Anyone with anxiety problems?

[Mom-ninja.]

Back in Nov. I posted about getting sick every couple months. I went to the Dr. and we decided it was anxiety related. I become worked up and anxious, start to vomit, and then become dehydrated which in turn keeps me vomiting. The Dr. gave me a prescription for Zofran to take and break the cycle of becoming dehydrated. It won't do anything for my anxiety.

 

I had two appts learning to do Heart Math. Basically, it's deep breathing to calm yourself.

 

I did fine in the office while I was hooked up to the computer. I was able to bring my blood pressure down by breathing and relaxing.

 

Well, I've had my first anxiety attack since then. I lay in bed concentrating on my breathing, trying to think of happy thoughts, and calm down. Two hours later and nothing. The breathing doesn't seem to be helping. I finally got up, took Zofran, and I'm sitting here logged in trying to distract myself.

 

If you have anxiety problems that cause you to become sick are you able to handle and control the anxiety without medication so that you don't become sick?

 

Just *how* does one turn off those horrible thoughts that cause anxiety?

[mom2myboys]

:grouphug:. I do have anxiety from time to time and have had a handful of panic attacks, but do not get sick. I am sorry you are dealing with this. I hope that someone will have some suggestions for you and that you are able to find something to help. In the meantime, I hope the distraction will help you tonight.

[Rosie_0801]

I was reading about omega-3 deficiency causing these issues. Maybe get your levels checked. That is a problem that can be fixed, and without drugs.

 

 

:grouphug:

Rosie

[Jumping In Puddles]

:grouphug: I'm sorry, I know what you're going through, I also suffer from anxiety.

 

I take Omega 3 and Cal/Mag/Zinc before bed and that seems to help.

 

In the middle of the night, the thing that helps me most is to watch TV. I very rarely watch any TV but during a panic attack, it is a life saver for me! Getting online never works and just laying in bed doing nothing makes it worse.

 

I usually feel FREEZING cold and I shiver so much that my muscles hurt for days if I don't get into a very hot shower right away. I shower, then get dressed and watch TV and usually that will help.

[Negin]

Sorry that you suffer from this.

For me, prayer helps incredibly. But I realize that's not for all ...

 

Some books that I love:

 

Positive Thinking Every Day by Norman Vincent Peale

 

Man’s Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl – if I could, I would give a copy of this to almost every friend and acquaintance - the best self-help book ever.

 

Some other books that may be of help. Never read them, but have heard very good things about them.

The Anxiety Book: Developing Strength in the Face of Fear by Jonathan R. T. Davidson, Henry Dreher

The Worry Cure: Seven Steps to Stop Worry from Stopping You

 

SUPPLEMENTS

400 mg Magnesium daily – anxiety is one of the many symptoms of a magnesium deficiency

Many women have an undiagnosed magnesium deficiency ,which can contribute to anxiety.

Some say to take equal amounts of calcium and magnesium.

For most people on a healthy diet, 500 mg of each supplement should be enough.

If you have symptoms of magnesium deficiency – if you’re feeling edgy, have muscle cramps, suffer insomnia, crave chocolate, or notice increased urination, adjust your calcium-magnesium ratio, so that you’re taking at least as much magnesium or—ideally—twice as much magnesium as calcium.

400-1200 mg daily of Magnesium is helpful but use according to bowel tolerance. Your body knows how much magnesium you can tolerate from bowel tolerance – take as much magnesium as your bowels can tolerate

If you can, add 100 mg of magnesium to your nutritional supplements, and increase it by 100 mg every few days until your stools are soft, but not uncomfortably loose.

Take in divided doses and with meals to ensure optimal absorption – preferably more at night

Some say to not take magnesium with calcium - I think that that is preferable.

Calcium, magnesium, and many other minerals are best absorbed when they are bound to an acidic carrier such as citrate, aspartate, picolinate, or amino acid chelate. Minerals need an acidic base to break down and get used.

The most absorbable forms are magnesium citrate, glycinate taurate, or aspartate, although magnesium bound to Kreb cycle chelates (malate, succinate, fumarate) are also good.

Avoid magnesium carbonate, oxide, sulfate, and gluconate. They are poorly absorbed (and the cheapest and most common forms found in supplements).

Side effects from too much magnesium include diarrhea, which can be avoided if you switch to magnesium glycinate.

People with kidney disease or severe heart disease should take magnesium only under a doctor's supervision.

