A question for those who deal with anxiety and panic

DB1

DB1

Cathlete
I have searched the forums and have read some posts dealing with anxiety and panic attacks. I have been dealing with this for the past 6 months or so and they have recently become almost debilitating. I saw a counselor who specialized in anxiety and learned breathing techniques etc. It seemed to work for awhile, along with taking St. John's wort. Well, the panic attacks are back with a vengeance and nothing seems to be helping. I called my Dr. and she prescribed Zoloft for me. After 3 days of solid research, I found out that these SSRI'for me are a recipe for disaster. You see, I am so incredibly sensitive to any medication, even regular allegra makes me tired, irritable, spacey, cotton mouth, etc. I am allergic to all antibiotics and don't even think about giving me Sudafed, Claritin D, even the caffeine in green tea makes me jump out of my skin with anxiety. I know there is no way I can tolerate the side effects of an SSRI, let alone deal with the drama of trying to get off one.

I guess my question is, has anyone found a natural remedy that helps calm panic and anxiety? I feel like I am about to loose my flipping mind at this point. It seems there has to be something less traumatizing to the body then Xanax or SSRI's to help combat anxiety.

Thanks for hearing me out.

Rhonda
 
Hi Rhonda,

I'm sorry to hear you've been suffering from panic attacks. I don't mean to pry, but are you in, or would you consider therapy? Sometimes, therapists can help you learn triggers and how to get through them.

Aside from that, here are some links that may be helpful. I have never tried any of them...

Valerian: http://209.196.51.230/ME2/dirmod.as...d=&id=77E236CAC0B84788B513750CFEAD2DE8&tier=2

Kava: http://209.196.51.230/ME2/dirmod.as...d=&id=36090FDC005648EB9DF2C29877893871&tier=2

Definitely check with your doc first :)

Hope you feel better soon!
 
Rohnda,

I thought I was reading something I wrote lol.. I have "suffered" with panic anxiety disorder since I was 13 (Iam 30 now) and am also very sensitive to antibiotics and other medications. However, I have been on a combination of Zoloft and Buspar for MANY years.
Panic attacks are a result of a chemical imbalance in the brain, and is usually most effectivly treated with prescription medication, and possibly counseling. Relaxation/meditation is also helpful.. Taking a B complex vitamin is also good. Unfortunatly, being someone who's delt with panic attacks, and someone who is in the medical field, Medication is something you should definatly look into, Keep in mind some of the side effects will disipate as your body gets "usto" the medication. And there is a very good chance you may not have to take it "forever".. I was able to go off my medication for several years. I am back on it now, but I don't mind... I'll take the medication over my debilitating panic attacks anytime. Keep an open mind, Good luck with whatever you decide. I was very nervous about taking the medication at first too, as "valum" makes me anxious LOL.. But it really isn't that bad... Ask your doctor about the Zoloft and Buspar combo. Realize that MOST people do not experence the "drastic" side effects you read about. Medication, if perscribed correctly and monitored, can be a wonderful thing, and may very well help you get your life back. Again Good luck.. Please feel free to email me with any questions or concerns.
[email protected]
Take care,
Jillie
 
I have an anxiety disorder and have lived with it for several years, when the panic attacks started the only things that helped was medicatation and therapy. I went to a psychiatrist and he finally found a set of meds that worked - do not take advice from a general practitioner please......go to a highly recommended psychiatrist. My psych helped me a lot and I went to cognitive therapy with a psychologist, at first I could not exercise it would send me through the roof. My psych got me where I needed to be so I could begin to exercise and thank goodness he is in favor of no meds, once the condition was under control, I began to exercise lightly and eat clean, he gradually took me off the meds until I could function normally. It took about 1 year and a half for me to get where I could keep it under control, know what triggers it, how to read my body signals that say "get out of here" and I haven't had an attack now since 2002. I have come close only a couple of times but did not have to go back on meds. I highly recommend that you see a reputable psych and don't fear the meds - they can really help!
 
