Anxiety meds during or after pregnancy?

AmberLiz99

I wanted to see if there is anyone who has experience with anxiety medication either during pregnancy or after delivery. 

I never had issues with it until after my second was born. At that point my anxiety got VERY hard to control. It lasted for about a year, and while I should have gotten help I never did take anything for it. 

Now at 34+ weeks pregnant I'm feeling the anxiety coming back, and that worries me. I don't want to go through that again. I tried to talk to dh abut it, but he just says "get help if you need it, I can't do anything."

Did anyone find that medication either helped or made things worse? I'm totally new to this and have no idea what is even an option. 

Thanks!

WaitingMay14

I'm so sorry you are going through this. I suffer from anxiety and panic disorder so absolutely there are options out there. I have found therapy with medication to really help. I consider the meds as a rescue they have the tendency to make me feel drowsy so I would rather work through it if I can but it gives me great peace to know the meds can help
if things get bad. 

During pregnancy I have taken unisom because it's safe and it has a calming effect in the event I had a full blown anxiety attack. Hope this helps you. 

Emztron500

I started taking Zoloft after my first pregnancy when I was dealing with post-partum anxiety (which, honestly, very clearly started DURING pregnancy, but I didn't look for help until months after the birth). I had been on it before so knew already that I responded to it fairly well and my doctor assured me it was fine to take while breastfeeding. It definitely helped, but like most drugs in that class it's something that I had to take daily for a few weeks in order to see a difference, and continue to take once a day regardless of how I felt.

I stopped taking it when I got pregnant despite my doctor saying it was ok to continue. I guess I preferred not to expose the baby so early on and wanted to see if I would be ok. About a month ago my doctor and I decided I was not ok and it was time to start it back up again, so I did and I'm glad.

Emztron500

Oh and I should mention, it did make me drowsy and a little nauseated at first, which are crappy side effects to deal with when you're pregnant and already have some degree of that happening. But my body adjusted and I felt fine within a few weeks.

colesmom33

I usually take Prozac for my anxiety but with both pregnancies stopped when I got pregnant even though they are safe to take.  With my son I told my OB ahead of time that I wanted to start back up while I was in the hospital, but I didn't breastfeed so I don't know if that would make a difference.  I knew I was prone to anxiety so with ppd and all the hormones, I just wanted to make sure I was covered,

fishwife799

I don't personally have experience  (I too didn't realize how bad it was after my first and looking back I should have gotten meds for it) but I know quite a few people who took anxiety meds during and after pregnancy. Besides some side effects like drowsiness and lowered sex drive (it usually evened out after time)  I'm pretty sure all of then would say that it helped them. 

AmberLiz99

Thank you guys. I won't be breast feeding, so that's not an issue. 

Did you talk to your OB or to your family doctor when you first had the concerns? I don't love the idea of medication, but I hate feeling this way

KaylaR628

  I take a VERY low dose of celexa (10mg I think) for my anxiety when I'm not pregnant.  As far as side effects, I don't get any on this med at this dose but when I tried Prozac or a higher dose of Celexa it actually made my anxiety worse,  so just know that if you do decide to take meds and you're experiencing too many or too strong of side effects, another med or dose may be a better fit.  With my insurance, I have to get a prescription from a psychiatrist.  I'm planning on having this set up for after delivery because my anxiety has been off the charts this pregnancy!  
  

VikingGirl12

I very very badly suffered with anxiety disorder after my son was born. It was wildly out of control and had multiple panic attacks daily and would create crazy unrealistic scenarios in my head. I finally started seeing a therapist but the best thing for me was meds.
with that being said, I came off lexapro when I found out I was pregnant. I've struggled with anxiety throughout my pregnancy but have decided to wait until the end to start back up with meds. I am planning on breastfeeding so when I spoke to my OB about starting back on meds, she told me to call the pediatrician we will use to find out what's safe. I then came back to her with what they recommended to make sure it's safe for baby (I'm 36+1 and it's time for me to start) and she gave me a script based on that.
They reccommended Zoloft and Paxil. Zoloft being safe to take while both pregnant and bf'ing. My OB said that at this point in pregnancy, Paxil is also safe. But after reading into that a little bit I've decided to do Zoloft instead. I plan to start it tomorrow.

PBear93

I've been taking meds this whole pregnancy and plan to continue after as well.  I had really severe PPD and PPA after my daughter was born and it took me a long time before I went and got help.  

If I were you I would start on meds now if you can.  Give your body time to adjust to them before the hormone crash of not being pregnant anymore.  Also, you can see either your OB or PCP for them.  I'd probably try my OB first because they probably see more of this than your PCP would.  

alysemci

During and after and I breastfeed. My doctor said it was safe and I am not ok off it. I have extreme panic issues and constantly am going to the er, having breakdowns and hyperventilate to the point of fainting. I've tried going without and it's not healthy for me or the baby. I go through primary care but also run it through my OB so we're all on the same page 

rlbrooks84

I have had issues with depression and anxiety since college. I take medication but go off the anxiety meds when I get pregnant and try to meditate to help with the anxiety. I would say you need to find a physiatrist, they have a better understanding of the meds then a family practice or ob. You can also find one that incorporates talk therapy into the session so that you're not just going to get a prescription. The only problem is it can be a bit of wait getting into see one, my old Doctor retired and I had to wait three months to get into to see a new doctor. I called around and it was that long a wait for all of the ones that called back. A good starting point would be with your ob because he/she might have someone they can refer you to.

