What can be done for anxiety and panic attacks?

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What can be done for anxiety and panic attacks?

JoAnn Guest Aug 29, 2005 07:50 PDT

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www.doctormurray.com

 

I have them so bad that I am afraid to go out anymore.

Here is a staggering statistic: over 14 million Americans suffer from

anxiety, " an unpleasant emotional state ranging from mild unease to

intense fear. "

 

Anxiety differs from fear, in that while fear is a rational response to

a real danger, anxiety usually lacks a clear or realistic cause. Though

some anxiety is normal and, in fact, healthy, higher levels of anxiety

are not only uncomfortable, they can lead to significant problems.

 

Anxiety is often accompanied by a variety of symptoms. The most common

symptoms relate to the chest such as heart palpitations (awareness of a

more forceful or faster heart beat), throbbing or stabbing pains, a

feeling of tightness and inability to take in enough air, and a tendency

to sigh or hyperventilate. Tension in the muscles of the back and neck

often leads to headaches, back pains, and muscle spasms. Other symptoms

can include excessive sweating, dryness of mouth, dizziness, digestive

disturbances, and the constant need to urinate or defecate.

 

The anxious individual usually has a constant feeling that something bad

is going to happen. They may fear that they have a chronic of dangerous

illness - a belief that is reinforced by the symptoms of anxiety.

 

Inability to relax may lead to difficulty in getting to sleep and

constant waking through the night.

 

An anxiety attack is milder than a panic attack. During an anxiety

attack a person will experience intense feelings of fear. Panic attacks

are most often associated with a condition known as agoraphobia - an

intense fear of being alone or being in public places. As a result, most

people with agoraphobia become housebound. It sounds like you may be

suffering from agoraphobia.

 

Panic attacks are very common as about 15% of the United States

population experience a panic attack in their lifetimes and among adults

aged 25 to 54 years about 1.5% to 3% will experience frequent panic

attacks.

 

Anxiety and panic attacks can be the result of either physical or

psychological factors.

 

For example, extreme stress can definitely trigger anxiety and so can

certain stimulants like caffeine.

 

There are at least seven nutritional factors that may be responsible for

triggering anxiety:

 

 

Alcohol

Caffeine

Sugar

Deficiency of the B vitamins, niacin, pyridoxine, and thiamin

Deficiency of calcium or magnesium

Food allergies

Insufficiency of omega-3 fatty acids

 

By avoiding alcohol, caffeine, sugar, and food allergies a person with

anxiety can go a long way in relieving their symptoms.

 

Simply eliminating coffee can result in complete elimination of

symptoms.

 

This recommendation may seem to simple to be true, but substantial

clinical evidence indicates that in many cases it is all that is

necessary.

 

 

There are a number of popular recommendations often given to help people

with stress and/or anxiety. I would recommend a good high potency

multiple vitamin and mineral formula to make sure that a person is

providing their body with the kind of nutritional support necessary to

counteract the biochemical derangements found in patients with anxiety

and panic attacks. I would also recommend one tablespoon of flaxseed oil

daily. It has been suggested that patients with anxiety and panic

attacks may suffer from a deficiency of alpha-linolenic acid - the

essential omega-3 fatty acid found in high concentrations in flaxseed

oil. In one study, 3 out of 4 patients with a history of agoraphobia for

10 or more years improved within 2 to 3 months after taking flaxseed oil

at a dosage of 2 to 6 tablespoons daily in divided doses depending upon

response. All patients had signs of essential fatty acid deficiency such

as dry skin, dandruff, brittle fingernails that grow slowly, and nerve

disorders.

 

Beyond this sound nutritional support, I would likely recommend the herb

kava. Kava (Piper methysticum) is a plant that is native to the area of

Oceania, the island communities of the Pacific include Micronesia,

Melanesia, and Polynesia.

 

Several European countries have approved kava preparations as a medical

treatment of nervous anxiety, insomnia, and restlessness based on the

results of detailed scientific investigations and favorable clinical

studies. Kava appears to be as effective as standard drugs, yet

considerably safer.