I'm a clinical psychologist specializing in anxiety and eating disorders, and there is a very effective and fairly short term therapy for panic disorder. It takes about 4 months of once per week therapy and is homework intensive (meaning you do a lot of work outside the session- which is a MAJOR factor in recovering from any physical or mental health issue). It is a cognitive-behavioral treatment that starts with education about your symptoms, followed by a few techniques to reduce anxiety, and then the difficult and very effective component of exposure therapy, which involves you and your therapist inducing panic symptoms in the therapy room and you using the skills you already have to keep it under control. This component forces you to not avoid panic, and you see that you can control it and it gradually goes away. You then start doing this on your own outside of sessions in increasingly difficult situations, and if you stick it out, by the end you can go into situations you now avoid completely and experience much reduced anxiety symptoms, a new way of thinking about these that is less catastrophic and anxiety producing, and an overall sense that you can control what is happening to you. Depending on where you live, you may be lucky to find a psychologist who is experienced in this, and insurance companies love to see cognitive-behavioral therapy because it is shorter-term and shown to be effective in legitimate research studies. Hope this helps!
 
Rhonda-
I was plagued by awful panic attacks at one point in my life. They were so bad, I wound up in the emergency room several times. It was before they invented SSRIs, and I was completely cured by an MAO inhibitor. Once you go on the MAO inhibitor and the panic attacks go away, they never come back again for the rest of your life. That's what my doctor told me at the time and I have found it to be true. Apparently, there is some kind of permanent change in your brain chemistry that makes it almost impossible for you to ever have a panic attack again. You really need to visit with a psychiatrist and get the meds straightened out. A lot of people have trouble with Paxil and Zoloft, but there are many new drugs out these days that are much better than Paxil and Zoloft.

I promise you that if you work with a really good psychiatrist, you can eradicate panic attacks from your life forever. I've read so many articles and talked to so many doctors about this over the years, that I can say that. There simply is no need to suffer with debilitating panic attacks.

As for anxiety, that's really a whole other issue. I honestly do not see the two issues as being related. I do not believe that panic attacks are an extreme form of anxiety. Where therapy is almost useless for panic attacks in my opinion, it can be very useful for an anxious type of personality. Where you can live many years with a tendency towards anxiety, you really cannot live your life with panic attacks. I say take care of your panic attacks immediately, and you can deal with your anxiety issues more gradually over time.

HTH,
Nancy
 
Honestly, I would steer clear of the MAO inhibitor. It is considered an antidepressant and that class of drugs have so many side effects. Also, there are certain foods you cannot eat when taking and MAO. Please dont take any drugs that effect the chemical reactions in your brain.

My advice. Take a beta blocker. Much kinder to the body ( and brain ) very cheap, and few side effects. Also, you can take a small dose and they work great. They inhibit the uptake of adrenaline, which is the prime cause of anxiety and panic.
 
Hi everyone,
Thanks for the information. I will look into a psychiatrist/psychologist that specializes in anxiety/panic disorders. Through work I was offered 3 free sessions (they should have paid for more since they are the main cause for all of this) with a counselor who specialized in anxiety. It was very helpful, but not long enough. Unfortunately, she is not covered under my insurance plan so I could not continue with her.

Gina, thanks for the links to those websites. I have tried all of those herbs and they work well for awhile, but then you eventually build up a tolerance to them and they no longer work anymore. I was hoping there was a secret herb out there that I hadn't tried yet just waiting for me to discover.

Jillie and Kathy, I am so glad to hear you're doing so well with your meds/therapy. Jillie, it makes me feel a little more comforted to know that there is something working for you and you are able to tolerate the meds even though you are medication sensitive.

Future fitness dynamo, do you have any recommendations on how to find a good psychologist (website, etc.?).

Nancy, that's great that you are cured from panic attacks! I went through a very bad bout of this in my 20's (I'll be 41 in 3 weeks) and also ended up in the ER many times. I am hoping not to repeat those tough times again. I did manage to come through it in my 20's without drugs (they tried xanax and a couple others that I don't even remember anymore. They knocked me out to where I could no longer function).

Thanks for all the great advice ladies. I am going to leave the perscription for zoloft at the pharmacy and look for a psychiatrist/psychologist that can help.

Rhonda
 
Just posting again to say that I don't agree with Stringbean that you should avoid antidepressants. In fact, antidepressants are the primary medications used to control panic disorder and you do not have to be "depressed" for them to work extremely well for panic disorder. I do agree that MAO inhibitors are difficult to work with, and that SSRIs have far fewer side effects, and that SSRIs should be exhausted first before resorting to MAO inhibitors.

