Possible panic attacks????

I am not sure what this is. I am 30 weeks along with my 3rd child. It's been a harrowing pregnancy to say the least. Background... Like, my previous pregnancies I'm on Lovenox - a blood thinner - due to 3 genetic blood clotting mutations. Unlike my previous pregnancies, there has been quite a bit of drama. My husband was seriously injured in a car crash when I was about 15 weeks along. He has been unable to work since and I have been unemployed since last May, but now I am the sole driver in the family as my husband cannot operate a car. I have been driving the kids to all their activities, my youngest to preschool as well as my husband to all his doctor and PT appointments, then there are my sonos at the hospital every 4 weeks and my OB visits now every 2. On top of that I managed to spend time in the emergency room on 3 different occasions, when I was hit by another driver when I was about 18 weeks along, I had sudden severe burning pain from my leg up to my belly at about 23 weeks that after extensive tests the doctors feel were pains related to the car accident, and finally I fell on ice about 3 weeks ago and hit my face on my car door. No dull moments, just plenty of ambulances.

So last week I got kicked in the a** again! I came down with a sinus infection, swollen glands, fluid in my ears, wheezing, etc. I go to my primary care dr and he puts me on Amoxicillian 500mg 3 times a day, Flonase, and an albuterol inhaler that I only took once. Friday of last week I had Chinese egg drop soup, which I never have because of the MSG and we generally only eat organic home made food but I was so sick and wanted soup and unfortunately Kosher deli's don't deliver, LOL.

That night I couldn't sleep, I was pacing the house, wanted to escape my skin. I was hysterical crying, couldn't deal with how bad the sinus infection was making me feel, but I wanted the baby out and my stomach pumped, I felt like I wanted someone to help me but I wasn't sure with what exactly. I wanted to go somewhere, my mom's, the hospital, somewhere. I wanted the baby out and someone to save me - I felt like I was going to die. I can't explain what I felt physically, there was NO crushing chest pain or anything. I just had a horrible feeling in my body and wanted to escape it. I called my mom - all night long! My husband was resting as he was going for pre-operative testing the next day so I wanted him to rest, but I kept going in there and pacing, then going to my kids rooms and "checking" on them and pacing more. I took a shower at 2am. Called my mom for the last time at 3am. My younger daughter must have woken up and made herself comfy next to my husband. I tried all night to go to sleep, but kept "freaking out". Finally around 4am after dry heaving for about 15 minutes trying to force myself to stay laying down, I fell asleep in my daughter's bed.

We all thought it was the MSG in the soup. I threw the soup away. Monday night, my daughter wakes me up in the middle of the night... once again, the "freak out" happens and I jump out of bed at 2am, this lasts about an hour an I fall back to sleep, waking up exhausted. Last night, I try to go to bed and I had my "freak out" and couldn't get comfy, felt dizzy, and like I couldn't breathe laying down very well. My husband rubbed my back and I fell asleep. I guess those are the symptoms... strange dizziness, maybe even nausea, I cant call it difficulty breathing just it's uncomfortable to lay down on either side (I tried a pillow wedge, and a body pillow between my legs, neither worked), then I jump up out of bed freaked out and frustrated. I checked my blood pressure just because I am over 40 years old and I know that can be an issue but I tend to have low BP. The night my daughter woke me it was 108/70 (my husband has high BP so we have a monitor in the house). I know at times mine gets as low as something in the 90s over something in the 50s. I NEVER had this awful night wakening feeling in my life, and certainly not in my previous pregnancies. I could guess that the stress is catching up to me? I also am becoming keenly aware that I am going to have a painful c section in about 9 weeks. I'm not going to lie, I'm scared sh*tless. I worry about the scar tissue from the previous sections having adhered to an organ, my favorite OB left the practice I use years ago and I just found out another OB I like there left the practice, neither are actually doing "standard" OB/GYN work now. I worry about the pain, the healing time, how we will manage the kids getting where they need to go, how I will pretend it's all nothing with nothing in front of my children after the surgery because I don't want to scare them, how I will recover and fast without causing any damage, how will handle 3 kids (no this one was not planned), our income situation, the guilt that the kids won't have birthday parties this year due to the finances but also due to the timing of the baby - the baby is probably going to be born 10 days after my oldest's 6th birthday, and that's assuming she stays in there. My youngest was born almost a month early. She is a summer birthday and I know I won't be up to planning a bday party or hosting one. I know - there are bigger problems than bday parties, but it's just all on my mind. I'm guessing stress. Can pregnancy bring on panic attacks in people who haven't previously had them? What can you do without medication - I'm on enough drugs! Should I be worried about PPD? I had some mild PPD when my oldest daughter wouldn't breastfeed/latch, so I worry I could be prone to it. It went away once I stopped breastfeeding, but this seems so different. Granted the unexpected nature of this pregnancy leaves me slightly "detatched" to begin with. Sorry for a very long post and my "dirty laundry" but I am afraid to try to go to bed, I really hate those "freak outs".