 

WARNING: If you are currently on a tranquilizer or anti-depressant, you

will need to work with a physician to get off the drug. Stopping the

drug on your own can be dangerous, you absolutely must have proper

medical supervision.

 

The dosage of kava preparations is based on the level of kavalactones.

Based on clinical studies using pure kavalactones or kava extracts

standardized for kavalactones, the recommendation for anxiety-relieving

effects is 45 to 70 mg of kavalactones three times daily.

 

Although no side effects have been reported using standardized kava

extracts at recommended levels in the clinical studies, several case

reports have been presented indicating that kava may interfere with

dopamine and worsen Parkinson's disease, exert an additive effect when

combined with benzodiazepines, and produce impaired driving (when

consumed in very large dosages).

 

Until these issues are cleared up, kava extract should not be used in

Parkinson's patients; and should be used with extreme caution and close

monitoring in people taking benzodiazepines.

 

-

 

Conquering Anxiety, Depression and Fatigue Without Drugs

- the Role of Hypoglycemia

 

by Professor Joel H. Levitt

The Anxiety & Hypoglycemia Relief Institute

e-mail:jlev-

voice-mail:212-479-7805

 

(For questions regarding anxiety & hypoglycemia and New York City

classes, contact Prof. Joel H. Levitt jlev-)

 

Stress is often blamed as the root cause for anxiety, depression and

fatigue, but, although stress can make any problem worse, the source of

such problems is often physical in nature. And hypoglycemia is one of

the major physical causes.

 

This article covers the following:

 

What is Hypoglycemia? - the cause of hypoglycemia and its effects.

 

Typical Hypoglycemia Symptoms - the wide range of mental, emotional and

physical symptoms.

 

Testing for Hypoglycemia - standard medical testing and why it is often

unreliable.

 

The Solution to Hypoglycemia - a list of dietary and nutrient

recommendations, with special notes and cautions.

 

Recommended Reading - books and other references that will give you a

more complete understanding.

 

What is Hypoglycemia?

 

First of all, let's be clear on one major point - hypoglycemia is not a

" disease " in that you either have it or don't, it is a condition, and,

in most cases, it is fully reversible.

 

Some types of hypoglycemia are caused by a tumor or other physical

damage to a gland. However, that is rare, and not the focus of this

article. The more common type of hypoglycemia - called " functional, "

" reactive, " or " fasting " - is your body's reaction to what you put in

it.

 

Hypoglycemia is the body's inability to properly regulate blood sugar

levels, causing the level of sugar in the blood to be too low or to fall

too rapidly.

 

Blood sugar, in the form of glucose, is the basic fuel for all brain

operation and physical activity, including muscular. If the available

fuel is too inadequate, any marginal physical or mental system may start

to shut down.

 

In addition, the glandular imbalances that result, as the glands

struggle to regulate the sugar level, cause their own symptoms -

especially high adrenaline, which is usually perceived as anxiety or

panic, but, in some cases, can lead to violence.

 

(Am I saying this has something to do with domestic violence and street

crime? YES! And there is expert congressional testimony to back this

up.)

 

Here is a typical pattern:

 

1. You eat or drink excess sugar (the average American consumes well

over 100 lbs/yr.).

 

2. The body releases insulin to put sugar into storage, but the insulin

response is excessive (due to ADAPTATION and/or chromium deficiency).

 

3. About 2 hours later so much sugar has been put into storage that

there is not enough left in the blood, and you get a low-blood-sugar

emergency.

 

Symptoms such as weakness and mental fog begin.

 

4. The body responds to the emergency by dumping adrenaline into the

system.

 

More symptoms follow from the high adrenaline, such as racing heart,

anxiety, etc., etc., etc..

 

5. The roller coaster rises and falls in critical hormones, causing an

unbalance in all the hormones and often resulting in ongoing symptoms.

