Herbal remedies for panick and anxiety attacks _{Page 2 of 5}

I used to suffer from these as well and I took klonipin which was terrible to go off of do to withdrawal...
However, several years later I was dx with a thyroid condition called hashimotos...I am now underactive, but thoughts are at the time of panic I was severly overactive....have you also lost a lot of weight or noticed anything else? you may want to get your thyroid checked and some things that helped me get through an attack where self hypnosis tapes/cd, and alternate side nostril breathing is very relaxing and calming....I feel for you because they were horrifying and I was housebound for about 6 months until I realized I was not going crazy...hang in there and find a good homeopathic professional...if you can get out of the house acupuncture may help as well...do you live in NJ? if so I can recommend both of the above as well as a good CBT
contact me at

I sufferred from this years ago as well and it turned out I had a thyroid condition...you may want to get it checked...I was also housebound for 6 months...I found alternate nostril breathin, yoga, meditation and relaxation cd's helped. I have been free from attacks since being on thyroid meds...
You may also want to try acupunture

sorry so many posts...there is an issue with posting and it says it could not post, but did anyway
strange

To Waterfall,

As I understand it, SEROCTIN is only available through two sources in the US. I purchase directly from a company called SUVIDA. As a doctor, I do not get any more special deals than the public does. They have a buy one and get the second half price deal that is on going. They also have very good case deals (12 to a case). I know a guy in Australia who buys the stuff in cases and has it sent over to him. And no, I AM NOT with the company, folks! I am sure they would ship anywhere in the world. Go on line to www suvida com (I left out the dots because the Forum won't allow websites).

I have the same problems as you. I am taking Jims advice and trying the Seroctin. I ordered it yesterday. I have also tried Clarocet. Honestly, it did help me at first but i believe that I have become immune to it or my stress has elevated. It is an all natural formula...St. Johns Wort, vitamins, passion flower and so on. It may be worth a try if the Seroctin doesn't work.

I understand your fears. I am right there with you. I am currently listening to meditation tapes, taking plenty of vitamins, eating well and getting a lot of exercise. It seems to help for me but doesn't cure the problem.

If you like reading there is a great book my Dr. Claire Weekes called Peace from Nervous Suffering. Its a bit outdated but very informational and uplifting. It teaches you to accept your fears and float through the panic. Sounds hard I know, I'm still trying to get up the nerve to confront my fears and float through the panic but I am nto ready to yet.

I pray for both of us that we can find some relief. Which I know we can, its just a matter of time. Good things come to those who wait I guess!

Regarding delivery to the UK, perhaps you know someone in the US who can order it for you and send it to you? Have you contacted the SUVIDA company via email to ask if they send to the UK?

Don't know about Clarocet but I do know that if it's got St. John's Wort in it, there is a "burning off" after awhile of the effects. I've seen this repeatedly with SJW in my practice. Then again, there are people who have been taking SJW for years and doing well on it. One colleague told me a few years back that SJW doesn't work as well on Type O Blood Types. Have not been able to substantiate this yet.

I'm all for yoga and deep breathing to get one calm and centered. Also grounding oneself on the earth (walking barefoot on the grass or dirt in the late afternoon or evening) helps to release excessive eletromagnetic charges back into the earth. And yes, check that thyroid as a glandular trigger. I'm also all for incorporating good fats into the diet to support and sustain good health. Coconut oil, rice bran oil, palm oil, sesame oil and flax (if indicated) are excellent choices. I personally use coconut oil as my main cooking oil along with rice bran and palm oil.

There is just so much out there that is all natural that drugs seem a waste of time to me.

Jim

Thanks for your advice - I am going to try to get Seroctin - it sounds wonderful! Unfortunately I dont know anyone in the US so if they dont ship to the UK I am out of luck.

Interestingly I have tried St Johns Wort and it had absolutely no effect whatsoever on me. I am blood type O.

Best regards

I had to put in an order today to Suvida and asked if they ship to the UK. They do. As well as Australia, New Zealand, Nigeria....basically, anywhere.

