Have any of you used a homeopathic remedy for panic attacks/anxiety? I would really like to find an alternative to presciption drugs for this. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks Sissy

-- Sissy Barth (iblong2Him@ilovejesus.net), March 20, 2002

Answers

After spending 28.00 a month for adivan than librium for a year --I gave up. Than I found running as far as I could run; did much better. First it was once around the house as fast as I could go ( use that energy)--than once around 5 acres at a pace. I would say even some form of brisk exercise would work. Like ? Try cleaning the whole house in an hour ? Any kind of self motivation ! Challenge yourself.

-- Joel Rosen (JoelnBecky@webtv.net), March 21, 2002.

I only had one once. Man...not fun. One of my old housemates had a horrible time with them, she tried several things, but the one that worked the best was the mental exercises and deep breathing. I guess it depends on the triggers, and if there is any kind of rhyme or reason to them. In herbs, chamomile and valerian root are helpful. God bless!

-- Doreen (bisquit@here.com), March 21, 2002.

Joel, funny thing is, before I had the Fibromyalgia, I had panic attacks for years! I dealt with them the same as you, I got hyper busy! That is why my house cleaning business was such a success. Only, I think I burnt myself up...ran out of gas so to speak, and blam! the Fibromyalgia. Now with the fibro, I hurt to badly to get that physical, and if I did feel good and did run/walk/hyper clean, I would pay for it dearly for days. So, the doc put me on paxil...I hate it. Has to be something natural. So, I am gonna to take the advice from my internet families, and try the extra B vitamins and some other stuff. I will keep you posted. Thankyou also Doreen, I will try it. In His Grace, Sissy

-- Sissy Barth (iblong2Him@ilovejesus.net), March 21, 2002.

A calcium deficientcy can cause anxiety.Calcium citrate is one that is absorbed by the body better than other forms of calcium.Magnesium also works with calcium and has a calming effect on the body.Carbonated drinks like soda steal calcium from the body.The calcium bonds to the carbon dioxide in the soda and is expelled in the urine .Foods eatin that are grown in acid type chemical fertilizers, leach the calcium out of the body.The body uses the calcium it has to neutralize the acid in the stomach from the chemical acids in the food that come from the fertilizer. Calcium also helps regulate a womens menstuation.It really helps.The over the counter medicine called Tums has calcium that can nuetralize the acid in the stomach but it won't be absorb in the body and it doesn't help anxiety.Don't use Tums as a calcium source.I read somewhere, someone was using them on their goats.But not all forms of calcium are absorb into the body.

-- SM Steve (Unreal@msn.com), March 21, 2002.

Joel said he feels better when he does brisk exercise,I heard that the body does absorb more calcium from the food we eat if we exercise often.I wondered if there is a relationship between his exercise making him feel better because he's absorbing more calcium into his body, or is it the exercise itself.

-- SM Steve (Unreal@msn.com), March 21, 2002.

Sissy, In regards to the Fibro, my wife had it awful for a # of years. She's been taking the old fashioned cough medicine called Guifenisen now for about a year and has had an amazing reduction in her symptoms. This is still a prescription med, but it's one that has been around a long time and has virtually no side effects. And it's cheap. She has a life again and I have my wife back most days. Praise God for that.

Email me if you want more info and I'll let her get back w/ you about where she got the info, and such.

-- Johnin S. IN (jdoofus@hotmail.com), March 21, 2002.

I also have read a great deal of research regarding guifenisin as the drug of choice for Fibromyalgia..it is the main ingredient in most over the counter cough syrups..as far as panic disorder...I know how you feel..when I was in my 20s I experienced those for about five years running..nasty things they are! I used to take a double shot of cognac and they went away until the next day...how herbal is that? LOL......it worked for me....I will add you to my prayer list...panic disorder is just the pits! God bless.

-- lesley (martchas@bellsouth.net), March 21, 2002.

