Very OT: Anxiety Attacks

[Connie Z]

Originally posted by TimR:

I still find it crazy that if you market something as a drug it has to go through millions of trails and all the side effects get listed on the labels, but call it a food stuff. Just put anything in it!

Hi TimR!

 

I know what you mean, but I can understand how it happens, cause I know we can't truly test and regulate everything. I already feel like we are over-regulated in regards to medicines. I do prefer natural treatments, which I am afraid that they are doing to turn into "prescription" treatments.

 

What I can't understand is going to a doctor, and having the doctor IMMEDIATELY assume that I have a mental problem, which was causing the symptoms. (not that I don't have any mental problems! )

 

But not one question was asked by either of the docs (even my favorite doc), as to whether I was eating or drinking something new or different. Or even asking about any other symptoms that may accompany the anxiety.

 

They both just assumed that it was from stress, even though I told them both that the attacks came out of the blue, and not related to any specific incident or situation.

 

I am totally disgusted with the medical profession. They are holding us hostage.

 

I would give them the benefit of the doubt because both docs are probably dealing with Post Traumatic Stress of their own from the damn hurricane. BUT... doctors around here were already like that long before the hurricane.

 

... connie z

 

I still love my wholistic doc anyway, and will forgive him this time. And I need to make sure that it really is the Splenda causing the problem before I condemn them anyway.

[Rocky McDougall]

Well I have heard of YANI but can't say I've listened to more that a few seconds of his music. It will make you forget some of your other trouble,.........I Think.......Rocky

[Connie Z]

Originally posted by Rocky3840:

Connie, I suffered from really bad Anxiety 6 years ago when all the doctors told me I only had 4 months to live. It is real, and it is horrible. I was treated with anti-depression / anti-axiey medicene, (It's the same problem) and it really, really worked. I now know why there are so many drug addicts. I had to use it about a year and then had to get off slowly. Haven't used it in 5 years, but it worked. I don't recommed for anyone to take drugs, but when you need them, Your really need them.

You'll get better, relax, listen to soothing music, like GANSTA RAP or SCREMO ROCK. Just kidding, ever heard of YANI????? Rocky

Well Rocky, I certainly am glad you didn't follow their guidelines and die in the alloted 4 months! I hope that whatever health issue you were dealing with is now all in the past. It must have been very frightening to not only have a serious health issue, but then add anxiety attacks on top of that.

 

Thanks for sharing your story with me. I hate for others to have to have problems like this, but it does make me feel less 'alone' when other's share their experience.

 

Since my nephews are playing Hardcore & Screamo in their band, I do have the opportunity to experience the soothing nature of that genre!

 

Actually, come to think of it, the attacks didn't start till they started their band...

 

I guess I'd better stick with Yani!

 

Thanks again... connie z

[rdepelteau]

Calcium deficiency.... a very common problem with a wide range of symptoms, including depression, post partum depression, high blood pressure, axiety attacks, weight gain, rhumatism, arthritis, osteoporosis etc.

 

There are many many sites on the subject, I would suggest you check it out.

 

I would recommend Rolaids, or Tums 1000mg, two or three times a day, once just before going to bed, the other two midday.

[Phil W]

Good luck, Connie. I'm glad that you seem to be getting to the bottom of this.

[way2fat]

I hope your discovery eliminates your attacks, Connie. My wife used to get terrible anxiety attacks while she was finishing grad school. This was 25 years ago, and her sister used to get them too. It turned out that they decreased dramatically in intensity and frequency for both of them when they stopped smoking pot. An odd coincidence to your situation is that my wife reacts anxiously to driving over high narrow bridges to this day although like you, walking across wouldn't bother her a bit.

[Connie Z]

Originally posted by way2fat:

I hope your discovery eliminates your attacks, Connie. My wife used to get terrible anxiety attacks while she was finishing grad school. This was 25 years ago, and her sister used to get them too. It turned out that they decreased dramatically in intensity and frequency for both of them when they stopped smoking pot. An odd coincidence to your situation is that my wife reacts anxiously to driving over high narrow bridges to this day although like you, walking across wouldn't bother her a bit.

My personal assesment of all of this is that anything that messes with the inner-ear is the culprit for anxiety attacks. Pot may have messed with their inner-ear.

 

I had vertigo one time about 10 years ago. The best way I can describe an anxiety attack is it is like vertigo of the emotions.