While this is not related to panic attacks, you might want to look into Suvida's Maritime Pine Plus. It is a super concentrated pycnogenol with Bioprene to potentiate the antioxidant strength. I think (not sure) that Suvida has the sole patent on the Bioprene formulation in relation to pycnogenol. I've been recommending pycnogenol to patients for over 15 years after reading the material by Dr. Richard Passwater. It continues to amaze me and prove itself again and again. As a top-notch scavenger of free radicals, pycnogenol can alleviate much of the residual symptoms that are created from stress (back pain, joint pain, neck strain, tension headaches, eye strain....the list goes on.) When you look at health from the perspective that so much of symptoms are EFFECTS of mental imbalances, it all starts to make sense. Treat the stress, relieve some of the symptoms and then the patient is more willing to work with homeopathy ESPECIALLY if the remedy may cause emotional stress and trigger panic attacks. Doesn't it make sense to first calm the patient instead of insisting we put them through more emotional torture that they may or may not be able to handle??? I wish I'd known about Seroctin and the Maritime Pine Plus for a patient I had about 6 years ago. He was a mental mess AND he suffered from chronic joint pain (stress related), tension headaches, the belief that something awful was about to happen and the fear of leaving his house. I gave him one dose of Agaricus (based on symptoms) in a 6c potency and it worked but the mental cost was overwhelming to this guy. He was thrown into a state of nearly paralyzing terror for three days. He got through it and there was significant improvement. But AT WHAT COST, I ask?!? The older I get the more I think that we must create an environment of calm and serenity from within before asking already emotionally damaged people to address their demons. This is why a supplement such as Seroctin is valuable, I think.

Naydies and Waterfall, I would like to know how it works for you, okay? Please post either on this thread or a new one? Agreed? Typically, you should see effects in two to 7 days. I have only the handful of patients here to use as reference to others who may benefit from it.

Just heard back from one of the patients I have on Seroctin. He is in therapy to address issues of low self confidence. He has been on Seroctin for 8 days and said that it started to work on day 5. Yesterday, he went to therapy and his therapist said that "something was different about the way he was acting." When I asked him to elaborate, he said that he was more willing to be open and try methods of getting in touch with his fears than ever before. He also suddenly has more drive to get out and do things around the house that have been piling up. He told me that two mornings ago, he woke at 6am and instead of going back to sleep for another hour before having to get up to go to work, he saw that it was a beautiful morning and got the idea to get out of bed, make a cup of coffee and greet the rising sun outside. He has NEVER done this before. He said he stood facing the sun and thinking of all the little things in the world he was grateful for. I asked if this idea was brought about by his therapist and he said he came up with it on his own.

Two important notes on Seroctin. First, I do know that if you are taking drugs for depression or anxiety, Seroctin will NOT work. Wean off them properly first and then get on Seroctin if you wish. Secondly, while I don't know this to be a factor, Seroctin is made primarily from corn. If you have an allergy to corn, be advised. Ironically, one of the people I have on Seroctin is borderline Type II Diabetes with a serious corn sensitivity. He is also taking 7 Maritime Pine Plus capsules a day to address his diabetes and joint pain. Perhaps the pycnogenol is off-setting any negative effects (if they even exist) from the corn?

Jim

I'll definitely keep you posted. I ordered mine yesterday so it may be a couple of weeks. One week for delivery and another for the affects.

Thanks

Yes, please do keep all of us posted. I'll be away for a few days here and there but I'll check in when I can. I really think I'm onto something with Seroctin. It seems to cover such a broad range of issues relating to the pituitary, pineal and hypothalmus. Think of all the problems that are connected to these glands and how stress activates them? It's mind boggling. I just wish there was more concrete data to share with people who are interested in it. Right now, personal experience is about it. That's why I want to hear what your experience is. I can offer loads of data on pycnogenol that is very impressive. My own experience with pycnogenol is positive and encouraging.

Hi Jim

I am taking Fluoxetine (Prozac) at the moment for depression so maybe the Seroctin wont be effective. I dont have the confidence to come off it at the moment. But I will one day - I am about to go through some emotional upheaval so now is not the time but maybe in a month or two.

Thanks for all your help - I will definately let you know how it goes when I do try.

Just popped in to check the thread between patients.

