taking xanax in first trimester

I have been prescribed xanax bars for almost two years now due to stress and a VERY  high strung personality disorder.  I am prescribed 4 per day, but have been trying to take myself down from them but all that does is put me into a panic attack thinking abiout a possible seizure or worst case scenerio... harming my baby. Can someone please try to answer my worries about this and offer advice as to what I should do.  I am about 7.5 weeks pregnant right now, and have been takin the prenatal vitamins along w/ folic acid pills and drinking plenty of juice, milk, and so on and so forth. My husband and I are just concerned and a little confused on this issue.
THANK YOU
Michele

[Darkestlight]

To tell u the truth hardly anything is that great for u in the first trimester. Because this is when all organs start developing. I understand you panic attacks. I used to be on A LOT of xanax in the past and i had panic attacks constantly. When I found out how xanax worked I immediately stopped taking it and never took it again. Do some research on xanax in the first trimester. Good luck. if u need someone to talk to i'm a sahm so im around the pc a lot.

[houseofgirls]

You should talk to your doctor about a taper schedule.  You do not want to just stop taking xanax cold turkey.  Seizures are a problem when people just stop suddenly.  So call the doctor who prescribed it, explain that you are pregnant and need to know how to safely come off of it.  You can also talk to your ob/gyn about it, to help set your mind at ease.  They have certainly dealt with patients coming off of xanax before in pregnancy.  Good luck!

[spade22]

Xanax use during pregnancy should be minimized.  There are much safer drug options that can be used to help w/ panic attacks during pregnancy, e.g. visteral.  

Talk to your OBGYN about your Xanax use ASAP so a tapering schedule can be administered, if  this is considered appropriate in your case.  You do not mention your dose, but if you are on 4 pills/day and have been for 2 years you may very well have a physical dependence on this drug and it may take several months to wean off.

[peekawho]

I agree with everyone else.  Xanax usage will also not help your stress, nor will it help your high strung personality disorder.  What it will do is instead give you a benzo dependency.  

If you are only taking 4 a day, after being on it for 2 years, you are lucky.  

Spade is quite right; there are other, more appropriate drugs available.  Talk to your doctor right away.

Good luck, and congrats on the pregnancy!

[WoahThatGirl]

4 bars a day, is a lot!  That is 4 mg a day.  I was taking 2.5 a day before I found out that I was pregnant.  I have been weening myself off for 3 1/2 weeks and am down to zero and feel like hell.  The only thing that is keeping me going is knowing that I don't want to harm my baby.  I'm so scared because I'm almost 13 weeks and feel the damage has already been done.  I'm also on methadone and was taking 80 mg a day and am down to 50 in a 3 1/2 week span.  

Part of me is very proud of myself for quitting smoking and drinking and weening off the meds but the bigger part of me can't help but feel depressed b/c I won't know the actual harm I've done to my baby until it's several years old if there isn't any obvious defects at birth.  

[tiaaa20]

I am 16 weeks prego and i take half a xanex every 2 weeks or so and been doing since i found out im pregnant j take rarely but bc i get overwhelmed and a bit of anxiety from all the stress that hoes on in my life right is my baby going to be okay?