Feeling ready to give up!

Thank you very much. I'm in a state of panic at least 2 times a day sometimes I can control other times it controls me.

I have been doing really really well with my xanax I was taking 2 milligrams a day for the last 10 years and I weaned myself down .25. Now that I'm in my third trimester I feel very overwhelmed and I believe it's probably hormonal but its making me feel out of control I feel that .25 milligrams is a whole lot better than 2 milligrams a day and I don't think that right now would be a good time for my health and my baby's health to stop them all together I've done plenty of research that has no human study on xanax causing deformities or issues with a baby expecially just .25 and no ones ever really experience withdrawals on a baby with that either..I'm doing the best I can but I feel so very lost.

Prescription narcotics like Vicodin and benzodiazepines like Xanax are not likely to cause birth defects, but doctors do try to avoid prescribing them during pregnancy unless it's absolutely necessary. That's because taking these medications for an extended period of time can cause you to build up a tolerance to them, it is solely due to a tolerance problem, not an issue with regards to problems with your baby.  

All the best with your pregnancy and look after yourself,   

Yes Brian I totally agree I have built up someone of a tolerance but I will tell you dropping myself down, to .25 has caused me more anxiety than I've ever had in the last 10 years so the Dr put me back on .5 which I plan to hopefully get back down to .25 I'm doing the best I can and just really need Support. Thank tippy so much for talking to me.

Excuse my typos

No Problems Leighla, 

You have certainly done extremely well to have reduced the dose you are on now and have done fantastic about looking after and worrying about your baby and the possible effects it probably will not cause to your baby, but i think you have sacrificed enough now, and it's time to start thinking about yourself to be strong for your baby, as you are at 7months now, so not much longer to go.

I personally would not worry so much regarding the dosage now of the Xanax as all possible fetal problems would have occurred during or within the first trimester.  

Look after yourself now, get yourself on a good track, and lots of rest, you going to need it  

All the best, 

What are main symptoms you could describe, if at all possible. 

i.e  Palpitations, Cold/Hot, Clamy, Pins Needles .... ETC 

I most certainly do think that it is pregnancy related I have tons of hormones going on right now lots of changes with my body emotionally and physically and yes I am overwhelmed but I feel like my doctors are bullying me into stopping something that's been very helpful and beneficial for me for a long time I don't take 2 milligrams of xanax anymore I only take. 25 a day. I've actually researched and found that it is pretty safe to breastfeed on that dose. I just need to get through this pregnancy so I can be a healthy strong mother to my baby.

My symptoms usually start the same. Note it's so erratic I can't determine if I'm going to die, have a heart attack, it just another panic attack. The symptoms lately are tight painful chest pains left side. Numbness if my left arm and across my chest into my face, legs twitching uncontrollably, severe sweating,nausea,lightheadedness, then I feel like I'm going to pass out. Then I cry so hard and for so long I gag. I'm just so donee with all this.

As posted above the Xanax is presumed to be safe, however Xanax is also "Assumed" to be capable of causing an increased risk of congenital abnormalities when administered to a pregnant woman during the first trimester. But again there is little evidence to the contrary.  

Clinical Pharmacology: Other than knowing it is a CNS agent of the 1,4 benzodiazepine class, and "Presumably" exerts effects by binding at stereo specific receptors at several sites within the central nervous system. (The exact mechanism of action is unknown) and is still pretty much the case today.  

Looking at many case studies regarding Xanax and pregnancy it does not seem to be contraindicated and is actually thought to be worse on the fetus if the mother is in distress, then the pros/negatives of using Xanax.  

Look after yourself, speak to your medical team, tell them the stress you are under is probably more contraindicative then an extremely low dose of the Xanax you are taking. 

All the best,

I agree Brian. I appreciate you reassuring me and shedding new light on the situation I do plan to speak with my doctor on Wednesday as in the emergency room yesterday they tried to bully me into stopping my meds altogether although it was kind of strange because they gave me .5 milligrams of xanax while I was there so it's a bit confusing and bit frustrating however I refuse to let doctors bully me because I feel like the safety of my health and my child are more important so I plan on having a long talk with him on Wednesday about everything that I'm feeling and what's going on. My primary doctor that I see now is well aware of me taking 1MG a day and he is also giving me a drug test to make sure that I'm taking what I'm supposed to be taking and all my tests have come back clear I'm only taking .25 a day at 8 o'clock at night only if I'm having horrible horrible symptoms which I have in the last week and a half I take an extra point 25 in the afternoon but I do not try to exceed that dose. my doctor told me he was fine with me taking 1 milligram of xanax but that if I could go lower that would be great he is not pushing me to get off of my medicine or to taper me off any slower than I already am it was the other OB doctor that was in the ER last night he was trying to bully me and trying to tell me I need to tell my doctor that he needed to ween me off my medicine all together. Sometimes I almost feel like because of where I live that they're treating me like just some regular pill head some drug addict and that's so not the case if that were the case then I wouldn't have weaned myself down so low.