Need advice, seeking natural remedies for PPD, St Johns wart?

[Greenmindedmama]

I've tried looking through the threads here, but it's a bit overwhelming. I'm 6 weeks postpartum, dealing with some depression, anxiety and trouble sleeping. I'm breastfeeding my ds too, which is going okay.

My Dr prescribed Zoloft, which I took the generic for 3 days, then ended up going to the hospital cause I had a rather bad reaction to it, where I was taken off of it, and they left me off any medicine, prescribing nothing else. They told me I could take Benadryl while nursing to help me sleep. DH wasn't keen on me using the zoloft to begin with either.

I'm looking to see if there's natural things I can try to help? I was looking into St John's wart, but am seeing mixed things online, that it can be ok for nursing moms, to not being recommended. Anyone know or tried it?

I am taking omega 3's already, and still taking my prenatal vitamins. Anything else anyone can recommend that has helped you and is safe for BFing? Thanks!

[Avani]

My chiropractor recommended either St Johns Wort or Rodiola. I'm nursing full time, she felt it was fine for either. Also calcium/magnesium can be helpful, Cod Liver Oil, vitamin D, Vitamin B's, and rescue remedy.

[mom0810]

St. John's wort is not recommended for nursing. Sorry. It can cause agitation in the baby and is passed in to the breastmilk a lot more then zoloft would be.

You can try fish oil, which is VERY safe and is very effective at helping depression. You can take that with extra B vitamins in addition to your prenatal vitamin, and you can take extra vitamin D. Those three things can help a LOT. Make sure you are getting enough food that is rich in trytophan, which is a natural precursor to serotonin. Make sure you are getting plenty of sun, and that you are exercising regularly (if you have the okay from your doctor).

If these things don't help, and they may not, because sometimes medical help really is necessary, then know that taking the zoloft is VERY VERY safe and that so many of us moms here took it after our babies were born. Zoloft does not transfer in to milk in detectable amounts. It's VERY VERY safe and the best thing you can do as a mom for your baby is to take medicine if you need it.

[agoldenlife]

[QUOTE=mom0810;15194839]St. John's wort is not recommended for nursing. Sorry. It can cause agitation in the baby and is passed in to the breastmilk a lot more then zoloft would be.

You can try fish oil, which is VERY safe and is very effective at helping depression. You can take that with extra B vitamins in addition to your prenatal vitamin, and you can take extra vitamin D. Those three things can help a LOT.QUOTE)

mom0810 can you please tell me where you got the information on St. John's? I am unable to find much information on the internet. I too am considering taking it and had a few people, including my holistic Dr. tell me it is ok to take being that my daughter is 9 months old.

I am taking a B-complex, fish oil (tons of it), Vitamin D and a good prenatal. Nothing is helping me and I too am getting desperate.

OP, the things that do help on occasion are walks, meditation (when I have the time), journaling is great, and calming herbal teas and essential oils like lavender. When I am having a very difficult moment, I place the essential oil bottle under my nose and take long deep breaths. Sometimes it really helps me to feel a sense of calm, it allows me to come back to the moment, and remind myself to just take it one moment at a time as my thoughts can go off in a downward spiral.

Another thing I am looking into is Glutamine, an amino acid that is found to be lacking in people with depression. A great book that I recomend is the Mood Cure . She writes alot about diet and natural supplements to help with depression.
Good Luck.

[annekh23]

Dunno where mom0810 got her info from, but Hale's has St John's Wort as L2, which is the same as Zoloft. The issue seems to be that because it isn't a medicine it doesn't have to meet standards and you need to be careful to get a brand which has nothing else in and has the amount it says it has in it. Trials done when those things are accounted for show it to be as good as many antidepressants, but that it reacts with many things, so your doctor must know about it. Hale cautions that SJW products in the USA and Canada are of unreliable quality.

What kind of bad reaction did you have? Unpleasant or dangerous? Some of the unpleasant reactions pass, or can be helped by how or when you take it. There are other antidepressants that are similarly safe.

[lovbeingamommy]

I had very similar issues with what you described - insomnia, anxiety, some depression with ds. It was very overwhelming for me and I ended up in a behavioral health center for a week which actually did nothing for me other than allow me to sleep. It's now three-and-a-half years later and I'm doing much better. I also tried everything natural that I could find and what others recommended, but nothing worked. Finally, a lot of what mom0810 recommended I now do and it is working pretty well for me - Vit. D, B, fish oil, cod liver oil, exercise, etc.

Before you try any of the herbal supps, I would talk to a naturopathic doctor about it. She/He will be the best equipped to give you the info you need on things such as St. John's Wort - I don't have personal experience with this supp. so I can't give any advice. I know how hard this can be but it will pass. Good luck to you, mama

[mom0810]

I actually got my info from Dr. Hale's book. I have the 2006 edition, so maybe things have changed? Dunno. If it is safe, then go for it. But the last time I checked, it wasn't.

I do know that St. John's Wort can cause kidney issues, also. So that would be something I would look out for.

ETA: Reading my Hale's book and it appears that he thinks it is fine... now I don't know where I got my information... perhaps from Shoshanna Bennet? IDK... IF you have been taking it with no ill effects, carry on. I may even try it, too! My 2.5 y.o. only nurses once a day now...