Question:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – ** Seriously, though, the "women" here have expressed some ideas and experiences that shouldn’t be overlooked. "IF" there is a hormonal aspect at work here, and it’s not being looked into, well, it should be. <snipped Well, it’s not a grant thing…it’s an interest in the field thing.  Where there is a reseacher wanting to do the work, grant money can be found.  From what I’ve seen, theoretical research is much easier to do than application. <snipped (It’s great to be posting again, but I’ll probably have to stop at the end of the year). -Kendra

Dr S posted a couple of months ago that estrogens provide a degree of protection against PA’s in women.  This is probably why women who are predisposed to have PA’s have such a hard time during premenstrual days, a time when estradiol plummets.  During pregnancy, estrodiol remains elevated, so I’m not surprised that the frequency of PA’s diminishes.  Thank goodness — there’s so many other things to worry about! I’m on the other side when it comes to gender bias in psychiatric illness.  I think men have been given the short side, since women have been the ones to seek help most often.  I’m glad that a lot of guys are coming out now.  It will be a big help to other men on down the road. Anita

Response:

In my third month it  seemed like my panic almost disappeared.  I had some anxiety wondering what was wrong with me.  Wondering why I wasn’t haveing panic attacks like I always have..  

(smiling) that sounds like a way I would think … "what’s wrong with me – I feel ok!" continued for the rest of my pregnancy.I probably only had three attacks the whole time I was pregnant.  Anyway, I had my son Oct. 27th.  Four days after that, PAs came back in full force.  They actually have gotten worse.  No one has an explanation for this.

I don’t know what it could be (I have a limited education in physiology as compared to an M.D.) but I have some guesses.  But first – it gives me hope that you *didn’t* have panic attacks while pregnant. I haven’t really been having them much anymore, but I’m also still taking immipramine (which seems to have really helped me).  And I’ve worried about getting pregnant and then not taking the medication and being pregnant AND having a bunch of panic all over again. So, it makes me feel hopeful you *didn’t* have them. My guess would be something to do with the estrogen and other chemicals which are going through your body when you’re pregnant. I don’t know that much about what is happening – but I do know your body chemistry changes quite a bit. And my best guess on the panic attacks being worse *after* your son was born is probably something along the same physiological lines as post-partum depression. Do you have some good medical insurance? Because I would bet that there’s got to be a doctor out there (gynacologist? neurologist?) who is a specialist in the chemical changes in a woman’s body when she’s pregnant, who might have some answers.  I think it’s *definitely* worth looking into! My personal belief is that it’s a mental AND physical thing and that there must be ways to cure it through both helping our minds and our bodies. Who knows, you may end up not only finding out why they lessened while pregnant, but may find an answer as how to eleviate them altogether! good luck – Julia — "Beware the bad cat bearing a grudge."

Response:

: : I found out I was pregnant in February of this year.  Anyway for the first : two months I still had panic attacks.  I was really worried about haveing : another child.(I’m always worried I’ll go crazy in front of my kids!)  In : my third month it  seemed like my panic almost disappeared.  I had some : anxiety wondering what was wrong with me.  Wondering why I wasn’t haveing : panic attacks like I always have..  (Eight long years now.)  This :Hi Robin, : :This happens to many, if not most, women who get pregnant, from what :I have heard from my doctor and read on my own. (doesn’t happen with :all women – I remember at least one person (Kate?) saying she still :had pa’s during her pregnancy) It’s a hormonal thing.  When I found :this out, I asked my doctor if going on the pill (birth control) would :help eliminate panic attacks, since it tricks your body hormonally :into thinking its pregnant (and that’s why you don’t get pregnant).   :She said, hmmm, I never thought of that.  So, we gave it a try, and :yes, it drastically reduced my panic attacks. However, since I am :sensitive to medications, for other reasons I couldn’t take the type :o f dosage I needed, so she put me on the lowest dose, which helps :somewhat with the pa’s, but not substantially.   : Ah,two things — the pas disappeared in the third month, the biological beginning of some heavy, heavy changes biologically (in a prior life I thought I wanted to be a doctor and studied a bit). Second, I have heard the same thing about birth control pills and reduced pas. However, considering the cycling nature of bc pills, another possibility is a minimal dose of Premarin (0.625/day or even half a pill). Or for those worried about the source of Premarin, estradial or another sysnthetic estrogen. Good question. Now, as to why isn’t it being studied: an awful lot of male doctors see pas in females as "a female thing." Now, in number, they are certainly not a majority of doctors and researchers, but it might be a factor regarding the possibility of research funding on this. Kristin —                     Kristin Rachael Hayward                 http://130.111.120.13/~hayward

Response:

(snipped what I said) Well, it’s not a grant thing…it’s an interest in the field thing.  Where there is a reseacher wanting to do the work, grant money can be found. ~~snip~~ Anyone have any words of wisdom? Or should I ask you all to bombard his e-mail with pleas?  We *need* him…if you all knew him, you would love him, he’s smart and a *great* person…really cares about people. What do you think?  Would you be willing to write him?

** Kendra, it’s interesting in what you say here. I was going to add to the end of my post that if we all knew where to write, we should bombard them;-)  REALLY. ** I wouldn’t dare to suggest to email YOU GUYS. With the genetics involved, it probably would involve serious molecular research as well. If you’re serious, however, what do I have to lose by emailing, when it concerns the main thing in my and everyone elses lives in ASAP (and other NG’s)? ** As they say, be careful what you wish for. Make sure, Kendra, my dear;-) (It’s great to be posting again, but I’ll probably have to stop at the end of the year).

** Great to have you back, even if it’s only for "bits" at a time. — Used wisely, your 2