Anxiety attacks while pregnant?

Has anyone found a way to successfully deal with this? I tried doing a search but couldn't find anything on here.

For the past week, I've been waking up at 3:30 AM with terrible anxiety. It keeps me up for at least 2 hrs. Needless to say, it's really starting to have an effect on my mood, energy, etc.

I work out regularly (running, pilates, yoga), eat right and try to get enough sleep so I'm not sure what else to try.

I appreciate hearing your thoughts.

Thanks.

Re: Anxiety attacks while pregnant?

I am trying to remember what I took with Baby G. I am doing OK so far this time, but last time it was bad. I think I altered my B vitamin intake and something else. Maybe Emergen-C. I seem to remember something with electrolytes.

Re: Anxiety attacks while pregnant?

I would say it's stress and hormonal. This happens to me. What I just do is get up and go watch tv, and that helps distract me.

There is nothing I can take or do really...it just has to pass. I really believe it's hormonal and just stress related. It comes and goes.

I know how you feel.

If it happens during the day, I find taking a walk, changing my setting (get out of the house, for ex), and going for a drive helps.

Message edited 9/2/2008 3:28:54 PM.

Re: Anxiety attacks while pregnant?

I haven't had any full blown anxiety attacks before, I actually never had anxiety issues before becoming pg. But for the past couple of months I find anxiety becoming an issue. I got very....overwhelmed....recently, got hot and had some trouble breathing and just felt kind of claustrophobic, my dr, said it might have been the onset of an attack (having never had one I didn't know). Anyway, at the time, I just grabbed my DH and we went for a nice long walk around the neighborhood. It really helped. My dr didn't recommend anything to me medication wise, she said if it was only that one time where it was bad then it's not an issue, it happens and that if the walk worked then keep doing it if it happens again, she said the walking helped "get out" my nervous energy.

Re: Anxiety attacks while pregnant?

i suffer from this at nite too, im up almost every nite at 3am, for at least 2 hours..i try and read, come online, or eat something, and then go back to bed...
i think if you literally "talk yourself out of it" it helps..

it sounds crazy but reminding yourself its just temporary, kinda chases it away...when you acknowledge anxiety it gets bigger and worse...when you acknowledge the temporary"ness" of the situation and realize that normally you are controlled, and OK...it has no power over you..

hth

Re: Anxiety attacks while pregnant?

I have had this happen a couple of times since becoming pregnant. I find walking on my treadmill helped alittle. It really is the worst feeling.

Re: Anxiety attacks while pregnant?

Thank you everyone. I haven't suffered from anxiety attacks for years and the last time was stress related (my Mom was terminally ill). I didn't have this with DS so I just wasn't sure what to make of it. It really threw me because I'm not an anxious person by any means.

I'm going to try the suggestions you all made (reading, watching TV, walking, talking myself out of it). Hopefully it will pass soon.

Thank you again.