BakerBird525

I'm so sorry you are going through this! You are definitely not alone. I started having extreme anxiety a few years ago and finally got on Cymbalta (30 mg) after self-therapy and working with a therapist just wasn't working. I was cleared by my primary doctor and my OB to continue taking it through pregnancy and I definitely think it helped a ton because I've just weaned completely off of it after taking it EOD and then 2 days off/1 day on for a few months and I already feel the anxiety creeping back since most of my anxiety was health-related (even though I'm totally fine...). I'm definitely better than before I was taking it, but I feel myself dwelling on my health more and more. I weaned off because my primary doctor was not comfortable with me taking it while breastfeeding and that's something I really feel strongly about (for myself). Cymbalta is a fairly new anti-depressant (and is a Class C drug) which I don't believe has been tested with pregnant women or nursing women. Not exactly sure why they were okay with me taking it during pregnancy, but not while breastfeeding, but...I'll trust them. Cymbalta worked really well for me though and I had zero side effects (except maybe some dry mouth during pregnancy. Even taking it EOD was still working really well. My primary doctor said she has seen a lot of success with her female patients that are on it.

Anyways, if you feel your anxiety is having an impact on your health during this pregnancy, I would encourage talking to your doctor about it and see what your options are. I wouldn't resort to medication immediately (maybe just talking to a therapist would help?) unless nothing else has worked for you.  But definitely have this conversation with your primary doctor or your OB or both. Your primary doctor may have more experience with which medication (if you go that route) may work best for you. But I would also let your OB know of any changes in medication.

Edited to add: I'm not sure that an OB can prescribe that kind of medication, so I would talk to your primary doctor first.

alitria

I tried going off meds briefly in my first pregnancy but after that hot mess, I vowed to not do it again.  I was in a bad place for a while and my PPD was severe.  This time, I did reduce my dosage to the lowest dose, but the recommendation is that I increase it again soon to try to prevent severe depression setting in from the hormone drop after labor.  I do sometimes feel guilty and I wish I didn't need it, but I feel that overall I have been SO much more stable and calm and healthy this pregnancy that I can't help but feel like it's probably actually better for the baby that I'm a functional human being. 

AmberLiz99

Thank you all for sharing your experiences! It's helping me put my options into perspective, and I'm feeling a little less overwhelmed about it all

Sydvicious08

I don't have past experience, but I am worried this time around because I still have lingering problems from our loss last june. I am going to do placenta encapsulation to try and head it off and if that doesn't work I'll talk to my doc about something low dose. PPD can show up a year later so always be aware of your feelings. 

peregrinefalconx

I have been on meds for years for anxiety. I'm on an off-label med for anxiety which is considered safe for pregnancy and BF. Being so close to the end, there are meds that an experienced provider can recommend and that shouldn't have an adverse to the baby.

chelleb1017

I had a health scare about 6 weeks ago had to have a biopsy scared the hell out of me but it's benign so thank goodness! During this time I shook, cried, barely ate, barely slept, mind raced, it was so bad. Chest was always tightt and had shallow breathing. Finally told my ob last week I have been put on celexa for my anxiety and also klonopin until the celexa starts kicking in. Today is day my 5th day and I know I'm taking steps in the right direction. Stressing and panicking like I was is worse for the baby then low doses of meds. I am 36 weeks now and being induced at 38.5 weeks. Anyways if you need some help get it. You will feel better!!! 

heathersaysso

I've been on anti-anxiety meds since I was 18 weeks.  I've got a history of chemical imbalance and anxiety attacks, so I've taken them off and on as needed since I was a teenager.  I explained the issues I was having to my OB/GYN and she was fine with it, I'm on a low dosage of Hydroxyzn which I take as needed and is totally baby friendly.

26pointrunningfor2

Just throwing in my two cents-- I'm a FTM and have been on 5mg of Lexapro since I got pregnant. I was previously on 10 mg, dropped to 5 mg when we started trying, and then attempted to go off. It lasted about two weeks, and then I had to go back on. I actually went off because of the study linking SSRI's to autism, but when my anxiety shot back through the roof, I knew that I needed to take care of myself in order to take care of baby. I plan to continue my 5 mg through breastfeeding and for the rest of my life, for as long as my doctors feel it's the best thing for me. 
Don't ever be afraid to ask for help, and to take whatever help is recommended, whether it's counseling or medication. The support system for mental illness and disabilities is far and wide if you ask for help.

jennk0118

I'm on Zoloft. I talked to my family doctor. I was scared about taking them despite my dr telling me it's okay.. But I got so bad. I'm feeling much more like myself these days.