Please help pregnant with severe anxiety and panic attacks

Hi I'm pregnant in my 24th week and I have severe anxiety and panic attacks.  I started experiencing panic attacks in march once and a while and then all of the sudden in early June just like that I was having them almost daily and nervous and anxious everyday since.  I have major heart palpitations when I go to sleep and I wake up from them and then I feel like I cannot calm down.  I am so close to the edge right now it's ridiculous.  I want to take medication for it but my doctor tells me there is not a safe medication to give me while I am pregnant.  Please if someone can help and tell me if they know of a med. that would be safe for me to take while pregnant.  I would also really like to talk to someone who has been pregnant and on some type of anxiety medication.

[AJ39]

I was on paxil for two of my pregnancies everything was fine. also, try a psychiatrist their expertise is anxiety meds and they would know it's affects. hang in there, we are here for you. there are lots of pregnant people on meds. there is an answer for you.

[lesnmo]

Thank you so much for answering my post :) you don't know how much of a relief I feel right now.  Did you take paxil throughout your pregnancies or for part of the pregnancy?? My doctor told me he may priscribe me paxil in my third trimester but I seriously don't think I can take 3 more weeks of feeling this way.  So your children had no effects from the paxil at all??? i'm sorry to ask all these questions It just makes me feel like i'm a bad mother when I start to think about taking meds.  I have read so many horror stories. Thank goodness I do have an appiontment with a phyc doc tomorrow morn.  

[cheshchesh819]

when you go to your doc tomorrow please askhim whatever questions are in your head at that time alot of us always leaves there just second guessing,i suffered terrible anxiety whilst pregnant,but i was lucky mine started to subside during pregnancy,one thing you must never think is that taking meds makes you a bad mother,you will be a perfect mother,and please stop reading all these horror stories they makes us worse we all look at the negative and not the positive,there is an answer out there for you good luck.Be strong and try and enjoy your pregnancy.

[mammo]

There are medications that are safe to take while pregnant.  A psychiatrist will know best what these are.  Congratulations on the baby and take care.

[lesnmo]

Thank you to everyone who commemted back :) I thought I was going to see a phych today but it turned out to be an evaluation.  I will see him this Sat. so I will let you all know the out come.  I'm trying really hard not to focus on the negative stories but it's hard for me right now.  I want to do whats best for my baby and I'm just scared I will make the wrong decision.  I feel selfish if I decide to take meds because I feel like I would be putting his health in danger to make mine better.  I'm trying really hard not to think this way.

[AJ39]

yes, I took paxil throughout both entire pregnancies. my ob/gyn said it was safe and my kids are now 16,14,9,and 4yr old ( the last two are the ones). Don't ever feel like a bad mother for helping your mental health. and DON'T let others tell you that you are for seeking legal medications legally.  My mother had moderate depression and anxiety while my brother and I was growing up. She missed out on a lot and was miserable. I love her and she struggled and I see it now, but we are in an new area where there is no need to suffer and make our families suffer because we have anxiety/depression especially not our kids.  I've need help and still do. i'm going thru some crazy panic episode right now that has lasted for 18 days. I'm seeking counseling and already have had my first psychiatrist appt. Just so I can be a better mom/wife and not curl up in the fetal position and watch tv all day. Trust me there are tons of people out there taking fda approved meds and are pregnant. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. keep searching.  We are here for you!

[lesnmo]

Thanks again, after reading all the posts I feel better about wanting to take meds to help my situation. I went to see a psych. today and he prescribed zoloft the lowest dose.  He did tell me that it was one of the safest anxiety meds out there for anxiety so I felt even better about that. The funny thing was I went to the pharmacy to pick up my prescription and the pharmasist would not release the meds to me.  He said he never heard of a doc prescribe an antidepresent for a pregnant women. Go figure right!! After all my back and forth in my head about taking meds and now a pharmisist that has never heard of antidepresants for pregnant women. Hopefully I will have this situation resolved by Mon. and have the meds in my hands :) I do plan to breastfeed so does anyone have any experience with antidepresents and breastfeeding?

[lesnmo]

Oh yeah I forgot to mention Thurs. I went to have acupunture and a massage and I must admit it took the edge off of my anxiety has anyone else tried it??

[hmf099]

i took zoloft my entire pregnancy  and while i breast fed and hve a happy healthy 4 year old. i would demand my script back and take it to a pharmacy that isnt so ignorant!

[AJ39]

Yeah!! I'm so happy you got an answer. enjoy your pregnancy:)

[lesnmo]

Thanks again ladies for all the support and encouraging comments.  I was so upset when the pharmacist told me what he did but the only bad thing was that the phych e-mailed the prescription in to my pharmacy so rather than make a huge seen and get myself all stressed out and ask for the prescription back I just left and called my psych and left a message for him so maybe he could try to deal with it for me quickly cause lord only knows how awful I have been feeling =) so I just hope that my obgyn does not object to me taking these meds.

[cheshchesh819]

noone should object,my friend takes them she is pregnant and is going to breast feed,and i cant believe the pharmasit refused them he must be new at it ha

[lesnmo]

Ok ladies, so I finally got my prescription for Zoloft and I began to see a new OB, one that really sat down with me and took the time to discuss my anxiety issues =)  that was about a week ago and I'm still struggling with the issue of taking them. some days I feel great and I think what was I thinking I don't need those pills and some days are horrible and I wish I had started taking them so they could work. I feel so awful cause my husband is constantly telling me to take them and I keep refusing even though I had wonderful feedback from you ladies and the doctors about taking these pills.  I know that it is something that is ultimately my decision but I think I just need to talk to someone who had gone through the same thing you know.  I feel like if I take them my luck I would be in that % of women who had something horrible happen to their baby and I could never forgive myself. I don't know ladies I think I just need some encouragement.

[lesnmo]

I have decided after a lot of crying today that I'm gonna do it. I'm going to start the Zoloft tonight before I go to bed.  I just want to feel like me again and it is not fair to my husband or my 3 children that I'm this way.  I want to feel better and I want my baby to be healthy.  I just hope that I have made the right decision.