Lexapro and Breastfeeding
Mothers today often question the safety of certain drugs while breastfeeding.
Lexapro is among the drugs used to treat depression. Recent data from a study in Australia suggests that the transfer of Lexapro (escitalopram) into human milk appears to be quite small, with only about 5.3% of the mother’s dose transferring to her infant.
Researchers found that the amount of Lexapro in the blood of infants in the study was so low it could not be detected. In addition, no adverse effects were noted in any of the infants.
This data suggests that Lexapro may be useful for treating depression in breastfeeding mothers.
Rampono J. et.al. Transfer of escitalopram and its metabolite demethylescitalopram into breastmilk. Br. J. Clin. Pharmacol. 62:3, 316-322, 2006.
Where can I read more about lexapro and breastfeeding? The aforementioned was prescribed for me but I am very afraid to take it. Thank You.
Unfortunately there is little information available on the use of Lexapro (escitalopram) in women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. The manufacturer reported two cases of extreme sleepiness in breastfeeding infants.
Escitalopram (Lexapro) is identical to the active ingredient in citalopram (Celexa). According to Dr. Thomas Hale, author of Medications and Mothers’ Milk, “the majority of studies of Celexa show no or limited side effects in breastfed infants.”
Depending on your baby’s age, weight, and health, Lexapro may be safe choice. It’s important to remember that your health is as important as your baby’s health. Talk with your doctor and your baby’s doctor about your concerns, so that you can get appropriate treatment but still keep your baby safe.
I started taking Lexapro back in October when my son turned 3 months. He is 9 months today and I am still nursing him, but decided to stop taking Lexapro because I do not like the side effects and still feel scared of it’s long-term effects on my son. I read conflicting reports. Some say it’s bad to take while BF, but my doctor (LC) said it was okay. So I went for it, but I’m starting to wonder! Could the Lexapro be causing my son to not eat – he is 9 months and still on BM exclusively. Won’t touch solids. Anyone know if this could be related to me taking Lexapro? I read that it could cause infants to lose their appetite, so I’m wondering if there is any relation.
By the way, I’m now off Lexapro completely (day four) and the withdrawal symptoms are AWFUL – I’m experiencing dizziness, nausea, tunnel vision, insomnia, fatigue, depression. I also had five sinus infections in only two months time. And I’ve lost a lot of weight, which is strange since most people complain of gaining weight on Lexapro. I just don’t feel right lately, but I don’t want to go back on for fear it’s affecting my son’s health.
Many babies are reluctant to take solids at first.
Readiness for solids varies from child to child, and typically occurs around 6 months of age, but may occur earlier or later. Your son’s refusal to eat solids may be related to the Lexapro but it may not. Discuss your concerns with your son’s doctor, to see if he/she has any suggestions. As long as your son is healthy and growing well, it may simply be a matter of time before he begins to show an interest in eating foods other than your milk. Some babies are interested in eating finger foods rather than strained baby foods, so you might try offering small pieces of banana, cheerios, or cooked peas or carrots.
It’s important for you to remember that your son needs a healthy mother to care for him, so talk with your doctor about the symptoms you are experiencing, and see if perhaps there is another medication he/she can recommend. While medications can cause side effects, more often the symptoms are unrelated.
If there are other mothers who are taking Lexapro, I hope they will share their experience. Unfortunately, we have very little information on the safety of drugs (including Lexapro) during pregnancy and lactation, but the little information we do have suggests that Lexapro is probably safe. Although this would depend in part on the dosage used and the age and health of the baby.
I am five months pregnant and am due in February. I have been taking Lexapro since July 2004. and in all the information I read if you have been taking a certain med for a quite some time one can not stop taking it. But I really want to breastfeed what should I do?
Please see the comments from other mothers above. While the data on the safety of Lexapro is limited, available data suggests that it is safe for breastfeeding mothers and babies. Talk with your doctor and your babies doctor before you make a decision.
Because you have been on the medication for some time with good results, they may recommend that you continue to take the medication. Your doctor can tell you what side effects to watch for in order to keep your baby safe. Healthy, full-term babies will tolerate exposures to small amounts of a drug better than babies that are born premature or are ill. So each situation must be evaluated based on the individual circumstances.
A healthy mother is every bit as important as a healthy baby. If the Lexapro is essential to keeping you healthy, it may be something you want to continue to take but with proper supervision.
