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Anxiety?panic attacks
Started
by Stacey W
on April 23, 2010
I have never had any anxiety/panic attacks until i was about 28 weeks pregnant with my son. I never started any medication with him just suffered with an increase heart rate for the rest of the pregnancy and would have panic attacks, lightheaded like i was going to pass out, it got a whole lot better after i stopped breast feeding @ 6 months. I am currently 25 Weeks pregnant and have been dealing witht the same thing again this time started @ 7.5 weeks pregnant. Not eating any candies or sweat things, have slacked about vegan lifestyle since i was on the fence prior. just tring to get by. Taking lopressor to slow heart rate and l-theanine when i have panic feelings. Help me get back to normal! I wanna breast feed for a year but cant stand the anxiety problem! As a nurse i would appreciate any help, dont wanna take any meds!
I have had panic disorder since my teens; I am now forty-ish. They can be horrible and immobilizing. Mine come in feelings of dread, rapid heart beat, feelings of choking, and basic adrenalin overload. It is very important to learn coping skills, such as rationalizing that 'this will NOT hurt me, it WILL pass. I AM okay.' I have to divert my mind from what my body thinks is happening to it. I think of my favorite inspirational songs, or quote my favorite sayings to myself, or get my hands busy. It gets my mind off of what I am feeling. Also, for me there are obvious triggers, which is too much sugar or alcohol. I can be sure that if I overdue it on either one of those, I will set myself up for anxiety the next day. Being the mom of little ones is stressful; mine are 20 months apart. They are teens now, but I remember the stress and strain of it. I made a point to make time for myself which helped. During the summer I had a babysitter come every Thursday for 4 hours and I would just have me time; it helped me to de-stress some. I wish good luck to you. You will be okay!
i would highly recommend seeing an acupuncturist. i take reishi everyday to combat anxiety symptoms. it's also good for allergies/immune system function. if i'm feeling particularly anxious or having something stressful happening then i will take an herb called peaceful spirit or dragon bone. i get it at a natural foods store in l.a. but i'm sure you can order it online.
I have struggled with anxiety for about the past 2 years or so. I have found that when I up my b vitamins I feel so much better-it does take some time to build it up in your system, but check with your about supplementing. Hope this helps!
Thank you everyone for your input. I have been doing well almost 26 weeks along now and can't wait till the finish line :) I was wondering if anyone knows about valerian root and breast feeding, i have not taken it while pregnant but thought anything would be better than ativan or any of those prescription drugs. Wonder who i could ask about the herbs and breastfeeding/pregnancy.
i wonder if it could be hormones just being out of whack...i never had anxiety or panic attacks until i got on birth control, and they were terrible. totally clean now and feeling great, but maybe look into hormones and anxiety and see if it might just be an imbalance that you could correct with diet...?
Interesting, I wonder about that too. I feel as if I have been dealing with anxiety after getting off of the pill. I have been off for about a year now. Although it isn't as bad as it once was when I initially got off, I do still have periods of anxiety that were never present prior to this. Do b vitamins help? Any other foods?
Hi all,
Foods and beverages can effect anxiety. Of course caffeine is like gas on the fire. Sugar is also a dangerous addition to an already anxious personality. The superhero plan is a great way to give your nervous system the balance it craves.
I advocate for exertion. Daily vigorous exercise is the most effective way to manage this disorder for both the short term and the long term. Don't skip even one day. Get yourself sweaty and tired and after a week or so you may start to feel more in control. t doesn't matter how you exercise, it just has to be vigorous.
We all know people who exercise like that and maybe didn't understand why they were so addicted. To them, exercise is their anti-anxiety medicine, one without negative side effects. While you are in the middle of anxiety, it is difficult to get started. Once you can get started, you may feel a lot better quite quickly.
stacey - see if you can find yourself a western herbalist re: your questions about valarian and breastfeeding. I know Susun Weed works a lot with women/pregnancy issues so check out her website/books and see if she has any advice.
A while ago reviewed a book by some reputable authors called "the essential guide to herbal safety". Valerian is listed as safe in pregnancy, with note that even in intentional overdose during pregnancy there were no negative effects. It's listed under "Lactation category CC: Compatible with breastfeeding, but use caution". Under "pregnancy category B1: No increase in frequency of malformation or other harmful effects on foetus from liminted use in women. No evidence of increased foetal damage in animal studies". These classsifications are based on controlled studies in animals or humans, and are published by The American Academy of Pediatrics.
It does sound hormonal, and I would second Amanda's suggestion of acupuncture - I have used it very successfully for tx anxiety on both myself and others and it can gently bring hormones back into balance. I treat a lot of pregnant women and its safe and helpful when you are limited in your approaches due to pregnancy.
Hey,
I suffered from anxiety and panic attacks from last July until about a month ago. They came out of nowhere and I had no idea what they were or what to do. Well after the initial month of it I started trying EVERYTHING. I took all the b12 and L-Theanine and 5-HTP supplements. I cut out caffeine and started getting more sleep. I read all sorts of books, and I went to three different therapists, and finally I found an amazing one with my third choice. Now cutting out caffeine helps, as well as refined sugar, and getting more sleep. All of these things help, but what really really really did it for me, was hypnotherapy. It made a night and day difference with my life after just two sessions. So I strongly recommend you try this. My therapist said that sometimes hypnotherapy is the little push some people need when they just can't quite get there through regular therapy sessions. You should give that a try. Hope this helps, panic attacks are just terrible to have to endure.
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