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How to Turn Down the Fight/Flight Response?

Cort

Phoenix Rising Founder
Clearly for me - turning down that 'motor' that always seems to be running or the state of 'arousal' in my body is important for my health. But how to do that? I can think of some ways but I'm sure there are others:

  • Amygdala Retraining Program
  • Meditational type activities/Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction/Taking a Stand on Happiness , neurofeedback, breathing exercises
  • Massage
  • Reduced activity levels
  • Klonopin
  • Adaptogens (for some people)
  • Anti-anxiety drugs
It comes to mind that infections could trigger an ongoing immune response. Immune modulators could, I suppose, help too. I've heard that stimulants such as Provigil can actually calm some people down.

Any other ideas? Aromatherapy?
 

Jody

Senior Member
Messages
4,636
Location
Canada
For some, dietary changes can turn off some of the chatter -- maybe grains, sugar, dairy, the big groupings.

A little number called Rescue Remedy, comes in ointment or oral drops, can cut down the physical side of panic, anxiety or what I call nervous system chatter. It's written about online if you're curious, or ask me. :)

This take a while but can help some people, omega 3 oil, because it is needed to slick down every cell in our bodies and aids in our nervous system messaging.

All I can think of right now.
 

Frickly

Senior Member
Messages
1,049
Location
Texas
Calmplex2000

This is an herbal remedy. Two of these capsules help me to sleep well. One does promote a feeling of calmness during the day. This has been used for children with ADHD, autism and other disorders for many years. I got it for my son but he could not take it because the combination with his other meds caused too much drowsiness. I started taking it and like it alot. I have been thinking much about the fight or flight response and how it is related to my illness. Jodies blog made me think harder. I have alot to say on this subject but don't think I can put all my thoughts together tonight.
 

Jody

Senior Member
Messages
4,636
Location
Canada
Frickly,

Which blog post do you mean?

If that's going to involve more thinking than you're up to tonight, let it pass for now. :)
 

Frickly

Senior Member
Messages
1,049
Location
Texas
Jody

Yes it involves too much thinking.:D You posted a link somewhere that took me to your description of circadian rhythm and some other topics. Was this your blog or just a link to something else. I thought it was your blog. I will have to go back and look tomorrow. It was very interesting if I can ever find it again.:rolleyes:
 

Jody

Senior Member
Messages
4,636
Location
Canada
Frickly,

Your brain is correct. :) That sounds like me.

Don't worry about going into it tonight I know how it can be believe me. Even on these forums I often am frustrated that I have something I want to say, but ... brain can't access it right, the energy and clarity just isn't there.

No sweat.

I just wondered which of my bazillion posts or articles and whatever you were referring to. :D

I think you might be talking about an article about Ultradian rhythms. I do mention circadian rhythms in the beginning of it. It is from my website http://www.ncubator.ca.

If it's what I think it is, the article is http://www.ncubator.ca/Time_Ultradian.html
 

Frickly

Senior Member
Messages
1,049
Location
Texas
Well.....

I used to be able to have an intelligent conversation. Really...I did! Yes, that was it and there were some others but my mind is blank and I am going to force my children into bed so I can finally relax. Good night.
 

Jody

Senior Member
Messages
4,636
Location
Canada
Frickly,

You're still able to have an intelligent conversation. I know, I've read some of 'em. Just not all the time. Just like the rest of us. :)

Get those kids out of your hair, and have yourself some rest.

Good night. :)
 

Lisa

Senior Member
Messages
453
Location
Western Washington
Cort,

First things to come to mind for calming down the fight/flight response are two that have been useful to me.

1. Light Yoga. I can't do very much, its actually just the five minute warm-up from when I used to do it more. At this point, I have done this one routine so many times that I can let my brain clear and my body breathe. The moving helps get the oxygen further into the areas needed and nearly every time I feel at least a little more calm/less painful.

We have modified the routine from mostly standing up to easily done while sitting in any position where your arms can move freely. Have also gotten it down to a bare 2 minute thing that can be done on the most tired of days.

2. Vitamin C mixed with GABA. I have lots allergies to nearly everything in life so tend to have a lot of trouble breathing through my nose often. When I am unable to have at least one nostril to breath through easily, I will start getting very fight/flightish in response to feeling like I'm suffocating. Breathing through my mouth doesn't make a difference to this - its breath through the nose or feel like I'm suffocating.

I'll use either powdered Vitamin C or open a capsule if that is what we have currently and add an opened capsule of GABA, mix with water and drink. Within minutes I start feeling hugely better.

This works not only for allergy related things but also for other times I start feeling myself getting ramped up similarly. I am really bad at taking GABA unless I overtly need it, but I have heard it is good to take for calming effects in general. It also helps to relax me some before bed if I am feeling really restless.

Lisa :)
 

R**

Senior Member
Messages
121
Have any of you experienced an antihistimine bringing down fight or flight?

When my sister was sick, she talked about histimine releases being a problem.

Recently.. crazy feeling in my chest.. revved up, anxious.. finally I thought this feels like a histimine reaction. Took half dose benedryl and things calmed down.

I wonder if the histimine release is part of the dysfunction or to something in the environment recently.

GABA is good for glutimate excess as well, and glutimates have to push F or F. Wondering if I need this and Vit C as well...
 

Wayne

Senior Member
Messages
4,300
Location
Ashland, Oregon
Far Infrared (FIR) Saunas - Bioc

Hi Cort, Hi All,

Thought I'd add a couple things to the mix here. I just started doing regular Far Infrared (FIR) saunas (every 2-3 days) at a local health spa. I feel I've gotten a number of benefits from doing these, but interestingly, one thing I always seem to notice afterward is that an "edge" has been lifted from my body (and psyche). I think that would probably be similar to saying these saunas slow my motor down.