Good luck!
-Nancy
 
Many of these problems occur because of an imbalance of brain chemistry and the drugs are designed to combat that. Finding one that works may be tricky but I am with Nancy. Anti-depressants saved my life once and I refuse to be stigmatized for taking one. And, although it has been a long while since I used Xanax, I found it to be the most effective drug for me for anxiety. When the time came to see if I no longer needed it, I easily weaned off of it with no ill effects. I live a green, organic holistic lifestyle when I can but at times, that has not been possible and I refuse to give up those medications when they are needed. Depression, anxiety and panic can steal your life from you and it's not always possible to regain it without those meds. I am very grateful to have them because life is too short and joy is too important for making life wonderful. :)
Blessings and great good luck in whatever path you choose!
Bobbi "Chicks rule!"http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/tiere/animal-smiley-032.gif
Tell me what you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? -Mary Oliver
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According to the DSM IV, the bible used by Counselors, Psychologists and Psychiatrists, panic attacks and anxiety fall into the same category. Nancy is wrong in her statement that they are not related. As a matter of fact, the typical progression is: anxiety, panic attacks, OCD and severe phobias.

I suffered with anxiety and panic attacks for over twenty years but in my case, the symptoms were related to both my marriage at the time and the tendency for me to be an anxious person anyway. My symptoms would appear for about six months and then go away. It was cyclical. I finally worked through mine through therapy. While I did take Ativan for a couple of weeks when it all started I did not continue. I decided I just didn't want to take something that messed with my brain chemistry.

I also have my Master's in Psychology and Counseling and this is what I recommend to you:

1) First get a thorough physical examination. I don't know how old you are but if you could be perimenopausal, anywhere from 35 years of age to 50, your body might be reacting to a decline in estrogen. My symptoms started up again at age 42 after I had been symptom free for over ten years. My gynocologist put me on a low dose BC pill and my symptoms literally disappeared overnight.

2) See a therapist, I would recommend finding a counselor or a Psychologist. I, personally to not recommend Psychiatrist's because IMHO, they are quick to prescribe medication. You may not need it.
I would find someone who specialists in Anxiety Disorders and used Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and talk therapy.

3) Talk to people closest in your life and let them know what is going on with you. If there is something they can do to help, let them know what it is.

Therapy for panic disorder is very hard work and not for the squeemish. You have to be prepared to dig into the inner resources of your mind, soul and body to work through this but it is so worth it. You see, meds are fine for some people but I did not want to be dependent on a medication for the rest of my life to help me deal with life. There are a few out there that suffer from panic symptoms due to brain chemistry imbalances. For some, panic disorders are a warning that the life they have chosen is not healthy for them and they need to rethink how they are living life. Everyone is different.

The human mind is such a complicated, truly amazing organ. It has been proven that cognitive behavioral therapy can actually cause the brain to re-wire and heal itself without long term drug therapy.
 
I think you've gotten some good and also some conflicting advice here. It's important to remember that people come in every variety and what works for someone else may not work for you, and vice versa.

If you found a therapist who worked for you, don't you think that's worth paying for even if uncovered by your insurance? You should speak with her and see if she will continue with you on some kind of reduced payment plan and/or if your insurance will pay some portion after you've met your deductible. I was in therapy for several years with a wonderful woman, a PhD-level psychologist (she was a family systems therapist and I would highly recommend that approach to cognitive therapy as most of our issues are really wrapped up in the roles we've been trained to accept as our own via our family of origins). It took me several tries to find her, though, because there are as many lousy therapists out there as there are lousy employees in every other profession. What's more, though, you really need to click with your therapist to make progress; my therapist was worth every out-of-pocket dollar I spent.

I also tried several prescriptions before finding what worked for me. I only had to take the meds for about 18 months before I weaned myself off. I don't think there's anything to be ashamed of in taking meds at all. Like you, I am hyper-sensitive to medication, but the GOOD news was that this meant when I found what worked for me, it worked quickly and very thoroughly.

Anyway, this is long and I'm sorry about that, but I do hope you find the path to peace and happiness. Life is so short.

Take care,
Marie
 
Ooops, that was more than I wanted to reveal on a public forum. You've had your own experiences at this point and you know what works best for you and I think that's all that matters.

