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Anxiety, who why what???

SDSue

Southeast
Messages
1,066
I'm willing to bet there's already a thread dedicated to anxiety. If so, could someone please point me in that direction? Thanks.

If not ………

Who has anxiety?
Why do so many of us suffer with it?
What do you do about it?
 

minkeygirl

But I Look So Good.
Messages
4,678
Location
Left Coast
I had anxiety long before i got sick. I remember as a kid having anxiety and sleep issues. I think some are hereditary for me since there are some psychological issues in my family on both sides. I think this magnifies things for me at least.

Mine seems to be situational now so when something happens I lose my mind and then settle down. I did just discover that Lyrica helps with my anger but I won't take it all the time because it makes me want to eat non-stop.

I didn't find a forum specific to anxiety but maybe in the General Symptoms or Hormones?
 

Helen

Senior Member
Messages
2,243
I'm willing to bet there's already a thread dedicated to anxiety. If so, could someone please point me in that direction? Thanks.

If not ………

Who has anxiety?
Why do so many of us suffer with it?
What do you do about it?

Hi SDSue,

Often COMT-mutations are told here to be connected to anxiety. I have no problem at all with anxiety and have 5 mutations out of 6 possible of the three most tested. ( These SNP´s are also told to cause problems with methylgroups and methylcobalamin. I have no problems with MeCbl. Have taken injections every second day for years).

I am also MAO++ that is mentioned with psychological issues. No problems with that, have lots of others ;).

I am really sorry to read about all who are suffering from anxiety. Me too have wondered why. Anxiety must be very hard on top of everything. Could it be connected to methylation issues and lack of substances like folates and B12 ? FWIW.
 

Sushi

Moderation Resource Albuquerque
Messages
19,935
Location
Albuquerque
I'm willing to bet there's already a thread dedicated to anxiety. If so, could someone please point me in that direction? Thanks.

If not ………

Who has anxiety?
Why do so many of us suffer with it?
What do you do about it?

My guess is that it has to do with neurotransmitters screw-ups, which can be related to gut function, autonomic dysfunction and probably other things. @Hip started a thread about it here. It is a long thread (haven't read it for a while) so probably anxiety was discussed in depth.

Sushi
 

Mary

Moderator Resource
Messages
17,335
Location
Southern California
Get your cortisol levels checked - if they're high, it causes anxiety (and vice versa - anxiety can cause high cortisol). The Adrenal Stress Index Test is very good for this, it's a saliva test in which you take 4 samples throughout the day/evening so one can see how your levels rise and fall. If they're high at the wrong time, Seriphos (non-prescription - phosphorylated serine) is excellent for normalizing them. High cortisol at night can cause severe insomnia (I've had it) and Seriphos helped with this enormously.

Also, niacin is recommended for anxiety. It helps stimulate the GABA receptors in the brain. Since I've started taking niacin I've been sleeping better. I think it makes the l-theanine I take much more effective.

And of course meditation is very good for anxiety.

Mary
 

justy

Donate Advocate Demonstrate
Messages
5,524
Location
U.K
I have LOW cortisol and have had severe anxiety. Mine was always worse when I was overdoing and more resting certainly helped. I also had severe anxiety issues after one dose of SSRI that lasted for over 2 years.

I think Hips thread above is certainly full of useful information on supplements to help with anxiety
 

SDSue

Southeast
Messages
1,066
Thanks all. I knew it had to have been addressed many times, just didn't see thread with anxiety in the title on my cursory search. @Kina is there a way to search thread titles, as I seem to get so many hits with just the word - and there are MANY of those lol!

@justy SSRI's undid me, too. Of course, I was told that "we never see that" and treated like a fool. Sigh :)

My cortisol is normal in the am and high in the afternoon and evening. And sure enough, that's when my anxiety hits. I'll look into Seriphos. Thanks @Mary.
 

xchocoholic

Senior Member
Messages
2,947
Location
Florida
I don't know if it's been said here but anxiety and hypoglycemia can feel the same. Dr Myhill states that many of her pwcs have chronic hypoglycemia. She recommends the paleo diet. None of the diets for this worked for me tho. But that's just me. I'm a celiac with hyperinsuliemia so glucose regulation problems are expected.

