Please help - PPD meds and breastfeeding??

[willowpooh]

Help!

I went to the doctor for a check up on my progress of taking a month of samples of Lexapro (for depression and anxiety). It has been working out great... as I've said before I can feel a "turn around" and there is definitely a difference. So the Dr. wrote a script for three months more. I went to the pharmacy to fill it and... guess what... the insurance wouldn't cover that particular drug! So they had to call the doctor and she had to change it to Paxil. I have no idea if Paxil will work as well, AND the pharmacist said I was going to get the initial sleepiness that you get for the first week on a new depression drug all over again!

But get this... my doctor called me herself and really put the pressure on me to give up breastfeeding. But I've read many places that it is ok to breastfeed on depression medication, especially with an older baby. Does anyone who happens to be reading this have any idea or info on this??

[Gale Force]

How absolutely awful! I'm so sorry.

But yes, you can BF and take Paxil. When I was considering Zoloft I started researching its half life -- I think Pfizer provided info on when blood levels of Zoloft peaked. My plan was to make sure my baby had weaned during those hours. In my case I was going to take it so many hours before bed so that it would peak when we all were sleeping. I never took it and my son didn't sleep through the night until he was 2, but I'm just throwing this out there as a strategy.

[Jish]

Don't worry about the breastfeeding on an SSRI. If you go to Hale, he will tell you the med that is the safest (read: most studied) but if it doesn't work for you, it isn't the safest medication. I have known women in my breastfeeding support group who have nursed (and been pregnant on) nearly every ssri as well as a tricyclic antidepressant.

As for the Lexapro, my insurance initial denied my Lexapro script also, but my shrink call the ins company and it was approved, no problem. See if you can get your doc to call in, it may make a difference. After all, the insurance company doesn't know which ssri works for you. :

[emmasmominar]

I had been on lexapro but he would only give me 10 mg while bf'ing. Now he switched me to zoloft and said it was fine. My daughter is 15 months. Good luck I hope it works for you!

[Danimom13]

I took Paxil when my son was 5 months. My Dr actually called his pediatrician before she prescribed it to me. His ped said it was fine. It's better for me to take the Paxil than have the stress and anxiety which will be worse for him.

Now I'm pregnant with baby #2 and I've been put on Zoloft. It works much better for me, and my Dr and the pediatrician both said that it's better for me to take while pregnant, so the baby won't go through withdrawal. Then they said that it doesn't even matter, because I'll be nursing, and it's fine for him while I'll nurse.

They both agreed that Paxil and Zoloft yes, a little gets in the milk, but it doesn't do as much harm to a baby as having a mother with untreated PPD does.

Hope you feel better. I know worrying about medications doesn't help with things.

[Phoenix_Rising]

I am on Zoloft and my midwife as well as my doctor have assured me that DS will be fine - anything that would possibly get into my milk would not harm him. Another thing to think about is if you did not take the meds, what would things be like? If it would be so hard that you would not be able to interact with baby or you would be in danger of wanting to harm anyone including yourself, then it would (IMO) be worth going on the medications anyway. Again, IMO. I know that there are various meds you can be on for PPD while BFing and babe will be okay, so if you are not comfortable with what your doctor is saying, then can you go to someone else?