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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 10 of 10. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by JenniferMarie on October 15, 2003, at 16:08:26
Okay, so here goes...
I'm not exactly sure what is wrong with me. I've done alot of searching on the internet for a possible self diagnosis just to make myself feel better and more safe... to let myself know that there is something that can help me.
Here's what I've come up with - I have all the symptoms of anxiety attacks except that when I get them they tend to last for weeks... not minutes or hours. It's hard to explain how I feel... mostly terrified and angry that it won't go away. The first time this happened I went to doctor after doctor and they gave me every kind of pill imaginable and the last doctor I saw perscribed Zyprexa 2.5 mg. The next day everything was fine. I was myself again and it all just seemed like it was a nightmare. I was on Zyprexa for 2 weeks... they weened me off slowly and everything was fine. After that I had one or two more attacks and I just took a dose of Zyprexa and it would be gone the next morning. I didn't understand why Zyprexa worked for me and nothing else did since it is primarily used for schizophrenia. Anyway, I haven't had an attack for over a year and all of a sudden 3 weeks ago the nightmare was back... normally I would take the Zyprexa, but I'm pregnant now and I don't know what to do. I don't want anything to harm my baby. Please help.
JenniferMarie
Posted by Ron Jones on October 15, 2003, at 16:36:04
In reply to I need advice... asap, posted by JenniferMarie on October 15, 2003, at 16:08:26
Do you have any other symptoms besides panic attacks?There is no way to know what you have from this.You need to go see a mental health doctor and maybe get on purifyied fish oil.Panic attacks happen with a lot of mental disorders besides panic disorder.Has anyone in your famaily had this problem?What did they have?You could have a medical condition.You must mean constant anxiety.No panic attack lasts a week.All these drugs are not good for a fetus.You really need to see a mental health doctor now.
Posted by JenniferMarie on October 15, 2003, at 17:42:54
In reply to Re: I need advice... asap, posted by Ron Jones on October 15, 2003, at 16:36:04
Here's the thing..I have a medical card for my pregnancy when they gave me this card they changed my primary care physician and I called to make an appointment so he can refer me to a mental health physician and they said I had to fill out a form so I filled it out and they are supposed to get back to me... that was a week ago. No one seems to want to help me... they make it seem like it's not a big deal but it is... I have no life. I follow my mom around all the time because I'm terrified to be by myself. It's very hard to explain what I'm going through. Something like I'm stuck inside my own head. No matter what I do dying or going crazy is always on my mind and I cry constantly. I know I need to see a mental health physician but in order to see someone I have to be referred to them by my PCP whom I can't get to give me an appointment... and in order to change that doctor I have to wait until November. No one on my mother's side of the family has had anything like this, but I don't know ANYONE on my father's side. I haven't seen him since I was 2... 16 years ago.
Do you think maybe it could be post traumatic stress disorder? I've been through alot in the past months...
I just need to reassurance that I can be helped.
Posted by JaneDoe123 on October 15, 2003, at 18:11:49
In reply to Re: I need advice... asap, posted by JenniferMarie on October 15, 2003, at 17:42:54
There has to be something else besides panic attacks. They don't last weeks at a time... possibly depression?
Posted by JenniferMarie on October 15, 2003, at 18:21:12
In reply to Re: I need advice... asap, posted by JaneDoe123 on October 15, 2003, at 18:11:49
If you would have asked me if I thought I may be depressed 3 weeks ago the answer would have definately been no, but as of right now I would say it's a definate possibility. It came all of a sudden. Started with a panic attack and it just won't go away. It gets worse everyday. My step brother committed suicide this past March and lately I've been thinking that maybe I have whatever was wrong with him and he just kept getting worse and couldn't take it anymore... (which is why I spend all my time with my mom). I would NEVER want to do anything like that but it scares me to think that maybe someday I would be capable of it.