Waterfall, if you can get off the Prozac now and start using either the Bach Flowers as mentioned above or the Seroctin when it arrives, you will be in much better shape. Take my word for it, Prozac is a huge psychological myth. You say that you are GOING to go through some emotional upheaval. I don't need to know what that emotional upheaval is but you sound as if you are setting yourself up for a situation that you BELIEVE is going to be too overwhelming for you to handle. Okay, fine. That tells me that you allow your mind to rule your future experiences even before you experience them. Yes, you may be reacting to what has happened in the past and know that certain situations will turn out certain ways and, thus, you want to stop the emotional effect before you feel it again. Does this sound correct? This could be a family problem or a work-related endeavor that has caused you emotional turmoil in the past. Whatever the case, it does not matter. I tell you this: I have spent so much time in the past 7 years of my practice weaning people off the poisons like Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Xanex, Effexor and Klonopin (the last two are particularly vile). But what I have seen up close and personal with Prozac is that the drug literally LIES to your psyche. It tells you that you are doing better when, in fact, you are in a terrible suspended sense of reality and perception. I have talked to patients on Prozac and they tell me how "great" they are doing, how "great" their relationships with their spouse and children are, how "great" their job is going.....THEN I talk to the spouse, the kids and, if possible, the people at the job. (I live in a small community which affords more intimate daily contact with these people). THEIR PERCEPTION is NOT the same as the person on Prozac. What do THEY tell me? "He/she is numb." "He/she doesn't laugh anymore." "He/she is like a zombie." "He/she has no sex drive." Pardon me, but I do not believe that emotional imbalance should be treated with ANYTHING that produces numbness and a zoning out of perception. This will create only a band-aid effect and mess with your liver, kidneys and, ironically, serotonin receptors, when you use Prozac or any SSRI or anti-anxiety drug over a long period of time. And believe me, getting OFF this poison is harder and harder the longer you stay on the garbage. Just read the disturbing threads on this Forum on EFFEXOR!

Sorry to go on and on about this but really, you are being duped into believing that the drug is going to save you. You say that you may try the Seroctin in a month or two....If you stay on Prozac a month or two, you will NOT want to get off the drug at all. You think it's hard now to get off it? Try in two months. I know of which I speak and I want to save you the debilitating effects of the withdrawal. This is NOT to sell you on Seroctin!!! It matters not to me whether you choose that supplement or not. It's just that I have spent agonizing hours with patients who are addicted to these vicious poisons that are supposed to help them.

I know where Waterfall is at. I've been there. The depression and level of anxiety that we deal with is terrible and you would do just about anything to get rid of it. I've tried Zoloft. I lasted 3 days. I just couldn't take the way that it made me feel. The anxiety that I deal with now does not compare to the anxiety and depression I felt while on that medicine.

Its a hard decision which route to take. But the most important decision that you have to make is if you want to CURE yourself or not. Medication will not CURE the problem. It will only mask it. I wish there was a magic pill too but unfortunately there isn't.

everytime i go to my doctors to explain the side effects of the drugs in which she has perscribed,I just get offered more alternatives, when checking the web i am horrified with the side effects so now I am at the stage that I just take the perscription but now I wont take the pills, my panick attacks are unbelievable and like I say I am house bound and have been a long time not ever going outside, and the depression hit me really bad especially with a high powered job and being off sick all this time, i do get to the stage in which I feel that I will never get my life back. Life is not fun in 4 walls

I'm a bit confused here. Is "Joanne Chris2003" the person who started this thread? There was no indication of the name when it started.

So, if "Joanne Chris2003" is the originator of the thread, why are you not doing something....anything...to break your cycle of being housebound? You say you won't take the drugs. Okay. Good. But you can't stay static staring at the four walls. Take baby steps. Walk outside in the sunshine. Didn't you say you had an out of control kid? Where is your child? With you? Who is taking care of this child? Excuse me, but if you want help you need to be PROACTIVE. You took the time to start a thread on your problem so I would assume that you are looking for help. Right??? So myself and others are offering it and this last post here seems to indicate a desire to just maintain your depressed state. Falling into self-pity is not going to do you any good. I understand the feeling very well of being parylyzed with fear. But one must gradually take the steps needed to pull oneself out of that space ESPECIALLY if you are taking care of a child! You are the only one who has the power to change your life. Remaining in such a state that curtails your pleasure is hell on earth. If you continue in this manner, you WILL ONLY GET WORSE. MAKE THE CHANGES TODAY. If Seroctin is something that intrigues you, try a bottle. Look to dietary changes. Talk to a friend, a clergy member if necessary, a therapist. You serve no one by being stuck in this self-imposed mental hell.

