Aa
im in need of help
I'm 11 weeks tomorrow and I have sever anxiety I will be honest before I found out I was pregnant I was smoking marijuana to deal with it I have always kinda been against and scared of prescription so marijuana worked for me well I stopped smoking when I found out I was pregnant and I have had 3 full blown panic attacks in the last 2 days and I have done research that say that is very bad for my baby but it also says that prescribed meds could be extremely harmful to my baby also I'm close to resorting back to marijuana seems the safest route I have tried walking hot shower a lot of the home remedies and nothing else has worked please help
Now I'm more confused I have spoke with one dc that told me to try melatonin but then another told me now wow mixed up
Sounds great...look forward to seeing the update! It will go well, you'll be relieved!
Hope your anxiety improves soon too!
Hope your anxiety improves soon too!
Thank u I see my doc on Thursday and plan on being very honest I have not and won't smoke as of now I will speak with her and see alternative its just very scary and I was going to that as a last result will let u know.what the doc says
Hello and welcome! Congrats on the pregnancy!
Without getting into a debate about MJ, I can tell you that one thing is for sure....you do NOT want to smoke pot while pregnant. Without a doubt. I'll get to the specific "whys" in a moment.
There are many many ways to address anxiety, and up until now, your way has been smoking weed, which, my personal opinion is that that would be self medicating, rather than trying to go a more typical route to address the anxiety. JUST my opinion. Again, I'm not looking for a debate about marijuana. ;0)
A person doesn't HAVE to choose medications as part of their anxiety treatment modality, it's a very personal choice for each individual person. Same with the choice to take a medication while pregnant. While there are certainly no guarantees, lots of people have taken antidepressant meds during their pregnancies with no adverse outcomes (myself included).
Almost all of the newer, more commonly Rx'ed antidepressants are classed a pregnancy risk category "C", which I will provide the descriptions of each category below, with the exception of a few that are a "D" (more risky), Like Paxil.
Category A
Adequate and well-controlled studies have failed to demonstrate a risk to the fetus in the first trimester of pregnancy (and there is no evidence of risk in later trimesters).
Category B
Animal reproduction studies have failed to demonstrate a risk to the fetus and there are no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women.
Category C
Animal reproduction studies have shown an adverse effect on the fetus and there are no adequate and well-controlled studies in humans, but potential benefits may warrant use of the drug in pregnant women despite potential risks.
Category D
There is positive evidence of human fetal risk based on adverse reaction data from investigational or marketing experience or studies in humans, but potential benefits may warrant use of the drug in pregnant women despite potential risks.
Category X
Studies in animals or humans have demonstrated fetal abnormalities and/or there is positive evidence of human fetal risk based on adverse reaction data from investigational or marketing experience, and the risks involved in use of the drug in pregnant women clearly outweigh potential benefits.
Category N
FDA has not classified the drug.
Category C meds are where a lot of Rx medication fall. It's not free of risk, but in some cases, the benefits outweigh the risks. It's kind of in the middle. It's something that should be discussed carefully with your OB.
I cannot stress enough that you must be very honest with your OB...even about your past MJ use, before you found out you were pregnant. Reason being, there are tests that can determine what drugs a Mom has consumed for most of her pregnancy.
Some hospitals/docs are now including routine toxicology screening as part of the post-partum process, even if there was no suspicion of drug abuse. They can test both the placenta and the baby's meconium (baby's first bowel movement) and get a pretty comprehensive history of what was consumed. This is why you must be very forthcoming with your doctor, and why the very LAST thing you want to do is take anything during your pregnancy that your doc is not aware of, or that your doctor didn't approve for you to take.
You will be pleasantly surprised, as most docs will be very supportive when their patients reveal that they did partake in some kind of illicit drug use prior to finding out they were pregnant. That's so common.
Your doctor is also the one you need to turn to for guidance about how to handle this anxiety. One avenue you could take would be to try some therapy and some different coping mechanisms (the therapist would point you in the right direction). There are all kinds of things you can do that are safe during pregnancy that may help your anxiety...from relaxation exercises, massage, meditation, physical exercise, etc.
Once you've gone a more natural route, if your anxiety is still out of control, maybe then you could discuss the possibility of a medication with your OB. While I can understand your hesitation about meds, it's also not healthy for an expecting Mom to be experiencing debilitating anxiety/panic.
