Anxiety meds in pregnancy

I've been dealing with a lot of anxiety now, especially with my recent hospitalization. It just feels like deja vu and sometimes the anxiety gets to be too much. It can't be good for the babies. When I wasn't pregnant, I was on wellbutrin and took klonipin when needed (not often at all). Now I'm off all meds, and have been doing considerably well, but it seems to be getting out of control. I'm going to talk to my doctor tomorrow about what meds are safe and if he thinks I should take any meds. But I'd love to hear from those that have BTDT and be a bit more educated about what my options are.

Please share your personal experiences with this.

Thanks

 

I don't have personal experience with it but I do just want to say that I truly believe that taking care of yourself while pregnant is very important. If you need some help to get through this without slipping into severe panic mode, which wouldn't be good for the babies, then you should be looking to find out what kind of help you can have.

By the way, I love the name Moshe. It was on our list if we had a boy, but we're having girls.

 

I have had several friends who have been prescribed Zoloft for anxiety while pregnant (by their OBs), including one who was pregnant with twins at the time. No ill effects for anyone involved!

 

The fear of anything going wrong, plus the fear of adjustment once the babies come is proving to be too much for me, on top of everything else. Thanks for the encouragement.

You mean Moses, or Moshe? Because Moshe is the really Moses, but Jewish Orthodox people pronounce Moshe.

I'll look into that. Thanks

 

Zoloft.

 

Moshe, was my great-grandfather. We aren't Orthodox, we do English and Hebrew names but when we found out we were having girls we decided to name after other people. Incidentally, in English we would have used Max.

I asked a friend and she said Zoloft was safe during her pregnancy. I would talk to your doctor.

 

That's so nice. I love the name Max as well.

So it seems Zoloft is ok.

Thanks for all the responses. I'd love to hear from anyone else that has knowledge/experience.

Thanks

 

It seems zoloft is a category C medication. I don't feel comfortable with that. Also, is zoloft a medication for anxiety or for depression? At this point I think I need an anti anxiety med.

 

Here is some info on antidepressant/antianxiety meds for pregnancy.


Antidepressant Medications

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs): SSRIs are relatively new depression medications. Among others, they include Prozac, Celexa, Zoloft, and Paxil. Of the SSRIs, only Prozac has been widely tested in pregnant women. Prozac does not appear to increase the risk of any birth complications in baby. The other SSRIs also are assumed safe medications for pregnancy. There are some suggestions that SSRIs taken around the time of delivery may increase the possibility of prenatal syndromes including tremor, restlessness, and increased crying.

Tricyclics: Tricyclic anti-depressant medications, like Tofranil and Pamelor, have been widely tested in pregnant women. They are among the safest to use during pregnancy, with no adverse effects on baby.
Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors: MAOIs, like Parnate and Nardil, are commonly prescribed for depression and anxiety disorders. They should not be used during pregnancy as they commonly react with other medications. Some research suggests that MAOIs may increase the risk of fetal malformation in the first trimester.

Anti-Anxiety Medications

Benzodiazepines: Benzodiazepines are commonly prescribed to people suffering from anxiety disorders. Benzodiazepines can be associated with feeding problems, hypothermia, and deficiency in baby's muscle tone.




I took a SSRI before we did IVF, but was asked to attempt to discontinue it if possible. That said- the IVF dr said that some patients do continue to take it in pregnancy. I did stop taking them, but not without some ups/downs!

Although antidepressants are 'safer' than anti-anxiety meds in pregnancy and often Dr will use Zoloft or tricyclics instead of Xanax or other anxiety meds (valium) if they can in pregnancy.

Have you tried yoga, acupuncture, massage, relaxation CDs, therapy, or other alternative techniques? I found relaxation CDs and yoga (prenatal) helpful.



FWIW: I took a class B and a class C drug from conception to delivery and then several other meds inbetween for PTL ( magnesium sulfate, terbutaline, steriods, etc). I had to take the class B (antibiotic) and the class C (blood pressure med) for my own safety- we discussed the risks to myself and the babies. The risk was determined worth the outcome if I did not take it, I talked to my DR and also got a second opinion from the specialists that prescribed the meds.

Get a second opinion with a high risk dr and/or neonatologist instead of an OB/GYN. They deal with unique situations all the time and all their patients are high risk.

