Hi there,
I have just joined today after feeling somewhat sick of having these attacks over and over again for about 2 years now. I use to work in London but realised i couldnt as I was getting horrendous attacks on the train journey into work and on the way home too. So because of this, i had to leave my job. There have been times where i cant go somewhere because of these attacks, dinners, parties, shopping and especially work. I might just suddenly have to leave. I would say they are particularly bad in the mornings, i sleep well but i sometimes wake up feeling sick, actually wanting to be sick but never got to that stage. My symptons are feeling sick, and lightheaded and generally panicky! i can say that lying on your bed, taking deep breaths and distracting your mind can take these away, sometimes they only last a short while others (depending where you are) might take longer. I am still scared, they do take over your life but only if you let them. I had almost a whole 6 months without them, but then my lifestyle wasnt so stressful, the minute i get worried and stressed they get a hold of me. I have decided to take up Raiki treatment and yoga and i will keep you updated on my results and let you know if i feel any better.......
just to say, hang on in there, you can control them, your mind is strong and yes its scary but there are people out there who can help you...you are never alone.
there is help out there....
8 posts
• Page 1 of 1
by happyface » Fri Jul 16, 2004 11:31 pm
Such wonderful words of encouragement.....were you talking to me or to you??? hee-hee. I too am trying to conquer the PANIC that I have been dealing with. I am currently off work on medical leave for depression and just the thought of returning to work can cause major panic in me. At thursday appt with my therapists he suggested we try hypnosis at our next session on tuesday for relaxation (or something). I was pretty much a wreck so I am not sure all what he said. At this point I'll try anything. I'm tired of reaching for meds when I feel the panic to take the edge off and I'm terrified of returning to work and have it happen there non-stop.
On another note, part of my therapy is to spend more time outside (away from the computer and tv) and today was a killer as I actually mowed our entire yard myself. Wow. That is a huge accomplishment for me. My husband said numerous times how proud he was of me. Towards the end of the yard I was absolutely exhausted and it was very hot, but I kept repeating that I WILL NOT QUIT. It takes him 45 minutes to mow and it took me 2-1/2 hours (with breaks in the shade of course).
I just wanted to share my accomplishment with you all. I made it through today (so far) without taking any meds. By finishing the project I set out to do (mow yard), it is almost like I have taken control of some aspect of my life. Its a powerful feeling. And sorry but no, I'm not for hire - nor do I do windows.
Welcome to the forum Joanna!
On another note, part of my therapy is to spend more time outside (away from the computer and tv) and today was a killer as I actually mowed our entire yard myself. Wow. That is a huge accomplishment for me. My husband said numerous times how proud he was of me. Towards the end of the yard I was absolutely exhausted and it was very hot, but I kept repeating that I WILL NOT QUIT. It takes him 45 minutes to mow and it took me 2-1/2 hours (with breaks in the shade of course).
I just wanted to share my accomplishment with you all. I made it through today (so far) without taking any meds. By finishing the project I set out to do (mow yard), it is almost like I have taken control of some aspect of my life. Its a powerful feeling. And sorry but no, I'm not for hire - nor do I do windows.
Welcome to the forum Joanna!
by jurplesman » Sat Jul 17, 2004 1:41 am
Your anxiety attacks have very little to do with mental processes. It is biochemical disorder affecting brain chemistry and is very easily treated by going on a hypoglycemic diet.
Anxiety attacks are caused by excess adrenaline production. This hormone functions to raise blood sugar levels, when they fall below a level that could threaten the brain with energy starvation. The brain depends entirely on glucose as its only source of energy and any extreme fluctuation, because of insulin resistance (hypoglycemia), triggers the release of stress hormones.
Read:
“Beating Anxiety”
at our web site.
Anxiety attacks are caused by excess adrenaline production. This hormone functions to raise blood sugar levels, when they fall below a level that could threaten the brain with energy starvation. The brain depends entirely on glucose as its only source of energy and any extreme fluctuation, because of insulin resistance (hypoglycemia), triggers the release of stress hormones.
