Generalised anxiety

[fisher]

hiya everyone i am new to this site,i am 38yrs old got a 16 yr old son and i am at the moment 7 months pregnant and i am getting anxiety back,i have always been anxious since bein young but mine really started when i had my son,i started with a panic attack and then it didnt stop it was a vicious circle my heart was constantly going fast and then my mind would be working overtime and with that the anxiety just couldnt get away from it,my doctor gave me citalopram but i did take 1 and it made me more anxious,i started going on the internet and joined no panic they was really helpful and i seen a few councillors,i did eventually start to get better but it has always been there,i hate anything to do with me going into hospital or having any treatment so now i am 7 months pregnant i am starting with the anxiety again,i am getting my fast heartbeat again thats what is fuelling the anxiety but they say its because am pregnant,how can you calm down when you can feel your heart going thump thump and its goin fast.

[alankay]

I'd try working with the doc on a more gradual start of citalopram(any ssri in fact) along with diazepam or chlordiazepoxide as they are genarally safest of the benzos for occasional use during pregnancy(ask about them). I'd start the citalopram at 5mg for a week, then 10 mg for a week then 15 mg for 2 weeks then hold at 20mg(or a similar strategy). You may wind up on a low dose of the ssri after all. Then just use the benzo sparringly. Alankay