[jandswood]

Hello everyone! I'm new here.
I'm a mom of two boys Creed is 3 and Luke is 2 months. I have been having SEVERE panic atacks and bad insomnia since having my last boy. I had ppd with my first and never got help and I think I still had it slightly when I had my 2nd. This time it is soooo much worse! I have the panic attacks insomia and never feal like getting out of the house. I have been put on prozac but I haven't felt a change except it makes me sleepy on top of the insomia.

: I am going to talk to my doctor about a new drug....has anyone taken cymbalta? I have heard great things about it too. oh I am also married and everything has been going great until this. my Dh has been very undertsanding and supportive. Thanks for all the help in advance!!

 

[Angel Kisses]

First of all HUGS, that you are dealing with this! I'm sorry you are having severe panic attacks. I have never dealt with this, so I don't have a lot of advice, but I know that being on meds does take awhile to start helping. I know it doesn't just help right away so hang in there! Hopefully you will get some great advice here.

 

[jandswood]

Thanks for responding! I'm finding this really hard to deal with. I feal so lost and lonely....

 

[mamaboobaAES]

My first theory is that you need to get your thyroid checked ASAP. Hyperthyroidism causes anxiety and when severe, panic attacks. Hypothyroidism causes depression. I had postpartum thyroiditis which happens to at least 10% of new moms.

email me at [email protected] if you want to. I can talk to you more about panic attacks & relaxation / meditation / etc.

ugh. I had a horrible experience with Zoloft. I was prescribed it for panic attacks. Made me psychotic. So bad that I have started a website called www.chaada.org where you can learn about the dangers of the meds and be able to give fully informed consent. I don't believe the labels report everything they know about the drugs and they try really hard to confuse you. These drugs have the strongest possible warnings before being banned (black box warnings).

For panic attacks you should look up info on natural treatments try www.doctoryourself.com

Cymbalta I believe is another SSRI? Like Prozac, Zoloft, Luvox, etc. Zoloft is supposedly the safest one for breastfeeding so I am not sure why your doc gave you Prozac. But they are all basically the same just slightly different formulations.

See other thread http://www.mothering.com/discussions...=1#post5707115

On that thread you can see my recent news story on local ABC news (video).

I also highly recommend a book called Anxiety and Panic Attacks by Robert Handly. Helped me tremendously. Therapy was good too.

Here is more info about drugs:

If you are interested, please check out these links:

One recent study yielded results which surprised the authors, specifically that of three groups of patients being treated for depression, the two groups using medication (a Zoloft alone group, & a Zoloft plus exercise group) had significantly higher rates of relapse than the one group using only exercise as treatment. Initial recovery or improvement rates were similar but the drug performed poorly for the long term. Read full article.
http://www.psychosomaticmedicine.org.../full/62/5/633

http://h11.protectedsite.net/files/8015/Post_Partum.pdf The Drugging of Post Partum Depression

http://chaada.org/smf/index.php?actionfiltered=search2 articles relating to risk to unborn children during pregnancy from SSRIs (many pregnant women are told it is safe to continue taking drugs that they may have started for PPD or before having kids)

http://chaada.org/smf/index.php?topic=212.0 Psychiatric drugs and kids who kill

http://chaada.org/smf/index.php?topic=15.0 (my story)

http://chaada.org/smf/index.php?topic=57.0 (death from hypoglycemia caused by atypical antipsychotics)

http://chaada.org/smf/index.php?topic=19.0 (another founder's story)

http://chaada.org/smf/index.php?topic=323.0 (excerpts from 1991 FDA hearing on Prozac - as well as documentation of conflicting financial interests - drug company ties- within the committee)

http://chaada.org/smf/index.php?topic=296.0 REM sleep behavior disorder caused by antidepressants

http://chaada.org/smf/index.php?topic=328.0 data on completed suicides & adverse events from Wellbutrin trials

http://chaada.org/smf/index.php?topic=203.0 GSK admits Paxil increases suicide in adults

http://chaada.org/plog/index.php?op=...yId=1&blogId=1
latest articles on our site - see the one about Effexor & Yates - Effexor now supposedly warns of violence on its label.

http://www.moshersoteria.com/ Schizophrenia treatment - drug-free

http://www.chaada.org/Petitions.html more info in the Clozapine related petitions section regarding dangers of anti-psychotic drugs

http://www.doctoryourself.com/hoffer_psychosis.html Treating psychosis without prescription synthetic drugs

http://www.doctoryourself.com/depression.html vitamin and food therapy for depression - help your body make the right amounts of brain hormones

http://www.doctoryourself.com/ all kinds of non-drug alternatives for disease

 

[mamaboobaAES]

P.S. If you do have hyperthyroidism watch out for beta blockers. They are supposed to help relieve hyperthyroidism but they can also cause depression. FYI

I would rather ride out hyperthyroidism again (nice side effect - weight loss) or back off my synthroid dose than take anything for it because of the risks of certain meds.

Thyroid problems can be safely treated when breastfeeding.

 

[jandswood]

Thank you soo much for responding!!!

I am fealing a little better today only had 3 attacks.

: I am so glad I found this board! Keep the post coming please!

 

[newcastlemama]

When I had ppd, panic attacks and insomia were a huge part of it...(It also started when ds was 2 months old).

I also agree with getting your thyroid checked. Until you can get more help get as much support, nutrition, and sleep as you can. If you are in a place mentally where you can read I highly recommend The Mood Cure by Julia Ross. The website so you can read a little bout it www.moodcure.com . She gives nutritional advice and suggesstions for natural supplements that really work as give results in a short amount of time. If you are too tired to read maybe ask dh or a friend to read it and implment some ideas.

s and

Jennifer

 

[mamaboobaAES]

oooh, I am always glad to hear of another book on drug-free solutions to stuff like this. I don't think the drug companies have the answer with their brain damaging synthetic chemicals, but I do know that nutrition has a huge role in our health. We have emotions and thoughts which can all be negatively affected when we are unhealthy. Thanks for that link!

