Zoloft and nursing...timeframe question

[DaisyO]

Okay, so...

I don't know if I'm going to do it or not, but if one was to take Zoloft while nursing (from what I've seen, this is not the worst thing you could do), how long does it take to pass into the milk, and how long does it stay there?  I am nursing a two-year-old several times a day.  I thought maybe I could get around any transfer problems by timing when I took the medication vs when I nursed the child.  Anxiety is a big problem for me, and getting worse all the time, so I really can't help thinking about taking some kind of medication (not something I've done before).  Of course, my main concern is my daughter's health.  If anybody has experience with this, please do let me know. 

Also, I've read a couple of things online but if you have a link to anything "scholarly" please pass it along!

thanks

D

[HappyHappyMommy]

DaisyO, anxiety can be so challenging and it's such a sign of strength to seek help with it. I don't know the answer to your question, but I've found a lot of helpful information and links about breastfeeding and medications at Kellymom. You might also want to ask this question in the one of the Ask the Expert forums.

[WittyNameHere]

Hi DaisyO, I understand your battle. I had major ppd and was on zoloft for around 18 months while my DS (now 3 1/2) was ebf. My psychiatrist gave me a great resource for checking out what meds pass through to breastmilk and in what quantity. Check out LactMed (http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/htmlgen?LACT). Here's their description: 

Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed) - A peer-reviewed and fully referenced database of drugs to which breastfeeding mothers may be exposed. Among the data included are maternal and infant levels of drugs, possible effects on breastfed infants and on lactation, and alternate drugs to consider.

It is as scholarly as it gets. Good luck.