constant panic and anxiety

i struggle with constant panic/anxiety!  I constantly think something is medically wrong with me and im terrified to take perscriptions.  Are there any herbal meds i could take to help?? inositol??   I really need help....its getting worse.  I start therapy Tuesday

[Paxiled]

First thing is to eliminate any physiological causes, such as thyroid or other hormonal problems, blood sugar imbalances, etc.  Once you're satisfied it's not a physiological ailment, then therapy is the place to go.  For natural remedies, there are a lot of different ones that are usually used in combination to try to bring some balance to the nervous system.  This would involve relaxants, such as the amino acid taurine (a precursor to GABA, the body's natural relaxant), B6 (but you don't want too much), 5-HTP (precursor to serotonin), and then the more direct relaxants kava, valerian, passionflower, and many more.  You'd also want to balance your adrenals, using herbs such as ashwagandha and eleuthero.  The natural approach would also work on your sleep patterns, diet (eliminating caffeine and other stimulants, for example, and even cutting down on sugar and simple carbs), and then adding in exercise and meditation.  It's a complex package.  There are books you can probably find, and sometimes a good naturopath can be helpful.  You might want to go on the anxiety forum and look up some of my former posts on the subject in the archives, and that forum might offer you some support, although pretty much everyone on there is on medication.  Good luck.

[franceslee]

Thanks for the help!!  

[allmymarbles]

Whenever I think something is medically wrong with me, I assume something is medically wrong. Trust your instincts. I recently spent four days at a very prestigious teaching hospital for tests. They found nothing wrong with me and discharged me with a diagnosis of "anxiety." "Anxiety" usually means that they don't know what is wrong with you. But I knew they were wrong and tried this, that, and everything else. It turned out I had a severe case of systemic candidiasis. No joke. Coupled with my lung condition the mortality, if untreated, is 50 per cent.

[franceslee]

I am sorry to hear that, I will keep u in my prayers!  Hoe did u find out u had it??  I have been to two different doctoral and had different test ran which con back normal so I don't know what else to do....my insurance won't allow me to keep changing doctors.  Its like I'm a rock in a hard place........

[allmymarbles]

Do research on the internet. If you ignore the loonies and everybody selling merchandise, you will find a hard core of useful information. That is where I found my candidiasis. Then I asked my doctor to have me tested. He did and the results were a great big positive.

[franceslee]

What exactly is candidiasis?  What were your symptoms?

[S3v3nS]

your symptoms sound almost exactly like what i was experiencing..  i tried all kinds of anxiety meds like xanax and clozapine and every other benzo..

My anxiety and the attacks became unmanageable and happening more and more frequently..  honestly i considered killing myself.. because of the constant worry and fear of it happening in public.. i really wanted to die.  I saw 3 doctors.. they only helped with giving me more drugs.   then i figured it out.. and as the quote states.. "Medice, cura te ipsum!"  Heal Thyself.  I did just that.  

the solution was easy.. and don't just scoff and write me off like some exercise nut..   but REALLY helped me.. was exercise..  and not just an easy jog on the treadmill..  I'm talking serious exercise.. where you push yourself as far as you feel like your body will go.. then just a little past that.   I initially rode a bike.. for what seems like 100miles..  i was driven.. and even hoping that i would have a heart attack.. and just not worry anymore.. but i didn't die..
i felt completely spent.   THat was the first time in months that i slept good, and felt "OK" like things were alright.. and the fear and anxiety was finally at bay.


so.. if you REALLY want a cure.. and are sick of the anxiety and depression.. this is how you really fix it.. and not just a pharmaceutical band-aid that only masks the symptoms.   if you seriously want change.. then try it.  i promise if you do it.. and REALLY go all out.. until you can't go anymore..  you will be fixed..  try it.  believe.

[S3v3nS]

note:  herbal remedies are sometimes even worse than prescription drugs.. and have their own share of side effects.  the real solution was built into your design..  humans need exercise and sunshine..  body chemicals get messed up if we don't get that physical activity..  try the real fix.. instead of quick easy fixes..  its harder work.. but you will be a believer if you try it.. even one time.  :)

[franceslee]

What kind of exercise program did u do??  I am overweight an haven't been very physical active so its really a task for me....but I'm open to Any help to get through this!!!

[Red_Star]

Anxiety/panic attacks are one of the symptoms of low magnesium. Gaining weight and have anxiety is also two symptoms that are listed under hypothyroidism.  What other symptoms do you have?

