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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 2 of 2. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Marsha on November 25, 1998, at 13:45:31
Hi, I've been taking zoloft for about 3 months. Have a 11 week old son. I've been treated for depression for 8 years and am resistant to most AD's. The zoloft is working a little, but the side effects are getting to me. My Dr. put me on 150mg of weelbutrin a day. She rec. I stop nursing but This is my last baby and I'mreally enjoying this experience. Don't want to stop. Does anyone know the effects to a baby. 'are they perm. and what about withdrawl when I stop nursing in 6 mo. I started wellbutrin 3 days ago and feel better already . Sorry so long. Please help. I feel really guilty putting this stuff into my baby.
Posted by Toby on November 25, 1998, at 15:58:12
In reply to nursing and Wellbutrin, posted by Marsha on November 25, 1998, at 13:45:31
The big answer is... nobody knows the answer. Because nobody knows, the general recommendation is to stop the medications when breastfeeding. Since that is the recommendation, we don't get alot of feedback on what the risks might be of continuing medications while breastfeeding. There is some good data on the tricyclics, but if you have been on these without good response, no sense going backward. There have been some reports on Prozac and Zoloft, a few showing some jitteriness in newborns whose mothers took these medications during pregnancy, and a few reports in which the newborns did fine. As for nursing infants, researchers measured blood levels of the babies and generally did not find a significant amount of the drugs in their system and no consequences of the medications could be found. Do we dare generalize to Wellbutrin? We don't know. When I counsel new moms about this, we talk about the effect the depression has on the mom. If it puts her in a place where she can't bond well with the child, can't take care of herself or her children very well, takes away the enjoyment she should have with the child, or there is a strong history of having to be hospitalized with depression or she's ever gotten postpartum psychosis, then the benefits of the medication definitely outweigh the very small risk to the child (especially since there isn't any report of anything real bad or lasting happening to any child exposed to it by accident). If the mom just doesn't want to risk exposing the child at all and it does seem that medication is necessary to keep mom functioning, then I recommend no breastfeeding. That's the only 100% sure way of keeping the child safe from the medication. Talk to your doctor again... see what he/she knows about any risks to the child and discuss your past history of how the depression has affected you and your kids. Then see which course seems best. Good luck.
This is the end of the thread.
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