Anyone Else With Severe Anxiety Issues?

[bellgirl]

There aren't any dumb questions. There actually is some licorice extract from the root in the candy, depending on what kind you get, but I'm sure the root itself would be more effective. I've been told that Australian licorice is the best...I'll have to try some

[bellgirl]

By the way, the panicked feeling is normal along with the fight/flight and over reacting, and then the crying is the opposite reaction, when the Autonomic Nervous system isn't regulated properly, so we all feel this way when symptomatic, but I would talk to your doctor, because there are medications that can help with these symptoms, so they aren't so severe, for Blue and Pam...Tachycardia can cause these feelings of panic or overeacting, and the crying could be low blood pressure, too.

[blueskies]

Blue:

You have described it perfectly! My daughter has had POTS since July 2011 and the last month has been horrible as far as the POTS symptoms and the "panicked" feeling. Everyday seems to be filled with several episodes (and a lot of tears). We are all at our wits end and just trying to hold on until her doctor's appointment next week.

Let me know if you find anything that helps you.

Pam

HI Pam,

I'm sorry to hear your daughter is going through this. If I can work out what is going on with me, I will let you know, for sure. And I am going to make an appointment with my pots doc -- he may have some idea.

Kimbellgirl has a point, tachycardia can cause feelings of panic but I know this isn't happening to me, now. I've had tachycardia for many many years but once I was diagnosed with POTS and learned that tachy was part of it, I lost all my fear of the tachy and no longer had anxiety attacks that stemmed from fear of that tachycardia. It used to be that I'd get rapid heartrate and then panic. Now I'm not anxious at all about tachycardia. Now that I know what it is. A pots symptom. And I know what is causing it. And that I'm not going to die from it, etc. The tachy just doesn't scare me anymore. That's education helping . For me now, the fealings of anxiety and panic are really just caused by little adverse situations. Like not be able to find my mobile phone in my bag when I'm out and I know it has to be there (I'll be in such a state trying to find it that finding it becomes harder. Or say, losing my 'daily pill' purse when I know it's not really lost at all but somewhere in the house, stuff like sends me into panic. I'm just responding almost with hysterical (the quiet type) fear to silly situations. It's like ''darn, where did I put those tablets.' becomes 'where the **** did I put those tablets and I'll be pulling the place apart to find them with a feeling that I have to find them straigth away so everything is back to rights, again. (The tablets aren't such a good example but I have pots brain tonight (IN australia) and it's all I can think of.

At the same time a woman nearly ran me over a while back (I was crossing at the light on the walk signal -- she drove through a red light). Because I was watching her I stopped walking and watched her sail pass me and totally oblvious. I called out to her, "Hey lady, it's a red light, what are you thinking?" My point is I was extremely calm. Not even angry with her or anything. Later coming back she was waiting at the lights to apologise to me (which was very nice) but she was the nervous wreck not me. I was as cool as anything. So, the thought that if I hadn't been watching I would have been run over did not ruffle me at all but a 'maybe' lost pill purse (easily replacable if really lost) will send me into a spin.

[blueskies]

There aren't any dumb questions. There actually is some licorice extract from the root in the candy, depending on what kind you get, but I'm sure the root itself would be more effective. I've been told that Australian licorice is the best...I'll have to try some

Oh, kimbellgirl.

I think you'll love this one. There is actually ONE dumb question and I've asked it. Many years ago when I was sitting in the playground at my children's school waiting for my kids to find me so we could go home I was sitting and talking with this woman I'd never met before. Her two kids came up to us and I asked her how old they were. She said 7, and that they were twins. I asked her if they were identical? Although the pause only lasted a split second, she gave me a very incredulous look at the same time I got to feel like a complete and utter idiot (not a strong enough word for how stupid I felt actually) as they were a boy and a girl. I thank the gods I was able to laugh and say 'silly me' before she had time to respond. So, that's the only dumb question in the world and I am the only person in the world dumb enough to have asked it. LOL. I still blush when I think of it. Am blushing now. And interestingly is setting off pots flush, heat, sweating and heart rate has quickened.