[Negin]

GABA CALM – take sublingually before bedtime or a few hours before sleeping

100-500 mg daily

Try to avoid eating or drinking anything for 20 minutes before and after taking this

YOU LACK GABA IF YOU:

• Frequently experience back pain or muscle tension

• Worry excessively

• Often feel nervous, jumpy, or anxious

• Sleep problems

• Stress-related physical symptoms: headaches, IBS, and muscle aches

• Elevated cortisol levels which can lead to belly fat

• Are an emotional eater

GABA is the brain’s natural calming agent.

• Helps de-stress

• Relaxes muscles

• Suppresses cravings and helps curb emotional eating.

• Anti-depressant

• Helpful for day-to-day anxiety

 

5-HTP

Helps with:

• Sleep problems – quality and duration

• Emotional eating and evening cravings – helps suppress appetite

• Anxiety and depression as it increases serotonin levels

• Melatonin production

• Serotonin production

Best if taken sublingually - opening the capsule and pouring the contents on your tongue.

Try to avoid eating or drinking anything for 20 minutes before and after taking it.

No more than about 3 capsules a day – can safely take up to 400 mg per day – although most need less.

Loses its efficacy if taken every single day – best if you take breaks – sometimes alternating days – and sometimes take a break for an entire month or so

It may take 1-2 weeks to notice any effects and up to 6 weeks to notice the full benefits.

Be cautious about taking this if you’re on anti-depressants

[Negin]

Zinc is required by the brain in order to produce GABA, a compound that eases anxiety and irritability.

25-50 mg per day

DO NOT TAKE MORE THAN 100 mg

Use zinc gluconate lozenges or OptiZinc for best absorption

According to a study, women who took a daily zinc supplement in addition to a multivitamin for 10 weeks experienced significantly less anger and depression than those who took only a multivitamin.

 

Valerian is used in Chinese medicine for insomnia. This herb promotes relaxation and curbs anxiety.

Take 400 to 800 mg in divided doses throughout the day, or before sleep.

 

The Bach Flower Remedies represent a form of psychotherapy in a bottle, a noninvasive modality to address negative emotional states like:

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Impatience

A Welsh homeopath, Dr. Edward Bach recognized in the 1920s that, if herbs have healing powers, so must flowers. Over many years, he experimented with numerous flowers and trees to create a total of 38 plant-based Bach Flower Remedies.

Bach Rescue Remedy is used in many emergency rooms to help alleviate trauma.

Centuary is useful for boundary issues, especially for people who give too much of themselves

Impatiens is good for irritability and short tempers.

Oak is for those determined types who struggle on (despite setbacks) through adversity or illness.

Rock water can ease tension for those who tend to be hard on themselves.

I have heard incredible things about these. :)

[Negin]

Melatonin is a natural hormone that promotes sound sleep.

Acts as an antioxidant - early in life, the body produces an abundant supply, but as we age, production steadily declines

Helpful for more difficult insomnia

Decreases anxiety by stimulating GABA (a brain chemical that calms you down)

After the age of 45, melatonin levels decrease.

Melatonin is the only hormone supplement that’s safe to self-medicate.

GUIDELINES

• Start with 1 mg just before bedtime. Take 2 hours or less before bedtime. If this is not effective, gradually increase dosage. Melatonin dosages vary from individual to individual ~ and most do not need the highest dose. Ease into melatonin in increments. Some take up to 20 and even 40 mg.

• Do not take melatonin every single night – a few nights a week

• Do not take melatonin during the day.

• When you awaken after melatonin-assisted sleep, you should feel refreshed – not tired or groggy. If you do experience grogginess, reduce the dosage.

• Do not give to children

• If you wake up in the middle of the night, you can take another 1-5 mg.

NATURAL SOURCES

Walnuts

Fiber-rich foods such as brown rice, oats, and quinoa

Cherries—when tart—and their juice

[Negin]

EXERCISE is key

Do something that you enjoy - even if you don't, once you get into a routine (say after 6 weeks, you'll see amazing benefits). Whatever you choose, it will help. I’m convinced that if my dad didn't exercise, he would never be so upbeat. That and prayer. When my Dad gets frustrated or upset, he goes out for a walk or a swim. I'm not as disciplined as he is. But he's an example to me. Exercise will calm you down.

People who exercise for 30 minutes 3 times a week see mood improvements similar to those who take the antidepressant Zoloft.