I agree with what Jim is saying. Although it comes off as sounding very harsh. With us who suffer from depression, anxiety and panic attacks we take things very, very sensitively. What Jim is saying is correct.

Joanne_Chris, waterfall, whoever....we do need to take action for ourselves to help correct this. It is the way that we think that we are experiencing these things. Sometimes I wonder if a "Chemical Imbalance" even exists. Is there such a thing? I don't really know.

I do know that for me I feel better when I exercise, meditate, pray and do good things for myself. Do I do this all the times, no. I know that if I drink, the next day I am so depressed and anxious I can barely get out of bed. I k now that if I drink caffeine, my anxiety is through the roof. So, what I have done for myself is cut out caffeine (which by the way really, really helps), I exercise regularly, I pray to my god everynight, I meditate as often as I can, I read books that explain why I am feeling the way that I feel so that I can improve myself. Always working towards relief. Am I cured? No, I'm not but I'm on the way and that is how I have to think.

Do this for yourself. This is your life and its time to get it back. Take charge. Demand that you change. Noone else will do this for you.

I promised myself once that if I ever got out of this hell (which I will). That I want to help others get out of it too. Maybe once we all find the light again we can start an online chat room or something. I dont' know, just a thought.

Yes! Well said. Look, I've worked with enough people who are depressed and, yes, I have experienced depression in my own life. I went through near bankruptcy over 20 years ago, was in a terrible auto accident and had to deal with family members who were not encouraging to my pursuits in alternative healing. I DO KNOW what it feels like to feel as if there is no hope. So, I am not insensitive to the beast.

HOWEVER, my depression taught me great things. It taught me to let go and let God through. It taught me to release control of those things I cannot control. It taught me to change my career and do something that brought me joy instead of stress. My depression led me to the work I do today in the sense that I would never be working in alternative medicine if I had not been so low and had to make concrete changes in my life.

Here's the way I see it. When someone is depressed, they are ultra-sensitive. But when we address these people with continued soft soap answers and solutions, it tends to smother them with an INactive blanket. Of course, I'm not advocating screaming at them and telling them to "Get over it!" There is a middle ground. There is the SOLUTION-MINDED approach. To just wallow in "I'm depressed. My life is hell. I'm doomed. etc," serves nothing and no one.

Now I'm going to say something that will probably anger a lot of people but so be it. When one wears their problem like a badge, it becomes their IDENTITY. This includes people who have cancer, MS, lupus....name your problem. I do not encourage my patients with depression or chronic illness to join groups of other people who have their shared malady because after awhile a kind of parasitic exchange takes place. There is NO desire to make changes but rather, more reasons to be identified with the disorder or disease. Your BODY will hear what your MIND and VOICE tells it. If you are perpetually in this victim-centered mind-set, your body will think "Okay, I guess that's WHO I am and so I'll keep being that image." We should be striving for identities that are compassionate, helpful to others, yearning for evolved improvement and striving everyday to learn more about the world and oneself, NOT wallowing in a narrow hallway of depression and not making the effort to break down the walls and seek freedom.

I too suffer from panick disorder, at times my anxiety is very intence. Im with you as I rely on the herbal methods which I find are far more beneficial than perscription drugs, I had a lot of doubts about taking Fluoxetine (Prozac)so looked for an alternative, I still suffer extreme anxiety on a daily basis but I take little steps every day and do my breathing exercises yes I can agree with everyone its a very scary experience. I too am unable to work Im going to try the SEROCTIN my prays tonight are with all of us sufferes.

Jim - I can see where you are coming from but I have tried 3 times before to get off Prozac and each time I relapse into depression and end up back on it and feeling like a failure for giving in. I have tried Bach flower remedies - White Chestnut for tormenting thoughts and Mustard for the depression but they did not make much difference.

I do yoga as much as I can which does help but I am very busy at work and college so I dont have much time. i know thats not a good excuse but its a fact unfortunately.

Yes, Waterfall, this is the problem with Prozac...or Paxil...or Klonopin...or Effexor....name your poison. Once you sold the bill of goods and go on these drugs, it's an uphill battle to get off. Your body is addicted to them, your liver is trained to do whatever it can to metabolize them and, worse, your brain is conditioned to accept the numbed out effects. This is why I am SO much against these drugs. While I don't like antibiotics, they serve a purpose for a specific issue and there is no residual addictive quality. But these SSRIs or anti-anxiety drugs or ADD drugs (Ritalin) just cause such intrinsic imbalances.