 

Many Americans have hypoglycemia to a greater or less degree. The

symptoms comprise a remarkably long list and range from mild discomfort

to being completely incapacitated.

 

 

Typical Hypoglycemia Symptoms

 

Following is a list of symptoms I've drawn from multiple sources, plus

my own observations. The list is long because symptoms result not only

directly from low blood glucose but also from the glandular imbalances

that result, especially high adrenaline. Only one or two symptoms may be

present, but most often, you will find several.

 

Note that although I've listed mental and physical symptoms separately,

they often overlap.

 

Mental Symptoms

 

Anxiety - ranging from constant worry to panic attacks.

 

Phobias - claustrophobia, agoraphobia, acrophobia, and so on. This is

anxiety tied to a particular issue.

 

Nervousness

 

Restlessness

 

Irritability

 

Depression - especially with females

 

Violent outbursts - especially with males

 

Obsessive Compulsive Behavior

 

Forgetfulness - this may just be choline/inositol deficiency.

 

Inability to concentrate

 

Unsocial, Asocial, Anti-Social behavior

 

Crying spells

 

Nightmares & night terrors - terror can continue after you wake up. It

is especially indicative of hypoglycemia if you wake in a cold sweat, if

the terror continues, if there is pressure on the chest, or if you are

unable to breathe.

 

Physical Symptoms

 

Headaches - especially if a meal is missed.

 

Tachycardia - racing pulse due to high adrenaline.

 

Fatigue, weakness, " rubbery " legs.

 

Tremor or trembling of arm, leg, or whole body (outside or inside)

 

Twitching, jerking, or cramping of a leg muscle - cramping may be just

calcium or magnesium deficiency or food allergy response.

 

Waking after 2-3 hrs sleep

 

Tinnitus - ringing in the ear, due to high insulin in about 70 % of

tinnitus cases.

 

Abnormal weight - too high or too low.

 

Compulsive craving for sweets, colas, coffee, alcohol

 

Lack of appetite

 

A diagnosis of " mitral valve prolapse "

 

Crawling sensations on skin

 

Fainting

 

Blurred vision

 

Smothering spells - gasping for breath

 

Red blotches on skin or circular arcs of red skin

 

Lack of sexual drive

 

Chest pain - severe, but EKG normal.

 

Can't tolerate bright light or loud sounds

 

Joint pains

 

Another clue is that the symptoms are usually worse in the early morning

after waking, and get better after being up and around a full day.

 

It's a remarkably long list and for very good reasons!

 

Many of the above symptoms can be found in the standard PDR

(Physician's Desk Reference) as the typical expected side effects

for a NORMAL HEALTHY person given an injection of adrenaline

(alternate name epinephrine).

 

Why should anyone not injected with adrenaline have such symptoms? To

understand what is going on, we have to understand how humans have been

designed to survive emergencies. Suppose you meet a tiger on the road.

What happens? Immediately an emergency situation is detected and the

adrenal gland dumps adrenaline. The adrenaline prepares you for vigorous

 

muscular activity.

 

It brings sugar out of storage for muscular action. It raises the heart

rate so your blood circulates faster and turns off digestion. You are

now prepared for FIGHT or FLIGHT.

 

Some people will fight, their adrenaline response will be ANGER, most

people will run, their adrenaline response is felt as FEAR.

 

In most cases, the simplest WORKING DEFINITION OF ANXIETY is the way you

perceive HIGH ADRENALINE. If adrenaline is moderately high for too long

a time, people feel anxious and wonder why.

 

This is called " free-floating " anxiety.

 

If, on the other hand, adrenaline shoots up to a very high value

rapidly, and

then decreases rapidly, the anxiety is brief but intense.

 

This is called a " panic attack. " If you regularly pick a particular

thing to tie the anxiety to, such as high places, that's called a

" phobia. "

 

What's the problem? What's wrong with the life-saving response to a

tiger on the road?

 

The human body, because it's a wonderful self-adjusting system has a

mechanism called ADAPTATION. If you repeatedly have emergencies the body

learns to dump larger and larger amounts of adrenaline at the slightest

hint of an emergency.

