!!!calling all moms with anxiety!!!

[bsd]

Please help me. I've been trying desperately to get my anxiety under control but it's just getting worse. I've been dealing with this for years and I have my ups and downs with it but during my down time its just not good.

I used to be on medicine for it but now I'm too scared to take it! I've been BF for almost 6 months, and plan to for at least another 6. I talked to my doctor about anxiety medications but all of the ones that are 'safe' are only 'safe' because the side effects on the baby are unknown. Unknown is not a good enough answer for me lol I want to know that their is NO side effects at all! 8 years ago they were giving zoloft to mothers and now they are saying it's not safe anymore. I am so scared to take medicine but let me tell you my anxiety is really extreme and the whole breathing, yoga, meditation thing doesn't work for me. Sometimes it does (trust me, I practice) but not during my really hard days. So basically what are all you extreme anxiety mothers doing? I'm debating if the risks of the medicine are less dangerous than the level of my anxiety not medicated.

I did order these things I read about called "Rescue Remedy drops" that I've never heard of but read about them on other forum sites and I ordered them! I'm hoping they will help me during my bad days, and I can continue doing what I normally am doing for it on my okay days. Anybody have success with these?

 

[LegoHouse]

Hey, my anxiety is at an all time high right now. I have the most awful day dreams too. I'm going to go to the doctors this week.

I think they are safe because there's no reported cases of them causing problems? A little bit like the buscopan I've been prescribed. I wasn't sure whether to take it but the doctor said there's no reason why I shouldn't if I need it. (Confession though, I haven't been taking it lol)

 

[cautious...]

Hey.

I've been suffering from major anxiety and panic attacks, it got so bad that the Dr's considered hospitalising me and LO a few weeks ago.

I ended up on Zoloft. I'm on 150mg, after starting on 50mg. I don't think I could have beaten this without it unfortunately. I'm still suffering the anxiety but I can function so much better and look after LO again.

I really didn't want to go on the medication but I felt that being there for LO outweighed any risk. I do feel guilty but so far he seems unaffected. I wouldn't usually even drink a cup of tea because of the caffeine!

The GP, Health Visitor, Pharmacist and two Psychiatrists assured me that I could continue BF while on this medication.

I am also starting CBT next week. I hope that you find something that works. I would advise that you definitely try to address the problem now, I wish I had before it completely consumed me.

Feel free to PM me if you want to talk or have any questions.

Good luck. Anxiety is horrible but as I keep telling myself, it will pass and you will feel better again xx

 

[Lownthwaite]

I agree with Cautious - I'd go back to you doctor and asked to be referred for CBT. (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)

I was having CBT for about 18 months to get my anxiety and OCD under control. It was a long slog and I still have the odd bad days here and there but on the whole it doesn't interfere with my day to day life anymore. I'm a big believer in dealing with the symptoms not covering them up using medication.

 

[bsd]

Thank you ladies your response's make me feel so much less alone!

My doctor tried assuring me it was safe, and I've even heard pediatricians say it's safe. But the "American Academy of Pediatrics" says it's safe because there are no known side effects. Everything we eat or drink goes through our BM so they know the medicine is getting to the baby although they are unaffected by it. I think I'm just extremely paranoid that years from now they will 'discover' it was affecting these babies the entire time! (probably more of my anxiety thinking that than anything)

But I agree with you cautious... that if the anxiety is consuming you there is something needed to be done with it. I'm seriously debating which out weighs which in my situation because on my good days I'm like, no I can do this! And then I have a really bad day and if OH wasn't there to help me with LO.. I'm afraid to be alone with LO for long periods of times in case something happens and my anxiety can't handle it. THAT is not right! I should be 100% for my LO as often as possible!

And you ladies know that you CANNOT ever ever take anxiety medicine daily and then just stop cold turkey all of a sudden! It can mess up your chemicals in your brain and give you severe depression or even suicidal thoughts. I've done that with out knowing and my doctor almost yelled at me

I've never heard about CBT before.. good to know thank you
I've gone to multiple therapists but they just tell me breathing techniques and tell me I need to learn mind control..... The reason I have anxiety is because I can't control my mind and think awful thoughts (which in turn makes me anxious). Mind control is hard hard hard and it doesn't work most of the time for me.

