lexapro, anyone?

[lmh2402]

anyone taking this?

AND...has anyone taken this while nursing?

if not, have you taken any ssri while nursing?

i'm considering going on a regimen for GAD and depression

the NP i met with today gave me samples and a script for lexapro, but said she wanted me to call LLL first to see what they said about taking while BFing

i called and left a message

kellymom doesn't seem to have anything about this particular drug

thanks

[Toba]

I took this drug for about a 4 month period. I gained SOOO much weight and it never worked for me (actually, my body is very drug resistant to many drugs or SSRIs). My doctor at the time totally overmedicated me and I wound up in the hospital for being "toxic." But I'm sure everybody's doctor isn't so careless.

I can't say while breastfeeding, but when I was going to an RE for fertility treatments, he wouldn't touch me (I wasn't on an SSRI at the time, but was using Xanax for panic disorder) if I was on any of that kind of medication.

I know a very popular blogger is BF and during her whole pregnancy, she was on an SSRI ... she never named the drug she was on, but she was very honest about her experience.

[lilycat88]

My RE and then my maternal fetal specialist both said they never took any of their moms off SSRIs. I'll deal with the nursing issue soon and don't know the answer to that.

Xanax, yes, is a huge no way when pregnant.

[ewpmsw]

IMO, you should talk to a psychiatrist before starting an antidepressant/SSRI, esp. if you are breast feeding. LLL is also a great resource and I'd also recommend getting their opinion on the drug before you start taking it. The very best resource I've found for meds safety info (during pregnancy and in re BFing) was my perinatalogist. He researched some meds for me and sent a letter with recommendations to my midwives and doctor. He gave us a clear picture of the real risks of meds during pregnancy and BFing so we can make an informed decision. Wish I'd met him when I was dealing with PPD/meds/ BFing with DD #1.

Some antidepressants may decrease milk supply, although different resources have different opinions on this one. I'm a believer - Welbutrin definitely decreased my supply. I found I could not tolerate SSRI's while BFing, but my understanding is that they work great for many women and there are some that are considered safe to take while BFing. Zoloft and Welbutrin are the two I'm most familiar with.

A resource LLL will most likely refer to is available on the web. It's supported by Dr. Hale's extensive research on medications and their transfer into breastmilk. Here is the link: http://neonatal.ttuhsc.edu/cgi-bin/discus/discus.cgi?pg=topics&access=guest. You can look up many different kinds of meds, not just antidepressants. Helps to know the brand names and real names of the drugs when you're searching, as there are often several threads from different time periods and different posters. Dr. Hale publishes a book called Medication and Mother's Milk, http://www.ibreastfeeding.com/catalog/p237/2010-Medications-and-Mothers&%2339-Milk/product_info.html. There is a 2010 edition.

I'm sorry for the long post. Hope some of the info is useful and wish you all the best!

ETA: I just got the go-ahead from perinatalogisit to take Xanax in small doses for PPD while BFing. Prescribing doc and midwives are on board, although they'd advised against it previously b/c of the category it's in. Sounds like higher doses can be too sedating for infants.

[jse107]

I'm on Lexapro now and it has been very helpful with very few side effects. I took it immediately post-partum due to previous PPD. My doc had few concerns.

[kristac]

I took it after DS2 was born for PPD. It did not affect my milk supply and helped me though a tough period. I would take it again in a heartbeat.

[daisymommy]

I took Prozac while breastfeeding Hannah. It is the only thing that really works for me. Anything else makes me feel like a drugged up Zombie.

The research says it can make your baby colicky and decrease your milk supply, but it didn't happen to me thank-goodness.

[BabyMine]

I have been on Lexapro since '04. This includes both pregnancies and the couple of weeks I breastfed. The only problem I have had was when I accidently missed a day. I was so sick.

[carolinamama]

I was started on Zoloft for ppd/anxiety after DS2. It helped and is safe for breastfeeding. I know others have taken Lexapro though and had good results while bfing. It is more of a "what works for you" situation at this point, IMO.

Hope you are feeling better soon.

[Tondi G]

I took lexapro after the birth of my DS2. I had anxiety and panic attacks and it worked beautifully for me. I didn't notice any weight gain and for what it's worth my non existent sex drive went way up (my hubby was bummed when I decided to wean off of the Lexapro). I had already stopped nursing my DS cause I was initially taking Xanax and Klonopin (which didn't work for me) and my doctors and ped said not to nurse the baby. I pumped and dumped. when I got on to the Lexapro I tried to get my DS interested in nursing again but he was a bottle baby at that point and was not interested in working hard for his food!

Everything I have read, talked about the potential for Lexapro to make a newborn sleepy but after the newborn period not having issues. There is probably more info on Celexa and breastfeeding ... Celexa is the sister med to Lexapro (Lexapro is the newer med... less side effects was what my psychiatrist said). Your little one is a year old now? If so then your nursing time is less frequent right. I wouldn't be worried so much if I was nursing an older baby rather than a newborn. I always took my Lexapro right before bed... I had an issue in the beginning with heating up and sweating about 30 minutes after taking my pill ... this way I was sleeping if it happened. It did make me very tired for the first month or so and then I got used to the med and things were great. I took it for a little over a year.

http://www.kellymom.com/health/meds/antidepressants-hale10-02.html

If I can answer any other questions for you feel free to PM me if you like!

~Tondi

[mecawa]

I'm on Celexa, which is an SSRI, and very similar to Lexapro if not the same thing, and my NP would not prescribe it until she knew I was no longer breastfeeding. I however have a friend whose OBGYN told her to stay on Paxil while she was pregnant with her son and nursing, she said it was fine, this was also however 8 years ago, I don't know if that's changed or not.

I can tell you that for me I have horrible side effects when starting on an SSRI but it's worth it, with time the side effects went away, and by week 6 I had no side effects at all, and am finally an anxious free person again and I am on the lowest dose.

I hope you feel better soon.

[wellyes]

My advice is to call your OB for a referal to a specialist in the area - not a general NP or LLL, but a medical professional who deals specializes in the pregnancy and nursing phases. Mine was a psychologist/NP who worked out of the OB's office and I felt enormously better talking to her about it.

I loved Lexapro. Great for anxiety. But I got off it with my 1st pregnancy due to a study about a (very very small) possibility of serious side effects in the 3rd trimester. The conventional wisdom is that prozac and zoloft are the SSRIs most compatible with pregnancy and nursing. Or, if not most compatible, they are the OLDEST so we have the most history/ evidence of them having no negative effects.

I asked for the lowest zoloft dose possible and the specialist I talked to advised me to not go so low -- that very low doses can be effective for some patients but not for anxiety. I am on a higher dose now, in 3rd trimester, with no regrets and I feel fantastic.

I do encourage you to try meds if that's what you need. It has made an enormous difference in improving my quality of life. Good luck.

[michellerw]

It's an L2 while BFing. My psych and the IBCLCs at my DD's ped's office have both cleared me to take Lexapro while nursing. HTH.

[lmh2402]

thanks, ladies

i took your advice and called my OB - just got the all clear from her.

also asked the pedi for a double confirm and she too said fine

so now i guess i'll see how it goes

appreciate the