# Does Zoloft affect milk supply?



## SneezeDragon (Apr 22, 2004)

Let me give you some background for my question...

I work full-time, so I pump on my workdays, and DS gets EBM at daycare.

On June 13 I got a cold, and my milk supply started to suffer. After that point I tried a number of different things to get my supply back up (nursing/pumping every 2 hours for over five days in a row, taking Mother's Milk tea and fenugreek), but I've had very little luck.

Supply got worse. Eventually I ended up supplementing my DS with one bottle of formula once every few days at daycare. I felt absolutely awful about this, but even after advice from an LC, I still couldn't get up supply. I just didn't respond to my pump very well any more (pump and parts all checked out fine at a local lactation center), and I had trouble getting more than one letdown at a feeding.

A few weeks ago, this trend completely reversed.

Baffled, I tried to think of what had changed in that time, and then I realized: I'd just switched from Zoloft to another med for my PPD. I went on the Zoloft on June 10, three days before the cold that I thought was the cause of all my milk problems. When I checked the calendar, I found that supply was at its absolute worse after my dosage of Zoloft was increased.

This may all be circumstantial, but I have a pretty strong feeling that Zoloft hurt my milk supply. Does anyone else know if this is a documented side-effect? I can't imagine that they'd be giving it to nursing PPD moms with such regularity (without warning them) if that's the case!

Anyone know anything about this? Anyone have a similar situation?

TIA!


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## TwinMom (Dec 27, 2001)

I took Zoloft for 19 months and never had a supply problem. Could it be something else, like AF or ovulation?


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## SneezeDragon (Apr 22, 2004)

I've gone through a lot of the possibilities with an LC, and we haven't found anything:

- I refuse to take antihistamines, even when I'm sick. The only meds I've taken postpartum have been antidepressants and the occasional regular Tylenol for a roaring headache.

- I drink at least a gallon of water a day.

- My diet, while not the best, hasn't changed.

- While I can't speak for ovulation (because it could have happened in the last week without my knowing it), I haven't had AF yet. Ovulation also wouldn't explain the sudden return of my milk.

- Believe it or not, my milk has actually increased as my stress level has increased. So I'm not so sure I can blame stress.

*scratching head*


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## becca011906 (Mar 29, 2004)

I've been on paxil which i think is the small as zoloft more or less, and i've never had any problems with my milk supply although i've never had to pump my dd is only 2 1/2 weeks old and thriving very well... best of luck keep that pumping up!!!


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## CajunMama (Jun 24, 2003)

I have been on Zoloft for 8 years and have never had a problem with supply. However, I have just had my 2nd AF and my supply went totally wonky during ovulation and AF. It seemed like I had no milk during ovulation and AF, and was literally brimming over the rest of the time.









Maybe your cycles are returning- AF may have not arrived yet.

HTH


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