Paxil, yes I remember that one, and boy ! --as drugs go does that one ever suck. I called it a soul stealing substance ! Doctors these days are just peddlers of drugs that know little to nothing about anything at all. You are told you have a chemical imbalance in your brain and we know that because ??? we dd absolutly no tests we are just guessing and peddling drugs for Eli Lilly Pharmacutical Inc. They send me a check for 20 bucks everytime I write a script. Disclaimer: some people may experience certain side effects--amoung these are dry mouth, sexual disfunction, and killing everyone in your house because they were home !

The reason exercise works for me is ---I have no more energy left to panic with. In essence, I'm too tired to panic and too old to even care after I expend the excess energy. Each of us is unique ! If I were younger than I would just down a fifth of Makers Mark and load a 50 round clip. Than I wouldn't panic but the rest of the world would need too. Hope you find what works for you !

-- Joel Rosen (JoelnBecky@webtv.net), March 22, 2002.

Sissy, I wish there where a simple answer to this question. I've been battling panic attacks and depression all my life. I was not realy diagnosed and treated until I was 24, and I am now 36. People meantioned excercise, and it does work some, but I found it was not a complete cure. My panic attack were extreme, they would take my blood pressure up to very dangerous levels. That's why I am taking Celexa. This medicine is an SSRI, like so many out there Paxil, Prozac, Zoloft, etc. Celexa is a milder type of SSRI, not like Prozac. It works well for panic attacks and depression. It still has its sexual side effects, somthing that realy bothers me. I have heard of Saint John's Wort working for some people, but I never did try it. Actually you can't take Saint Johns Wort with any SSRI drug, because the MAOI effect of the Saint Johns Wort will interact with the SSRI producing a dangerous rise in blood pressure. That's something I don't need.

SM Steve: You meantioned the carbonation in soda causing a chemical reaction with calcium. You maybe on to something here. I felt a lot better when I stopped drinking Coca Cola. Also soda has a lot of sugar, therfore causing a high release of insulin, thus increasing the adrenaline output, causing an increase in blood pressure and possibly cause a panic attack. Some soda's are high in Caffine (stimulant). I don't think an expanation is needed here.

If any of you are having panic attacks, I would urge you to avoid the soda. I going to try an eliminate it all together. It's hard, so wish me luck.

Good luck to all, Steve

-- Steven Drescher (StevenDrescher@Penreco.com), September 18, 2002.

I had severe panic attacks about eight years ago, usually 4-6 per day for almost a year . Eventually overcame them primarily through prayer and meditation. Other things that helped: a book by Lucinda Basset (From Panic to Power), avoiding soda and caffeine, and getting caught up on rest. If you want/need meds, ask your doctor about imipramine. It's an older drug, with relatively mild side effects.

But mostly, I want to encourage each of you to believe in yourself. It may seem hopeless now, but panic disorders do not have to rule your life. Linda's book can help a lot with that. And be careful about your self-talk! Little things make a big difference. E.g., I quit calling them "panic attacks" and started calling them "adrenalin rushes." Why? Because I learned our bodies can produce adrenaline for only a few minutes, and if I could just "ride the wave" for those few minutes then the other symptoms would subside quickly.

And of course, I would recommend prayer and meditating on the Bible. Like Psalm 91 - it talks about being free from the terror in the night. Sound familiar, anyone? :-)

-- D Owens (spidermite@cfaith.com), October 21, 2002.

I have had panic disorder since I was twelve years old. I have always thought there was a hormonal connection because during PMS time, my panic attacks and symptoms are out of control. The only problem is, that no Doctors want to explore this, nor do they know anything about it. Someday I hope to find someone that will listen! Black Cohosh has helped me a great deal. I take it two weeks out of the month. I take it up until I get my period, and then the week of and the week after I don't take it. It seems to reduce the symptoms. Panic disorder is like living in hell, and nobody understands until they go through it (not that we would wish it on anyone). There is another "natural" remedy called "rescue remedy" by bach, and you just do a couple of drops under your tongue when you feel anxiety. It really helps. I've been on a very low dose of xanax for fifteen years, and it's the only thing that truly helps me get through my life. If it weren't for xanax, I would be housebound. I was actually housebound for an entire year when I was 18 .... didn't leave the house. My prayers to all of you that suffer with this disorder. Deep breathing does help very much too. I also take a beta blocker because I have tachycardia. There is a book I would like to recommend to everyone and anyone. It's called, "Full Catastrophe Living". It is for people with chronic disorders from anxiety to cancer. I am on chapter 9, and it has helped me very much! Peace be with all of you... Jody

-- Jody (beelisette@aol.com), November 07, 2002.