Many yoga poses and the regular practice of yoga help relieve symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Take a walk for well-being – walking or just being outdoors helps greatly with depression and anxiety

 

OTHER TIPS

Vanilla is calming and boosts serotonin levels in the brain. Just like comfort food, vanilla can bring us back to a place of security and peace. Burn a vanilla-scented candle or inhale the aroma of vanilla beans.

 

Lavender contains linalool, a substance that blocks the stress response in the body and relaxes the muscles.

Perfect if you have neck and shoulder pains

Add 6 drops of lavender essential oil to your moisturizing lotion.

 

COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY

I've heard great things about Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

 

http://www.nacbt.org/whatiscbt.htm

[Homemaker]

I do and I hate it and it has been really bad the past few days. Ugh. For me I get anxiety over my health, I swear I have MS or something and then I obsess over it. I hate it. I try to give it all to God, because I know he cares for me and it nothing for him, but it is really hard to get over the physical symtpoms.

 

I don't take anything, maybe I should. Anyways know you are not alone with anxiety.

[Mom-ninja.]

Wow. Thank you so much. I am going to look into all this.

 

I'll start with having my blood taken and find out where I'm deficient. I usually take a pre-natal vitamin because I'm nursing.

[happyWImom]

I'm sorry you're going through this.:grouphug: Anxiety runs in our family, but I haven't experienced the panic attacks.

 

My mom did have pretty severe anxiety for about a month, not too long ago. Hers had a specific cause, though. My dad had a health scare, and right after that, my mom found out she has high blood pressure & high cholesterol. She's always been super active and healthy, and this made her anxiety go through the roof, because she thought something was seriously wrong. She kept having anxiety attacks, even after constantly doing the relaxation breathing, praying, you name it. Finally, after she had a stress test and another heart test and found out she was okay, they stopped. She said it was so strange to just have them stop like that.

 

But.... we are prone to it, so I think we need to figure out something to keep it in check. I'm definitely keeping an eye on these posts.

 

Good luck.

[Guest CarolineUK]

I second Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, it has been life-changing for me. Learning to meditate has also been very helpful.

[JulieD]

In the middle of the night, the thing that helps me most is to watch TV. I very rarely watch any TV but during a panic attack, it is a life saver for me! Getting online never works and just laying in bed doing nothing makes it worse.

 

This is true for me as well. Do not stay in bed. Get out of bed before trying the breathing exercises. If I stay in a dark room I can usually calm myself quickly and go back to sleep, but not if I stay in bed.

 

EXERCISE is key

Do something that you enjoy - even if you don't, once you get into a routine (say after 6 weeks, you'll see amazing benefits). Whatever you choose, it will help. I’m convinced that if my dad didn't exercise, he would never be so upbeat. That and prayer. When my Dad gets frustrated or upset, he goes out for a walk or a swim. I'm not as disciplined as he is. But he's an example to me. Exercise will calm you down.

People who exercise for 30 minutes 3 times a week see mood improvements similar to those who take the antidepressant Zoloft.

Many yoga poses and the regular practice of yoga help relieve symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Take a walk for well-being – walking or just being outdoors helps greatly with depression and anxiety

 

:iagree:I am skating two hours, three days a week this winter, and it's been the best winter I've had.

 

One thing that has helped me to stay calm is recognizing that my anxiety is causing the bad thoughts, not the other way around. I hope that made sense. I don't normally have those thoughts, just during panic attacks or periods of anxiety. Therefore, I tell myself these are not real thoughts, my mind is just looking for something to be a reason for the physical feelings.

 

I know you don't want to take medication, but for a little while it may be helpful to use it when you have a full blown attack. Take it right away, and then practice the breathing and calming techniques you've learned. The medicine doesn't work right away anyway. So you have a chance to use your techniques during the panic attack without the pressure of them having to work. Even if you aren't sure which one calms you down, your body will start to associate the breathing with feeling better, making it easier for you to calm yourself without medicine later.

 

:grouphug: I hope you feel better soon no matter how you get there.

 

Julie D.

[bettyandbob]

a lot of good suggestions to research have been posted. I take a lot of vitamins, but I know exercise is essential to control anxiety for me. I must make time for exercise. Not just a 10 or 20 minute stroll. --I'll do that if that's the only thing I'm going to get in, but I really need 45 min+ of raised heart rate activity. I walked 6 miles today.

[Guest Katia]

I'm so sorry you are dealing with this. It is awful. I've been working on it myself, with my doctor's help as it was also affecting my blood-pressure levels.