 

With vertigo, the visual images in front of me started flying across my eyes like the frames of a movie that are flipping by. Vertigo is proven to be caused by an inner-ear malfunction.

 

With my anxiety attacks, the weird physical sensations in my body, such as the tingling in my arms, also seemed to trigger my thoughts to fly through my mind like the images did with the vertigo. VERY freaky. But even while the frightening thoughts were flying by, I was still able to think rational thoughts too, thank goodness.

 

With vertigo, even though the images were flying by, I was able to call out to my husband to please bring me a chair. I had grabbed the door frame and couldn't let go, cause I would have fallen.

 

With the anxiety attack, I was still able to speak to the people who were in the car with me, in a way that they didn't realize I was in distress.

 

I think the bridge thing is definately related to sensations in the inner-ear. It is visual and also related to the movement of the car on the bridge. Or the movement of the bridge itself.

 

I am going to figure this whole thing out one of these days, cause I have to spread the word. People can't keep suffering like this. Anxiety attacks can totally RUIN a person's life!

 

Thanks for telling me about your wife and her sister. The more I hear the better it is for my 'research!'

 

... connie

[picker]

Connie, you might want to eliminate caffeine from your diet too. A few years ago I developed a sensitivity to caffeine, and now I can't drink caffeinated beverages without first experiencing anxiety and then depression. Prior to that, I didn't have much trouble with caffeinated beverages, and I drank a lot of Diet Pepsi.

 

6 cups of coffee in rapid succession is not healthy in any way, and it's really a lot even over the course of a day. IF you look at the labels on the stuff you eat and drink, you might be surprized at how much caffeine is in stuff. Try eliminating coffee, tea, most carbonated soft drinks, chocolate, asperin, etc for a few months and see what happens.

[Connie Z]

Originally posted by Picker:

Connie, you might want to eliminate caffeine from your diet too. A few years ago I developed a sensitivity to caffeine, and now I can't drink caffeinated beverages without first experiencing anxiety and then depression. Prior to that, I didn't have much trouble with caffeinated beverages, and I drank a lot of Diet Pepsi.

 

6 cups of coffee in rapid succession is not healthy in any way, and it's really a lot even over the course of a day. IF you look at the labels on the stuff you eat and drink, you might be surprized at how much caffeine is in stuff. Try eliminating coffee, tea, most carbonated soft drinks, chocolate, asperin, etc for a few months and see what happens.

Hi Picker!

 

I think you are right about the caffeine. And I am also thinking that MSG is one of the culprits too, which makes me feel "off."

 

I didn't drink coffee much my entire life, until the last two years. Then I went crazy with Lattes, Cappucinos, Expressos, and even chocolate covered coffee beans. I totally had to stop for several months. But then I've gently started drinking it again. NO more coffee beans though, those were wild!

 

All my life I had no idea how wonderful coffee was for helping my brain. But now, I'll cut it out for a few months again and see what happens.

 

But I don't know if I'll be able to cut out the iced tea!! I am from the South you know!! Iced tea is the "house wine of the south" as they say!

 

Thanks for the tips!

 

... connie

[Connie Z]

I am very excited to report that now that I have been feeling much better, and have not consumed any Splenda or sucralose for a few weeks, I actually drove over the scary bridge tonight!!!!

 

My husband followed me in his car, and we drove over it 3 times in a row. Tomorrow I'll drive it again by myself during the daylight.

 

It was not the huge bridge where I had the initial attack, but the other one where I had the people in the car with me.

 

This is a HUGE step in getting my darn life back!

 

This has been a freaky and harrowing experience.

 

And of course, the crazy crazy part is that I've been driving over a zillion other bridges, much higher and had no problem at all. I've been stuck in traffic on bridges, with no problem.

 

Thanks again for ALL of the support and suggestions and kind words and wishes.

 

Your grateful LowDown fan,

 

connie

[Dave Brown]

Great!

 

You know, it may have been the bridge all the time.

 

I was down there once on a charter bus with a group of students, and we had to go back and forth from Metarie to NO. We had to go over this old rusty iron bridge that goes way up in the sky and attaches itself to another bridge for a minute.

 

Scariest bridge I've ever been on. That thing still exist?

[Tom Capasso]

I'm glad to hear good news like this, and hope you continue without these attacks.

 

Tom