Panic attacks prompted by pregnancy
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Anonymous
| I'm a Xanax taker too (pre-pregnancy, though I do take an SSRI and have throughout my pregnancy) and also find it immensely comforting to just know the bottle is there. It makes a big psychological difference. |
Anonymous
You're welcome, and thanks, OP. I wish you an anxiety-free pregnancy and easy and healthy next birth and baby too! Easier said with 2 LOs already in your charge, the demands of work, etc., I know...you are nto alone. Good luck, and good spirits. 
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sybersus
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| I'm sorry to hear you're having panic attacks. I've had a few so far during my first trimester, and they've been really scary -- especially since I feel very responsible for chemicals that my be flooding to my child while I am feeling so out-of-control. My psychiatrist and my midwife told me that I absolutely should be taking Xanax when I have a panic attack, even though that is considered a "class D" drug, that generally should be avoided in pregnancy. They both say that the chemicals that flood through the body in a panic attack are worse than the Xanax for the baby. Also, since my panic attacks are sporadic and not daily, it's not like I'm exposing my baby regularly to the Xanax. I also see a therapist every week, which has been really helpful. I do EMDR, traditional talk therapy, and cognitive behavioral work there. I would recommend that you speak with your doctor about the options out there. Good luck and congratulations on your little one! |
Anonymous
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Hi OP,
I have severe anxiety and depression which are kept in check with an SSRI and a small dosage of a benzo (Klonopin) that I take every day (slightly less than .5 mg a day). I thought long and hard about taking the meds during pregnancy but knew I wouldn't be able to survive without them. I did plenty of research and met with a psychiatrist specializing in pregnant women for the duration of my pregnancy. I took the SSRI and Klonopin all throughout the pregnancy including the day of labor. I also took an increased dosage of folic acid on the recommendation of my ob-gyn. For the most part, I had a very easy pregnancy. The only increased panic I had centered around my significant morning sickness during the first trimester....I felt myself having increasing panic attacks during those few bad weeks and slightly upped my Klonopin dosage....when the morning sickness subsided, I resumed my normal dosage. I also ordered a book online put out by new harbinger press--a self-help book about pregnancy and anxiety....but I rarely needed to open it after the first trimester panic had subsided. My baby was born with no health problems and is thriving at 6 months. |
Anonymous
| OP here. Thank you so very much for the previous post! I too am having terrible nausea and it definitely has an impact on my panic/anxiety, since the panic attacks are triggered by feeling trapped in my swelling and nauseous body. I just ordered the book you recommended, but am also reassured to hear you took a benzo throughout your pregnancy with no ill effect. I am determined not to let anxiety/panic/depression prevent me from having the family I want. But it is so hard right now. Thank you for sharing your experience and success. |
Anonymous
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I'm so sorry to hear about your problems, OP. If anything, I am "lucky" to have had panic attacks for years before pregnancy. Because of my GAD, I can't stand taking medications (yeah, that would trigger an attack, just worrying about the side effects!).
I highly recommend Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. It's what finally worked for me. I started it a few years ago and, while I still have the urges to panic, I have strategies for dealing with them, and understand them now. Sadly, I do think there is a large chemical component to anxiety/panic (probably why it runs in families). The hormones during pregnancy make it much harder (I'm 29 weeks now), but I still find my CBT strategies to work for me. I also eliminated ALL caffeine and other stimulants (theobromine in chocolate, processed sugars, etc), so that I gave myself a fighting chance not to get too worked up. One last thing: ambien is safe during pregnancy, so if you get a lot of panic attack right at bed time (I always did), it's very reassuring to know it's there. I guess because it's Class B and I have family members who took it, I have never panicked about its side effects! |
Anonymous
| Anyone out there tried Mindfullness Training to address panic and anxiety? My psychiatrist thought it might have longer staying power than CBT for the generalized pregnancy related anxiety. |
Anonymous
| 20:17 poster here. I did an 8 week mindfulness course which was great....but I felt really helped more with my depression than anxiety.....but I think it's very individualized....and so it may work well for your anxiety... |
Anonymous
Oopss...I meants 21:12 |
Anonymous
21:12 poster again......OP, one of the strategies that worked best for me (in addition to slightly increasing my Klonopin dosage to get me past the morning sickness phase).....was to do a countdown of days......my nauseau started very early.....at around 5 weeks.....I anticipated that I would most likely have significant nausea up until around 12 weeks (at the end of the first trimester)......I then did a count-down....figuring that I would have about 49 days of feeling pretty bad and would just lay low during this time and not schedule many evening activities after work, since smelling food at restaurants, the mall food court, etc. triggered my nauseau... It felt good to be able to cross off a day each evening and feel like...okay, I can tolerate 48 more days of this because I know the end result will be a beautiful baby. As luck would have it....my nauseau subsided at week 10. ( Now, I realize, a minority of women will feel nauseous longer but I was being optimistic in my projection). Anyway, so glad you ordered the book as that will have a lot of exercises, strategies, etc. to help you through this period.....and let me know if I can be of any more assistance. |
Anonymous
| PP, thank you so much! This is the OP here. Today was just terrible. My nausea was so bad that I found myself thinking 1) why in the hell did I decide to do this again? and 2) if I were to feel this way the rest of my life, I would rather be dead. Don't worry, I am not in the least suicidal. Just feeling temporarily crushed by the relentless nausea, which in turn triggers anxiety and panic. And knowing that my husband just doesn't get it and never will. And is only slightly able to mask his annoyance that he is stuck caring for our two older kids most of the time as I drag my sorry ass through this. |
Anonymous
| PP here again.....OP, I know exactly how you are feeling, as I often felt that way during those weeks of horrible nauseau.....like how was I going to get through it and why did I get pregnant to begin with (....and this was a pregnancy that we desperately wanted and had to use fertility treatments to achieve). You will get through this! Baby yourself as much as possible during these awful weeks....read some good books, snuggle with your kids, take some warm baths, eat whatever feel good, try to focus on what you are grateful for, etc. |
Anonymous
| I am a new to this thread but I am dealing with similar issues (panic attacks, pregnancy) and seeking recommendations for a counselor or psychiatrist in DC or VA experienced with these issues. I realize these posts are over a year old, but any recommendations would be appreciated. |
Anonymous
I suffered from panic attacks during pregnancy and had one in the hospital the night before I left. I would recommend Julie Lopez at the Viva Center, www.vivacenter.com, in DuPont Circle. She specializes in anxiety and trauma, and I don't think I would have survived my pregnancy without her. She was really good at giving me non-pharmaceutical skills to deal with them, and she worked closely with my psychiatrist to coordinate meds. Ultimately, my midwife and psychiatrist agreed that taking Xanax was better than the flood of hormones that came with a panic attack, so I took Xanax as necessary--but Julie was fantastic at helping me deal with the attacks. Julie is the Director of the Viva Center and has a bunch of people who work with her with a similar style/philosophy, so even if she doesn't have room, she can find someone in her practice to help. Good luck! |
Anonymous
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OP have you tried also treating the nausea directly with something like zofran? I have a lot of anxiety/borderline phobia about nausea, and while my nausea wasn't "that bad" compared to what other women experience, I asks diff zofran anyway with my OBs blessing and it helps a TON.
Not saying you won't still need anxiety meds, but this is another avenue to explore, and zofran is very safe. |