Panic attacks during pregnancy

[Ninura]

Hi, I need help!!
I have panic attacks for many years, sometimes controlled. Now I'm pregnant with my second baby and I' m having huge panic attacks. On my first pregnancy before i know i was pregnant I was taking cipralex and xanax in sos, and I stop after i know of the pregnancy and everything went well, I just had one panic attack during that pregnancy...and they returned only after I gave birth, because the birth didnt went well. Now with the second pregnancy I was also taking cipralex and xanax in sos, and I stop taking, in the begining I was so so, i could control, but now, since christmas, I'm having 1 or 2 panic attacks per day, and they are getting worse. Now I just woke up in the middle of the night with a HUGE attack and my blood pressure was high. I know in normal circunstances a panic attack cannot harm us but now I'm very concerned because I'm pregnant and my blood pressure was too high. I'm afraid to get pre-eclampsia due to panic increase blood pressure. Now I measured again and it's low, even too low, and dizzy. I'm being followed in the hospital for high risk pregnancy and also followed by a psychiatrist. Today my psychiatrist gave me valium but told me to take only if the attack is too severe, he thinks I can control by other ways. My attacks got worse now probably because of a lot of recent situations and doctor think I will get better without meds but I 'm really scared of having so many attacks and woried with the high blood pressure due to panic. Now I did not take the valium, all my body hurts and I'm scared and sad.

[starlight78]

Hi there, I'm sorry you didn't get any replies. I've not been pregnant so cant be useful in that way. I'm sorry you are struggling. There are quite a few good books about anxiety during pregnancy. Also massage and acupuncture may help. This will pass, remember that. X

[Ninura]

Yes, no replies :(

[Pinktel]

Ninura I had anxiety throughout all 3 of my pregnancies, panic disorder, health anxiety, agoraphobia, hyperventilation syndrome...

I also had a terrible first birth which left me with PTSD and worsened all my fears and phobias.

But you will get through this just as I did.

All the fear you have about panic, all the desperate times you tell yourself DO NOT PANIC, I must NOT panic or I will harm myself and my baby, all of these thoughts are what perpetuate your anxiety.

The best thing you can do is take some deep breaths and keep reminding yourself the anxiety and panic attacks will NOT do you any harm so it does not matter if they continue (apart from the horrid symptoms they give you) so you can slowly remove the pressure you are putting on yourself trying to stay calm.

The truth is nobody really knows what causes pre eclampsia, some feel an auto immune disease may be involved, stress will raise your blood pressure but not constantly, and your body is more than equipped to deal with this.

What programmes do you have in place for relaxation? Have you ever tried some meditation, some tai chi, a relaxing walk? Most of us can find some moments in the day where we can do some calming breathing exercises. All of these would be very restorative for your body and mind.

Once you lose the fear of having panic, recognise the panic attacks for what they are, just you mistaking your anxious feelings for something more sinister, you can begin to think "I don't care if I have a panic, it won't be nice, I don't like them, but I always come out the other side and life carries on..."

Why not check out the cbt4panic which is endorsed on here, it is soon to be offered free and I think everyone should have it in their recovery.

[Ninura]

I feel more confident when I read your post Pinktel. Now I'm taking citalopram, first 10 mg, then 20mg and now 30 mg. It helped with depression and a bit with anxiety, but still anxious. Maybe doc will increase to 40 mg...don't know. And when I cannot control I take a xanax 0.5, but I always feel guilty, xanax is cat d.
I'm also doing therapy, had 2 sessions already.

[little scientist]

Hi Ninura. I too am on citalopram. I'm not pregnant though. My partner and I have just decided to try for our first baby together (he already has two lovely little children from a previous relationship_. I intend to go to my GP soon to discuss planning for a pregnancy - I had discussed it with her previously and she had discussed switching me on to a different anti depressant during my pregnancy to enable me to breast feed after.

As other say though, CBT during pregnancy has been shown to be quite effective at reducing anxiety.

One of my biggest worries is being switched to another anti depressant and it not working or something while I am pregnant, and causing me more time off work (I had 6 weeks off last year with anxiety and depression).