You may decide that your are so miserable (you can barely take care of yourself, let alone your baby or even just that the depression is affecting your bonding with your child - which I personally think has bigger ramifications for your child in the long-term, than exposure to Zoloft) that you really need the medication to function properly. In that case, then you have to decide how comfortable you are exposing your child to even a small dose of medication. If you're not sure, then you should abandon breastfeeding and focus on getting yourself out of the depression. If you're OK with it, then continue with breastfeeding. Don't be surprised if your pediatrician tells you not to do it. They are operating from a certain vantage point (what's best for their patients, ie. a child, given the scientific data available - not to mention medicolegal considerations) and are not necessarily concerned with you (you are not their patient). So, your depression may not be at the top of their list of concerns.

Unfortunately, there are no guarantees and it really is a risk-benefit ratio you have to consider. If you're not incapacitated by it and feel strongly about continuing to breastfeed, think about non-medication treatments (talk therapy, UV-light treatment, exercise/yoga, etc.).

I hope I didn't overwhelm you with too much information, but I can completely relate to your situation. You just have to get the information and do what feels right. Hope this helps. Good luck and enjoy your baby!

B.,

I had post partum anxiety after the birth eight months ago. I felt I was doing everything wrong and had insomnia and worried I would hurt mysefl. My doctor prescribed me Zoloft, but I didn't want to take it since breastfeeding. I figure that if the zoloft is helping me it would effect the baby somehow. There are no longterm studies about it, which is frustrating. Because you want to feel better but not harm the baby. My doctor also recommended a good counsler, which helped alot and is still helpling. I never took the Zoloft. Try to get out everyday and do something, once the baby started sleeping through the night things got better. But I would definately try to find a good counsler. -A.

Apparently Zoloft is better than Lexapro b/c I was switched when I started nursing. I'm on a low dose b/c I have mild anxiety but to be honest, I felt much better on the Lexapro. The pediatrician wasn't happy with me being on the Lexapro (although I was on it while I was pregnant) so my doc said the Zoloft is what he prescribes to moms b/c it doesn't get into the breast milk. Let me know what you find out!!

I don't know about Zoloft but my sister was on prozac throughtout her pregnancies and while she was breast feeding all 5 of her children. they are just fine.. happy healthy... smart children. I think doing what's best for the mommie will end up being just fine for the children.
good luck.