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Questions and AnswersQuestion No.: 19060 Submitted By: Anonymous Submitted on: May 27, 2009 Subject: take 5htp while nursing? Question: IS 5-HTP something that can help with postpartum depression and is it safe for babies who are breast fed? Dr. Cinque's Answer: 5htp may help with post-partum depression, but I can't say whether it's safe while nursing. It probably is, but I can't say for sure, and I don't think anyone else can either. To find out, they would have to start with animals of some kind, and maybe give a huge amount to the mothers and then have them nurse and see how much comes through in the milk and see what effect it has on the infants. But, the problem is that it's expensive to conduct such tests, and no one has a financial incentive since 5htp isn't patented. Whatever company paid for the test would have no more advantage than other companies that sold it. And this predicament exists for many dietary supplements. But, I have a higher regard for SAMe as a natural antidepressant than 5htp. And although I don't know if testing has been done relating to breastfeeding, I am confident that a moderate dose of SAMe (say up to 800 mgs/day) is not going to pose any threat to the infant. Also note that omega 3 fatty acids are known to have an antidepressant effect, and it would be absolutely beneficial to the infant to get them in the breast milk, especially DHA. |
