Medication Options for Postpartum Depression
Postpartum depression medication is an important part of treating PPD. Medications prescribed by licensed healthcare providers help reduce and manage symptoms for people who may be suffering from this depressive disorder.
Understanding PPD Medications
Postpartum depression medication is used to alter the brain’s neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are chemicals in the brain that communicate various emotions, moods, and behavioral functions.
By taking postpartum depression medication, the mother’s anxiety, sadness, and irritability can decrease. Other symptoms like fatigue, loss of energy, and loss of appetite can also improve over time.
A physician or psychiatrist must prescribe postpartum depression medication. Different medications can be prescribed over a specific time as determined by your doctor or mental health professional. Most postpartum depression medications are taken daily. Some people notice early changes, such as better sleep, within the first week or two, but antidepressants usually take 4 to 8 weeks to work fully.
Overview of Postpartum Depression
Understanding what PPD is (and isn’t) helps to understand the medications that might be needed to treat postpartum depression. Simply put, postpartum depression is a mood disorder that affects roughly 1 in 8 women in the first year after giving birth.
Due to the hormonal changes that occur during and after pregnancy, depression is common among women and new mothers. Depression during and after pregnancy is known as “perinatal depression,” whereas depression that occurs after giving birth and lasts more than two or three weeks is known as “postnatal depression” or PPD.
Women experience a sudden drop in estrogen and progesterone within the first few days after the baby is born, resulting in mood swings and symptoms of depression. This short, common phase of depression is often called the “baby blues” and usually lasts for a few weeks.
However, if depression symptoms worsen, last longer than a few weeks, or include other symptoms, the Office of Women’s Health recommends talking with your doctor to receive screening for postpartum depression. Your doctor may also run blood tests to eliminate any additional issues, such as problems with your thyroid.
What Causes PPD?
There is no specific cause of postpartum depression. However, certain factors can increase a woman’s risk of developing PPD. A family history of depression or a diagnosed mental illness can be a key risk factor for developing PPD.
Other difficult circumstances surrounding the pregnancy or birth can also potentially lead towards causing PPD. Traumatic birth experiences, difficult pregnancies, and children born with special needs may increase the risk of PPD. Stressful life events such as job loss or a friend or family member’s death can also contribute to the development of PPD.
Types of Postpartum Depression Medication
Different types of medications can be taken for postpartum depression. The type of medication prescribed largely depends on the set of symptoms and the specific type of postpartum depression someone is suffering from.
Depending on the severity of the condition, clinicians may prescribe two or more types of medications to be taken together. In these cases, postpartum depression medications work on different symptoms. Some women need more than one medication, often alongside some form of psychotherapy (such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or Interpersonal Therapy).
One medication is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration specifically to treat postpartum depression in adults: zuranolone, sold as Zurzuvae®. Approved in August 2023, it is the first and only oral treatment approved for this condition.
Zuranolone is taken as a capsule once daily in the evening, with food containing fat, for 14 days. That is the entire course — unlike an antidepressant, it is not a medication you stay on. In clinical trials, some women noticed a difference within the first few days.
Zuranolone is a federally controlled substance (C-IV), and it carries cautions worth understanding before you start:
- Do not drive for at least 12 hours after each dose. This is on the FDA label, because the medication causes central nervous system depression that you may not be able to feel in yourself.
- Drowsiness is common. About a third of women taking the 50 mg dose reported sleepiness. Your prescriber can lower the dose if it is too much.
- It passes into breast milk. Whether that can affect a baby is not yet known. If you are breastfeeding, talk it through with your doctor rather than deciding alone.
- It is not approved for depression outside the postpartum period. The FDA specifically declined that use.
What Happened to Brexanolone (Zulresso)?
If you were treated with brexanolone, or were told about it, here is what changed. Zulresso was approved in 2019 as the first medication for postpartum depression, given as a 60-hour intravenous infusion in a hospital or clinic with monitoring throughout.
It is no longer available. The manufacturer stopped selling it in the U.S. at the end of 2024, and the FDA withdrew its approval on April 14, 2025. The withdrawal was requested by the manufacturer, which moved to the oral version — it was not a safety action. If brexanolone helped you, that experience was real, and zuranolone acts on the same underlying mechanism.
The following are the other common medications that may be prescribed to treat symptoms of postpartum depression.
