St. John's Wort and breastfeeding

I had been using St. John's Wort for depression. I then heard it was not recommended as a good herb to take while breastfeeding. So, I got off of it & two weeks later, am feeling depressed. I have tried Paxil & felt like a zombie. Also, what about echinacea to fight colds? 






Dear Cheryl,

You might ask your doctor about Zoloft, there seems to be fewer side effects and it poses little risk to your nursing child. Zoloft and Paxil are the preferred medications for postpartum depression. St. John's Wort is currently under study. It acts like an MAO inhibitor, and is being studied for use in herpes, HIV, and other viral infections. Echinacea is relatively non toxic even at high doses. No data is available on its transfer into human milk. My reference is Medications and Mothers Milk by Thomas Hale. A great resource for any medications and its relationship to breastmilk.

Denise G Hewson RN IBCLC





 

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