Pregnancy/Breastfeeding & Medicine -women with ADD

[Lilgoomer]

Hi,
I am not sure anyone else has been in the situation before but I am a nursing mother just recently diagnosed with ADD. During my pregnancy and up until now I was taking zoloft for my depression. It is classified as a drug that the risk to the mother is far greater then to the infant if discontinued. My pregnancy was monitored and went as normal. She is healthy and is on target if not ahead of other infants in development.

I know she was exposed to higher concentration of the zoloft in utero versus what might be present in my breast milk. My medicine seemed to "stop" working on my depression so the dr played around with different drugs, wellbutrin, higher dose of zoloft and effexor. Finally I was given straterra after finally admitting that I have ADD with my depression. But my daughter and I are still almost exclusively nursing and she will be one in two weeks. She has been eating finger foods and does not like to be fed so I suspect she will just go from breast to table food. I worry about the medicine, staterra is so new and as with any other drug there is limited information and use with pregnancy and breastfeeding. I see change in her eat, sleep, or behavior habits but I worry. Anyone else been in my shoes? What did you do? Plus my husband would like another baby.. how will that work with straterra???????

[daisyo75]

Oh you have no idea how glad I am to hear that there is another breastfeeding mom out there! I don't have too many answers for you, unfortunately...

My son is 7 months and is also almost exclusively breastfed. I did not find out about ADD until a couple of months ago and was just given a rx for Ritalin. The coice of meds was at my request since there is a small amount of data on Ritalin and breastfeeding.

As far as I know there are no studies on Straterra at all.

I know that Zoloft is used somewhat frequently in pregnancy and is also relatively safe with Breast feeding.

I did not take any meds during my pregnancies and I'm not sure what I would do if I were to become pregnant again.

I am in very similar shoes to you. I am trying to weigh out the the benefits and risks and it's been a lot like being in a dark tunnel.

As I said I am taking Ritalin but I have some concerns about how it is affecting me. I am going to try taking less at a time to see if it resolves my problems but I'd really like to try some other meds to see if they are better.

I wish I could give some help but all I have is encouragement and understanding so I will offer that.

[luvmi3kids]

I'm nursing a 6 1/2 month old, so I'm right there with you. You can take ritalin? I have worried so much about needing to take meds but not wanting them to affect the baby. His health is wayyyy more important than my sanity. LOL