Read:
“Beating Anxiety”
at our web site.
- jurplesman
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by happyface » Sat Jul 17, 2004 3:45 am
I disagree. I'm very aware of hypoglycemic and low blood sugar symptoms versus panic attack symptoms. For years I would get the shakes, sweats, tight chest, etc., and the docs all said it was panic attack and it was not, it was low blood sugar. This was years before I actually had a genuine panic attack - and its much different. Once I cut down on my carb intake I do not get low blood sugar symptoms anymore.
When I experience a panic attack, I have different symptoms and a strong, overwhelming sense of fear and becoming out of control (mental). When I had low blood sugar symptoms, I was not fearful - I was just shaking like hell and knew I needed to eat something.
Now if I eat a high carb, high fat breakfast or lunch, I know that I need to eat a small snack about every 1-1/2 hours to avoid the shakes. This seems to work for me.
When I experience a panic attack, I have different symptoms and a strong, overwhelming sense of fear and becoming out of control (mental). When I had low blood sugar symptoms, I was not fearful - I was just shaking like hell and knew I needed to eat something.
Now if I eat a high carb, high fat breakfast or lunch, I know that I need to eat a small snack about every 1-1/2 hours to avoid the shakes. This seems to work for me.
by joanna » Sat Jul 17, 2004 8:45 am
I agree with you happy face, its not to do with low blood sugar levels because you are in control of this, I use to suffer with the shakes and hunger pangs whenever i didnt eat properly and once i ate it went (no matter what I ate by the way) ITS NOT LOW BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS!!! also panic attacks are scary, i am scared you are literally out of control your mind takes over, whereas low blood sugar levels is your body craving for foods, like carbs etc....i have had both and both are totally different issue altogether.
"Happy face" totally proud of you for being able to take each days as it comes and with panic attacks this is what you have to do.Another bit of advice they do get better, once you venture outside everyday and not stay indoors your mind then remembers you are actually ok when you are out...nothing happens to you, its just your mind playing tricks with you again. You do become stronger day by day, but its being patient that helps. My attacks get worse if a major problem occurs in my life. At the moment i have moved jobs again, mortgage to pay, car to pay alot of financial difficulties at present and because of this my attacks are telling me i cant cope, but really i can, its all in the mind.....i wont die and neither will you!!!!
"Happy face" totally proud of you for being able to take each days as it comes and with panic attacks this is what you have to do.Another bit of advice they do get better, once you venture outside everyday and not stay indoors your mind then remembers you are actually ok when you are out...nothing happens to you, its just your mind playing tricks with you again. You do become stronger day by day, but its being patient that helps. My attacks get worse if a major problem occurs in my life. At the moment i have moved jobs again, mortgage to pay, car to pay alot of financial difficulties at present and because of this my attacks are telling me i cant cope, but really i can, its all in the mind.....i wont die and neither will you!!!!
by jurplesman » Sun Jul 18, 2004 6:49 am
To Happy Face,
<I'm very aware of hypoglycemic and low blood sugar symptoms versus panic attack symptoms.>
You are right, not all people with hypoglycemia experience anxiety attacks. It is pity that the term hypoglycemia is really a misnomer. Hypoglycemia means ‘low blood sugar concentration’ and is usually associated in the mind of doctors with diabetes.
We are really talking about prediabetic insulin resistance, where we have the beginnings of resistance to the hormone, insulin, in pushing glucose across cell membranes.
It is better known by doctors as syndrome X, glucose intolerance, hyperinsulinism, syndrome W, indicating a cluster of symptoms of high blood pressure, obesity and insulin resistance. It is seen as a major forerunner of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases. But doctors usually do not associate it with mental illness, although there are plenty of studies to show that there is a significant association. See <Depression> in article “Research Evidence for Hypoglycemia” at our web site.
