Panic/Anxiety Attacks: Support, Advice, Help, Treatment Options (allergy, thyroid, health issue)

[dennis s]

Before going on any prescribed drugs try 5-HTP. This will help calm you down. As long as you realize that you will not DIE and that you are NOT having a heart attack you are halfway there. Anyone who has these panic attacks should stay FAR away from stimulants such as caffeine and sugars. This includes all soda-pop, diet pills, (guarana, and yerba mate are forms of caffiene) coffee, candy and even artificially sweetened items. Drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, crystal-meth and ecstasy are big culprits causing all sorts of psychosomatic symptoms. Strenuous exercise helps a lot. Do it first thing in the morning it'll keep you calm all day.

Many studies conclude that there is either a deficiency or poor absorption of zinc so I always recommend a zinc supplement (not as part of a multivitamin) and also stay away from copper containing foods such as liver, squid, yams and some multivitamins. B 12 suppement helps A LOT. You can take as much as 5000 a day without any side affects.

[Lisa_from_Debary]

WOW, thanks for all the information. I had known I wasn't having a heart attack, so I would just sit down and try to focus my mind on being calm and stop the world from spinning. I still hate how it feels.

I hate the idea of taking medication of any kind. I am pretty careful and don't drink soda but I am affraid I have a sweet tooth. I am one of those weird people who reaches for a stimulant like Dr. Pepper to calm my stress down but my kidney's objected to that practice so now its water, a little more water and if I am really lucky some fruit juice from time to time.

I will try the supplement thing but I think I need to get back on Paxil, I didn't have them when I was taking the lowest dosage. Until this issue I have going on is cleared up or I am more distant from it, I think I am going to have to use that as a crutch. Its hard for me to figure out what triggers them so that just increases my anxiety.

[mimosa]

what is 5-HTP

[dennis s]

Originally Posted by mimosa

what is 5-HTP

good question. If you ask the clerk at the health store what it is they'll point to the bottle and look away while mumbling something that niether you or they understand. (try it, it's kinda fun)

5-HTP is form of a chemical that your body makes out of niacin (a B Vitamin). It is a precurser to the amino acid L Triptofan, the ingredient in turkey that makes everyone sleepy on Thanksgiving.

Many people take niacin to settle down but 5-HTP will work a little faster if it is taken for anxiety.

[dennis s]

..

Originally Posted by dennis s

Before going on any prescribed drugs try 5-HTP. This will help calm you down. As long as you realize that you will not DIE and that you are NOT having a heart attack you are halfway there. Anyone who has these panic attacks should stay FAR away from stimulants such as caffeine and sugars. This includes all soda-pop, diet pills, (guarana, and yerba mate are forms of caffiene) coffee, candy and even artificially sweetened items. Drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, crystal-meth and ecstasy are big culprits causing all sorts of psychosomatic symptoms. Strenuous exercise helps a lot. Do it first thing in the morning it'll keep you calm all day.

Many studies conclude that there is either a deficiency or poor absorption of zinc so I always recommend a zinc supplement (not as part of a multivitamin) and also stay away from copper containing foods such as liver, squid, yams and some multivitamins. B 12 suppement helps A LOT. You can take as much as 5000 a day without any side affects.

I forgot a very important point. DON"T EVER,...... EVER,....... EVER drink alcohol. ............EVER!!!!!!!!

[Lisa_from_Debary]

Originally Posted by dennis s

..


I forgot a very important point. DON"T EVER,...... EVER,....... EVER drink alcohol. ............EVER!!!!!!!!

I rarely drink, I haven't had any alcohol since November and even then it was only a glass of wine...

Being a single parent it isn't often I feel like I can afford to not be COMPLETE aware of what is going on.

[Lakewooder]

Get the xanax. You don't have to take them except when you need them. Just knowing you have them 'in case' calms you down a lot.

[Lisa_from_Debary]

Originally Posted by Lakewooder

Get the xanax. You don't have to take them except when you need them. Just knowing you have them 'in case' calms you down a lot.

My only concern with that is the Paxil makes me drowsy anyway...I hate to have more of a problem with that. We will see what the doctor says...I mean the psych doctor, I really don't trust GPs to perscribe something like this.

[june 7th]

Originally Posted by mimosa

I am a very anxious person so for years i have taken xanax and they have no side effects at all and they work on your thinking. i use them mostly for sleep b ecause my mind is always working and it keeps me awake and they help there too. i get .50mg and take 1/2 but you may need something stronger. you can take them forever it seems and when you stop thinking so much, yhou feel better. also walking or excersise helps relieve it and deep breathing.

While I would agree that xanax is a good medication for anxiety, and does help with occassional insomnia, I am not so sure about it not having any side effects...People need to be closely monitored on benzodiazapines, as they are highly addictive!!! There also seem to be other non-addictive medications for anxiety that work well, without the risk of dependancy, or addiction. You do not want to suddenly stop taking a benzodiazapine, as that could prove VERY harmful; people have gone into withdrawal and died.

Hopefully one's doctor would have a complete history and prescribe accordingly. I am not saying it is a "bad" medication, but you have to be very, very careful...

[DreamWeavin]

I've has anxiety attacks for over 20 years. Well I should revise that to say I HAD them for a number of years before I began taking Xanax. I no longer have the attacks but when I did it was just awful. Mine began in the middle of the night with hyperventialtion and racing heart. What began as the ocaasional one soon became one after another almost non-stop. I read everything I could on the topic. Learned about the fight or flight theory; which is to say don't fight it and it will pass. That may be tru enough-they won't kill you and they will pass but when they begin totally disrupting your life then it's time to take action. There are meds for the disorder and I will not feel guilty about taking them. I don't think Paxil is the answer,but then that is just my humble opinion. I saw someone near and dear to me take Paxil and it was not a pleasant experience. Their personality changed and not for the better. They became defensive and cynical. It took 6 months of brain zaps and crying jags and suicidal thoughts for them to get OFF the Paxil. I personally think the makers of Paxil should be sued and put out of business but I digress and that is a whole other thread.
Good luck and let us know how you do.