Yes, of course, you have tried 3 times to get off Prozac and you end up feeling more depressed and then the whole "I'm a failure" stuff kicks in. Understood. But understand, that this is what addiction feels like! It's what cigarette smokers go through to the max when they try to give up nicotine (another drug). Same for heroin addicts. Meth addicts. The body is CONDITIONED and you are taking something away from it that it has come to expect and utilize. Take coffee away from a coffee addict and you'll see the same "I gotta have it" feeling and an almost sick sensation that can last for days. I am all for Bach Flowers and use them in my practice. I also utilize Lithium Orotate, a completely natural and very cheap supplement available in most health stores and on-line. (I've been using this on patients for over 10 years). This is not the same as the drug lithium. This is the mineral that can be taken everyday for the rest of your life with no side effects at all! One only needs 5mg to 15 mg. a day (that is 5 mg. tablets). It is a great supplement to put someone on once they are weaned off Prozac or any other antidepressant or anti anxiety pill. I have done this many times with great success. It gives an almost immediate lift and allows for a smoother transition while the drug is working its way out of the system. Remember that Prozac has been proven to have a "half life" in the liver. This means that the longer you are on it, the greater chance you will have "echos" of the drug even after you've been off it for a few days or a week. So, I used to put people on Bach Flowers or other flower/gem elixirs to transition but the hard core folks couldn't handle the transition. That's when I started to incorporate Lithium Orotate. It worked! But, after a month or more, the patient needed an additional boost. It wasn't that the lithium orotate stopped working...it just wasn't addressing the serotonin/melatonin imbalance that is so often seen in depressed and/or anxious people. And so I pulled everything I knew out of my bag of tricks. When homeopathy was indicated, I used that and it worked. But not for all. Some patients simply will not go through more emotional torture via the mental release of homeopathy when they are already so far down. We are treating PEOPLE, not numbers on a chart! As a compassionate person, I can't tell my 50-year-old female patient who just lost her husband to cancer that I can help her but there may be some more depression even for just a few days. She can't accept that when she's in a state of mourning and wondering what the point of life is anymore without her beloved mate. THIS is why I am so excited about this Seroctin. (Gosh, I sound like a sales rep for the stuff but I assure you, I am not.) In the now five patients I have on it (one more started yesterday), I am seeing outstanding results. And trust me, I have some of the most hard core patients on the face of this earth. Many of them come to me when they have exhausted all other means, both allopathic and alternative. So much of their maladies are stress related. I utilize adaptogens to support their endocrine system but these type of herbs can take 100 days to kick in. They DO work and work well but you can't tell a depressed person to hang in for 100 days before they are going to see positive results!!! Thus, Seroctin can work as that middle man that comes in and quickly smooths the transition. When the mind is then in a more positive, happy place, one's perspective is more open to other solutions. The walls are not so tight around you. THEN you are more able to handle the possible emotional effects of homeopathic treatment—treatment which I believe is the truly transformative approach. I don't want to just keep throwing herbs and supplements at someone! I want deep and meaningful change so one can live on a higher plane of existence and perception. I want to see my patients evolve!

I do not know if Seroctin will be a good transition supplement or a more regular supplement to maintain proper serotonin balance. It's all in the embryo stage right now as I suggest the supplement to those who can benefit from it and then observe their reactions to it.

Jim,

Glad to see you back on the Forum. Wanted to let you know that my brother-in-law has been taking Seroctin for about a month. His chiropractor told him about it. He travels on business two weeks out of the month and has problems with jet lag and sleep. That's the reason his chiropractor suggested Seroctin. Thus, I don't know if he's been shown to have low serotonin levels. Anyway, he LOVES it. Says it took about 8 days to kick in completely but he felt different in a good way after a few days on it. He is also taking pycnogenol (don't know the brand) and has been for some time to address his circulation problems. He wouldn't be without pycnogenol as he says it has "cured" his restless leg syndrome and given him greater energy.

Anyway, here's the interesting part....(This comes courtesy of my sister-in-law as my brother-in-law certainly wouldn't be telling me this). She says that ever since he started on the Seroctin, his libido is back and the transient impotence he often experienced is gone. Is this a normal "effect" from the Seroctin??? Could it replace Viagra???