Tweet
I have struggled with anxiety and panic disorder for years. I am currently taking Celexa and Buspar everyday. Before becoming pregnant, I was taking 5mg Valium as needed, and discontinued its use upon pregnancy. My son is currently 10 weeks old and I have been having an uptick in anxiety/panic episodes. Is it safe to take a 5mg Valium or even 1/2 of a 5mg tablet and still nurse my baby? He is 10 weeks old and 13 1/2 lbs. Do I need to wait a certain amount of time? How long? Thanks!
-
-
Hi Ayms,
Valium is not an ideal choice for breastfeeding moms due to its long half-life, but infrequent use would be unlikely to harm your baby. You can watch for sedation, slowed breathing rate, not waking to feed/poor feeding, and slow weight gain if you choose to take it,
For Valium, it would be most helpful to limit the dose and how frequently you take it. It takes two days for your body to clear half of one dose, so timing breastfeeding around doses doesn't help much. During that time, we estimate that 1-9% of the maternal weight-adjusted dose will transfer to your milk.
You could also have a discussion with your provider about switching to Xanax or Ativan which are both shorter acting.
Kaytlin Krutsch, PharmD
Comment