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My doctor prescribed Zoloft 50 mg for one week, then 100 mg for post partum depression. I'm tandem breastfeeding my 7 week old infant and my 2 year old toddler. I've read on LactMed where some have reported that it caused their milk supply to drop. I've also read on other forums that it caused a significant drop in some mothers and even caused someone to dry up completely after 3 months of use. If this is the case for so many, why is it not listed as a side effect? Is it the zoloft causing this or is it other factors? I'm seriously considering not taking it because I can't afford a drop in my milk supply. I feel like doctors now don't see breastfeeding as a necessity since formula is so readily available. But it is a necessity to me and I do not want to supplement. So will it cause a drop in my supply? How will I be able to tell if it does since I'm not pumping? And if it does, will my supply come back up if I discontinue the zoloft?
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Amredcolson:
To answer truthfully, we don't know for certain that the SSRIs actually suppress milk production. There are papers that suggest they may, but it's largely theoretical. It's been found that higher levels of serotonin suppress the tight cell junctions in milk producing cells in cell cultures and some animal models. But this has not yet been documented in humans that I know of.
So I think we're at the beginning stage of this. Because so many women use these drugs while breastfeeding, I'm reticent to state anything before I really know it to be true...
Tom Hale Ph.D.
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