Which anti anxiety medication is safe during breastfeeding

Maternal use of benzodiazepines shortly before delivery is associated with floppy infant syndrome i. In general, use of benzodiazepines during breastfeeding affects the infant only if he or she has an impaired ability to metabolize the drug. In this situation, the infant may demonstrate sedation and poor feeding. Adverse outcomes have been reported in women with schizophrenia, including preterm delivery, low birth weight, placental abnormalities, increased rates of congenital malformation, and a higher incidence of postnatal death.

If left untreated during pregnancy, schizophrenia can have devastating effects on the mother and child. Atypical antipsychotics have replaced typical agents as first-line therapy for psychotic disorders because these drugs are better tolerated and may be more effective in managing the negative symptoms of schizophrenia.

The reproductive safety data on atypical antipsychotics are limited, but the use of olanzapine Zyprexa , risperidone Risperdal , quetiapine Seroquel , and clozapine Clozaril has been associated with increased rates of low birth weight and therapeutic abortion. No long-term studies of children exposed to atypical antipsychotics during gestation have been conducted.

Therefore, the routine use of these drugs during pregnancy and lactation is not recommended. Typical antipsychotics have a larger reproductive safety profile; no significant teratogenic effect has been documented with chlorpromazine Thorazine , haloperidol Haldol , or perphenazine Trilafon.

Doses of typical antipsychotics should be minimized during the peri-partum period to limit the necessity of using additional medications to manage extrapyramidal side effects. Data on antipsychotic use in breastfeeding women are limited. A small study of chlorpromazine use during breastfeeding showed no developmental deficits in children up to five years of age; however, a study of both chlorpromazine and haloperidol revealed developmental deficits in children 12 to 18 months of age.

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Get Permissions. Read the Issue. Sign Up Now. Sep 15, Issue. Yes Evidence rating system used? Major Depression Ten to 16 percent of pregnant women meet diagnostic criteria for depression, and up to 70 percent of pregnant women have symptoms of depression. Bipolar Disorder Rates of postpartum relapse in women with bipolar disorder range from 32 to 67 percent.

Fetal echocardiography should be considered in women exposed to lithium in the first trimester. Anxiety Disorders Anxiety disorders are the most common psychiatric disorders, and some e. Schizophrenia Adverse outcomes have been reported in women with schizophrenia, including preterm delivery, low birth weight, placental abnormalities, increased rates of congenital malformation, and a higher incidence of postnatal death.

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Navigate this Article. Anxiolytics and hypnotics. L3; L4 if used chronically. Nonbenzodiazepine anxiolytics and hypnotics. Error Include a valid email address. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information and to understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your e-mail and website usage information with other information we have about you.

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Please try again. Something went wrong on our side, please try again. Show references Grigoriadis S. Unipolar major depression in pregnant women: General principles of treatment. Accessed Sept. Stewart D, et al. Antenatal use of antidepressants and risk of teratogenicity and adverse pregnancy outcomes: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors SSRIs.

Briggs GG, et al. Wolters Kluwer; Every woman is different, and must make the choice that is right for her and her family. I am eternally grateful for this site, and the helpful and honest information it provides.

If medication is the key that unlocks the misery, it is a small price to pay for the gift of getting your life back. Breastfeeding or not! Are you familiar with Deplin? It is the form of folic acid that the body actually uses.

Since folic acid is required in higher doses for expectant mothers, this may be a safe and unique option. Hope this helps. I was taking serafem Prozac in the first few weeks of pregnancy but stopped because of possible heart wall defects.

It would be best to talk with your doctor for more information. I believe there are a few options out there. Good luck! This site uses Akismet to reduce spam.