The point is that there is no appropriate medical term for what we understand hypoglycemia to be. It has a long history and well-known among patients and nutritional doctors who complain that doctors generally are not trained to treat hypoglycemia.
Some nutritional doctors have tried to use the term “dysglycemia” a more appropriate term indicating not only low but also high blood sugar levels; an abnormality in blood sugar reactions. But this does not include ‘cerebral diabetes’, or ‘cerebral hypoglycia’, indicating that the same hypoglycemic symptoms can occur not as a result of blood levels - the entrance point of sugar metabolism (glycolysis) - but at a later stage of metabolism down the pathway between pyruvate and acetyl-CoA right inside the mitochondria of cells, where the energy is produced.
Google search <hypoglycemia> to get an impression of the many web sites dealing with this problem. It is a real disease alright, but generally not recognized by traditional doctors.
Conventional medicine tend to overlook hypoglycemia, because it cannot be treated by drugs, and now-a-days medical research concentrates on drug research. If ‘there is no pill, it cannot be a disease’ philosophy. Most people have been thoroughly brain-washed to believe that “treatment = drug therapy”.
You cannot get funds to research hypoglycemia, if there is no profit at the end of the exercise. Most of the research is done by private medical and psychological practitioners, who have the interest of the patients at heart. These are called “complementary doctors and psychotherapists” and these are the practitioners of the twenty-first century: a new breed of therapists who will be treating not only many of the modern incurable ‘degenerative disease’ , but mental illnesses as well. This is because “the body runs the brain” concept in mental illness. Thus future therapists may be working in teams of practitioners in different fields, with patients fully participating in their own therapy.
They have a far more holistic view of human beings taking into account, not only bacteria, personal diseases, psychological background, but also the whole gamut of the human environment: the ecology of mankind. Many complementary doctors around the world are under attack by their own medical associations, because of practising 'unconventional medicine', with a threat of deregistration. Hence many are reluctant to advertise their services. Medical colleges don't want to reward doctors for practising 'nutrional medicine'. Google search <RACGP jurriaan plesman>
Most people are not aware that there is a big battle going on between medicine and health, which has nothing to do with science, but rather with economics and politics: between big globalized pharma corporations funding political parties to look after their interests and natural health. It is a battle between preserving the interests of profit-medicine and our health freedom. It goes well beyond the topic of depression into the realm of real-politics.
In Europe these lobby groups have already managed through the WTO and WHO to ban many harmless nutritional supplements from OTC sales, that can now be obtained only with a ‘doctors’ prescription. One mechanism is to desdcribe 'herbs' as medicine and the pharma sponsoring of articles by well-paid freelance writers claiming nutrional supplements to be 'dangerous'. Countries legislating against health freedom, are rewarded with trade deals in other non-health related economic privileges.
When testing for hypoglycemia there are about six types of hypoglycemic reactions, two of which may contribute to anxiety attacks, because of adrenaline production as part of the reaction. See “What is Hypoglycemia?” at our web site.
The other problem is that doctors may ‘test for hypoglycemia” and may not know how to test for it. It requires special skills to interpret the results of a GGT for hypoglycemia. Thus we hear many patients say, “I have anxiety attacks, but the doctor tells me that I am not hypoglycemic”. There are many other medical conditions which have 'anxiety attacks' as a comorbid condition.
I suggest that if you suffer from anxiety attacks and you cannot find any “reasons” for this, you should have yourself tested for hypoglycemia by a special GTT for hypoglycemia. It is only after these tests and perhaps other medical tests that you should consider psychological treatment.
A non-invasive paper-and-pencil home test is the NBI at our web site.
<I'm very aware of hypoglycemic and low blood sugar symptoms versus panic attack symptoms.>
You are right, not all people with hypoglycemia experience anxiety attacks. It is pity that the term hypoglycemia is really a misnomer. Hypoglycemia means ‘low blood sugar concentration’ and is usually associated in the mind of doctors with diabetes.