[jpjd59]

Blue:

I too will let you know if my daughter gets any advice from her doctors on how to treat the anxiety. (Hers seems to be the same as yours, not anxious over the tachycardia but anxious over adverse situations that normally wouldn't send her into such a state). Sometime there is even no reason to be anxious but she says that she can feel it coming on (she said it feels like her brain starts to burn) and then the anxiety starts.

Pam

[bellgirl]

There aren't any dumb questions. There actually is some licorice extract from the root in the candy, depending on what kind you get, but I'm sure the root itself would be more effective. I've been told that Australian licorice is the best...I'll have to try some

Oh, kimbellgirl.

I think you'll love this one. There is actually ONE dumb question and I've asked it. Many years ago when I was sitting in the playground at my children's school waiting for my kids to find me so we could go home I was sitting and talking with this woman I'd never met before. Her two kids came up to us and I asked her how old they were. She said 7, and that they were twins. I asked her if they were identical? Although the pause only lasted a split second, she gave me a very incredulous look at the same time I got to feel like a complete and utter idiot (not a strong enough word for how stupid I felt actually) as they were a boy and a girl. I thank the gods I was able to laugh and say 'silly me' before she had time to respond. So, that's the only dumb question in the world and I am the only person in the world dumb enough to have asked it. LOL. I still blush when I think of it. Am blushing now. And interestingly is setting off pots flush, heat, sweating and heart rate has quickened.

Blue, you had me laughing out loud...that is too funny. I can definitely relate to the anxiety you are referring to....I have the same problem. It's a little bit of OCDing, which unfortunately also runs in my family, and goes with my personality type!!

[ramakentesh]

Eucommia bark is a natural and mild beta blocker. Doesnt promote hypotension as much .

[jpjd59]

Rama:

Thanks for the info. I read the eucommia bark can lower your blood pressure. Since my daughter does not have high blood pressure, I will ask the doctor about it (I don't know if the doctor has any knowledge about herbal remedies but we'll ask)..

[ramakentesh]

I used to be highly sensitive to licorice - even the candy would give me a boost initially, now less so. Low blood alone can cause feelings of anxiety and panic.

[McBlonde]

By the way, the panicked feeling is normal along with the fight/flight and over reacting, and then the crying is the opposite reaction, when the Autonomic Nervous system isn't regulated properly, so we all feel this way when symptomatic, but I would talk to your doctor, because there are medications that can help with these symptoms, so they aren't so severe, for Blue and Pam...Tachycardia can cause these feelings of panic or overeacting, and the crying could be low blood pressure, too.

I think I've just experienced that. Could you explain a little bit more on how crying is the opposite reaction of flight or fight? Thanks!

[jpjd59]

McBlonde:

I'm so sorry you are experiencing this. I wish I could explain why it happens but I am still trying to figure that out. Maybe Kimbellgirl can elaborate on why this happens.

Stay strong!!!

[issie]

By the way, the panicked feeling is normal along with the fight/flight and over reacting, and then the crying is the opposite reaction, when the Autonomic Nervous system isn't regulated properly, so we all feel this way when symptomatic, but I would talk to your doctor, because there are medications that can help with these symptoms, so they aren't so severe, for Blue and Pam...Tachycardia can cause these feelings of panic or overeacting, and the crying could be low blood pressure, too.

I think I've just experienced that. Could you explain a little bit more on how crying is the opposite reaction of flight or fight? Thanks!

Crying is triggered by the parasympathetic system and the flight or fight by the sympathetic system. I'll let her explain it to you more. Ha!Ha! Just, knew the answer and didn't know when she'd be on the site to answer you back.

[bellgirl]

McBlonde:

I'm so sorry you are experiencing this. I wish I could explain why it happens but I am still trying to figure that out. Maybe Kimbellgirl can elaborate on why this happens.

Stay strong!!!

Thanks Issie, you answered it just right . I go from one extreme to the other...all over the map with this. It is very difficult to explain it, because I don't understand it all either, but I do know that when I was put on Atenolol I became extremely bradycardic, and my blood pressure bottomed out, too, and I literally felt like a slug, and I cried for no apparent reason. I still do this on occasion. I am not depressed, but even being on a new beta blocker, that is keeping my vital signs more stable, I still have this faulty Autonomic Nervous System, and still have a lot of symptoms that I don't understand...like unequal pupils, trouble talking and swallowing, stiffness, major vision issues (no explanation), and bladder spasms, abdominal pain and IBS.

