Heath anxiety out of control

[Girlmum0609]

I’ve had health anxiety for the last 10-12 years and it gradually got worse over time especially since one of my parents passed away.
I had a baby last year and I feel like I’m on high alert 24/7 wondering if everything she is doing is normal, whether she’s meeting her milestones and hyperfixating on everything. At the moment I’m petrified she is having infantile spasms and they’re really subtle. She’s my second and I thought this time round I’d be more relaxed but I don’t even think I was this bad with my first.

I’m not on medication but I need to be, I’m just worried about the initial side effects with a small baby. Something needs to change as at the moment I can’t tell if what I’m seeing/feeling is real or it’s just my anxiety and that’s not a great place to be with a small baby. I want to advocate for her and be taken seriously but I’m so anxious I feel if I do take her to the drs with my worries I’ll just breakdown. I’m in constant fight or flight, I haven’t been able to eat properly for days.

can anyone shed any light on their side effects from the anxiety medication? I am dreading going to the drs and having to talk about it all…

The side effects from anxiety medication, eg things like Sertraline or Citalopram, are fairly minimal and wouldn’t have any impact on your ability to look after a baby.

I had a bit of nausea for the first couple of weeks on Sertraline, but it wasn’t severe (I was never sick) and it went away quickly. No other side effects at all.

Citalopram made me yawn a lot and gave me a dry mouth. That was all really.

You’re stuck in constant anxiety mode, and that’s exhausting — especially with a baby.
Most anxiety meds can cause mild early side effects (nausea, headaches, sleep changes) for a week or two, but they usually settle and doctors choose ones safe for mums.
If you’re not eating and feel overwhelmed, that’s reason enough to see your GP write things down and let them support you.

Yes you’re right, I need to just go for it and push through the side effects. I do feel utterly exhausted mentally and I move on one problem to the next. I have that horrible uneasiness all of the time unless I’m asleep, I can’t switch off.

did you notice any personality changes? I guess I’m anxious about that or in case it takes enjoyment away from things I’d previously cared about/liked. Again, this could be irrational thinking.

did you take you both a while to find the right medication? Would you mind sharing what you’re on?

It doesn’t change your personality or stop you enjoying things at all. If anything, medication helped me to enjoy things again that I’d stopped enjoying because of my mental health.

I’m currently on Sertraline. I felt a bit nauseous at the start but not severely enough to impact on my daily life, and the nausea stopped after a week or two.