Posted by Sooshi on October 16, 2003, at 9:57:31
In reply to I need advice... asap, posted by JenniferMarie on October 15, 2003, at 16:08:26
Hi JenniferMarie,
I would highly suggest you see a Cognitive Behavioral Therapist, as they do wonders with helping you get rid of anxiety through changing your thought patterns. Check into it.Also, you really should get a medical/blood workup...constant anxiety could be induced by any number of medical problems. Even the pregnancy hormones could be causing tons of anxiety. I had horrible anxiety during my second pregnancy, and until I gave birth, it did not go away. But, I dealt with it with the followng all-natural approaches to anxiety:
Getting regular massages, gentle exercising, acupuncture...there are several all-natural approaches to reducing anxiety that won't harm your baby.
Good luck, and keep us posted!
Posted by MamaB on October 16, 2003, at 12:09:18
In reply to Re: I need advice... asap, posted by Sooshi on October 16, 2003, at 9:57:31
Jennifer,
Just to clear something up -- Zyprexa as well as a number of other medications are to treat PSYCHOSIS. Schizophrenia is only one of the psychiatric disorders in which people have psychotic features (symptoms). Athough psychosis tends to be the most obvious feature of schizophrenia, and schizophrenia is what most laypeople think of when they think of psychosis.
For example, I take Seroquel, a medication in the same class as Zyprexa, however, I am not schizophrenic. I do, however, have mild psychosis when my depression is at rick bottom, and because of a psychotic reaction to a combination of meds awhile back I take a moderatly low dose at bedtime.
Check with your doctor, a psychiatrist is best, if you are pregnant before you take ANYTHING including "natural" substances.
Only you know if this applies to you, and you need not tell any of us, but if you have EVER in the past done hallucinogens (ie LSD, mushrooms, peyote, or PSP [angle dust], you really must tell the doctor. MamaB
Posted by JenniferMarie on October 16, 2003, at 13:24:30
In reply to Re: I need advice... Jennifermarie, posted by MamaB on October 16, 2003, at 12:09:18
I finally got an appointment with a mental health physician on the 27th. Since my PCP won't see me (for some unknown reason) I talked to my OB and she said she will prescribe something to help until then.
Hopefully everything works out okay.
Posted by Elle2021 on October 17, 2003, at 4:40:41
In reply to Re: I need advice... Jennifermarie, posted by JenniferMarie on October 16, 2003, at 13:24:30
Hi, sounds like you are really having a bad time there. Anti-psychotics (Zyprexa) are not just prescribed for Schizophrenics. They can also help with mood disorders. I have Borderline Personality Disorder (currently on Geodon, another anti-psychotic), one of your posts sorta reminded me of myself when you said you are terrified of being alone. Maybe ask your psych. about BPD. OF COURSE, self-diagnosing is ALWAYS a bad idea, and a good way to scare yourself. Get a professional opinion and keep me posted!
-Elle
Posted by msanjelpie on October 20, 2003, at 3:17:44
In reply to Re: I need advice... Jennifermarie, posted by Elle2021 on October 17, 2003, at 4:40:41
My son was put on Zyprexa at the age of 9... it is used for children because of the low incidence of side effects... That in itself tells me that it would be less risky than other types of drugs...
I took those types of drugs during my pregnancy. There was nothing in the literature that I read that pertained to the medications causing problems to the fetus. Most of them stated, 'unknown'... but NONE of them said DON'T TAKE...
I took that as a good sign..
I have even read of experiments where schizophrenic mothers have taken the anti-psychotic medication throughout the entire pregnancy, (what else can they do?) and not only is the baby just fine, but the brain abnormality that appears in the MRIs of schizophrenics didn't appear on the MRI of these children. In other words, taking the medication during pregnancy, obliterated the problem from occuring in the next generation... (Haven't heard of any updates to this study...)
So my advice would be that since it seems that when you take the Zyprexa it fixes the problem pretty quickly, and it doesn't sound like you'll be on it the entire term, I would take it to get rid of the anxiety, and hopefully it won't come back until after the baby is born...
Your excessive hormonal activity has probably triggered it back into action...
The choice of course is yours :) And keep in mind that Doctors have no idea what the effects on the fetus would be since no long term studies have been done on humans...
p.s. my baby is fine, walked at 9 months and is working on solving the rubiks cube at age 4...
This is the end of the thread.
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