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
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.