Well, it's been about two weeks of hell since my first major panic attack. Now that I think about it, I have experienced milder versions of them for a few years...but nothing like these. I too think they are possibly hormonally linked. Naturally, adrenaline is a hormone, therefore that makes sense. I am thirty nine, in great shape, going through physical changes and heading into perimenopause. That could be something triggering them; hormonal changes. I experienced a few minor ones last month before my period and them this month rocked the seismograph. Off the scale quakes. Most doctors say they're panic attacks, tohers are not sure, that maybe I am having seizures, but...I'm not so sure. It's no doubt a ride on a high speed adrenaline rollercoaster that has no tracks. Mine seem to be triggered by expercise, go figure. I went for a hike, BOOM! Out inthe middle of the mountains and no legs to get me back. AFter the initial knock to my head, I started to white out. That in turn lead to the fear of falling on the hot dirt with no shade around, and an empty water bottle. My throat started closing and it seemed as if I had taken a blow to my stomach. I felt like I was having a heart attack. It took two hours for me to move about 30 yards to shade where the paramedics eventually came. They thought it was dehydration. My doctor recommended tranquillizers - Lorazapan...or something like that. Since I felt fine all week, I didn't take them but kept them with me. Friday, 6 days later, I rode my bike to works thinking that what I needed was more exercise. Then, I meditated at lunch by a koy pond! On the way home I was okay. I was dizzy and my heart pounded more than usual, but I was fine. Then, I got home, my daugter and her friends wanted to go to a movie. So, the four of us hopped in the car. While getting on the freeway with three teenage girls in the car, BOOM! Losing consciousness, arms becoming limp, breathing rapidly, an overwhelming panic taking over. I reasoned with myself and said, "Just get to the otherside of the freeeway and pull over!" I had to cross six lanes of LA freeway. I kept my head on while it ramped up. The theatre was just off the exit. I knew I could make it and I did. Any person in their right mind would have stopped there, but I didn't. I dropped them off, then kept driving to try to make it home. I called my boyfriend and babbled something about my having another attack and that i wanted to go home. He asked me where i was and I had no idea. I became delerious and disoriented. He found me on a sidewalk on the side of a boulevard shaking uncontrollably and babbling like a crazy person. Question...does this happen to any of you????????????????? I've gone to doctors. I've gone to a psychiatrist. Though the psychiatrist thinks it's similar to panic attacks, he thinks it's either panic disorder or seizures. nonetheless, he prescribed celexa. should i take it? I'm not too enthusiastic about taking medication, but on the otherhand, these are severe attacks and i have a big job coming up that i'm quite excited about NOT MISSING!!!! I also have the feeling that I am on a boat, constantly imbalanced. ANyone else???? Your input would be appreciated. This is a very scary thing and I feel for all of us who go throgh it.

-- karen segal (skyhighprod@earthlink.net), September 25, 2003.

...try " MindTrac" by Dr. John Christopher. It is a herbal remedy containing valerian and skullcap and other good stuff. It works. See herbsfirst.com....

-- Janice Blackmer (nardostachys57@yahoo.com), November 27, 2003.