Another therapy that works well for me is something called biocircuits. This link

http://www.biocircuits.info/index_files/biocircuits2.htm

will take you to a site that explains more about them. I've actually read at least two testimonials who both said their fibromyalgia had been significantly improved using them.

I might just add a third item here. I purchased a microcurrent device last year called the Alpha-Stim 100. It's a portable device that has a couple of clips you connect to your earlobes and sends out a gentle electrical impulse. This device was approved by the FDA around 30 years ago. It was approved for addressing things like anxiety, depression, insomnia, etc.

I read a testimonial by a woman whose mother lived in assisted living and whose dementia was worsening to the point where she was having angry outbursts. She decided to have her mother try using the Alpha-Stim to calm her down and it worked extremely well. I've posted a fair amount about my own personal experience on another forum, and would be happy to do some cutting and pasting if anybody had any further interest.

Best, Wayne
 

mojoey

Senior Member
Messages
1,213
alpha-stim

I agree with Wayne. I borrowed one from my doctor, and it helped so much with the PNS that I would wear it the whole time I was driving. My doc even wears it every night to fall asleep
 

Lisa

Senior Member
Messages
453
Location
Western Washington
After writing this last night, Jeremy reminded me of another thing we do sometimes to calm the system down. When it is a chemical causing us to feel too wired up and freaky we will use a Perque Hydroxy B-12 which will bring us back down significantly.

It doesn't seem to do the same head clearing and calming on a day to day basis, but when we have to go to town or if a neighbor seems to be using herbicides then it will help to keep the head clear and body calmer.

Lisa :)
 

Sushi

Moderation Resource Albuquerque
Messages
19,935
Location
Albuquerque
Have any of you experienced an antihistimine bringing down fight or flight?...

Recently.. crazy feeling in my chest.. revved up, anxious.. finally I thought this feels like a histimine reaction. Took half dose benedryl and things calmed down. I wonder if the histimine release is part of the dysfunction or to something in the environment recently.

Histamine is a player here. I know it shows up screwy on many people's lab tests, also know methylation affects it, but don't know the biochemistry to say how.

Re: the benedryl, that particular antihistamine also is known to make many sleepy, so it may be affecting the CNS in other ways than as an antihistamine.

Sushi
 

R**

Senior Member
Messages
121
ah.. thank you..

Histamine is a player here. I know it shows up screwy on many people's lab tests, also know methylation affects it, but don't know the biochemistry to say how.

Re: the benedryl, that particular antihistamine also is known to make many sleepy, so it may be affecting the CNS in other ways than as an antihistamine.

Sushi
 

Wayne

Senior Member
Messages
4,300
Location
Ashland, Oregon
Chemical Exposure Story

Hi Cort, Hi All,

I had a chemical exposure experience a couple years ago that gave me some insight into some of my own hyper-reactivity. I posted about it on another board and thought I'd paste it below.

Lisa, I too have had good success with using Perque B-12 to calm down my system. The trick is to remember to use it when necessary.

Best to All, Wayne
..................................................

Hi revicg,

I’ve had extreme MCS/EI in the past but I’ve improved somewhat over time. I’ve wondered a lot as to how a person could be so sensitive to such small amounts of exposure. I had an experience about a year ago that gave me some insight (for myself).

I was in the waiting room of the chiropractor/naturopath I go to who also does cranial sacral therapy. Before I knew it, his wife was spraying some “spot remover” on the carpet in the hallway. At the same time she was musing “Hmmm, I just remembered that some people can be sensitive to things like this”.

Well, about the time I started to reel from it, the doctor came out and escorted me into his office. I told him I could still smell the chemicals and I was getting sicker by the moment and getting so dizzy I absolutely had to leave.

He persuaded me to go with him into a back room that was still clear. I was very reluctant to do so because I did not want to waste a cranial/sacral session at a time when I was feeling extremely ill. I’m glad I did however, because within seconds of him putting his hands on my head, my symptoms began to wane almost immediately. Most symptoms were gone within a minute. I could hardly believe it as an exposure such as that would normally take me at least hours to start recovering from and sometimes days to get back my equilibrium.

What I learned is that the exposures I experience seem to primarily affect me neurologically. And I’ve come to believe that so many of symptoms we with CFS/FM deal with are neurological symptoms. Dr. Jay Goldstein’s drug therapy seems to have been specifically developed to alter/modulate neurological responses.

More natural therapies such as the cranial/sacral I mentioned and some of the NAET experiences others have shared seem to also modulate neurological responses. It appears in most cases that these all seem to be palliative measures and have to be continued indefinately to sustain any improvement we may experience. My goal is to try to correct what is making me have such extreme neurological responses in the first place. To that end, I am slowly starting the methylation cycle block therapy.

Regards, Wayne

P.S. I had an experience a couple of months ago where some cooking done in the house was bothering me on a particularly sensitive day for me. Hours and hours later when I no longer was smelling it at all in the house, I kept waking up in the night smelling it over and over again.

Felt like another indication to me that this is primarily neurological, with "imprints" being able to linger around long after one removes themselves from the exposure. Massaging up and down my spine seems to relieve some of these episodes for me.
 

R**

Senior Member
Messages
121
EFT: I feel a release almost every time I tap cheekbone and upper lip. Dont know what these areas represent... I'm not sure how long the results last, esp when only doing a round or two tops.

Robin
 
Messages
97
Location
an island in Florida
Gaba

Thank you for the GABA tip. I have been having a flare of the heebie jeebies, or the overwired body lately. It is worse this week, not better as I thought it would be even though I have cut back on my activities.
I do have GABA and I will try it tonight. I'm waking up every morning about 2 hours earlier than I want to, which means I know I need at least 2 more hours of sleep, with my stomach doing flipflops.