Anxiety meds while pregnant

DH and I are TTC for #2. I have taken paxil for years and is the only anxiety medication that works for me. I have suffered from sever anxiety and panic disorder since I was little. With DS I went off paxil before TTC and stayed off of it through most of my 1st trimester. My anxiety got so bad that my dr. sent me to a high risk dr. who recommended I got back on a low dose of 10 mg. b/c the anxiety was actually worse for the baby than the meds. I was on it for a bout a month, maybe a little more and was weaned off again and fine through the rst of my pregnancy. Probably just my hormones adjusting.

Anyhow, we are TTC now and I am off Paxil. I am testing next week to see if I am preggo but my anxiety is already terrible. I have had a panic attack every day for the past few days, feel terribly anxious, nauseous, my arms and legs feel funny and I am ready to lose it. I just dont know what to do. I am afraid m y anxiety level could cause me to miscarry (which was a concern of the dr's when I was preggo with DS). I had to go for a special cardio sonogram with DS to make sure he didnt have any heart defects from me taking the paxil and he didnt...they said it is so rare and really only a problem for people taking high doses which I dont.

Has anyone taken paxil (which is now a class c drug) or any other anxiety med like it while pregnant? any problems?

ETA: I am thinking about giving zoloft another chance b/c it is considered safe during pregnancy but I am nervous that my anxiety could get worse b/c with these types of meds they are all trial and error. I am just so upset about this. And I have to do soemthing b/c I have DS to take care of and I can't be out of commission.

Message edited 12/26/2008 9:04:50 PM.

Re: Anxiety meds while pregnant

Don't know anything about paxil, but my SIL took Zoloft safely throughout both of her pregnancies.

Re: Anxiety meds while pregnant

i currently take two types of meds. my dr told me that if i go off of them it could be worse for my body, because the meds work so well for me and if i go off of them i might have major panic attacks which could in term effect the baby. fm me if you want

Re: Anxiety meds while pregnant

i was on paxil prior to ttc'ing. I went off of it because i didn't want that in my system (as it's not truly approved for pregnancy)....my doctor did suggest Zoloft as the alternate, but i decided to go without and i've been doing okay.....

best of luck to you and congrats for getting off the meds! that was the hardest part for me - i was terribly sick from withdrawl...it was a rough go...

Re: Anxiety meds while pregnant

I, too, suffer from anxiety. During my pregnancy with my DD, I had horrible anxiety attacks - it was a nightmare. My BP would skyrocket and I had BP issues throughout my pregnancy.

I m now on a low dose of zoloft - as OK'd by both my OB and Psychiatrist. At first I did not think it worked as well as the paxil but after a while I think my body got used to it. I know that it is well tolerated during pregnancy and I think it is better for the baby than the huge surges of adrenaline, high BP and raised heartrate - all of which are associated with anxiety attacks.

Best of luck!