You also have to keep in mind that your onset of anxiety is not too surprising. For one, you mention have a history of anxiety, which, if you only ever smoked pot (again, no judgement), you didn't really address it (with a professional), also, the hormones in pregnancy will exacerbate anxiety terribly, not to mention it's normal to experience a surge in anxiety after quitting regular use of MJ. For those reasons alone, it's reasonable to give this some time, and try some non-medication approaches before jumping right to medications. Of course, again, that's something you would have to decide for yourself.
VERY best of luck to you...let us know what the doctor said and what your plan is, okay? We'll be here to support you any way you can. PLEASE stay away from MJ or any other non-prescribed/non-approved substance. It really is SO important.
Without getting into a debate about MJ, I can tell you that one thing is for sure....you do NOT want to smoke pot while pregnant. Without a doubt. I'll get to the specific "whys" in a moment.
There are many many ways to address anxiety, and up until now, your way has been smoking weed, which, my personal opinion is that that would be self medicating, rather than trying to go a more typical route to address the anxiety. JUST my opinion. Again, I'm not looking for a debate about marijuana. ;0)
A person doesn't HAVE to choose medications as part of their anxiety treatment modality, it's a very personal choice for each individual person. Same with the choice to take a medication while pregnant. While there are certainly no guarantees, lots of people have taken antidepressant meds during their pregnancies with no adverse outcomes (myself included).
Almost all of the newer, more commonly Rx'ed antidepressants are classed a pregnancy risk category "C", which I will provide the descriptions of each category below, with the exception of a few that are a "D" (more risky), Like Paxil.
Category A
Adequate and well-controlled studies have failed to demonstrate a risk to the fetus in the first trimester of pregnancy (and there is no evidence of risk in later trimesters).
Category B
Animal reproduction studies have failed to demonstrate a risk to the fetus and there are no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women.
Category C
Animal reproduction studies have shown an adverse effect on the fetus and there are no adequate and well-controlled studies in humans, but potential benefits may warrant use of the drug in pregnant women despite potential risks.
Category D
There is positive evidence of human fetal risk based on adverse reaction data from investigational or marketing experience or studies in humans, but potential benefits may warrant use of the drug in pregnant women despite potential risks.
Category X
Studies in animals or humans have demonstrated fetal abnormalities and/or there is positive evidence of human fetal risk based on adverse reaction data from investigational or marketing experience, and the risks involved in use of the drug in pregnant women clearly outweigh potential benefits.
Category N
FDA has not classified the drug.
Category C meds are where a lot of Rx medication fall. It's not free of risk, but in some cases, the benefits outweigh the risks. It's kind of in the middle. It's something that should be discussed carefully with your OB.
I cannot stress enough that you must be very honest with your OB...even about your past MJ use, before you found out you were pregnant. Reason being, there are tests that can determine what drugs a Mom has consumed for most of her pregnancy.
Some hospitals/docs are now including routine toxicology screening as part of the post-partum process, even if there was no suspicion of drug abuse. They can test both the placenta and the baby's meconium (baby's first bowel movement) and get a pretty comprehensive history of what was consumed. This is why you must be very forthcoming with your doctor, and why the very LAST thing you want to do is take anything during your pregnancy that your doc is not aware of, or that your doctor didn't approve for you to take.
You will be pleasantly surprised, as most docs will be very supportive when their patients reveal that they did partake in some kind of illicit drug use prior to finding out they were pregnant. That's so common.
Your doctor is also the one you need to turn to for guidance about how to handle this anxiety. One avenue you could take would be to try some therapy and some different coping mechanisms (the therapist would point you in the right direction). There are all kinds of things you can do that are safe during pregnancy that may help your anxiety...from relaxation exercises, massage, meditation, physical exercise, etc.
Once you've gone a more natural route, if your anxiety is still out of control, maybe then you could discuss the possibility of a medication with your OB. While I can understand your hesitation about meds, it's also not healthy for an expecting Mom to be experiencing debilitating anxiety/panic.
You also have to keep in mind that your onset of anxiety is not too surprising. For one, you mention have a history of anxiety, which, if you only ever smoked pot (again, no judgement), you didn't really address it (with a professional), also, the hormones in pregnancy will exacerbate anxiety terribly, not to mention it's normal to experience a surge in anxiety after quitting regular use of MJ. For those reasons alone, it's reasonable to give this some time, and try some non-medication approaches before jumping right to medications. Of course, again, that's something you would have to decide for yourself.
VERY best of luck to you...let us know what the doctor said and what your plan is, okay? We'll be here to support you any way you can. PLEASE stay away from MJ or any other non-prescribed/non-approved substance. It really is SO important.
The best thing you can do is this: do not smoke weed, see your doctor, and ask if there is anything safe you can take. Blessings to you and your baby - Blu
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