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Celexa and Breastfeeding

If you are taking Celexa and breastfeeding, the medication may pass through your milk to the nursing baby. Symptoms that have been reported with breastfeeding babies whose mothers were taking antidepressants include excessive tiredness, weight loss, and decreased feeding. If you are prescribed Celexa, let your healthcare provider know if you are breastfeeding or thinking of breastfeeding.

 

Celexa and Breastfeeding: An Overview

Celexa® (citalopram hydrobromide) is passed through breast milk. Because of the potentially serious side effects that could occur in the nursing infant, the manufacturer of Celexa recommends that healthcare providers look at the possible risks and benefits before recommending Celexa while breastfeeding. Therefore, if you are breastfeeding or thinking of breastfeeding, make sure to let your healthcare provider know.
 
Practically, when healthcare providers are asked about Celexa and breastfeeding, they oftentimes advise their patients that it is okay to breastfeed while taking the medication. This is because in many cases, the benefits of breastfeeding a child outweigh the possible risks.
 

Celexa and Breastfeeding: What Does the Research Say?

A few studies have looked at the use of antidepressants during breastfeeding. These studies compared the level of antidepressant in the mother's blood to the level in the baby's blood. Some studies have shown that nursing infants may have higher levels of Celexa in their blood, compared to certain other SSRIs, such as Zoloft® (sertraline hydrochloride) or Paxil® (paroxetine hydrochloride).
 
According to the manufacturer, there have been two reports of breastfeeding infants experiencing symptoms. These symptoms included:
 
  • Excessive tiredness
  • Decreased feeding
  • Weight loss.
     
In one case, the infant's symptoms improved once the mother stopped taking Celexa. No follow-up information was available from the other case.
 
(Celexa and Breastfeeding Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;