Treating for hypoglycemia should tell you which you're dealing with within 20 minutes.

Tc .. x
 

Little Bluestem

All Good Things Must Come to an End
Messages
4,930
One theory is that ME involves an up-regulated autonomic nervous system. That feels a lot like anxiety. It is probably discussed in Hip's thread liked above, but if not, benzodiazepines are usually used to treat it.
 

Mary

Moderator Resource
Messages
17,335
Location
Southern California
SD Sue - re Seriphos - I found it works best when taken in the morning, even though cortisol levels may be high late in the day or in the evening. It has to do with circadian rhythms, I don't know the physiology.

Getting the right dose was trial and error - found that I initially needed a rather high dose 8 capsules a day (4 capsules 2 x a day on an empty stomach, once before breakfast and then mid-morning). I felt calmer almost immediately and also started sleeping better very quickly. But it doesn't drug you. After a few months found I was getting extra tired and realized my cortisol levels were going too low, so I cut back. I stayed at a lower dose (3 or so a day) for a long time and finally am off of it.

Mary
 

SOC

Senior Member
Messages
7,849
@SDSue, Just on the off-chance ---
Are you confident it's true anxiety? Tachycardia is often misinterpreted as anxiety -- your heart starts pounding which makes you feel worried/anxious, but it's not anxiety that will be treatable by anxiety meds.
 

aquariusgirl

Senior Member
Messages
1,732
Treating mycotoxins is making me more aware I have an anxiety problem .....I am not sure if it is helping....maybe
 

Misfit Toy

Senior Member
Messages
4,178
Location
USA
Hey @SDSue ! I have anxiety. I used to have high cortisol and I was not as anxious as I am now with low cortisol. Everyone is different. With high cortisol...I was tired, but I had major adrenaline and felt like fighting!!! It was a better place to be. Confrontations bring on major anxiety.

I did horrible on seriphos...it made me push out cortisol left and right. The whole rebound affect. BUT..L-Serine helped me big time. Niacin can also help but makes my skin crawl and hot. Don't love that.

Natural Lithium that you find from a health store helps my anxiety. Ativan ...I love. Valium in small doses and I am another who cannot take SSRI's at all. Even on Remeron...if something went awry in my life...my anxiety would come flying in. I am convinced for me it's adrenals and hormones. I also have super low DHEA.

Good old chamomile tea can calm me down.

It's so many reasons. This illness just makes us sick. Gut issues, brain issues, hormone issues...HPA axis issues. I would say that is the biggest. When I methylate..like so many love here...I become WORSE. So anxious. To me MTHFR stands for a major curse word!

SOC is right. I have a murmur and tachycardia. I take Atenolol and it calms heart down and anxiety dissipates.
 

Soundthealarm21

Senior Member
Messages
420
Location
Dallas, TX
@SDSue
Anxiety, panic attacks, and depression is how my illness manifested to being with. I have since found ways to combat it and now only rarely have it, as opposed to 24/7 which was torture.

These things have helped tremendously and have an immediate effect:

Increase the amount of fat in your diet drastically
Diaphragmatic breathing (belly breathing)
Balance oil (High amounts of Omega 6 and 3) http://www.bodybio.com/storeproduct353.aspx
Inositol
Electrolytes
L-Theanine
GABA
 