Here is what I'm doing:

 

Exercise. I walk on a treadmill 30 minutes, three times a week and get my heart up to it's optimal rate and try to keep it there for at least 10 minutes.

 

Yoga. The doctor said I had to do this; it was not optional. And, wow, I'm amazed at how much it has helped. I am old and fat, so I've just been doing a beginning yoga DVD at home. This is great to do if you need to get out of bed during an attack. It calms and centers you like nothing I've ever done. Really amazing.

 

Supplements: I take omega 3 three times a day; magnesium citrate three times a day along with magnesium transdermally at night; coq10 twice a day; and olive leaf extract twice a day, along with my multi-vitamin. My amounts/levels will be different than what you might need, so you'd need to check with your dr.

 

I haven't had an attack in over three months and I feel so much more calm and....well.....normal. It's great.

[hsbaby]

I have taken Celexa for anxiety for about six years now. I tried other remedies to no avail. The Celexa has been a lifesaver for me. I went off of it during my last pregnancy and the anxiety was right back at an intolerable level. I won't be going off of it again. I know meds aren't the answer for everybody, but they have worked wonders for me with no side effects so far.

[Remudamom]

I've had them. Dh can talk me down.

[SailorMom]

I do. Compined with OCD.

I was in therapy for a long time trying CBT, et al - I knew what I needed to do, I knew all the steps, I new all the right things, but no matter how I tried, I could not control the obsessive/anxious thoughts.

Finally I conceded to trying Welbutrin. Within 3 months all of the tools my therapist had given started to actually work for me. I've been on it since May (I think....) and it has been amazing.

I still get stressed and anxious sometimes, but I am able to control it, and am able to turn it off.

[myfunnybunch]

Yes.

 

:grouphug:

 

I believe mine was largely nutrition-related. When we changed our diet to incorporate more leafy greens, more veggies in general, less meat, and I started taking a multivitamin regularly, I was less anxious and had more energy to exercise/get outside=more sunshine, lower anxiety and so on...I started feeling better and better. Gradually, and it still strikes from time to time, but I am far less anxious than I was 3-4 years ago.

 

For me the only thing that worked to stop the cycling thoughts was telling myself again and again and again, "No. Not right now. Think about x instead." I made sure I had an absorbing project or interesting question that took a lot of care and attention to redirect to, and continually redirected my thoughts. I planned a lot of events and lessons down to the last minor detail late at night! (For the record, I feel I am incredibly fortunate that my anxiety was moderate enough that I was able to re-train myself. If it had been more severe, I'm not sure I would have been able to do it on my own.)

 

One more thought: Mine is related to seasonal allergies, too. I find myself struggling most when the trees I am most allergic to are releasing pollen (early fall and again mid-winter).

 

:grouphug: I hope you find what works for you!

 

Cat

[Rosie_0801]

Melatonin is a natural hormone that promotes sound sleep.

Acts as an antioxidant - early in life, the body produces an abundant supply, but as we age, production steadily declines

 

It naturally declines? I read that excess serotonin is converted to melatonin at the end of the day. So I'm wondering if it's the lack of serotonin that is the root cause here.

 

 

Rosie

[StephanieZ]

I am a high stress anxious type, with a complicated life to which I constantly add stressors (projects, activities, pets, travel, etc.). . .

 

I've seen therapists in the past (nice). . . taken an ssri (not that helpful). . . used xanax as needed (LOVE that, lol). . .

 

The most effective things I have found are:

 

1) xanax to have on hand for emergencies. . . I've never needed more than 20 doses in a year even at my most stressed. . . I reserve this for dentist visits (YIKES) and occasional freak out episodes. Great thing for me was that just knowing it is available calms me down a lot, so I rarely use it. I think I've taken it maybe once in the last year. Each year I need/use it less. Then again, I am not an addictive person. You do have to watch that if it is a tendency for you, as xanax is a really pleasant drug -- so if that is scary for you, then it's not a good option.

 

2) exercise for maintenance. . .Best by far discovery: running. Since I took up running 4 months ago, my stress and anxiety levels dropped at least 80% across the board. HUGE HUGE improvement. I am sure other high-exertion exercise could have a similar impact, but for me, it's running. So far as a healthy, holistic way to manage anxiety, I have become a huge believer in exercise. After dealing with 'being an anxious person' for my entire adult life (and frankly as a kid as well), I have finally found a way to just BE less anxious w/o masking it. The running just brings my baseline stress so much lower, and makes me feel so much more resilient. I no longer feel like an anxious person, actually. I think my baselines & resilience are fairly normal/good now that I am a runner.