 

The adrenal gland puts out about 60 different hormones- repeated

requests for adrenaline dumps will affect all the others.

 

A hair-trigger adrenaline response is not what you want in modern life.

 

What happens in modern life is that several times a day many people have

low-blood-sugar emergencies.

 

This leads to adrenaline dumping and ANXIETY, it also leads to hormonal

imbalances.

 

NORMAL SUGAR PROCESSING:

 

Eat food including sugar; pancreas releases insulin; insulin puts excess

sugar into storage for use later.

 

" REACTIVE HYPOGLYCEMIC " PROCESSING:

 

Consume excessive sugar food or beverage; pancreas dumps excess insulin

(remember ADAPTION);

 

About two hours later blood sugar crashes to emergency level; adrenal

gland dumps excess adrenaline (remember ADAPTION);

 

RESULT=ANXIETY and HORMONAL IMBALANCE

 

The saving grace is that hypoglycemia, even early-stage diabetes when

the pancreas starts to give up, is fully reversible with diet and

nutritional supplements.

 

Testing for Hypoglycemia

 

Standard medical testing for hypoglycemia is the Glucose Tolerance Test

(GTT). The person being tested is required to fast for 12 hours, then

have a drink with a super-high sugar content - a disaster plan for

someone with hypoglycemia.

 

The blood is then tested every 30 minutes, for 6 hours. Unfortunately,

the test is unreliable as it is frequently done in an " inadequate " way

or is " misinterpreted " .

 

The most frequent problems with the GTT are:

 

The test is run for less than 6 hours - a 3 -hour test certainly can't

catch a drop at the 5.5 hour point).

 

The test measures glucose level but fails to measure insulin and

adrenaline - your blood sugar may be holding up because your adrenal

gland is dumping huge amounts of adrenaline.

 

Glucose alone can't tell the full story.

 

The symptoms are not carefully observed during the test - the classic

story is of a man who went for his test, drank the sugar solution,

became violent, and smashed the furniture in the waiting room. Upon

leaving, he was given a bill for the furniture, and a test stamped

" normal! "

 

His glucose level didn't go below the level that lab used as an absolute

criterion! If you become violent during the test, or faint, or break out

in a cold sweat and start shaking you have FAILED the test REGARDLESS of

the NUMBERS!

 

The rate of drop in blood sugar is ignored - the lowest glucose level is

important, but the rate of drop is just as important.

 

Falling too rapidly from high-normal to low-normal represents poor

regulation and will give symptoms.

 

Because of the above testing problems, hypoglycemia is best " diagnosed "

by its symptoms.

 

The Solution to Hypoglycemia

 

To reverse the condition, the glands must be allowed to recover. This is

done by eliminating all foods and beverages that deliver sugar rapidly.

 

Thus the cure for " low blood sugar " is to AVOID sugar and simple

carbohydrates, like " white " wheat flour, that " convert " rapidly into

sugar.

 

Stress, of course, makes all problems worse.

 

And if you can eliminate all stress - fine. But, realistically, it is

much easier to simply " control " what you " consume " .

 

My recommendations for handling hypoglycemia consist of diet, and

nutritional supplements. There are also excellent full-length books

available in the Recommended Books list at the end of this article. I

especially recommend books 1 and 2.

 

 

Dietary Recommendations

Best foods to eat

raw vegetables

raw mixed salad greens

seeds and nuts (not peanuts, they are genetically engineered)

cold water fish (alaskan salmon, sardines that are water packed

 

Next best

 

lightly cooked organic vegetables

cooked greens (Collard greens, Mustard greens, Spinach etc.)

organic eggs (hardboiled for safety)

free range turkey

dried beans

whole grains (one at a time)

 

Best snack

carry seeds & raw nuts.

 

Best beverages

Freshly made vegetable juices. Most hypoglycemics should probably limit

carrots in juice form to about 1/day or less, as a sweetener for other

veggies.

