Panic attacks

As the title suggests this is about panic attacks. Personall stories of them, dealing with them etc. I have recently over the past week and a half had several panic attacks and on one occasion I was sure I might need an ambulance, confusing it with something more serious :blush:

Terrible horrible bastard things they are. I have never suffered with them before and had the odd one in the past. I have been getting them lately because my medication has been reduced by my own request. Venlafaxine from 150mg extended release down to 75mg extended and now to 37.5mg instant release as extended isn't done at that strength.

On the night of the worst panic attack I had been given a strong coffee several hours prior and told it was decaff. I don't go well with much Caffeine at all and went into a V-tach back in March from 2 grammes of Caffeine powder.

I could feel my chest pounding on this occasion and I became anxious. Luckily I was at home and I needed some help from family to reassure me and comfort me which is wonderful. I think that the Caffeine did not help and brought about the panic attack with the effects amplified by the lower dosage of meds.

My other panic attacks have been brief moments of worry brought on all of a sudden and than my heart speeds up and breathing becomes slower. I control it with slow deep breathing and removing myself to a quiet place.

I've found watching comedy has been GREAT for reliving the episodes at home.

If anynone wants to carry on please do. Thanks

There's some great books out there my counsellor recommended for my anxiety/panic type issues. along with some mild medication to help me past the physical symptoms it really helped. one book is called "don't panic" http://anxieties.com/store/dont-panic-book-2009-edition-p-28.html as well as a workbook i tried called "mind over mood" http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0898621283/mindovermood-20

you can always wander into a big bookstore and check the books out also. there's a reason why you're panicing and it helps alot to get a counsellor of some sort to talk about it along with a dr to asses the need and monitor medication. for example i had a choice of a low dose of ativan to suppress panic symptons vs cipralex which is a daily pill. it took me a couple months of thinking about things and talking with a counsellor to jump on the drug and for me it helped get past the physical issues to work on the situation causing the panic or anxiety. i also stopped caffinated coffee for the most part just to even out the day . and i also stopped wearing a watch as for me specifically being later and watching time was an issue that i figured out.
it's not an overnight thing but for me just being ableto lable my physical issues as panic/anxiety allowed me to then work on it.

Thanks for your input. With me I think its when I get the light headed strange feeling since the medications has been reduced and than sometimes I get far too involved with it by worrying and feeling for pulses etc which makes me slightly worse. It can eventually build-up to more frantic panic moments which is dreadful. Oddly enough I had a small anxiety moment last night between the hours of 2-3am.

It started I think from me feeling light headed and I was tired but noticed my heart was beating very slowly. This is normal as I was relaxed and I KNOW this but I get anxious over shit at night atm and I think much of it is from the medication being reduced as the dosage I take in the morning is fast acting and out of my system way before the wee hours.

Any-ways I was in bed and shivering as well, really cold here last night. I watched some comedy on T.V and that worked out fine. I was falling asleep later and kept holding my breath unintentionally on falling sleep and would wake up briefly panicked but eventually fell asleep.

I'm so nauseous right now I almost cant think to write. I've stopped SAM-e and begun Zoloft. Even before I changed med's I've had bad anxiety. All night I lay in bed and felt like an ugly toad. I bathed in Epsom salt this morning. It's horrible. Recently with confidence from all the penis enlargement exercises and Bathmate I've been feeling very confident. Now that my X-40 wont fit I get small panic attacks and even quit my job the other day. I then called my job back and they are happy to have me back. Smoking weed may or may not be helping I think it has it's moments of both. I also really enjoy chantra music

Remember, weed will enhance your mood. With mental illness weed is a saviour but in many ways you need to learn how to use it effectively. Before I partake I will let myself watch something relaxing on Youtube and get my mind into a good place. Also, it is VITAL that you do not abuse it as in that case it will fuel depression and become ineffective. I allow myself to smoke after 9:00PM and this seems like a good habit for me. I can get all of my work done and look forward to a treat at 9:00. If I end up smoking during the day it brings a much different feeling than if I wait.

I cant comment on using weed, never took it and never will but it can make anxiety worse so like DLD says its a double-edged sword knowing how it works. Like Caffeine, sure it feels good at first but its a stimulant that speeds the heart and those prone to anxiety like me and you will get the brunt edge afterwards which is enhanced panic attacks.

