Abilify and Breastfeeding? Is breastfeeding out of the question for me?

[CrazyCatLady]

I breastfed my daughter for 2.5 years and I love the convenience and health benefits of nursing.  I am on 2.5 miligrams daily of Abilify.  Me going off of it or switching to another medication are not really options at the moment.  My psychiatrist recommended not breastfeeding at all since there are zero studies done on Abilify and nursing.  She also recommended not breastfeeding because she thinks I'll get more sleep that way. I love my doctor, but she is very young and I'm not convinced that she knows or understands much about nursing and the importance of it. 

Might the benefits of breastfeeding outweigh the potential/unknown risks of the Abilify?  What about during those first few important days of colostrum at least?  If not breastfeeding is what is honestly best in this situation, then I am willing to make peace with that and move on.  But I don't want to miss out on such an important opportunity just because the doctor (or myself) may be misinformed. 

Is maybe breastfeeding part time and supplementing with organic formula an option so the baby wont get as much medicine?  Is there anywhere to look this kind of thing up at or any expert I can ask somewhere?  I am kind of lost on how to find a good medically based, yet pro-nursing answer to this question.  Thanks

[Heba]

Originally Posted by CrazyCatLady 

 Is there anywhere to look this kind of thing up at or any expert I can ask somewhere?  I am kind of lost on how to find a good medically based, yet pro-nursing answer to this question.  Thanks

Yes there is!  In the US, you can call the Infant Risk Center which was set up to address questions of this nature.

Details are here:

http://www.infantrisk.com/

[ewe+lamb]

So what I have found is, it's rated L3 (Moderately Safe) by Dr Hale in his Medications and Mothers' Milk, the 1/2 life is 75 hours with a Tmax i.e. the highest peak in the plasma at 3-5 hours, if you would like i can PM you and there has been a small study done on this drug but am not sure if I can give you this information on the forum, think it will be ok on PM though, although you mentioned that changing medication is not an option I thought it maybe interesting for you to at least have the information of alternatives, they are noted as

Risperidone - L3 again, 1/2 life as 3-20hours with a Tmax of 3-17 hours

Olanzapine -  L2(Safer), 1/2 life as 21654 hours Tmax of 5-8 hours

Quetiapine - L2, 1/2 life as 6 hours and Tmax as 1.5 hours

It's interesting to note that these results on the Abilify were done on adult doses of 10-15mg/day, and not your much lower dose of 2.5mg, the relative infact dose was 0.9% on these adult doses of 10-15mg, so it's worth chatting this over with your Dr.

If you love your Dr then maybe it would be interesting for you and she to think about learning about this sort of thing together, it would really help not only you but your Dr as well, we really need Drs who know what they are talking about when it comes to medications. 

Edited by ewe+lamb - 6/5/11 at 3:56am

[CrazyCatLady]

Wow.  Thank you for all of that information.  I've been on all of the other meds you mentioned before and I couldn't physically tolerate them, plus they didn't do anything for me.  Abilify if the one drug out of the many that I've been on over the years that doesn't make me sick, plus it actually makes a difference for me.  Since I will probably be on meds for a very long time, I'd like to stick with what works and what doesn't make me feel icky.  Bummer for me that the only med that works, is the one that is so new and untested.

I am fascinated by the math you did and seeing the results of all of it.  It definitely makes me want to re-discuss this with my doctor since there are no plans to have my dose go up anyways.  Out of curiosity, I would love to have the study too if you have a chance to pm it.

Such great info here.  Thanks again!

[ewe+lamb]

You're welcome, I've just PMd you!!