SDSue

Southeast
Messages
1,066
One theory is that ME involves an up-regulated autonomic nervous system. That feels a lot like anxiety. It is probably discussed in Hip's thread liked above, but if not, benzodiazepines are usually used to treat it.
My ANS is a mess, as evidenced by POTS, etc, but I'm so afraid of benzos. It'd be just my luck to end up with horrid withdrawal on top of this stupid disease. Do people take tiny doses?
@SDSue, Just on the off-chance ---
Are you confident it's true anxiety? Tachycardia is often misinterpreted as anxiety -- your heart starts pounding which makes you feel worried/anxious, but it's not anxiety that will be treatable by anxiety meds.
I wish I knew, SOC. I'm willing to keep trying anything until I get a handle on this. The midodrine is keeping my RHR down around 55 - I almost am starting to wonder if the anxiety comes when it dips into 40's? It's too confusing.
Hey @SDSueI did horrible on seriphos...it made me push out cortisol left and right. The whole rebound affect. BUT..L-Serine helped me big time. Niacin can also help but makes my skin crawl and hot. Don't love that.

Natural Lithium that you find from a health store helps my anxiety. Ativan ...I love. Valium in small doses and I am another who cannot take SSRI's at all. Even on Remeron...if something went awry in my life...my anxiety would come flying in. I am convinced for me it's adrenals and hormones. I also have super low DHEA.

SOC is right. I have a murmur and tachycardia. I take Atenolol and it calms heart down and anxiety dissipates.
My next stop is a cardiologist so I guess I'll know more. But I dare not mention anxiety - I think we can all predict how that will go.

I wish I had a clue. There are soooo many pieces to this anxiety puzzle, so I'm left with trial and error. I wonder what L-serine is??? I took 2 GABA earlier tonight - no effect. Have tried Lithium orotate - no effect. I guess niacin is on the menu tomorrow. Or inositol, as per @Soundthealarm21 . (it's amazing how many of these things we all have at hand - desperation will do that to a person!)

I really appreciate all the good suggestions!
 

Sushi

Moderation Resource Albuquerque
Messages
19,935
Location
Albuquerque
@SDSue

I don't have suggestions but just a personal report that the tendency toward anxiety has disappeared (without direct treatment), through treating ME. Hope it happens for you.

Sushi
 

Little Bluestem

All Good Things Must Come to an End
Messages
4,930
My ANS is a mess, as evidenced by POTS, etc, but I'm so afraid of benzos. It'd be just my luck to end up with horrid withdrawal on top of this stupid disease. Do people take tiny doses?
I am not sure about other people's doses. I take a 'lowish' but not 'tiny' dose of generic Xanax (.25 mg x 5). I started with 1 dose and worked up. Once I reached an effective dose, it has not changed in years.

While some people do undeniably have a bad time with Xanax, I think that it's addictiveness is exaggerated. Years ago I asked a psychiatrist how it's addictiveness compared with alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine. He said it was less addictive than alcohol and nicotine, and he did not know how it compared to caffeine.


Have tried Lithium orotate - no effect.
How long did you try the lithium orotate? Are you sure it had no effect.

In the past I was skipping most of my supplements on Sundays. At one point I was getting 'edgy' (my word for my autonomic nervous system symptoms) on those Sundays. Since lithium orotate was my most recent addition, I suspected it. When I added it on Sunday I felt better that day.

I did not think I was feeling better after after adding the lithium orotate. I had continued to take it because it is also supposed to help with B12 absorption. It was only after stopping it that I noticed the difference.
 

ahmo

Senior Member
Messages
4,805
Location
Northcoast NSW, Australia
Along w/ Sushi, my ongoing healing process has shifted my anxiety symptoms. Prior to ME I would describe myself as 'high strung', like my grandmother. But in the 2 years of deterioration before I discovered GAPS, my CNS was aflame. The only description I could find to fit was Overactive Autonomic System. I'd been using GABA and glycine for a few years, and then began hypothalamus, adrenal, and pituitary glandulars, which became my new life support system. Almost immediately the hypothalamus stopped me from hyperventilating every time I heard a mechanical noise or entered a hot car.

3 days after eliminating gluten and dairy, there was a huge shift, a palpable relaxation. (by the second week my Dupytrens Contractures had also released) The next big shift was about 6 months later when I supplemented for pyroluria. (Zinc, P5P, manganese, selenium) This was less a physical relief, but a remission in the negative self-talk, a shift into feeling interested in the challenge of learning about methylation, instead of totally overwhelmed.