Re: Possible panic attacks????

I'm so sorry you are having these panic attacks. I have had them and they are not good. You have so much going on in your life plus the extra hormones running through you. The stress seems to be getting the best of you.
This pregnancy has been very different from the others for me. My emotional state is like a roller coaster. I feel bi-polar at times. I would go from feeling fine to crying to a panic attack. I have been so nasty to my husband at times over nothing. I lose patience with the kids. I was feeling really out of control. I brought it up to my OB who said I could have a higher chance of getting PPD after the baby. She said there is a safe medication I can take now, but I can't do it. I'm so anti medication while pregnant. I had small panic attacks with my other pregnancies but nothing like I feel during this one.
Don't forget the stress of having a third, worrying how I will handle it. Having mommy guilt about how my two will handle another baby. All I'm sure is going on in your head as well. And no I did not feel like this during my other two pregnancies. Maybe little things here and there. I didn't experience Baby blues With my first though I think it was boder line PPD. It lasted a while. I had nothing with my second.
Recently within the last two weeks I have been much better for some reason. Feeling almost normal.

I think you need to start doing something to help with the stress. Maybe taking a walk every afternoon alone. Or taking a ride in car somewhere to just sit and think. Something to clear your mind. The middle of the night panic attacks are hard since there is no place to go. Have you tried maybe reading a book or writing in a journal.
I take yoga and after a class I feel so refreshed. It clears my mind. So does my walk. I come back a different person. I know it's hard to find time for yourself but it something you need to do.
If it's really something you can't handle anymore you could try talking to OB about medication if your not against taking it. I forget the one my OB recommended.
Just want to say my friend also suffered from the same feelings while pregnant with her third. Maybe it's something with the third.

Possible panic attacks????

I would make an appointment with your OB. I suffer from PP Anxeity and my doctor is against medication to treat it. I'm taking Magneisum, Calcium, and Kava Kava which is an anti-stress herbal pill. Maybe ask about taking Melatonin too. It will help you sleep. But I would DEF speak to your doctor about all of this. I would also not wait until your next appt. Call and make a seperate appointment regarding this so you can sit down and talk to her. This way the next pre natal appt you have with her, you can give her an update. I know you said your BP was normal but it can eventually go up and that is harmful to you AND the baby. You DEF don't want that to happen!

Good luck and I am SO sorry to hear this is going on!

Re: Possible panic attacks????

So they definitely sound like "panic attacks" however albuterol inhalers cause the same symptoms in alot of people (don't know if you are still on this?) including me! They can make you feel high, dizzy, anxious, sick stomach, racing heart etc. it is a common side effect. If you are still taking albuterol you may want to call your doctor and see if you can stop and see if the issues start to resolve after you catch up on sleep which can also exacerbate panic attacks etc. Hope you feel better soon I have suffered from severe anxiety before and it is not fun! Also there are def. ways to work through it without medication but it does take some work (therapy, exercise, relaxation techniques etc)
I would look into the albuterol first since that is a major change in your day to day meds.

Edited to add- just saw that you only took albuterol once so that is likely not the issue. Not sure if flonase can have similar effects being a nasal steroid but something to consider?
You definitely have ALOT on your plate!

Message edited 3/13/2014 3:03:32 PM.

Re: Possible panic attacks????

Thank you all so much. Some good advice and it's much appreciated.

I'm not taking the albuterol at this point. It was prescribed "as needed" so if I'm not wheezing, I prefer to not take it as I'm on enough meds. I am wondering if the Amoxicillian is actually the issue. It can cause nausea and my appetite has been off while I have been on it. Dizziness is a harder thing to think about the cause. I'm sure fluid in my ears and a sinus infection do not help. My ears have been itcing and on fire the last 24 hours, maybe they are draining. Starting to get a bad post nasal drip despite the Flonase too and it's bugging my throat. I just want to feel good so badly. The baby feels so large, even sitting here typing is becoming uncomfortable. People are commenting to me that I look like I got huge overnight practically. I'm short so my belly just shoots forward, not much room in there but she is managing to move her legs and such I definitely feel all that.

Anyway, I'm going to definitely let my OB know what is going on. I just didn't know how to describe any of it. I'm just a few more days on the Amoxicillian so I'm hoping that it coming to an end will make some of this improve as well.