 

Spring or pure filtered water.

 

Herbal tea - from one or two herbs, not " naturally flavored " blends.

 

 

Worst food ingredients

 

The packaging for some foods can be misleading. For example, many

packages will say " Sugar Free. " However, if you read the ingredients,

you will find types of sweeteners just as harmful. Therefore, it is

important to read all labels carefully.

 

Hypoglycemics should avoid the following:

 

Sugar -

 

this includes sucrose, fructose, raw sugar (sugar + dirt), brown sugar

(sugar, dyed brown), corn syrup, " dried cane juice " , " raisin juice "

etc., molasses, malt, malted barley, even maple syrup and honey.

 

Hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils -

including vegetable shortening and margarine.

 

These are " hormone imbalancers " .

 

White wheat flour and white rice - nutrients that prevent heart disease

& cancer are removed from these products to give longer shelf life.

 

Fiber is also removed, therefore the starch rapidly " converts " to sugar.

 

 

Peanuts & Corn - high mold sources which " tax " the immune system.

 

 

 

Special Notes and Cautions About Diet

 

The above list represents my personal current opinion, and is

periodically modified. Consideration was given both to the influence on

sugar metabolism, and on general health. Many foods not listed above as

best or worst can be eaten in moderation, assuming of course that you

are not allergic to them.

 

Additionally, the following factors need to be observed

 

Organic Foods

If you can't get " organic " foods, use non-organic foods less often.

 

Vegetarians

If you are a vegetarian, of course eliminate animal foods. The

vegetarian route requires more knowledge and more work; but I currently

believe that, in the long run, it gives the best health in most cases -

for hypoglycemics as well as " normals. "

 

Food Allergies

Food allergy and reactive hypoglycemia frequently go hand in hand. If

you are allergic to one or more of the best foods, then they are not

acceptable for you.

 

Individual food allergies must be carefully considered with any

restrictive diet. For example, a grain-based diet can be a disaster for

someone with grain allergies, even if the carbohydrate level can be

tolerated.

 

 

To find out what you are allergic to is a gradual process of learning

which involves primarily selective elimination, for at least 5 days,

with careful observation of symptoms.

 

Likes and Dislikes

I also believe that you must be reasonably comfortable with your food

choices to assimilate the food properly, i.e. foods you hate won't make

a good diet for you.

 

Beware of Liquids Containing Sugar

 

Liquids containing sugar deliver sugar to the body too rapidly.

In addition to obvious disasters such as sodas, colas, sweetened coffee

(a double whammy if caffeine is present), and alcohol (behaves like

liquid sugar), you should also AVOID PASTEURIZED FRUIT JUICES (an

exception is grapefruit which can usually be tolerated in moderation,

perhaps 4 oz./day)

 

AVOID MILK. Milk contains a harmful enzyme, Xanthine Oxidase, makes it a

bad choice for all. Consider instead organic yogurt, from whole milk,

NOT skim or low-fat.

 

The harmful enzyme " Xanthine Oxidase " is " de-activated " when yogurt and

cheeses are made.

 

Avoid Artificial Sweeteners

 

Artificial sweeteners have been a major American health disaster,

especially aspartame, and should not even be considered as a substitute

for sugar. They make recovery for hypoglycemics much more difficult and

are a major health hazard.

 

Nutrient Recommendations

The most important of the supplements are high level vitamin C - which

is the primary support for the adrenal gland - and a good multiple

formula containing chromium.

 

 

Vitamin C

 

The dosage depends on how serious your symptoms are. A general guideline

for most people having uncomfortable symptoms would be 10 grams (10,000

milligrams) per day. A level teaspoon of powder or crystals gives about

4 grams, a heaping teaspoon 5 grams. Therefore two heaping teaspoons per

day would give 10 grams.

 

This should be split into two or more servings at different times during

the day, preferably with meals. If you are not used to these levels,

start with less and work up over a few days. An extra teaspoon can

always be taken if you start to feel bad - indigestion, a headache,

dizzy, a panic attack starting, etc.

