Do I need to move to formula?

[Mommyhere]

My infant is 5 weeks old, and my severe post parting anxiety returned. My doctor has me on:
40 mg celexa
5mg ambien to sleep
1-2mg Ativan to take as needed for panic attacks until the celexa kicks in to gear.

Would you rather me switch to formula than expose my infant to these three different drugs?

Please advise! I’d like to continue breastfeeding but don’t want to risk harming my infant.

[kaytlin]

Hi Mommyhere,

With a healthy infant, breastfeeding can still be an option. The risk with Ambien has less to do with how much drug gets to baby and more to do with your ability to care for them while sedated. You just need to be sure you have assistance at night when you take the Ambien. The Ativan is more worrying but does not necessarily prohibit breastfeeding. Try to keep the dose and frequency as low as you can. Current studies have only gone up to a dose of about 5 mg of Ativan (lorazepam) per day. Be sure to watch baby for sedation. If you need further help, I suggest calling the InfantRisk hotline to speak with a nurse 806-352-2519 M-F, 8-5 CST.

Kaytlin Krutsch, PharmD