Would appreciate your thoughts...

[Lavish_Grace]

Hi, My name is Dana. I've been having some weirdness after the birth of my fourth little one. It actually started before she was born but I didn't really realize things were off until they started getting worse after she was born. So basically, I had an anxiety attack the week she was born though I didn't know it was that but now I realize it was and I also realize it wasn't my first. And then when I was in labor with dd I felt like I didn't have the coping skills I've had in past labors, like I couldn't quite deal with the labor and towards the end I was really slipping but thankfully, she was born quickly but I didn't feel much relief after and that night anxiety set in big time! The following weeks I struggled with anxiety attacks that included a sense of dread, nausea, difficulty swallowing, racing heart, trembling. I had back, neck and jaw issues as well. My muscles were stiff, often sore and even twitchy at times. I started seeing the chiropractor at 9 weeks postpartum when I couldn't take feeling like I had the flu and could hardly turn my head, my jaw was often very stiff and I had a lot of pressure between my eyes and had begun having throat issues like feeling like food was getting stuck and that I had to drink a lot of water with meals. I started eating a lot less b/c of it and I am bf'ing so I lost a lot of weight. The chiro has helped a lot. My jaw issues are almost gone though it still twitches at times. I also had an eye twitch that has gotten a lot better. I found out I have postnasal drip so that could explain the pressure between the eyes. I was taking a steroid for a while to help with that but have gone off of it. I would rather do neti pot and salt water gargles but am not even doing those right now b/c of lack of discipline to get it done. I believe I get acid reflux too in addition to everything else. I've had bouts of exhaustion/depression/anxiety and then I've had times of energy and good feeling but then I experience a crash. I crave sweets like crazy which I know must only make things worse. I take shaklee multivitamin, half the serving of their B-complex, the cal/mag chewable and have begun taking some omega-3's to try to help with energy, mood and muscles. I was taking boswellia for a while too but have stopped. For the anxiety attacks I have been taking rescue remedy. Sometimes I do arnica pellets when my muscles get sore. My dh has been trying to help me get into bed earlier too b/c that's part of it and it does help to get proper sleep. I have a doc apptmnt for February but I would appreciate some input. I definitely feel better than I did but I am still having struggles. It's just so weird. I'm thinking this must be a result of bearing and nursing 4 kids in 6 years. I am wondering if maybe it's affected my thyroid or adrenals or what. Maybe in the end all I need is consistent rest and super nutrition. I was just really caught off guard when I experienced this kind of reaction after my daughter was born.

[rockymtnmama]

I couldn't read your post and not reply. I, too, have suffered from postpartum anxiety and have suffered from panic attacks and anxiety well beyond the postpartum period. I tried every natural remedy you have mentioned and it didn't begin to touch the panic symptoms. Mama, please consider seeing a therapist who can help you sort all of this out. I finally did, after years of suffering and I wish I had done it sooner.

This may not be your path, but I ended up incorporating medication into my healing process. Believe me, I was the most anti-meds person you can imagine, but my wonderful therapist convinced me that it was the short-term fix that would help me make the leap in to long-term recovery.

Panic and anxiety are the worst. You don't have to do this on your own! Talk to your doctor about it, and if you do decide to take medicaton, please do so in conjunction with therapy. Just my two cents! Please feel free to pm me if you want to.

[sbgrace]

I had a similar experience and it turned out the pregnancy triggered a metabolic condition that can onset in adulthood. I still am twitchy but less so and other things have greatly improved w/treatment.

I would ask for several labs from your doctor (this all based on my experience and what you wrote being consistent w/what I know). None of this is stuff doctors typically run so you may get some raised eyebrows but actually the metabolic stuff is likely the most common metabolic condition.

Ok, have them check coq10 levels. Check carnitine levels too and do a full profile there if they can. Both those are associated with either mitchondrial issues or CPT disorders. Both are conditions that can and do onset in adulthood and many women that will happen in pregnancy. For me low coq10 resulted in extreme fatigue (flu like), muscle pain, nerve pain, twitching muscles (this is actually nerve issues too), and various assorted other mess. Most of what is out there about mitochondrial is about kids severely affected from the outset. Adult onset is different. Mine was much, much like yours. Let me know via pm if you have questions or want more information.

Given the variety of symptoms and anxiety have your calcium checked. It should be below 10. If it isn't look into parathyroid disease.

[Lavish_Grace]

Thanks so much for responding. I was hoping to hear from someone who had experienced something similar. I appreciate hearing from your experience what has helped you and I will keep it in mind as I wend my way through this. I realize now that I've had anxious tendencies all my life and certain stressors in my life have really shined a light on the problem. Anxiety is in my family on both sides so it's not surprising that way but like I said, I was still caught off guard at the intensity of it that occurred after the birth of our fourth little one back in July.

[sbgrace]

If your doctor (or chiro in most states can do it) will order a metametrix urine analysis that will tell you a lot about your metabolic state and if you might have issues in the areas I mentioned.

[Lavish_Grace]

sbgrace, thanks for the info! That will be helpful to know for my apptmnt next month. What I have been experiencing is so strange and I've been researching but it's been difficult to pinpoint anything and I don't want the doctor to conclude anxiety if there's something more going on. I had wondered if it might be metabolic b/c of the way I would respond to caffeine earlier on in this. My muscles would become stiff and twitchy. Definitely different! I can handle coffee a lot better now.

[BfBobby]

Pregnancy can also sometimes trigger autoimmune things, and it could be something like that going on. You said you were on steroids for the postnasal stuff, did you feel better on them? That's what made me think maybe AI, and because pregnancy is a common trigger it would make sense. Many autoimmune diseases also affect many body systems, making you think you're falling apart as everything feels "off."

Also, please note that if the steroid you mention was prednisone, many of the other things you listed are potential side effects - any chance there was overlap there? My mom had really bad anxiety and panic attacks, as well as intense food cravings, from a two week course of prednisone.

[womenswisdom]

I don't know if this is it at all, but many of the things you mentioned sounded to me like a magnesium deficiency - the panic, anxiety, sweets cravings. I'm not sure about the muscle stuff, but it would make sense to me since a cal/mag supp. is used for muscle cramping. Maybe look into that? Muscle issues can cause all kinds of problems, like the one of feeling like you can't swallow and the pressure in the face and obviously the achiness and pain. Good luck, let us know what happens!

[leafwood]

i could have written your post 2 years ago! i remember being in the hosp after giving birth and thinking that i should feel better after an panic packed 3rd trimester and my heart was racing and skipping and i was a mess. for me it was my thyroid and it did get better with medication adjustments (i have hashimoto's with is an AI thyroid dx that can be impacted by pregnancy). the pps have great adivce. i would add that when they do a thyroid panel (which i'm sure the drs will) ask them to test you for the hashimotos antibodies as well.
sleep and hydration were huge helps for me and i will aslo say that seeing a psychologist trained in cognitive-behavioral therapy was the best. it is evidenced based treatment that has been so helpful for me.

[Lavish_Grace]

Thanks for the replies and helpful info! Autoimmune and thyroid are things my chiro has brought up as well. As far as the steroid I was on, it was a nasal spray one, fluticasone, and it did help with the post nasal drip and the resulting throat issues from that. It definitely feels like my whole body is off balance, that is a very good way to describe it. I will give you guys an update after seeing the doctor. I appreciate you taking the time to read and respond with what you know! It's been a help to me.

[Lavish_Grace]

One more thing, I just looked up magnesium deficiency symptoms...wow, it was like reading a laundry list of the problems I've been having. Very interesting. I am going to pursue ways to add more magnesium to my diet and see if it helps.