My son is 3 months old and I just started taking Lexapro for anxiety. It took me weeks to finally decide to take it due to me breastfeeding him. I finally decided to so that I wasn’t such a wreck but I’ve been reading about the withdrawal symptoms (above) and it scares me to death! I don’t want to be on Lexapro forever but if it means horrible withdrawal then I will stop now (I just started today). Does everyone have trouble with withdrawal?
My OB told me it was safe to take. I’ve taken it for a couple months and it doesn’t seem to have an effect on my son other than to make him a little sleepy, but that was mainly the first few days. I was off of it for about a week due to not having any and not being able to get my prescription and my only withdrawal symptom was just being depressed.
I am currently taking Lexapro and nursing my 13 month old baby who is approx.22 pounds and 30 inches long. I was taking Zoloft for PPD since he was about 2 months old with no problems. Zoloft seemed to be causing great weight gain for me so my psych had me titrate back to Lexapro which saved my life before and during my so’s pregnancy. Since on the Lexapro, my son has been sleeping 13-14 hours at night (he gets up to nurse and have a diaper change), but he doesn’t really nap during the day now. Lexapro or normal changes in his routine? I don’t know. He is not somnolent when he is awake.
My D.O. today prescribed lexapro for seasonal affective disorder. I am usually reluctant to go the pharmaceutical route especially while nursing my second son. He’s 5 months, 19 lbs and 27 inches so I just hope he can tolerate. Do any of us really know the long-term effects of taking “drugs” while nursing? Do doctors? Maybe I’ll just move to Florida!!!
I am breastfeeding a 15 month old baby about 3 times in a 24 hour period now and I just started taking 10 mg lexapro a day 4 days ago for anxiety and depression and OCD. I’m starting to wean her as I don’t think she’s getting so much of her nutrition from me since I can go 14 hours without nursing her and I don’t get engorged or even have any discomfort. I have learned that Lexapro is categorized as L3 for safety. My question is this- should I switch to wellbutrin or zoloft since they’re classed as L2 (safer)- and just as important, do you know how the three SSRI’s measure up against each other especially in regard to efficacy and side effects?
While a drug classified as L2 may be preferred to an L3 drug, what is equally important is whether the drug is effective in reducing your anxiety and depression. Your best source for information is your doctor, as he/she is most familiar with the drugs being prescribed and with your medical history. One SSRI is not necessarily more or less effective, but a particular drug may be more or less effective in a particular individual.
I went off Lexapro (20 mg) when I found out I was pregnant with my son (now a healthy 2-1/2-year-old), but I only lasted three months before I couldn’t handle the returning symptoms any more and went back on it. He slept almost his entire first week but improved dramatically when I stopped breastfeeding, since I suspected the drug in my system could be to blame. Now I’m pregnant again and just unsuccessfully tried to get off Lexapro again (although I’m fine at a lower dosage – 10 mg). My concern now is, once the baby’s born, how can I keep him or her from going through this awful withdrawal I’ve just experienced?
I quit Lexapro before I got pregnant by phasing it out very slowly to minimize the shock to my system. I reduced my dosage by half each week until I felt okay to stop it. I started taking it again a few months after baby was born. I breastfeed him and he is doing great.
I took 10 mg Lexapro during my 3rd trimester of pregnancy and am breastfeeding my now 4 1/2 month old and she is perfect and is eating and sleeping like any other normal infant. No problems what-so-ever!
Lexapro saved my relationship with my baby when I was dealing with very bad PPD and allowed me to bond. The trick to going off it is doing it very gradually and try to do it during a time that is not so stressful. Otherwise I didn’t notice any side effects.
I took 10mg of Lexapro before and during my pregnancy. When my son was 2 months old, I stopped for 5 months. I stopped taking it because I was in a good place in my life and thought that I could manage my depression and anxiety on my own without the use of drugs. My son was born very healthy and we have had no problems. Now, my depression is back and I am back on 5mg. I did not notice any difference in his sleeping or appetite since going back on the medicine. I’m thinking about going back on 10mg since he’s doing really well. The drug really helped me be happy and be “in the moment” with my son.
I am on 20mg of Lexapro and currently BF my 2 week old. Should I switch to a bottle? Am I hurting him by giving of meds through my milk?
It is best to talk with your doctor and your baby’s doctor, as each case needs to be considered on an individual basis. Some mothers are able to reduce the dose while others are not. Because there are so many benefits to breastfeeding, most doctors will make every effort to help you continue.