DH took zoloft for anxiety- not depression. He did not like the side effects so he stopped, but it did seem to help.

:grouphug:

 

I did not know that about Moshe- Moses was on our short list of names.

I'm sorry, I do not have any experience with meds, but KCMichigan has provided some great info.

 

Thank you KC for the information.

 

In the mean time my psychiatrist told me low doses of benadryl can ease anxiety without knocking u out (liquid form) It is safe during pregnancy.

 

Ester, there's a lot of evidence out there that accupuncture can seriously relieve anxiety. If you don't find a drug that you're comfortable with, it might be worth looking into accupuncture. A lot of major health insurances are now covering it.

 

Sorry I didn't comment on these earlier. Relaxation CDs don't cut it, but I think I might try yoga, massage or accupuncture. What other alternative techniques are available? I'm very reluctant to take meds in pregnancy (but don't have an issue taking meds when not pregnant).

My doctor is high risk.

I assume I would need to find someone that does accupuncture in pregnancy. Do you have any idea how often I'd need to do that?

 

As a person who has suffered mental illness her entire life along with crippling anxiety and panic attacks I can say that without a doubt the calmer you can be while pregnant the better for not only the baby but for you as well.

Now having said this, I stopped ALL of my meds when I found out I was pregnant. My OB put me on Prozac and that intensified my anxieties and panic attacks to the point that I was afraid to sleep. I am one of the few who took risky medications while pregnant. Yes I took Xanax 2mg THREE times a day from week 25 until week 35 when I delivered. ALL of my doctors were aware of this from my OB, my Psychiatrist and my Pediatrician. Now I did not carry 35 weeks because of the medication, I had pre-eclampsia and the babies were killing me so they had to come out. They were born with APGARS of 8 and 9 and required no breathing or feeding tubes. Yes they did stay in PICU for 5 and 7 days but it was mostly due to the size they were and their inability to pass the car seat challenge. Neither one of my boys experienced ANY withdrawls from the Xanax and have had no feeding problems, hypothermia or problems with muscle tone. We are now approaching 2 and they are happy, energetic and completely healthy.

In my situation I did the right thing. Everyone is different though. My case was extreme with the anxiety and panic attacks and mere SSRI's just didn't break the ice or even melt it a little. I am here to tell you that while it's not overwhelmingly looked of as a good idea or solution but if needed it can and does work and taking it does NOT mean you are severely harming your children while they are developing in the womb.

Sometimes even though it's not 100% safe for your child(ren) in the womb it is most necessary for the Mother to ensure that those children stay in as long as possible.

And please do not look at this as someone who is saying taking benzos is THE only way but I just want you to know that it has been done safely and I am here to prove it.

I mean break it down, when you're pregnant everything you put into your body is potentially dangerous to you and your baby but we do what we have to in order to SURVIVE and have HEALTHY children.

Even the "safe" SSRI medications have recently come under the spot light as possible causes of serious birth defects. Just proving that science isn't always right and everything is a learning game.

Bottom line, do what is best for you because what's best for you will be best for those babies!

Good luck to you!!!

 

Hypnotherapy- hypnobabies is a labor technique but it's hypnotizing yourself with the help of your partner to help break through pain and anxiety associated with birth. I have a friend who has used anxiety meds on occasion and found this helpful for her 3rd birth.

 

This is a great approach to helping ease anxiety but I just want to offer a bit of a warning because it's common for hypnotherapy to bring up repressed emotions and that could potentially make things a little worse. Just food for though.

 

I appreciate that Kristine. :hug: That is something I hadn't considered. :thanks:

 

No problem. I only mentioned it because I did try hypnotherapy once to try and work through some issues and it brought back a lot of things I had repressed and things turned ugly there for a bit. You just have to be careful when you attempt to dig into someone's psyche.

 

I haven't done acupuncture for anxiety so I'm not an expert (but I've done it for other things and it was wonderful). I called the acupuncturist I used here and she said a lot of people see relief after one or two sessions, but if you have chronic anxiety, you'd probably want to go every 3 weeks or so. Also, here's a good quote about what acupuncture does: "From a Western viewpoint, acupuncture works to alleviate stress by releasing natural pain-killing chemicals in the brain, called endorphins. In addition, acupuncture improves circulation of blood throughout the body, which oxygenates the tissues and cycles out cortisol and other waste chemicals. The calming nature of acupuncture also decreases heart rate, lowers blood pressure and relaxes the muscles."