We are really talking about prediabetic insulin resistance, where we have the beginnings of resistance to the hormone, insulin, in pushing glucose across cell membranes.
It is better known by doctors as syndrome X, glucose intolerance, hyperinsulinism, syndrome W, indicating a cluster of symptoms of high blood pressure, obesity and insulin resistance. It is seen as a major forerunner of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases. But doctors usually do not associate it with mental illness, although there are plenty of studies to show that there is a significant association. See <Depression> in article “Research Evidence for Hypoglycemia” at our web site.
The point is that there is no appropriate medical term for what we understand hypoglycemia to be. It has a long history and well-known among patients and nutritional doctors who complain that doctors generally are not trained to treat hypoglycemia.
Some nutritional doctors have tried to use the term “dysglycemia” a more appropriate term indicating not only low but also high blood sugar levels; an abnormality in blood sugar reactions. But this does not include ‘cerebral diabetes’, or ‘cerebral hypoglycia’, indicating that the same hypoglycemic symptoms can occur not as a result of blood levels - the entrance point of sugar metabolism (glycolysis) - but at a later stage of metabolism down the pathway between pyruvate and acetyl-CoA right inside the mitochondria of cells, where the energy is produced.
Google search <hypoglycemia> to get an impression of the many web sites dealing with this problem. It is a real disease alright, but generally not recognized by traditional doctors.
Conventional medicine tend to overlook hypoglycemia, because it cannot be treated by drugs, and now-a-days medical research concentrates on drug research. If ‘there is no pill, it cannot be a disease’ philosophy. Most people have been thoroughly brain-washed to believe that “treatment = drug therapy”.
You cannot get funds to research hypoglycemia, if there is no profit at the end of the exercise. Most of the research is done by private medical and psychological practitioners, who have the interest of the patients at heart. These are called “complementary doctors and psychotherapists” and these are the practitioners of the twenty-first century: a new breed of therapists who will be treating not only many of the modern incurable ‘degenerative disease’ , but mental illnesses as well. This is because “the body runs the brain” concept in mental illness. Thus future therapists may be working in teams of practitioners in different fields, with patients fully participating in their own therapy.
They have a far more holistic view of human beings taking into account, not only bacteria, personal diseases, psychological background, but also the whole gamut of the human environment: the ecology of mankind. Many complementary doctors around the world are under attack by their own medical associations, because of practising 'unconventional medicine', with a threat of deregistration. Hence many are reluctant to advertise their services. Medical colleges don't want to reward doctors for practising 'nutrional medicine'. Google search <RACGP jurriaan plesman>
Most people are not aware that there is a big battle going on between medicine and health, which has nothing to do with science, but rather with economics and politics: between big globalized pharma corporations funding political parties to look after their interests and natural health. It is a battle between preserving the interests of profit-medicine and our health freedom. It goes well beyond the topic of depression into the realm of real-politics.
In Europe these lobby groups have already managed through the WTO and WHO to ban many harmless nutritional supplements from OTC sales, that can now be obtained only with a ‘doctors’ prescription. One mechanism is to desdcribe 'herbs' as medicine and the pharma sponsoring of articles by well-paid freelance writers claiming nutrional supplements to be 'dangerous'. Countries legislating against health freedom, are rewarded with trade deals in other non-health related economic privileges.
When testing for hypoglycemia there are about six types of hypoglycemic reactions, two of which may contribute to anxiety attacks, because of adrenaline production as part of the reaction. See “What is Hypoglycemia?” at our web site.
The other problem is that doctors may ‘test for hypoglycemia” and may not know how to test for it. It requires special skills to interpret the results of a GGT for hypoglycemia. Thus we hear many patients say, “I have anxiety attacks, but the doctor tells me that I am not hypoglycemic”. There are many other medical conditions which have 'anxiety attacks' as a comorbid condition.