I have worked with very young children both in the US and in Europe, in US some of the mothers took Lexapro while breastfeeding. Hands down, Lexapro babies sleep substantially more/longer than any other babies I’ve ever encountered – and we’re talking 30 years experience here, ladies. I have absolutely no idea if that has any meaning for their development and if it has any other influence on the children, but if anyone claims Lexapro has no effect on babies, well I beg to differ. Of the infants I’ve been closely connected to who have been breastfed by mothers taking Lexapro, ALL of them had longer and more frequent daytime naps than any of the other children, and ALL of them started sleeping through the night much earlier than any other kids. Maybe that’s a blessing, but it certainly is not “no difference”. I would strongly encourage any information seeking US parent to investigate if their doctors are being sponsored/encouraged by any pharmaceutical companies; same goes for researchers and sites where you find information.
Dr. Thomas Hale in his book, Medications and Mothers’ Milk cites instances in which Lexapro reportedly made breastfeeding babies sleepy, and cautions breastfeeding mothers taking Lexapro to watch their babies for sleepiness. The sleepiness may be related to the drug’s inhibition of histamine receptors.
Whenever side effects are observed in mothers or their babies, it’s important that the side effects be reported to the FDA (http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/) as well as the drug manufacturer. Only then can we better understand the effects of specific medications in the general population.
Before taking any medication, including those available over the counter, it’s important for breastfeeding mothers to talk with their health care provider about the benefits and the risks, so that medication can be chosen that is both effective for mothers and safe for babies.
I have a 12 month old, I just started to take Lexapro, I was and am working on gradual weaning when I started, but we still have about 3 feedings in a 24 hour period. It has been about a 14 days on the drug, for mood swings and late appearing Post- pat. depression. My Dr wants to move me to something with less anxiety once I no longer am breastfeeding. My son and I sleep a lot less, we do like naps more in the day but he used to sleep in and now he will wake up very early happy and excited to play. We both have less appetite, but my main question is does Lexapro cause diarrhea in young children? He developed it at the same time that I started to take the drug, he has never had formula before so I let him drink cows milk, Rice milk, and mix a little formula in ito substitute our normal breast feeding times, but he may have a food allergery to one of these instead of the Lexapro. Any thoughts, or other babies have a change in Diaper results after nursing mom started on the drug?
I have an eight month old and I’ve been on Lexapro 1st 10mg per day and then 20mg per day for 5 months now. My pediatrician said to watch for the following symptoms in the baby: loss of appetite and sedation. I had an severe post-partum depression that I allowed to get really bad due to concerns for my son’s health. Since I started the medication he has shown no side effects. He still wakes 2-3 times a night to nurse and is as happy and healthy as ever.
I just started taking Lexapro for my PPD 4 days ago and already I see a difference in my son whom I am currently breastfeeding. He is 4 1/2 months old and has had a couple surgeries due to imperforate anus. Because of this condition, my son’s weight is low due to all of these issues. When I spoke of my concerns to my doctor and explained the situation, he said I probably don’t need to worry and the medication is alright for breastfeeding mothers, but I have read that the studies are inconclusive as of late. My concern is if he is sleeping more all night long then as a result eating less, should I stop taking the medication altogether. I of course want the best for my baby but, if I am not well it won’t help either one of us. What then, is the best solution to my situation?
While the change in behavior could be unrelated, you are right to be concerned. Please talk with your baby’s physician as well as your own. Treatment of PPD is so important for the health of you and your child, but it’s equally important that you find a medication that is safe for you and your baby. Your baby’s doctor can best determine if the differences in behavior that you see are related to the medication and along with your doctor, can help you find a different dosage or medication that is safe yet effective.
I have been on Lexapro for OCD and Anxiety for about 3 months now. I am breastfeeding my 6 month old daughter. I get nauseous when I nurse, and also have D-MERs, which is pretty much a lot of “icky” feelings before I let down. I don’t think this is related to the Lexapro, however. I also am not sure about the sleepiness thing. My daughter naps for a total of about 45 minutes a day, and sleeps only about 8-9 hours/night. I am only on 5mg, though.
I have been taking Lexapro 10mg for 2 years. I have a 3 month old daughter and I took it through my whole pregnancy and still now as I am breastfeeding. She is doing fine and sleeps all night!