I have another appt on saturday and I will talk to her about how I'm not sure if I want to be on medicine or not. We talked about it last time but the conclusion was that if it's not guaranteed safe I don't want it! But after thinking about it (and my anxiety getting worse) I just don't know what to do anymore.

 

[misspriss]

I have anxiety. It is sometimes really bad. I also got some pretty severe Baby Blues. Doctor said I was "between normal baby blues and postpartum depression", but all he would give me was Zoloft. I have tried SSRIs and SNRIs in the past, and I was not myself on them and don't have any desire to use them again. Also, if it can alter the chemicals in my (developed) adult brain, I don't want it altering the chemical balance in LO's (developing) brain. Just how I feel about it.

The only thing that worked well for my anxiety without making me feel like a shell of myself was benzodiazepines, and I had no issues with addictive behaviors. I was told by the doctors at the hospital and have heard from many reputable online sources that some benzodiazepines are okay for BF for occasional, and I mean occasional use. They had to give me Xanax in the hospital about 3 days PP in the middle of the night when the nurses aide gave me a panic attack harassing me about my blood pressure (like I could do something to change it!), they said as a one time thing it would be fine, might make LO a bit sleepy, but at the time he was getting fed by nose tube and had no reason to not sleep...

Anyway. Long story short I don't take anything for it. It seems to have gotten better with time. My DH Was in the hospital Monday and I started work last week so my anxiety has been high, but I have managed to keep from freaking out too bad.

I wish I could be more helpful....I have just chosen to not take anything. Anxiety just what I have to deal with, no getting around it.

 

[bsd]

That stupid nurse giving you crap for your blood pressure is only going to make your blood pressure rise!! Ohhh the nerve of some people.

A long time ago, about a year and a half before I got pregnat I used to take buporen (sp?) and that worked great for me. They also gave me a script of 30 xanax that I was suppose to take when I had a major anxiety freak out but those can be really addictive so she told me to only take them in emergencies which I did and they worked wonders! I come from a town where pills are really badly abused and I know xanax is one of them so I was really hesitant about it but when I could feel my panic attacks coming, (and if you have anxiety you know there's really no stopping them after they start. You just freak out and cry more until you sleep ) anyways I would feel one coming and take a xanax and be totally fine! I was so amazed I was like "this is what normal people must feel like!!" ..realizing that a drug people use to get 'messed up' actually makes me feel normal than my anxiety is really a problem. I ended up making that script last me over a year.

So that's when I realized my anxiety was a pretty big problem. When I got pregnant it was definitely more depression than anxiety (I had a rough pregnancy) but now that LO is here and so many bad things have happened in the past 6 months it's getting much harder to control my panic attacks or my constantly anxious brain. To be honest I'm hoping my rescue remedy drops work sort of like the xanax did all those months ago.. when I can tell this panic attack will be out of my control I take a few drops and I'll be good to go. Maybe I have my hopes set a little high but we will see!

I do not want to live like this, I feel like it makes me enjoy life less. My son and my DH both deserve me at my best and even more important so do I. So I will try my very hardest to conquer this or at least make it much more liveable!

 

[cautious...]

My main issue recently has also been awful (obsessional) thoughts causing the panic attacks. I was diagnosed with major PND/OCD.

I do feel anxious about taking the medication but deep down I know it was the right decision, and probably the only one I could have made at the time. I was desperate. I couldn't even get out of bed as I was so frozen in panic and could barely hold LO. I'm still very up and down but at least I'm functioning now.

It's very difficult to deal with and so hard to control the mind. I will never take my mental health for granted again.

I'm sure you will find something that works for you. I used rescue remedy when I did my driving test but it was a long time ago so I can't remember it that well!

 

[bsd]

That sounds awful cautious I'm so sorry

We need to do what's best for our LO even if it means taking medicine!

I'm sure I will too.. I just hope it's soon! Thank you for sharing

 

[cautious...]

Thanks. Sorry for hijacking your post somewhat!

Just keep reminding yourself that this will pass, and you will probably be stronger for it. Good luck