I suggest that if you suffer from anxiety attacks and you cannot find any “reasons” for this, you should have yourself tested for hypoglycemia by a special GTT for hypoglycemia. It is only after these tests and perhaps other medical tests that you should consider psychological treatment.
A non-invasive paper-and-pencil home test is the NBI at our web site.
- jurplesman
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- Posts: 14140
- Joined: Mon Jun 21, 2004 5:38 am
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by kfedouloff » Sun Jul 18, 2004 8:02 am
I question the assertion that anxiety attacks have "very little to do with mental processes".
While it may indeed be the case that hypoglycemia is a contributory factor for some people, and may be worth checking for, I would not consider anxiety attacks to be "just" a blood sugar problem - even as expanded on here.
Mental processes have a significant impact on anxiety attacks - because, after an experience, we build up a set of expectations about that experience. These expectations then feed in to how we respond to a similar experience, and even to the thought of a similar experience. Reducing anxiety can be very much a matter of learning how to manage our expectations!
Kathleen
While it may indeed be the case that hypoglycemia is a contributory factor for some people, and may be worth checking for, I would not consider anxiety attacks to be "just" a blood sugar problem - even as expanded on here.
Mental processes have a significant impact on anxiety attacks - because, after an experience, we build up a set of expectations about that experience. These expectations then feed in to how we respond to a similar experience, and even to the thought of a similar experience. Reducing anxiety can be very much a matter of learning how to manage our expectations!
Kathleen
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by happyface » Mon Jul 19, 2004 2:53 am
jurplesman, your original comment was: "Your anxiety attacks have very little to do with mental processes. It is biochemical disorder affecting brain chemistry and is very easily treated by going on a hypoglycemic diet."
___________
This made it sound like my quick FIX for panic and anxiety was all in switching to a different diet, and thereby discounting what mental process was going on inside my head. Would you then say that my physical symptoms were due to the hypoglycemic, but the other thought process was all in my head???? How then do you explain the minds reaction to a physical panic attack? I do believe that my panic attacks are sometimes out of the blue (upon waking) and I do not know what I am fearing. On the other hand, sometimes my panic attacks are due to my inability at the moment to turn off negative thoughts of a past bad experience and I am reliving the moment or fear experiencing the bad experience again.
As Kathleen mentions, changing how we manage our expectations is exactly what I am working on in pyschotherapy. I will be trying hypnosis this coming week for relaxation and maybe someday I wont need meds for depression or panic.
One final thought I would like to share is that I come to this forum for support from people like me who are experiencing depression, panic, anxiety, self-esteem issues, etc., and also to give support to people like me. I dont feel you are here in the forums for those reasons, but to promote your theory on hypoglycemic diet and your website. I dont mean to sound ungrateful for your information, but at the moment I believe I am on the right path.
___________
This made it sound like my quick FIX for panic and anxiety was all in switching to a different diet, and thereby discounting what mental process was going on inside my head. Would you then say that my physical symptoms were due to the hypoglycemic, but the other thought process was all in my head???? How then do you explain the minds reaction to a physical panic attack? I do believe that my panic attacks are sometimes out of the blue (upon waking) and I do not know what I am fearing. On the other hand, sometimes my panic attacks are due to my inability at the moment to turn off negative thoughts of a past bad experience and I am reliving the moment or fear experiencing the bad experience again.
As Kathleen mentions, changing how we manage our expectations is exactly what I am working on in pyschotherapy. I will be trying hypnosis this coming week for relaxation and maybe someday I wont need meds for depression or panic.
One final thought I would like to share is that I come to this forum for support from people like me who are experiencing depression, panic, anxiety, self-esteem issues, etc., and also to give support to people like me. I dont feel you are here in the forums for those reasons, but to promote your theory on hypoglycemic diet and your website. I dont mean to sound ungrateful for your information, but at the moment I believe I am on the right path.
8 posts
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