 

HTH

[Mommyfaithe]

I'm so sorry you are dealing with this. It is awful. I've been working on it myself, with my doctor's help as it was also affecting my blood-pressure levels.

Here is what I'm doing:

 

Exercise. I walk on a treadmill 30 minutes, three times a week and get my heart up to it's optimal rate and try to keep it there for at least 10 minutes.

 

Yoga. The doctor said I had to do this; it was not optional. And, wow, I'm amazed at how much it has helped. I am old and fat, so I've just been doing a beginning yoga DVD at home. This is great to do if you need to get out of bed during an attack. It calms and centers you like nothing I've ever done. Really amazing.

 

Supplements: I take omega 3 three times a day; magnesium citrate three times a day along with magnesium transdermally at night; coq10 twice a day; and olive leaf extract twice a day, along with my multi-vitamin. My amounts/levels will be different than what you might need, so you'd need to check with your dr.

 

I haven't had an attack in over three months and I feel so much more calm and....well.....normal. It's great.

 

can you please share what yoga dvd you use? i would like to do this at home with my 12 yo dd this winter. yoga relieves my back pain and stress too....

 

Faithe

[Guest Katia]

can you please share what yoga dvd you use? i would like to do this at home with my 12 yo dd this winter. yoga relieves my back pain and stress too....

 

Faithe

 

I use this and I absolutely LOVE it!!

 

http://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Beginners-Barbara-Benagh/dp/B000H8RVSO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1294638959&sr=8-1

[dancer67]

I am glad I found this thread. I have had anxiety for most of my life. It really kicked into high gear a few years ago. Mainly over my health when I turned 40.

 

I am looking into the things that Negrin posted. I take many vitamins now, but some I didn't know about.

 

I take prescription Effexor XR, that I would love to come off of (again), and try the 5-htp.

 

I did want to mention that I tried acupuncture and after one session I already feel a huge difference.

 

:grouphug:

[Negin]

It naturally declines? I read that excess serotonin is converted to melatonin at the end of the day. So I'm wondering if it's the lack of serotonin that is the root cause here.

Rosie

 

Yes, Rosie. I've read that time and time again. I just googled "Do melatonin levels decline with age" and lots of stuff came up. This is just one of them.

 

http://altmedicine.about.com/od/melatonin/a/melatonin.htm

[Cindy in the NH Woods]

but many years ago I heard a woman speak about having terrible, terrible panic attacks. Apparently, she needed beta blockers and was totally cured after she started taking them. (I am not sure exactly what was behind her need for the beta blockers.)

 

So sorry you are going through this! :grouphug:

[goldberry]

One thing that has helped me to stay calm is recognizing that my anxiety is causing the bad thoughts, not the other way around. I hope that made sense. I don't normally have those thoughts, just during panic attacks or periods of anxiety. Therefore, I tell myself these are not real thoughts, my mind is just looking for something to be a reason for the physical feelings.

 

Julie D.

 

This helped me immensely. I realized that when I would start to have the anxiety, I would give it even more of my energy..."oh no, here it is again, what is going to happen..." I tried to start thinking of the anxiety as "just a thing my body does" and try to not give it any more attention that that. When I would start feeling it, I would think very casually, "oh there goes my body, doing that thing again, no big deal.." and then MOVE ON. Then the anxiety would subside because I wasn't giving it the instant focus I was before.

 

Another thing that worked for me, when I couldn't get rid of the anxiety, was instead of focusing on real concerns, I made up something that to me was totally ridiculous (a comet coming to destroy the earth is what I used - don't use something that would really worry you). And when I would have the anxiety, I would allow myself to only worry about that one thing, the comet coming to earth. Since it was something that didn't really worry me, the anxiety would dissipate. Sounds strange, but it actually worked for me. It also kept me from focusing the anxiety on other real-life things.

[Mergath]

I've always had issues with anxiety and depression. One thing I've learned lately after doing a bunch of research is that I likely have OCD, not generalized anxiety. I always assumed people with OCD all spent their time touching doorknobs thirteen times or whatever, but apparently there is one type where you have obsessive, illogical thoughts, and just sit there going over them endlessly. That is me. Exactly. From what I read, the treatment for anxiety and for this type of OCD (I think it was called purely obsessional OCD) are totally different, so you might want to look into that and see if it might be a component of what you're dealing with.