Q I'm pregnant and my anxiety is very severe. Can I take herbal medicine?
A Anxiety during pregnancy can affect the fetus if left untreated, so treatment is needed, and prescriptions can be made centered on herbs with confirmed pregnancy-safety grades.
Detailed Answer
Chronic anxiety during pregnancy raises the risk of preterm birth, low birth weight, and postpartum depression, so not treating it can be more dangerous. Because SSRIs during pregnancy carry safety controversy, non-pharmacological approaches are preferred, and CBT and Korean medicine treatment are considered as alternatives. Herbal medicine during pregnancy must thoroughly exclude herbs with risk of miscarriage or malformation and use only herbs with a confirmed pregnancy-safety grade. You must always tell your Korean medicine doctor the gestational week and whether any complications are present.
Korean Medicine Clinic Perspective
At Dongjedang, for anxiety in pregnant women we base treatment on fetus-calming herbs (Hwanggeum/Scutellaria, Baekchul/Atractylodes, Sanyak/Chinese yam) that settle restless fetal movement (taedong-buran), combined with Heart-blood-supplementing herbs of the Danggwi (Angelica) and Baekjagyak (white peony) family. For pregnant women with threatened miscarriage or complications, we decide whether to prescribe after co-care with the obstetrics department.
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