 

Note that chromium is IMPORTANT for sugar metabolism

 

If you are currently taking a multiple, compare. Note especially the

Co-Q10, chromium, selenium, and Vitamin E content. These are

anti-oxidants. All anti-oxidants, including vitamin C, work together.

 

For vanadium, I currently recommend one Vanadyl Sulfate separate 7.5 mg

tablet/day. This works with chromium to allow insulin to function

properly, as it eliminates " insulin resistance. " Adjust to taking

chromium before starting the vanadium.

 

Other nutrients useful for reactive hypoglycemia and anxiety are:

 

magnesium (chelated not oxide)

 

pantetheine

 

niacin (read about " flushing " before taking).

 

alpha lipoic acid

 

Recommended Reading

I have separated the following list in categories for easy reference.

However, the categories sometimes overlap. For example, books on mental

health discuss sugar, nutrition and allergy.

 

On Sugar & Hypoglycemia

(1) Paavo Airola, Hypoglycemia, A Better Approach, Health Plus,

Portland OR (503-625-0589)

(2) Carlton Fredericks, Carlton Fredericks' New Low Blood Sugar and

You, Perigee Books (Putnam)

(3) William Dufty, Sugar Blues, Warner Books, N.Y.

(4) Saunders & Ross, Hypoglycemia: The Disease Your Doctor Won't

Treat, Pinnacle Books

(5) Martin L. Budd, Low Blood Sugar(Hypoglycaemia) The 20th Century

Epidemic?, Sterling Publishing, N.Y.

 

On Mental Health

(6) Carlton Fredericks, Psycho-Nutrition, Grosset & Dunlap

(7) Barbara Reed, Food Teens & Behavior, Natural Press

(P.O. Box 730, Manitowoc WI 54221, $9.95 +$2 s & h, 920-758-2500)

( Carl C. Pfeiffer, M.D. Mental & Elemental Nutrients, Keats

Publishing

(9) Priscilla Slagle, M.D. The Way Up From Down (DEPRESSION), Random

House

 

On General Nutrition

(12) Cass Igram, D.O. Self Test Nutrition Guide, Knowledge House

Publishers 800-243-5242

(13) Gary Null, PhD The Complete Guide to Health and Nutrition,

Delacorte Press

(14) Richard Passwater, Supernutrition, Pocket Books

(15) Ruth Adams, The Complete Home Guide to the Vitamins, Larchmont

Books. (very inexpensive 432 pg. paperback)

 

On Vitamin C

(16) Irwin Stone, The Healing Factor-Vitamin C Against Disease

(17) Ewan Cameron & Linus Pauling Cancer and Vitamin C, Warner Books

 

Encyclopedic References from Rodale Books (Emmaus Pa 18049)

(1 Staff of Prevention, The Complete Book of Vitamins

(19) J.I. Rodale, Complete Book of Minerals for Health

(20) Staff of Prevention, Encyclopedia of Common Diseases

(21) Mark Bricklin, Practical Encyclopedia of Natural Healing

 

History of Medical Progress (and Non-Progress)

(22) Wayne Martin, Medical Heroes and Heretics, Devon-Adair

(23) G. Edward Griffin, World Without Cancer, American Media

 

Other Recommendations

(24) Arthur F Coca, MD , The Pulse Test : The Secret of Building Your

Basic Health St. Martin's mass maket pbck ($3.99 Amazon.com)

(25) & (26) William H. Philpott, M.D. & Dwight K. Kalita, PHD.Brain

Allergies, and Victory Over Diabetes ,Keats Publishing

(27) Marshall Mandell, M.D. & L. Scanlon ,Dr. Mandell's 5-Day Allergy

Relief System, Harper & Row

 

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________________

 

 

 

JoAnn Guest

mrsjo-

www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Diets

 

 

 

 

AIM Barleygreen

" Wisdom of the Past, Food of the Future "

 

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