hello

[bluewoman]

soo i am 36 and have a 15 year old daughter and 11 month old son. this all started probably when i was pregnant. it was an extremely stressful high risk pregnancy. i started to get these wierd lightheaded dizzy spells at the end of my pregnancy but i did not really think anything and just chalked it up to hormones and being pregnant. well the day after i had my baby i had my first panic attack. i did not know what that was as the time but pretty much thought i was going to die and had this feeling of horrible doom. they started me on zoloft when i was leaving the hospital the next day and that is when my nightmare really started. they started me on way too high a dose and i ended up in the emergency room but now knowing what was happening to me. long story short i suffered 24/7 panic and anxiety for 8 weeks on the zoloft. i then became functional enough to say maybe it is the medication and not just some new onset of anxiety. i was switched to lexapro and physically got a little better but the feeling of horrible anxiety was still there all the time. then i was switched to cymbalta over two months ago. anxiety is much better but i still feel really sick and lightheaded 5 out of 7 days a week. it will happen for a couple hours and i really cannot function during that time. all the docs say it is anxiety but i swear something happened to me when i had my baby and they are just missing it.
anyway that is my story and my poor baby has basically been raised with me being in a pretty constant state of anxiety since he was born. i feel like he is the one suffering too:scared15:

[kellie]

Hiya, :welcome: to NMP its lovely to have you here.
You will get lots of support/advice/reasurance and make some great friends along the way
Keep posting with your fears and questions and we will help you as much as we can.

[pinkpiglet]

Hiya Blue, i read your post and felt that i had to reply, firstly to offer you a huge:welcome: to NMP and say 'hi'.

Secondly, my mum developed post natal depression immediatley after having me (33 years ago). She suffered panic attacks and found it hard to function, they had her admitted for psychiatric care and made her take me with her, (something that she will never get over) and she was put on attivan and valium to which she is now addicted. I find it shocking to read your post and to discover that over 3 decades later new mums are still been given medication as if they were sweets. Maybe i am out of line to ask this but 'was this the right thing to do?'. Do you feel as if they could have tried other things first? Like offering support? You say that you were given the meds before even leaving the maternity suite! (please stop me if i am wrong) but what if it was just you adjusting to motherhood )it can be a very daunting time). I feel so angry for you hun, and my mum will be too when i show her your post. What is wrong with the medical world? Have they ever offered you cognitive behaviour therapy or anything similiar? Please feel free to PM me as i really know what you are going through. I can see it from your childrens point of view too. I also have anxiety and and i ahve recently had a really bad spell whilst trying to raise a toddler. Hugs to you hun and take care xxx:bighug1:

[lorac]

Hi Blue

Welcome to the site I am sure you will find many on here who understand what you are going through and you will get lots of good advice.

Take care

Carol

[Dazza]

Hi Bluewoman,

Sorry to hear what you have been through.

Rest assured that you will find lots of useful advice, info and support here.

Welcome to the NMP family!

[bluewoman]

pnkpiglet--
hi-i am sorry to hear about your mum going through that.. yes unfortunately that is what happens here all too much. i am now a volunteer with my local postpartum organization to help other new moms going through this and the amount of stories i hear about being given drugs by the ob gyn (and almost always way too high of a staring dose) is pretty crazy. i always look back to that day and wonder what would have happened had i not been given that -oh and ativan too since you mention it- (which i am still on) totally scared of that too. i have never taken the amount that they told me to take but still scared of withdrawal. anyway i have complete ptsd from the zoloft and am scared of all medicine and doctors now. if only they would have told me that i was having a panic attack in the hospital and given me a couple weeks to see what might have happened but...

thanks so much for you reply and i hope i don't bug you guys too much with all my posts. this is the best board i have found!!!

[milly jones]

a friday welcome to nmp

love

milly xx :flowers:

[richieshealth]

Hi Bluewomen, Sorry to hear about the stress you've been under. I'm supprised the medical authorities did not properly investigate the route of your panic attacks and resorted to medication. Not sure why thay would do that, the brain is a big muscle that can unsualy resolve its own blips without resorting straight for chemicals to put it right. I hope your pills do the trick now - and you can get better again.. Good luck love :yesyes:

[pooh]

Hi there and welcome along to NMP

Pooh x

[jodie]

hiya

:welcome: to nmp

jodie x