I;m also not going to touch Phenibut again. I wrote a thread about it and how it helped me in the past and sure it did but I dont want to rely on meds in the future and its the mind that does it all. None of us need weed or anything else, sure it takes the edge off but in time once you have weaned off it you will feel better unless one has a psychiatric condition and needs medicating which is certainly nothing to feel embarrassed or upset about. I have lots of time for people with mental health issues.

I think we can change the mind, only when the mind was fooled to begin with. By fooled I mean, if we had an experience that altered our mind into yielding panic attacks. If were panicky for no particular reason, then that's a lot harder
to ween ourselves away from. I had my first panic attack in 6th grade. I had no life experiences to make me that way, it just happened. It was nothing I could control or understand at the time. The only thing I could do was avoid situations
that would result in me having a panic attack, but whats the fun in that. Why miss out on that part of life just because I was fearful of a panic attack, but not fearful of the event itself. I still have panic attacks and I think most programs and therapies
out there are bogus for most people. I just want to be ME and not have it, not try to go through any mental therapies to change it and which could possibly change my personality as well, which is my biggest asset. Another reason I would be hard-pressed
to put myself on any prescription medications.

Maybe I am ignorant to therapies or w/e. It seems that since Ive went through things for many many years, it's going to be that much harder to change. It's like trying to coax myself into believing the sky is green, when it's really not green.



Or maybe it is, our eyes just perceive it as blue.


*pulls head out of ass*

Yeah Phenibut is killer, but the tolerance/withdrawals really suck. You might look into Picamilon, which is gaba with a niacin carrier. Not as potent, but might be subtle enough to negate panic attacks in some people. There is also
Bacopa/Ashwagandha/Lemon Balm(Melissa Leaves), that I would check out. Theanine might be worth a look too.

Weed varied for me. In some cases it would make anxiety worse while in others, it would just make me more calm. Then again different strains/blends have different reactions.

Look into magnesium taurate, which contains 15% elemental magnesium and taurine. They BOTH can help in some cases for panic disorders. It can't be your only source of magnesium though, since too much can cause
you to feel tired.


How many Americans are Magnesium deficient?
Is the RDA for Magnesium too low?


You might give these a look through, if you haven't encountered this already.

Adrenal Fatigue
Cortisol Levels

Red, In my case, when I started using marijuana it made many of my anxieties worse but I was bound and determined to find some kind of solace from the medication cocktail I take now. I understand that I need to take medication but it really stunted much of my creativity. Weed, in addition to bringing some anxieties, also brought very valuable levels of creativity and inspiration. I finally "learned" how to use weed and it has worked well for me. It is definitely not for everyone, but for some it is complete freedom.

Thank you Smerc for the insight and recommendations. For now though I will stay clear from supplements, scared to take some things with my meds being low and having a bad reaction. I'm certain my blood pressure has dropped since the dosage went down but nothing bad. Venlafaxine can make blood pressure rise in patients and obviously dropping from 150mg extended relase to 37.5mg instant release in 2 months is going to have an affect on the body.

I have noticed though my eye sight is MUCH better ...... more so that looking in the garden on a sunny day is splendid. Sounds odd but really the colours and light is so much vivid.

I'm going to purchase a multi vitamin & mineral formula from Holland & Barretts which is a trusted brand and start taking them daily for health benefits. Also dessicated liver which I used to take and is just a good all rounder really.

Touch wood I have been okay the past few days.

DLD I can empathise with you on the feelings of creativity VS using a drug albeit in my case I was on strong medication (Venlafaxine) and although it worked for severe anxiety it reduced my thought process, work rate and allot of other stuff. I'm sure you have noticed since the past few weeks even my writing on the forums has changed? I certainly feel more aware of my thoughts when I type and can think much clearer as I do.

Phenibut used to give me a creative high, especially with music but the lows are LOW and I dont want to go back to it. Same with Alcohol which has been my prop on and off in life since I was 15 y/o when I was feeling depressed. Not an alcoholic as such but I had drinking problems. I can go without it for months and months but than suddenly drink several bottles of the hard stuff in days and still manage to go into work .... its not good, dangerous and asking for trouble. From my experiences with alcohol it always ALWAYS comeback to bite you in the arse .... always .... I can name several occasions throughout my life when I have been abusing it for anxiety or whatever else and I was great but than it hit me .... something happens and its not worth it.