Nancy
 
Rhonda, I think it's amazing and wonderful that you were able to deal with this problem in the past without seeing a psychiatrist. However, if you are having full blown panic attacks, I will just put in my two cents to state that some psychologists believe they can deal with problems that are really over their heads. Maybe I've just had more than my share of bad psychologists, and maybe I'm just jaded by my bad experiences, but I think you can spend eons of time talking about problems that can be dealt with much more effectively and a lot less expensively with the right kind of medication.

-Nancy
 
My experience is that some people do not want to do the work it takes to succeed through talk therapy...it can be emotionally exhausting. Some people would rather just take a pill and go on with their life, no matter how their current lifestyle might be contributing to their panic and anxiety.

The beauty of getting through panic attacks and anxiety without or JUST transitional medication is that the person's psyche is empowered by learning about themselves and their choices. They learn skills through cognitive behavioral therapy that will provide them with healthy coping mechanisms to use the rest of their life.

Also, medication provides emotional relief but can mask symptoms so even though the patient may think their lifestyle is conducive to a healthy emotional state...it is not.

Talking about expense when you are dealing with healthy emotional functioning just does not compute with me, especially if that person has insurance coverage.

Of course, everyone has to do what works for them. I am glad I chose the path I did. Although it was a struggle...I feel I made the best choice for me.
 
I've had anxiety issues all my life with the start of panic attacks in high school. Had a horrible time with them in my 20s and will probably always have to deal with anxiety on some level in my life. I went on every SSRI which caused nervousness, dizziness, etc but Lexapro was my savior. I'm sensitive to everything too...even Advil for God's sake. I also tried every natural supplement out there before resorting to meds because I wanted to do it on my own and naturally. Nothing natural worked for me. I guess it depends on how bad the case is. There are lots of good books too like Lucinda Bassett from Panic to Power is excellent.

I like Louise Hayes' affirmation for anxiety:
"I love and approve of myself and I trust the process of life. I am safe".
 
RE: A question for those who deal with anxiety and pani...

Rhonda,

I suffered from panick attacks and I thought I would have them
forever. I went to a regular doctor because I thought that
there was something wrong with my heart. My heart would start
beating so fast that I thought it was a heart attack. My doctor
kept telling me that it is all in my head. Once I had all sorts
of test done and they all came back ok, I started believing that
it really is something that I could control and the panick attacks magically went away. I remember starting to have one and I said to myslef "It is only an attack I will not die from this, and it went away". I know that it is not that easy for everybody and that's why you should always see a physician but I thought I would just share my experience because I remember when I had those horrible panick attacks I searched on the internet and couldn't find much. I also had an eating
disorder which I believe had something to do with the panick attacks.
I wish you the best,

Kathy
 
RE: A question for those who deal with anxiety and pani...

Sorry it has taken so long for me to answer the question you asked! About looking for a therapist, you can find them through APA and other organizations online; many psychologists will not have advertised on these though. You can find out through your insurance company if anyone on their panel uses a CBT approach and specializes in anxiety. Or ask a doctor or friend who might know.

This topic has brought up a lot of juicy controversy, and its been great to see different people's perspectives on it. I will say to Nancy that I am so sorry if you have had terrible experiences with psychologists. There are many who mean well but who may not be effective (a constant source of anxiety for ME is hoping I am effective!). That is where CBT offers a bit of a safety net because it is a more standardized, systematic, and empirically-supported approach. And I agree with others that it is not for the "squeamish", but the way I talk about it to my clients is that they are investing more intense anxiety now in engaging in treatment so that they will have much less anxiety later. With a good CBT therapist, and good effort on your part, you should get away much cheaper than with meds because you learn skills to prevent anxiety and panic from happening again (with meds, you pay each month, and for most when they stop taking them, the anxiety is right back). I am not anti meds - for some (ONLE who are extremely anxious to even consider therapeutic work), I will suggest they get on meds as an accompaniment to therapy (to make therapy easier to engage in), and then wean as therapy progresses.

Ultimately you have to make the best decision for you. Luckily, anxiety is HIGHLY TREATABLE, either with meds, therapy, or some combination. I hope you do something soon so you don't have to suffer from this for much longer! Good luck!
 
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