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Anxiety/panic attacks before coming down with CFS

Mrparadise

Senior Member
Messages
119
@ljimbo423 Many thanks again for your response! I took Rifaximin once but didn't notice any benefits. Actually I want to try it out again anytime soon though. Do you take the herbs on a daily basis?
 

splusholia

Senior Member
Messages
240
I did. I was in fight or flight mode before I got ill. Suddenly very anxious. I had no history of mental illness. Then sickness symptoms made me more panicky. I had to take medication to calm down in the end.
 

splusholia

Senior Member
Messages
240
@Littleantlers Thats pretty interesting because that was my onset as well. Was there anything that helped you so far?[/QUOTE]

Things that have helped have included addressing nutrient deficiencies, working on gut health, and stress avoidance (hard!). I had to take antidepressants at first just to calm down my anxiety. But I believe the anxiety was partly from inflammation, so using diet and supplements to reduce that helped. I’m not recovered, but no longer anxious.
 

Mrparadise

Senior Member
Messages
119
@Littleantlers Thanks for replying! I suppose getting rid of your anxiety caused your stress levels to go down and improved your CFS symptoms a bit - is that true? By how much would you say that you improved? And which antidepressant has helped you the most if I may ask?
 

splusholia

Senior Member
Messages
240
@Littleantlers Thanks for replying! I suppose getting rid of your anxiety caused your stress levels to go down and improved your CFS symptoms a bit - is that true? By how much would you say that you improved? And which antidepressant has helped you the most if I may ask?

Well basically before I got ill are used to work as a medical professional. I had just graduated. And I remembered reading research that showed people who had a strong mood had a better chance of recovery from the majority of illnesses. So I worked on my mood first which gave me the motivation and hope that I could recover from CFS. I took amytriptiline (sorry, wrong spelling I think!) which helped my sleep and anxiety. I also meditated, and took calming supplements (I like ionic magnesium and thiamine). Then I worked on the gut. I’m still not sure of the cause of my CFS but my logic is that I need to strengthen my body whatever the cause. I was a very severe case – 100% bedridden and unable to care for myself. I’m not ‘cured’ now but I am living independently and my quality of life is much improved. I think working on my gut really improves my mood, too.
 
Messages
18
I had severe unrelenting anxiety with panic attacks since as far back as I can remember. I definitely think it wore my body down and made me more susceptible to illnesses, and eventually developing CFS.

I no longer have it as of almost two years. The primary driver for me is a strong sensitivity to dietary amines (histamines, tyramines etc) and glutamate, closely followed by effects of severe streptococcal bowel overgrowth. I had a massive permanent decrease in anxiety following ampicillin to treat the strep.

These two driving factors also appear to have disrupted my ability to absorb and manage nutrients, because I also had significant decreases in anxiety when supplementing melatonin, tryptophan, niacin and high doses of Zinc. I need to take these continuously otherwise I backslide, but its never ever as bad as the old days (shudder). Unless I eat histamines/glutamates, well then...