I intend on remaining alcohol free unless its a social occasion and not to rely on supplements such as Phenibut. I intend on becoming a Paramedic or Nurse in several years time and hence cant use such crap and wouldn't put anyone else at risk because of me. I couldn't live with that. However I have a good mate who is a doctor in the hospitals and I've worked with him on the same shifts albeit I was much lower down the pecking order. He would often snort Cocaine ON DUTY and than deal with patients! He was however very good at his job and didn't seem to bother him. I confronted him one day when I caught him in the toilets doing it and said he either stops or I report him for the safety of the patients. He confided in me that many times he had been on call at emergencies high on the shit and felt like electric!!! It gave him a buzz and he just needed it but knew it cant go on. He managed to quiet the habit.

REDZULU2003;402417 said:

DLD I can empathise with you on the feelings of creativity VS using a drug albeit in my case I was on strong medication (Venlafaxine) and although it worked for severe anxiety it reduced my thought process, work rate and allot of other stuff. I'm sure you have noticed since the past few weeks even my writing on the forums has changed? I certainly feel more aware of my thoughts when I type and can think much clearer as I do.

Click to expand...

I need creativity, if I don't get it I get into a HUGE depression. My medications really take their toll on my creativity, inspiration, motivation, etc. Currently I am on a cocktail of; Serequel, Lamictal, Ambien, and a antihistamine. These do keep me out of mania and deep depression but they also make me fell extremely slow, uninspired and the like.

That's some heavy stuff guys. Drugs are tricky bastard's. We are on the right track, maybe there is some greater purpose for all the pain.

I have noticed a slight change in your writing Red. I was recently just thinking how your sentence structure has been clearer than usual. I think some of it may be the English accent eh ?

DLD... dearest DLD why are you so down?? You are my HERO
I truly BELIEVE that in my deepest of hearts that you can mend your scar's with your power's. You are SO SO SO SO fucking powerful the earth shakes under each breath you take. Medication is tricky- supposedly it is healing the "chemical imbalance" in our brain and after X amount of time we should be able to quit. Then we end up staying on med's our whole lives. I met someone once who was a homeopathic doctor and worked with natural methods of healing for all types of dysfunctions. His name is Alfredo Gutierrez, also a very powerful man. He believed our depression/anxiety/O.C.D- All of it can be healed through kinesiology, which I'm sure you're familiar with. He is the 3rd guy down HERE and will explain a little more. Dont hesitate to contact him if you are curious about learning some trippy info about yourself


Smerc I though that was an amazing post!

I understand the need for weed aswell very much indeed

Turnover;402446 said:

DLD... dearest DLD why are you so down?? You are my HERO

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Not so much down, just seasonal change brings some mundane weeks. I will snap out of it.

Thanks for the comment Turnover noticing my improved typing lol I do think and certainly feel as I write and my thoughts process, that the buffers have been lifted and my creativity can become as it once was. DLD I understand you 100% on the seasonal depression and changes in the mood because its a time when I usually always drink more heavily to make me more in the mood for things. I admit that sometimes I fight against such a craving because the negatives outweigh the positives in the long-run.

Your situation is slightly different and so long the weed is in moderation and you dont mix it with other drugs or alcohol especially than you know your own body and all will be well. As a side note never mix Cocaine with alcohol in case anyone does that or takes one and thinking about mixing because the Cocaine reacts with the Alcohol to produce a very toxic by product that becomes a double whammy in the system ... its this that causes Doctors the greatest worry when a case enters the ER or A&E.

Damn never thought people use so much medication, its scary...

Yugos;402754 said:

Damn never thought people use so much medication, its scary...

Click to expand...

tell me bout it

Some people need medication and unless you've been there or worked with people who need tranquillising you have NO IDEA at all.

man , ever since i quite blazing for a while now when i smoke i get tripped right out and get anxiety attacks i hate them fuckn things i used to take fluvoxamine but it made me fell like i was too happy almost in a wierd way . so now when i have anxiety i just breath deeply and try to ignor any felling s of OMG im dying lol its hard tho , red i hope you find something that works! when i dont balze and get anxiety attacks its easier to control but still blows, becaus i too hate using meds!

Panic attacks are certainly less than pleasant experiences, but you are certainly not on your own. Most people expereince them at some stage in their life. Rather than fear them, learn to cope with them. No one has ever been harmed by them, and they can only last a few minutes at most. Just try to remain as calm as you can, and allow it to pass through you. Don't fight it and you won't feed it!