The Sympathetic Nervous System is what causes "Fight/Flight", Dilated pupils, tachycardia and increase in BP and bronchodilation, dizziness/vertigo/seizures, rapid breathing, poor lung perfusion, stimulates glucose release, bladder incontinence, constipation, gastroparesis, tremulousness, stiffness, adrenal surges,Anger/excitement, overstimulation, etc.. The Parasympathetic System is referred to the "Rest/Restore". Constricted pupils, Low heart rate, slow breathing, bronchoconstriction, low B/P's, trouble swallowing, breathing, increase gastric motility, Gerd, bowel spasms, IBS, bladder spasms, adrenal fatigue, blood pooling, fainting, weakness and fatigue, etc. I hope this helps! Hope it is correct, too There are alot of you tube explanations of the Peripheral Nervous System that show diagrams and are easier to understand. I'll try to find one for you...

[jangle]

NE reuptake inhibition would cause anxiety/effective NE surges. By losing the ability to remove NE from the synaptic cleft, your sympathetic nervous system stays activated. (It's activated by NE binding the synapse, gets "deactivated" when the NE leaves the synapse i.e. binding sites.)

Really there are two options.

1.) Reduce NE concentration

2.) Increase NE reuptake.

Option 2 would be most preferable as that's being implicated in causing POTS now.

[issie]

.

[vemee]

I have tried to read this whole thread but I am too add at the moment to cover the whole thing; so I apologize if I start stating something already said.

That said I think this is a marvelous thread. I have a feeling a lot of us suffer with the fight or flight symptoms and are afraid to bring them out because of fear of being thought of as having psych problems. That is my feeling anyway. Before I was diagnosed with pots I was sent to a psychiartrist because my symptoms were considered caused by depression. I did not feel depressed at the time. When I was given a tricyclic norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor I crashed big time into anxiety and then when I marked off work into depression. No connection was made that the desipermine they had given me could have been the cause of my problem. So I spent many years on antidepressants. Of course when my pots got worse, possibly due to a chemical exposure at a fire, it was again blamed on anxiety and depression. I was a firefighter and had to retire. Fortunately I went to Cleveland Clinic and got diagnosed and eventually I got away from the psych aspect.

My daughter also has pots and her first symptoms were severe anxiety, crying and even a halucination. She was in eighth grade at the time and had to be taken out and have a teacher for homebound kids teach her that year. I gave her a poor man's tilt test and found she had pots but we didn't know if it was caused by the medication or by actual pots at the time. She was finally diagnosed when she was 18 and we found a great specialist.

I also remember in college that I went through a couple of years where I did not seem as emotionally solid as I normally was. It was during this time that a lot of pots symptoms such as brain fog became worse. I went through Marine Officer Candidate School and on hot days I could not keep up but on cloudy or cooler days I had no problems. Brain fog got me into a lot of trouble there.

I read an article about norepinephrine and aggression which seems to fit the bill for what I went through. The study suggests that high levels of norepinephrine lead to agression. Also significant changes in norepinephrine levels either up or down in a short time can also cause aggression. This is the fight part of the fight or flight syndrome. This link is a summary to the article. I am sure is much more information on the subject now.http://www.scitopics.com/Norepinephrine_and_Aggression.html.

I was interested about the comment made about butchers broom. I did not know it raised norepinephrine levels; that is the last thing I need since my levels at Vanderbilt were 450 resting and over 2100 standing (499 being the upper reference limit). My doctor is great and an expert in the field but I wish he would give me something to reduce the norepinephrine. He feels that if the pooling can be gotten under control the levels will go down. It makes sense but nothing seems to work to control the pooling. I would love to go through a day feeling relaxed. When I was tested for a pheo at NIH my resting levels were 585. The high levels was because I had been put back on cymbalta. Vanderbilt was my natural levels drug free and while on a controled diet.

For those who are going or who have a loved one going through the severe anxiety that is disabling like my daughter did; it does eventually get better and their bodies adjust to the changes pots causes. I does take time though. My daughter is about ready to graduate from college with almost a 4.0 average. This is a long way from the way she was when she first got pots and was in a horrible way.