[franceslee]

Im always tired, never sleep good, get dizzy spells every now and then....I had labs done and my potassium was low and for some reason my cholesterol was high, bad was high and good was low.  I have never had bad cholesterol before!  My thyroid has been checked and it came back fine.

[Red_Star]

Potassium is low and cholesterol is high with hypothyroidism so this is rather suspect.  A TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) test result can miss a diagnosis of thyroid disease. The Stop The Thyroid Madness website is worth checking out. Look at the list of symptoms and see if you can relate.

[Red_Star]

I should have rephrased that as it is possible to have low potassium with hypothyroidism although not that commonly mentioned.  Anyway, magnesium deficiency (as mentioned a well noted cause of anxiety/panic attacks) is a listed cause of potassium deficiency. Potassium is rarely caused by lacking in the diet as so many foods contain potassium. Check out Cushing's Disease too since this condition causes weight gain due to high cortisol levels.

Excerpt from The Merck Manual on potassium:

"What Makes the Potassium Level Decrease?

* Increased loss from the digestive tract (most common):
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea

Drugs or Other Circumstances:
- Laxatives if used a long time

* Increased excretion in urine:
- Cushing's syndrome
- Aldosteronism due to a tumor in the adrenal glands
- A low level of magnesium (hypomagnesemia)
- Gitelman's syndrome
- Liddle syndrome
- Bartter syndrome
- Fanconi syndrome

Drugs or Other Circumstances:
- Diuretics (commonly)
- Licorice (natural) if consumed in large amounts
- Tobacco chewing (certain types)

* Increased movement from blood into cells:
- An overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism)

Drugs or Other Circumstances:
- Insulin
- Some drugs used to treat asthma: albuterol, terbutaline, and theophylline

***

Excerpt from the article Cholesterol Reduction by Dr Greg Emerson:

"Let’s have a quick look at why your cholesterol might be elevated. In my opinion, there are 5 main causes and only one of those would merit treatment with a drug. The 5 causes are:

Poor diet.

Genetic- but this is VERY rare (< 1% of cases). It may be the one indication for drug therapy in accordance with the guidelines below.

Untreated hypothyroidism.

Elevated body burden of mercury- high levels of cholesterol are the body’s protective mechanism against some environmental toxins, particularly mercury. Aggressive lowering of cholesterol may result in increased toxicity from these sources. It is proposed that this may be the mechanism of the nerve damage that occurs as a side effect of some statin drugs.

Chronic systemic fungal infections- the most common cause by far. Note that anti-fungal medications have been shown to reduce cholesterol levels! Research by Professor AV Costantini published in his book Fungalbionics showed that cholesterol binds fungal mycotoxins- making them less harmful."

[franceslee]

Where could I find out how to lower my bad cholesterol and higher my good cholesterol??!!  My doc gve me a statin drug and I'm just really not wanting to take it.  I want to try it with diet nd exercise.....I go back for labs in two months

[PhilMaura]

This is how I started--
Walk around the block, then do it again and again until you don't get tired.  Then walk around 2 blocks, then do it again and again until you don't get tired.  Then 3 blocks, then 4, etc  

[Paxiled]

About exercise -- yes, exercise can help, but anxiety comes in all flavors.  Some is situational, some is chronic.  I have suffered from panic attacks for years, and was already an exercise nut and a meditator when it started.  For some, heavy exercise helps, for some, it mimics symptoms of anxiety.  It helped me, but over the years I still had anxiety and now suffer from a nice array of chronic injuries as I've aged from all that heavy high impact exercise.  So to the poster, anyone telling you one size fits all, that everyone with anxiety has a thyroid problem or just needs to exercise, no, one size doesn't fit all.  And as to the claim that natural remedies are just as dangerous as medication and have just as many side effects, this isn't borne out by the statistics at all, and stopping natural remedies stops the side effects, while stopping medication can be very difficult and problematic.  Natural remedies work with the body, if they're truly natural, because the human body has adapted over the millennia to consuming what's in them, whereas drugs are new and artificial and engineered to bypass the body's immune system.  Which doesn't mean some people don't need medication if the problem is severe and not amenable to other remedies.  Which means, you have to keep working at it to find what works for you.  All the above ideas are interesting, and if you go on anxiety websites, including the anxiety forum on this one, you'll see there are all kinds of things people try with individual differences in success.  Just keep looking for what works.  Personally, I'd start with cognitive behavioral therapy, but that's me.  It doesn't work for many, but if it does work, it solves the problem.  I'd also get a good physical from someone who is willing to look at problems that are hard to find, such as thyroid problems and blood sugar problems that may not show up in the regular blood tests.  Good luck to you.