Antidepressants
Antidepressants are the most commonly prescribed medication for postpartum depression. Most antidepressant medications are called Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs). SSRIs block the reabsorption (reuptake) of serotonin, so more of it stays active between nerve cells. Serotonin is a natural neurotransmitter. It communicates mood, emotion, and behavior messages throughout the brain. SSRIs can ease symptoms such as sadness, irritability, and anxiety, though trials in postpartum depression are small.
Another form of antidepressant is the Serotonin Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor (SNRI), which works the same way as an SSRI but includes norepinephrine. Norepinephrine is a neurotransmitter responsible for mobilizing the brain and body into action. Other antidepressants include tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) and Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs).
Some common antidepressant medications prescribed during the postpartum period include:
- Bupropion (Wellbutrin®, Zyban®)
- Escitalopram (Lexapro®)
- Venlafaxine (Effexor®)
- Fluoxetine (Prozac®, Sarafem®)
- Paroxetine (Paxil®, Pexeva®)
- Sertraline (Zoloft®)
Antipsychotics
In cases of severe postpartum depression, another drug type called antipsychotics can be prescribed. These drugs treat hallucinations and delusions. Antipsychotic medications are also used to help reduce extreme mood swings. For this reason, antipsychotic drugs are used for postpartum psychosis, which causes severe symptoms.
Physicians may prescribe antipsychotic medications with SSRIs to treat all the symptoms of extreme postpartum depression disorders.
Some common antipsychotics that may be prescribed to treat more severe postpartum depression are:
- Haloperidol (Haldol Decanoate®)
- Chlorpromazine (Thorazine®, Largactil®)
- Olanzapine (Zyprexa®)
- Quetiapine (Seroquel®)
- Risperidone (Risperdal®)
Benefits of Postpartum Depression Medications
Postpartum depression medications can benefit women suffering from debilitating depression and anxiety symptoms.
Here are some of the benefits of postpartum depression medications.
Relief Within Weeks
For women suffering from postpartum depression, relief can’t come soon enough. Thankfully, a course of postpartum depression medications can begin to take effect and relieve symptoms within weeks. Some people notice early changes in the first week or two, but antidepressants usually take 4 to 8 weeks to work fully.
Medication for Short-Term Treatment
Many women take antidepressants to treat postpartum depression because they know it provides short-term relief. Medication for postpartum depression is not usually lifelong. Most women keep taking it for at least 6 to 12 months after it starts working, then taper off with their doctor.
Availability of Options
Because there are many different postpartum depression medications, plenty of options suit each person’s needs. If you experience negative side effects or no improvement on one medication, your doctor can identify a better option.
Concerns About Postpartum Depression Medications
While postpartum depression medications such as antidepressants are prescribed safely and controlled, some women may be concerned about how the medication will affect them while breastfeeding.
Some SSRIs, sertraline in particular, pass into breast milk in very small amounts and are considered a preferred choice while breastfeeding. Other types of medications may affect breast milk. You should address any concerns with your doctor if you have questions about breastfeeding while taking postpartum depression medications.
Other concerns may arise about the possible side effects of taking medication for postpartum depression. For example, zuranolone (Zurzuvae®) helps many women, but it commonly causes drowsiness and carries a driving restriction for at least 12 hours after each dose.
Postpartum depression medications such as antidepressants or antipsychotics are prescribed as a course of treatment and, therefore, cannot be stopped abruptly. To prevent any possible negative side effects, you should speak to your doctor before you stop taking prescription medications.
Complementary Treatment Options for Medication for PPD
Medication is an effective treatment method for postpartum depression, but additional care can benefit new mothers dealing with PPD.
Therapy is a common treatment option and is often recommended alongside medication treatment. Psychiatry not only helps women work through the emotional and mental struggles they experience during PPD but can also provide many benefits through follow-up sessions after the postpartum period has ended.
Holistic methods such as meditation and mindfulness can also decrease some symptoms of PPD. There are even numerous apps (many of which are free) to help women learn to meditate or practice breathwork if they are unfamiliar with these practices.
Clinical trials show that social support can be beneficial during postpartum, even as simple as phone calls or emails from loved ones checking in and saying hi. To take it a step further, support groups can offer women with PPD a safe, understanding environment to discuss their PPD journey.
In rare cases, treatment of postpartum depression may call for more extreme therapies. Doctors may recommend Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT), or “electroshock therapy,” for women struggling with postpartum psychosis. ECT has a high response rate.
