Can you take Zoloft while breastfeeding?

Zoloft is the brand name of the antidepressant medication sertraline. It can help improve your overall mood and treat conditions such as anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

In some instances, a doctor may prescribe Zoloft for postpartum depression. Like with all medications, Zoloft can carry some risks if you are chestfeeding or breastfeeding.

The levels of Zoloft that usually pass into your breast milk are typically low, and this does not usually have any significant adverse effect on your baby. However, some people may experience side effects, such as a reduction in breast milk production and insomnia.

Is it safe to take Zoloft while breastfeeding?

Doctors typically consider Zoloft a safe option for people who are breastfeeding or chestfeeding. This is because only a small amount of the medication passes into your milk. However, if you take Zoloft while nursing babies born preterm or younger than one month of age, there may be an increased risk of side effects.

Most studies and reports about taking Zoloft while breastfeeding or chestfeeding suggest that babies do not develop any problems. In most cases, the numerous benefits of taking Zoloft significantly outweigh the few risks that taking this medication has.

However, side effects can present differently for each individual. A healthcare professional can recommend if it is safe for your baby for you to take Zoloft while nursing. If they identify any risks, you can consider other treatment options.

Risks of taking Zoloft while breastfeeding

Breastfeeding or chestfeeding a baby that is born preterm or is younger than 1 month of age may allow Zoloft to enter their bloodstream in a higher quantity than what typically occurs in other infants. This is because the intestines and stomach in these babies are typically less mature than in older infants.

However, only a very small amount of Zoloft is passed into breast milk, and very few reports of adverse events in babies breastfed while taking sertraline have been recorded.

Taking Zoloft or any other type of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may cause a slight reduction in breast milk production. However, people can typically solve this issue by pumping between feeds or increasing feeds.

Other potential side effects that you may experience when taking Zoloft may include:

• difficulty falling or remaining asleep
• tiredness and fatigue
• nausea or appetite loss
• headaches
• nervousness
• decreased sex drive

In babies, doctors only observed minimal negative effects. However, more research is needed as no long-term studies have been conducted. Taking Zoloft has a more significant effect on the baby when taken during pregnancy rather than while breastfeeding or chestfeeding.

Need a refill for sertraline (Zoloft)? You may be able to get an online prescription through Optum Perks in as little as 15 minutes with no video or appointment needed. Learn more here.

Benefits of taking Zoloft while breastfeeding

Zoloft is an antidepressant medication commonly used for treating depression. During pregnancy and after giving birth, a person experiences several hormonal and body changes. The postpartum period may sometimes cause people to experience severe sadness and depression.

Though taking Zoloft while nursing may sometimes cause some side effects to the baby, not receiving appropriate care for depression and sadness can lead people to develop severe depressive symptoms, including suicidal thoughts.

In most cases, doctors recognize that treating postpartum depression outweighs the small risks that taking Zoloft may cause during breastfeeding or chestfeeding, as most reports show babies do not develop any complications.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide or self-harm, please seek support:

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• Call 911 or your local emergency number if you feel it’s an emergency.

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How to minimize the risk of Zoloft exposure in breast milk

To minimize the risk of medication exposure in breast milk, you may want to consider breastfeeding or chestfeeding your child before taking a new dose of Zoloft.

Feeding your baby just before taking any medication reduces the risk of exposing them to high concentrations in the breast milk of any medications that have a short half-life. This results in giving your baby the lowest possible amount of medication during nursing.

However, this is not true for medications that have a longer half-life and that remain in the body for longer periods, such as diazepam (Valium).

Alternatives to Zoloft

There are a variety of medications people can take for treating depression. An older 2013 study found that doctors typically consider antidepressants to be safe during nursing if the relative infant drug dose is no more than 10% of the parent’s.

Sertraline (Zoloft) is an antidepressant that produces one of the lowest drug-relative percentages in breast milk (0.5-3%).

Doctors can recommend alternative medications that you can take for treating depression while breastfeeding or chestfeeding. This may include antidepressants such as:

Certain medications can sometimes produce drug milk levels closer to or higher than the 10% safety limit. These may include:

• fluoxetine (Prozac)
• venlafaxine (Effexor)
• citalopram (Celexa)

Doctors may also recommend talking therapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This can help you learn how to process your thoughts and gain strategies to cope with day-to-day stress and anxiety.

A combination of medical treatment and therapy can provide a significant improvement in conditions such as depression or postpartum depression.

If you need help covering the cost of medications, the free Optum Perks Discount Card could help you save up to 80% on prescription drugs. Follow the links on drug names for savings on that medication, or search for a specific drug here.

Summary

After giving birth, people experience several hormonal and physical changes that, in addition to the lifestyle changes that typically occur after having a baby, can cause feelings of anxiety and depression. Doctors can help you treat depression, but you must let them know if you are breastfeeding or chestfeeding or if you plan to.

Zoloft (sertraline) is a medication that doctors typically consider safe to take while breastfeeding or chestfeeding. It has a short half-life, and only small amounts of this medication end up in your breast milk. Taking Zoloft while breastfeeding does not typically cause any harm to your baby.

Download the free Optum Perks Discount Card to save up to 80% on some prescription medications.