One needs to remember that panic attacks like other health issues have many facets to it and needs to be addressed from different levels to get desired results. Working with different practitioners and information from other sources I'll share it those in need. 1) Look at the diet and allergy response. The elevated blood lactate level can trigger panic attacks. That's why exercise works for many of your respondents. Nutritional approach to cut down lactate levels or lactic acid to pyruvic acid ratio works. Cut down on alcohol, caffine, sugar, B vitamin deficiency, calcium/magnesium and food allergies. The blood ELISA food, candida & environmental allergy tests are the best. Try a lab at 1-888-446-6866 or others. 2) Stress leads to anxiety to depression. Look at the overall picture. Psychiatry looks at it as seperately within the anxiety sub group. This is where homeopathy differs and rightly so. In Orthomolecular approach they often use amino acids GABA, TAURINE and GLYCINE along with vitamins C, B3, B6, other Bs, Magnesium, Calcium, Zinc and other minerals. Pain and Stress Center in San Antonio, have different formulations for anxiety problems. 3) In herbal world there is Kava which works good for some- dosage is 45-70 Kavalactones three times a day. Flaxseed oil 1 tabsp. 4) In Homeopathy the overall mental, emotional and physical symptoms have to evaluated to determine appropriate remedies. Some which may be used are: Aconite, Arsenicium, Ignatia, Pulsatilla, Arg. Nit., Phosphorus, Lycopodium etc. Best to work with a homeopath and it can take months or sometimes years but the results are permanent and deeper. Bach Rescue remedy can be tried in emergency. So diet, allergy checkup, exercise, meditation, natural healing therapies and determination to achieve results is the best approach.

-- Inderjit Singh (inderjitsingh_bc@yahoo.com), December 01, 2003.

I empathise with panick syndrome having lived with it for a few years now. I used to drink to help calm me down! Well this landed me in rehab for a almost a year!! I don't know which came first the panick syndrome or the alcohol which induced panick but I do know that since I've been in recover the panick attacks are something I still have to coexist with. So I no longer drink.. I am however looking for solutions to this debilitating inbalance. There is so much research going down re. neurotransmitters and biochemical makeup out there .. I spend hours sifting through this stuff and there is hope out there (I hope!) OK, presently I'm trying the GABA route alongside inositol which is supposed to support the GABA - I'm doing 50mg am and pm of each so I'll keep you posted! I'm also going to try the Bach Rescue Remedy for immediate relief - i.e. next week we're having a huge party which means alcohol and that's just a no no for me now!.. but it also means people - lots of people (ughh!!!) So that sounds purrdy suffocating to me and yep I do have to attend and have some kind of poise, social graces et.al, so I'm gonna get me sum Rescue Remedy and please God let's hope a few drops of that under my tongue get me through it.. I think this is a touch of anticipatory anxiety going on here! I HATE social anythings!! I'd rather hole up and just plain be unsociable.. I can't do small talk anyhoo.. How about "Well actually I'm a recovering alcoholic and I suffer with anxiety disorder.. so I take it a dayattatime and today I'm on a scale of 1-10 I'm about a 3.5..." That would make a change from the weather wouldn't it...Don't get me wrong I'd love to be able to be comfortable enough in my own skin to actually enjoy the odd party.. alcohol or not!! God Bless.. great site, good 2 know we're not alone and totally off the wall!! Rorie

-- Rosemarie (desertrose02us@yahoo.com), January 08, 2004.

Its simple folks the Herb you need to at least try is a good ol fashioned joint.... Yes i said it!! Read up on the benifits of it you will be suprised. Get all the government propaganda out of your head and think for yourself and make up your own mind on this herb. If your worried about legality talk to your doctor or take a trip to Amsterdamn or Vancouver.

-- NORML supporter (VoteNORML@yahoo.com), June 10, 2004.

Sissy,

I have been trying several natural solutions. Panic Attacks for the last couple of months and in years previously are now effecting my job, my family and the wonderful new man in my life. getting up and moving does help, but not always aqn option ni my desk job if I want to ge anything done. Plus I have Muscular Dystrophy so cannot run and can walk , but not for long periods. A friend at work suggested a bananna. It did alot to help me maintain while sitting at my desk. Then I took a short walk on my breaks. Water also helps. Lots of it. I'm still trying other things too and love reading everyone's suggestions.

-- Karen Pitts (vampkiss@earthlink.net), August 11, 2004.