I am about to start taking 10mg of Lexapro and was very concerned about what affects it would have on my baby. I searched all over for information on this subject and feel fortunate I came upon actual women in the same situation! I have read over all of the information and comments and feel safe to begin taking the medication. I will watch for side effects in my son (8 1/2 months old, 21 lbs) such as sleepiness and loss of appetite, but feel the benefits outweigh the risks at this point. The only concern I have not is the long term affects that have not been studied. Thank you to all the women that have posted comments on this subject. You have really answered questions that not even my doctor could answer. Of course he says it is okay to take, but he obviously has never had personal experience like the women above. Thanks again!
I have used Lexapro in the past and started taking it again (10mg) in the second trimester due to depression. Now I am breastfeeding my infant and notice she sleeps a ton more than her sister did when I was breastfeeding without Lexapro (I honestly feel like she’s only awake a total of one hour a day, excluding the short feeding times). I am going to call the doc tomorrow to switch to something else and report the side effect to the FDA. BTW, I have never experienced withdrawal symptoms in the past when I slowly decreased the dosage.
I started taking a quarter of 10mg of Lexapro 2 weeks ago and upped the dosage to half 4 days ago. I can honestly say that I have not noticed any difference in my infant who is 8 weeks old. He is quite a sleepy baby, but has been like that since he was born. His sister was the opposite so it’s very strange indeed. I’m planning on sticking with 5mg for the next few weeks and if all keeps going well, will up to 3/4 for a few weeks and then work up to a full 10mg. I did this the last time I took Lexapro (first child) and I didn’t notice any side effects coming on/off the drug. I didn’t b/f last time as the anxiety was so bad that it put an end to breastfeeding as my letdown wouldn’t work. I’ve read that only 5.3% of the drug gets into the breastmilk and of those infants tested, the levels of the drug in their bloodstream were extremely low…..
I started Lexapro 3 weeks ago and my son is 11 weeks old. He does sleep through the night but so did my first child at his age without meds. My concern is developmental. He is not laughing like my first son or responding to much at all (talking bell toys etc.) I took him to his dr today and they referred me to get his hearing checked (which was normal at birth) then scheduled him for a developmental appointment. I am going to use the frozen breastmilk I have been saving for going back to work for a few weeks and pump and store. Hopefully, I will see a difference in his responses. I have to be on the Lexapro for ppd but I also want to breastfeed and have a healthy boy.
For those of you who decide to stop taking lexapro, you need to be careful. Lexapro strongly suggests a “slow reduction” in the amount of medicene taken. No one should “stop” lexapro cold turkey unless totally necessary.
I am currently in my 9th week of pregnancy. I weaned off the Lexapro 10mg just before and after conception, but have come to realize I am in dire need of the assistance with my mood. My depression is worse now than ever considering no Lexapro and hormonal unbalance. My doctor said it is OK to go back on. After the baby has developed organs, there is little risk of birth defect in that area. I am concerned about breastfeeding but after reading this forum, I am feeling somewhat better. I am slated to begin my Lexapro after Friday, my 10 week mark. I hope I can get back to normal. Thank you ladies.
I just wanted to thank everyone for their comments. I have a 5 week old son and have SEVERE PPD. I was on Zoloft but it didn’t help. I dealt with depression for years and Lexapro always worked very well for me, but since I am breastfeeding, I’ve been hesitant to think about going on it. After reading these comments, I’ve decided to make an appointment and get the help I need. Thank you all again
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I started taking Lexapro for PPD when my daughter was 2 weeks old. Now she is 5 months old and we are both happy and healthy. She is breastfed only. After my depression symptoms subsided, I gradually decreased my dose from 10mg/day to 5 mg every other day. I plan to continue the medication for a total of 6 months, as recommended by my doctor. I have not experienced any of the undesirable side effects with Lexapro as I have in the past with Zoloft and Wellbutrin. I also have not experienced any undesirable side effects when I gradually decreased my dosage. My daughter started sleeping through the night when she was 3 months old, and takes 4 naps a day. I have been happy with the results, although I am anxious to be drug-free as well!
I have been taking 10mg of Lexapro for PP Anxiety since my little man was 3 months. He doesn’t seem at all affected. He still naps very little and wakes at night. I am doing SO much better and am am thrilled to have found something that works and allows me to enjoy nursing my litttle man and enjoying every moment.
I recently was prescribed Lexapro 10mg, and was wondering if anyone has had a sick feeling after taking it? If so, will it go away after the first few weeks? I have noticed also my 6 month old bf baby seems to be fussy and restless since I started taking the meds a week ago. Is this normal? Help!!! I need the meds to help myself and my 5 children, but I am not liking these side affects. Will they subside after week 1?