 

RE: Acupuncture, a friend of mine who is married to a holistic doctor did acupuncture while she was pregnant and swears by it. I think you just need to look up holistic medical centers in your area. Maybe start with checking the yellow pages for "holistic medicine".

I did forget to mention though that one of the major things I have learned, although can not yet do myself, is that deep breathing - in through your nose, count in your head to 3 and then exhale slowly through the mouth and as you do this feel every part of your body just sink into whatever you are laying down on. For instance, start with the toes and picture them in your mind just melting into the ocean and slowly work your way up to your head with each breath.

If you are in the midst of a major attack where you are hyperventilating or crying hysterically or pacing back and forth the very very very best thing, non medical related, that you can do is change the focus in your head. Like if you suddenly start freaking out about something bad happening take a moment and stop/stand still and start to do something productive to distract your attention from the panic to the mundane. Sometimes folding and putting away laundry works for me. Anything that you can do that requires little or no thought that can occupy you physically can, a lot of the times, calm you down just enough to realize that you are in fact okay and that there is no need to panic.

Those are some really helpful things you can do that have no drug complications with pregnancy.

Oh and also journalling. When you're in the middle of an attack write down every single thing you are freaking out about, what it is, what it feels like, etc. When you are done do some deep breathing exercises and go back to read what you were experiencing and maybe over time you can recognize that in truth there was nothing to worry about.

 

I know our IVF clinic was connected w/ a local acupuncture clinc.

They gave packaged rate for x amount of sessions. They did prenatal, postnantal, and pregnancy sessions.

Check your insurance, they may cover a certain amount of sessions and/or if you have a FSA account for health care you could use that too.

I would look online for your city and acupuncture clinics.


My SIL also got acupuncture and massage during her pregnancy (she works as a massage therapist). Her hospital based OB actually encouraged it!

 

The anxiety is not about the birth at all, nor only about the pregnancy itself.

Yes, hypnotherapy would be way too intense for me, due to my childhood history and other stuff.

Thank you for calling her, that's so sweet of you. I'm definitely going to look into this. It seems promising.

I do some of the stuff you mention. I'm going to check out holistic medicine.

 

Just want to for warn you that holistic approaches to medical treatments can be more dangerous than the actual medications themselves. Even things like green tea aren't recommended if you are pregnant. You just have to make sure you find a really qualified holistic practitioner that is very well educated on alternative medicines for pregnant woman.

 

Thank you for the reminder. I don't want to do anything risky.

 

I wanted to post an update and thank you all for your wonderful suggestions. I found an accupuncturist/herbalist that specializes in pre/post natal women. I've seen him twice so far for accupuncture and he gave me an herb that's safe in pregnancy to help with the anxiety as well. I've been able to go off Unisom (OB recommended sleep aid) and am generally a LOT calmer than I've been since I started the IVF. So thank you all for your suggestions and if anyone is dealing with anxiety, I highly recommend finding a naturopath that knows his stuff well and trying it.

 

You live in rockland right? can u give me the name of who u use...just in case I have another

 

Yes! His place is called Tisana and it's on Route 59. The phone number is: 845-425-0022.

 

That is right near me..I'm in Suffern. Im gonna put it in my phone for the future. It doesn't matter that Im not Jewish right ?

 

It's just past Route 45. Why would it matter that you're not Jewish?

 

That came out wrong...of course it wouldn't matter..I just meant (and u know the area) is it predominantly jewish...not that it matters..but I have been made to feel uncomfortable if that is the case. I even had a doc in the area who was very nice..but recognized my maiden jewish name and referred to me as her non jew "maiden name"...in a totally benign and laughable manner...but that is why i asked.

 

Ugh! I'm so sorry you had such encounters. It always bothers me, no kills me, to hear of such situations.

It isn't predominantly Jewish at all. It's closer to Target, right before the traffic light there.

 

Oh yay! It made my day reading this. I just love when stuff like this works out for people. I hope you continue to have a stress-free pregnancy... many warm wishes...

 

Thanks! Im glad u didn't take that the wrong way. I'm going to keep the number (i think im done but..just in case )

 

I really feel so much better. I'm so grateful to all of you for your suggestions.

Not at all. I just feel bad for your experiences.