Doctors are fucking idiots. Instead of educating people on how to fix their anxiety and educate them, they give you a fucking FLUROIDE based SSRI and push you out the door. I'm done with those fuckers. I had to quit weed for years because of anxiety. Weed caused my first panic attack. Weed and some bad fried food caused a weird sensation in my stomach that felt like it was up in my chest. That first panic attack changed the way I look at life / reality forever. I went in the ambulance, to the ER and after, couldn't leave my house for 5 months. It was the worst period in my life.

For me, the ultimate fear was death. But I've become at peace with it as I've gotten older. I'm 40 now and I haven't had a panic attack in about 2 years. I just don't give a fuck anymore really. If I die, I'll have no more panic attacks. That's my logic. However what most people don't realize is all the things that cause anxiety. For me, it's control issues. I grew up in a house where my parents use to fight with knives. I've witnessed blood everywhere at a young age. Torture of my mother by my father. My father smashing his face against the corner of a table. Nothing but blood for years. I spent 18 years of my life wondering whether someone was going to die, daily. So when I'm not in control of a situation, I get tense.

Now a lot of my anxiety had to do with lifestyle and my stomach. I have had YEARS and YEARS of stomach problems. It took me 20 fucking YEARS to figure it out. One day, I sat down and asked myself where the anxiety comes from as far as "where in the body do I feel it?"

For me it was the stomach. It always started with a DREAD type of knot and rotting in the stomach. Also, periods where I would abuse opiates would cause a deep depression and major anxiety for weeks after I would stop cold turkey.

I learned about diet and that fact that your brain stops making chemicals, the natural feel good chemicals when your on drugs. You stop the drugs, but the brain does not pick up where it left off. The brain basically says "hey, he's on drugs, feeling good, so I'm going on vacation"

Well, just because you stopped the drugs doesn't mean the brain picks up where it left off. There are ways to accelerate the revival of the brain as far as producing the chemicals. I wont bore you for now.

Here's the # 1 thing that was causing me hearturn and stomach problems
HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP
I will not eat ANYTHING with that shit in it. If I can see the box where something came from? I don't eat it. Penis EnlargementRIOD. I suffered far too long.

HYDROGENATED OILS
I will not eat ANYTHING with that crap in it. Again, if I can't see the box where something came from? I don't eat it.

CAFFEINE
Same thing. A recipe for disaster with me and my stomach.

What I do eat now
Ginger, and lots of it. RAW. 2-4" of it raw per day
1 tbsp of QUALITY RAW MACA (This got me off of Clonazepam and is a GODSEND)
Oat Meal 2 cups day
2 raw eggs in spinach, baby carrots, apple, water in blender. Makes 4 cups of slop. I do 2 blenders per day
Lunch - Some type of meat. meatballs, chicken. Huge salad with chicken or tuna
Afternoon - some almonds / walnuts late in the day, another apple
Dinner - Some type of meat / fish. No veggies, no complex carbs. Just meat. I don't mix foods really anymore
Snack later on. Sometimes I'll eat some cookies, but some good type of organic cookie that wont cause me pain. I'm not perfect with this stuff. I do eat junk here and there but I read the labels. ALWAYS
1 hour before bed? Baked Potato with the skin.

Things that will sure as hell increase your likelyhood of panic attacks
1. CAFFEINE
2. DEPRESSION
3. WEED - for me this was one of the worst things I could do when in anxiety mode and depression. For me it caused me to be more depressed.
4. High Fructose Corn Syrup
5. Hydrogenated oils.

This is my list basically. My truth if you will. I fought tooth and nail to figure this out and now I'm at the point where I'm managing depression with Sprint 8 cardio 7 days a week. Some lifting a couple days a week. St. Johns wort, 1/2 dropper / day. 25mg 5htp / day

I'm finally cured of anxiety. 20 fucking years of it. I actually bought an ounce of weed last week and take a couple hits every night before I practice my music.

It can be done folks. But if your using the doctor to do it, it's only going to get worse. DO THE WORK YOURSELF. Stay away from big pharma. That shit is all fluorine based. Fluorine was used by the Nazi's to make prisoners docile. No wonder why SSRI's work for depression. Your brain doesn't have the ability to be depressed when flooded with fluorine. Plus forget about using your dick for anything.

I'm willing to help anybody out here. There's always an answer, but you have to take 100% responsibillity for it and do the work yourself. You can get help. Everyone needs it but doctors are not really going to help you that much. They are fucking con artist pill pushers. My last episode my doc gave me zoloft. I felt 10,0000 worse 2 days after taking it and tossed it in the rubbish. I have taken all the SSRI's in the past. You name it, I was on it. Never again. You can figure it out.

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