Hopefully other mothers taking Lexapro who have experienced side effects will respond to your questions. In the meantime, contact your doctor to see what experience she/he has had with side effects in other patients.
The Australian study highlighted in the article above suggests that only small amounts of Lexapro get into breastmilk, making it unlikely that Lexapro is the cause of your baby’s fussiness. However every mother and baby are different, so it is best to talk with your doctor and your baby’s doctor if the fussiness continues. You are smart in knowing that it is important to treat depression for your benefit and for the benefit of your children. Hopefully the side effects you describe will be short-lived.
I was on a very low dose of Lexapro (2.5 mg – I broke the 5 mg pills in half!) when I found out I was pregnant. I have been off it completely since then, and now my daughter is 17 months old. She still enjoys nursing, and I have been trying to avoid going back on Lexapro because of my concerns about her receiving the drug through my milk. However, I do feel like I need to resume at least a low dose because of anxiety and depression.
My daughter’s pediatrician suggested Zoloft as a safer alternative to Lexapro, though my lactation consultant thought that I should go with Lexapro, since I know from past experience that it works.
Since my daughter is nearly 1 1/2 years old and I would try only 5 mg of Lexapro, do you think I have any cause for concern? Does anyone have experience with Zoloft vs. Lexapro?
I am NOT on Lexapro and my 7-week-old baby girl sleeps between every feeding, at least 45 minutes but sometimes up to 2 hours. And she only gets up once during the night to nurse. Just wanted to throw my 2 cents in to point out that every baby is different and if you have taken this drug your baby’s entire life and think your baby is overly sleepy, she might just be a sleepy baby. If I do start taking Lexapro, I will post back here to let you know if she sleeps even more than she already does because that would be concerning. My point is just to not confuse yourself with sleep patterns if you aren’t sure what her sleep patterns would be if you weren’t on the drug.
I was on Lexapro for two years and decided to stop taking it once I found out I was pregnant. The withdrawl symptoms can be horrible if you stop taking it cold turkey. DO NOT DO THIS! You must wean yourself from it slowly. I started to cut my tablets in half and then I started to take one every other day for a week. The next week I took one every two days until I was off of it completely. My doctor was aware of this as well because stopping it cold turkey can have serious side effects. However, my anxiety reappered in my 6th month of pregnancy and I am back on the Lexapro. My Ob told me that the benefits to me outweighed the risk to the baby. She also suggested I talk to a pediatrician regarding breastfeeding while on it, but said that many of their patients still breastfeed while on Lexapro and Zoloft.
I have been taking Lexapro throughout my pregnancy (5-10mg) and now 20 mg since delivery. My son is now 12 weeksand appears happy and healthy, but his liver enzymes (AST & ALT) have been elevated. Could this be caused by the lexapro?
Does anyone have experience of weaning a breastfed baby who has had Lexapro breastmilk her entire life? (I’m on 20mgs)
Does the baby withdraw?
She hasn’t breastfed for 4 days and is horribly crabby, irritable, and sleeping at very odd intervals.
Hopefully, you will find the experiences shared by mothers in the comments above helpful. However, it’s important to remember that every baby is different and the symptoms of withdrawal vary with the age of the baby, the amount of Lexapro taken by the mother, whether the baby is exclusively breastfed etc.
Based on your baby’s symptoms, it is best to contact your baby’s doctor for advice.
I have a 3 year old boy and a 5 month old girl. I never took anything for PPD for my son and could not produce milk for him due to stress. So, he was on formula and at 2 months he slept through the night. Then he stopped taking naps when he was two years old. With my baby girl, my milk came in just fine so she has been breastfed the first 4 months then I started adding foods (she is crawling and can sit up by herself). Her sleep is not as steady as his was, she wakes up at night 0-3 times in any given night, and naps 2-3 hour, or 2 2-hour naps on any given day. Two weeks ago it was evident that PPD was interfering with mommy’s happiness and anxiety levels, so now I’m on Lexapro 10mg. I don’t see any difference in her eating or already sporatic sleeping patterns. She gets other food than just breast milk so that could help, but I still am a little concerned with potential long term effects the drug could have on her. Mommy clearly needs it, so taking nothing is not an option, and both Dr.’s are fine with is as long as the side effects for either of us are minimal. But I wonder since she does eat foods should I start weaning her off my milk now or wait for a side effect?
Since your daughter is only 5 months old and still in need of your breast milk I would be inclined to follow your doctor’s advice and continue to breastfeed unless you see adverse symptoms.