I have read that B-3 (Niacinamide) is a cure for schizophrenia and that it was solely responsible for getting masses of people out of institutions, kind of like iodine did with the thyroid sufferers back in the day. Check out doctoryourself.com for more info on B vitamin dosages.

 

[Khadijah]

I just wanted to say that I know how you feel, after I had my second child. I ended up having panic attacks and thought I was dying. I had to realize that I was fine. It took some doing but I finally did that. and I was having problems sleeping. I tried the meds but I didnot like how the made me feel, so I weened off them because they made me feel worse than the actual panic attacks and took the natural approach. What I did that make me sleep at night was I would make myself a glass of warm milk and drink that before I went to bed at night, and that really helped me to get to sleep. Also for the panic attacks I would breath in a paper bag and that really helped me to stay calm and not to panic. But anyway I just wanted to say I hope you find what works for you.

 

[jandswood]

Thank you ladies!

I'm going to be looking into all you have suggested. I hope to get to know you all soon!

 

[Irish_Blue]

Another wonderful thread that I wish I'd read a wk ago before starting this stupid awful zoloft!

I just had my first panic attack tonight and b/c of it insomnia, not fun. I think I'm going to wean off the meds (only been on it for 8 days though) and do as I was doing before, going the natural route.

Thanks again for sharing all this information

 

[mamaboobaAES]

You have no idea how happy that makes me. I wish I had known better. When I was on it for only 3 days I was already in the psych hospital from it. I considered stopping but the doctors told me not to and for some dumb reason I believed them. You are so lucky to be getting off of it early. If you need more advice for panic attacks email me. I learned some relaxation stuff that helps and read a book I found really helpful called Anxiety and Panic Attacks by Robert Handly. Some of the side effects can be long lasting so don't think that if you have withdrawal symptoms or side effects that go on and on that you need to go back on the drug. It's too dangerous! Withdrawal is no fun, go slow. But luckily you have only been on it for 8 days so I think it should be relatively easy!

 

[Gale Force]

Welcome to the PPD board. Sorry to have you here. I hope this week is a better one.

 

[3_opihi]

I had severe panic attacks during my third pregnancy and after. It sucked.

I ended up doing the naturopathic route, along with acupuncture. OMG, I can not tell you how much it helped.

Basically, my Ac. theory was that I was totally depleted, energetically and nutritionally. I had a *very* traumatic first birth, had three pregnancies (and births) within five years, and had been breastfeeding through all of them. From an Easter Medicine viewpoint, I had basically been "bleeding" for almost 6 years! (Chinese consider breastmilk white blood)

So, I really worked hard at building myself up again. It took about two weeks to realyl work. The first four times I did acupuncture, the energy was too much for me, and I freaked out. I could barely lay still on the table

But my doctor helped me through it, gently. She said that I had to feel those feelings and let them pass. So I did, and they went away. Fairly fast. She also gave me some tonic herbs, along with relaxing, sedating herbs (I was all twitchy because I think I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown) And she also sent me home with little magnets on some points, and every time I felt like I was going to freak out I could stimulate them.

The naturopath put me on Omega-3s, minerals, chlorophyll and A daily dose of sunshine and excersice, as well as talk counseling.

I can't tell you guys how much this all helped. Within two weeks, I completely felt like myself again!!! Again, the first week sucked -- I freaked out so bad I ended up in the emergency room. BUT they guided me through it. I was essentially in a "healing crisis". I had to allow myself to acknowledge it and once I did it passed and I was fine. I had to put myself out there alot, and really be honest to them about how bad I felt, but they were SO awesome, and SO there for me. I can't take anti-depressents because of severe side effects, and wouldn't anyway, because this way is so much better.

Anyway, sorry for the ramble! I just wanted to let you know that this stuff can work, it's temporary, you WILL get better, and there's people out there that can help you! Everyone's different, and only you will know what will work for you, though. I guess I just wanted to share my story.

Lots of hugs!!!

 

[mamaboobaAES]

That is so awesome. I am definitely going to be on the lookout for a naturopath / accupuncurist should I need one. It's a real shame that MDs operate the way they do and generally throw drugs at you instead of using natural treatments.

 

[Irish_Blue]

Annie, thank you for your post! I am reacting really negatively to the zoloft that I was put on 9 days ago and am trying to find a "safe" way to get out of it, I'm currently looking for a counselor AND a naturopath I'm hoping tomorrow I'll get some names from my friend who is a Chiro.

It's encouraging to hear positive stories like yours.

 

[mamaboobaAES]

What dose are you on? I would think that after only 9 days, cold turkey would not be out of the question but if your dose is too high, tapering is best.

 

[Irish_Blue]

I'm on the lowest dose, 25mg.

 

[mamaboobaAES]

I can't remember for sure but I think I cut down to 25 mg for a week or so and then stopped completely from there rather than cutting it to 12.5.

Withdrawal was scary for me but the longer you stay on it the worse it is. My scary period lasted no more than a couple of weeks but I had been on the drug for a few months. I also had supervision from my mom because I did not feel safe going through that alone.

Try going to the withdrawal forum on the website www.paxilprogress.org

They have a really good group of experienced people there

I wished I had stopped after 3 days when I wound up in the hospital and first suspected Zoloft, but my doc convinced me to stay on it.

good luck!