Lithium stopped me from bursting into tears at every sad story. B12/folate, after about 6 months, made the life-long insomnia disappear, and finally a feeling of calm. Detox helped many physical things incrementally, and then after a big elimination in May, clearly involving my adrenals, the trinity of irritability, agitation, low threshold for frustration resolved. I'd engaged in every therapy imaginable to conquer these traits, and here it was, not even primarily my brain, but my adrenals driving the show. I now know I need a coffee enema when I'm feeling irritable, instead of living in it as my default setting. I was able to stop the adrenal glandulars at this point.

About 3 months ago I became aware of how much my mind was chattering. I have been a long-term meditator, and found this level of inner noise out of control. I began Dr. Theoharides' Neuroprotek, and it worked brilliantly, eliminating the need for hypothalamus and pituitary glandulars. I've found that if I'm awake at 3AM w/ a chattering mind, thankfully a rare event now, I can take a Neuroprotek and be ready to sleep w/in 15 minutes. I'm needing much smaller doses than he suggests are necessary, 1 AM/PM.

I've been introducing low dose naltrexone in minute doses over the last week. And again, another shift, greater depth of resilience, in spite of the broken sleep it introduced. I've just been engaged in rearranging my space, shifting all my belongings, including some physical effort, and 3 nights in a row w/ poor sleep. When the arrangement didn't work how I'd intended, I had a cry to my DH, but was then able to get on w/ creating a new plan, putting in 4 hours of physical work, w/o any emotional hang over or anxious feelings. This had to have been related to the effects of LDN, presumably relieving some brain inflammation.

Healing the symptoms of anxiety during the past 2.5 years of my healing has been a revelation. At each step I'm pushed to reflect upon how big of a burden I was living under in a lifetime of B12/folate deficiency, under-corrected hypothyroid, inadequate minerals, and inflammation. especially due to gluten antibodies. Also, histamines and ammonia from sulfur/high thiol foods. The GAPS diet is more than gluten and dairy free. It also includes high saturated fat content for healing both gut and brain :balanced:

Freddd has returned to post, and just posted this response re anxiety yesterday:
http://forums.phoenixrising.me/inde...lerances-cbs-and-sulfation.27828/#post-482736
The anxiety and panic attacks may be telling you something about your neurological health. In many people that have anxiety and panic attacks along with the FMS/CFS symptoms in general may have some limbic system (parts of brain) damage apparently caused by AdoCbl/LCF insufficiencies in the brain by not producing enough ATP which also hinders dopamine production. Some foods (specific nutrients) can cause large mood swings in anxiety and panic possibly followed by anger and depression. When accompanied by MeCbl insufficiencies the symptoms can be much worse. Starting up these damaged areas with nutrients can cause all sorts of reactions and needs to be approached carefully.

I hope you're getting some useful hints from this thread. :hug:
 
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SDSue

Southeast
Messages
1,066
How long did you try the lithium orotate? Are you sure it had no effect.
Great question. This is why I need to circle back thru the supplement bin every once in a while :rolleyes:
I hope you're getting some useful hints from this thread. :hug:
Thanks so much to you and all the others who are helping. I am getting some great hints and direction.

I have been on Neuroprotek for about 2 months. Initially I thought I felt something, but now I'm not so sure. It's too expensive for "not sure". As @Little Bluestem says, sometimes the best way to tell if something is helping is to stop taking it. It also has sunflower lecithin in it, which is a no-no for my G6PD (just found that out). Because I'm triple cursed on those genes it's important to take heed (according to Sterling).

It's interesting that you mention gluten. I'm normally quite careful but occasionally I slip up and notice a big upswing in anxiety and obsessing, neither of which I had prior to illness - makes me wonder what other food intolerances might be at play here.

I should start LDN at my next visit to INIM. Hopefully that will help, too? So many pieces to this puzzle, so little time!