Anxiety and Stress Forum - Anxiety? Hypoglycemia? Msg Reaction?

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Q: Anxiety? Hypoglycemia? Msg Reaction?

asked by: RhemaWord on June 25th, 2004

New User

Hi!

I am new to this forum and am wondering is anyone can help me. My symptoms started out of the blue about 6 months ago. One night (while trying to fall asleep) I started to feel extreme anxiety, inability to breathe (esp. Lying down), I felt some tingling in my extremeties, I felt overall dread (like I might be dying), etc. Problem is this "attack" lasted all night (i never got to sleep until 5-6am). Next night - same thing, night after night. Got so bad one night I went to er - was sure it was heart attack - but, no (thank goodness), they said I was "fine". So far, all my blood work has come back "normal". But I don't feel normal.

Finally couldn't take the sleep deprivation anymore so went to doc and have been on klonopin even since. For the most part it keeps my symptoms at bay and I can sleep (praise god!). But I have read so many nasty things about klonopin and I don't want to be dependant. But I sometimes notice symptoms trying to "break-through", even during the day (esp. If I forget a dose). I am irritable and never feel well. Note: i've had fibromylagia for 13 years - so not feeling well is nothing new to me - but these attacks are. My doc assumed I have some sort of anxiety disorder - hence the meds. And yes, I have had a lot of stress in my life over last 5 years - lots. I am almost 44 and had my first baby at the age of 40 - so I (and husband) are raising a preschooler while most of our friend's kids are graduating from high school! Husband has had two back surgeries since january, we were in car wreck 5 years ago (that's when the real bad stress started), the list goes on and on. Bottom line is (without the meds) I feel like I am on an adrenaline "drip" - just constant fight or flight.

But I have been doing some research and I wonder is it really anxiety? Or could it be hypoglycemia or even msg sensitivity. In my research it seems like my symptoms could also be the result of those disorders, too. I am soooo confused. Is it possible for chronic stress to push you into hypoglycemia or anxiety disorder overnight like that? Has anyone else had panic/anxiety symptoms that never go away unless medicated? Has anyone else considered hypoglycemia or msg as the underlying "cause" of the constant anxiety, etc. Symptoms?

If anyone has any ideas i'd be so appreciative to hear them. Thanks for reading my long post. P.S. How do you get the emoticons into your post?

Thanks,
rhemaword

Replies(6)

purple333

replied on June 26th, 2004

Extremely eHealthy

Easy stuff first, there should be a bunch of about 20 emoticons to the left of the white screen you write on to post a message, just click on one & it comes up in the body of your message where the line (for the next letter) is. :d

no, I haven't considered those as causes, but as everyone is different perhaps you could try a diet specific to each of these problems (msg & hypoglyceamia) & if the break through symptoms decrease then you could try reducing the meds (slowly) & see what happens. Remember though that natural alternatives (including diet) take up to 2 months to show improvements. Sad

having had alot of health problems etc etc, including a daughter at 33 & a son at 39 1/2 (he's now 9 & hell on wheels pretty much 24/7) I have some idea of the situation you're in & frankly insomnia, anxiety, stress, depression etc is hardly surprising. A pre-schooler at your age & with health issues for both you & your husband is enough on its own to cause these problems. Confused

Below are some things which might help, you, husband & also dealing with your son. Wink

1) ces machines (about $200-300 worth it in reduction of symptoms & savings in cost of meds) you use these twice a day for about 60 minutes & they help all of the symtoms you describe & some others inc. Pain (for your husband) - so he might be able to get some relief & reduce cost of his meds too!! :d try dynamind.Com

2) some natural supplements/vitamins to help with stress reduction etc etc inc. Vitamin b's, gingko, sam-e, 5htp(tryptophan), dhea.

3) you possibly need some fresh air (i saw you mentioned that you exercise but is it relaxing??) try walking & maybe take your son with you & spend some time at a park sometimes, this should help tire him as well as giving him time with you!! Exercise never tired either of my kids but people tell me it can work!! Rolling Eyes

he (& you by getting time out & maybe meeting people closer your age who also have young kids - if you're lucky) might also benefit from joining a sport group, my son plays cricket, soccer & football. Or your son might prefer to learn music?

Anyway, goodluck.

vickiew

replied on July 17th, 2004

New User

I am so glad that someone else has expressed concern over msg and their anxiety. I went to an allergist this past spring and found out that I was sensitive to msg, citric acid and refined sugar. I have been working at eliminating them from my diet and I have seen an improvement. However, as you probably already know, eliminating msg out of your diet is extremely difficult. It is in everything! I encourage you to see an allergist and to do more research about msg. I know that you can't believe everything you read, but what I have come across about msg is very alarming. Let me know if you have any success!

Coffee0ooYummy

replied on July 19th, 2004

New User

Adrenaline "drip"

You say that you seem to be on an adrenaline drip at times. Do you mean that there are times where you are just go go go? Do you feel at times like you could take on the world? Feel stronger than normal? Do you also suffer from depression? If so you might be bipolar. I am bipolar and I have anxiety and there is a good possibility I am also add. You need to let your doctor know about the highs you are having too. Because if you are bipolar you need to be medicated correctly. During a high I can put my family in financial ruin. I will spend all money we have and then feel bad about it later on and then try to take as much back as I can. How do you explain to the store manager oh there is nothing wrong with it, I was just having an high and now I have come crashing down and I realize I dont need these things. Can I please have my money back? Lol

I am on celexa and depakote for my bipolar. The celexa keeps me from goin to low and the depakote keeps me from goin to high. If I were on the celexa alone I would have highs all the time, so the depakote keeps that from happening. Hope I have helped in some way. Feel free to message me if you wanna talk. Huuuuuuugs. Bren

evmaya

replied on December 1st, 2007

New User

Hypoglyceamia And Sleeplessness

I got hypoglyceamia during pregnancy...it may have been stress induced as my house burnt down and my horse drowned. It went undiagnosed and made me feel very anxious so much so that I couldnt sleep at night or stop my mind from anxious thoughts. It was so bad that for 2 days I felt suicidal and I have never experienced bad thoughts in my life. Well I was very lucky because I didnt take medication and saw an incredible homeopath who sorted me out within a few months on natural medicine and then I ate all of the right foods BUT after finding out about hypoglyceamia it was very clear the symptoms I was experiencing before an attack but the nights were different story. I feel really sorry for you and hope that it will pass. If you want to contact my homeopath write to me at

No personal information allowed.

Carrie
Moderating Team

foxforce5

replied on December 1st, 2007

Experienced User

The same thing happened to me. Woke up in the middle of night having 'panic attack'. I had always had mild hypo so I thought that this was what I was having. Had some food & juice and I would feel better. But, I kept getting these attacks and ended up in the ER. I was told too that I was normal. Went to a bunch of doctors all said nothing was wrong may be some stress. I researched both hypo & anxiety and decided to go on a strict hypo diet cuz did not think it really could be anxiety could cause all these problems. That was 2 months of hell and I did not feel any better. I ended going to a ND who diagnosed me with Candida. Went on that diet ( even stricter than a hypo diet) plus colonics and started to feel a lot better - anxiety & mild depression had lifted. What a relief.
About 3 weeks ago the 'attacks' came back and started feeling really bad all over again. I finally decided that I might not have Candida but actually anxiety induced hypoglycemia as you mentioned. Once I accepted this, I have been able to turn this around and get my anxiety under control (without meds). Another note, my ND found my cortisol levels to be high ( I was a basket case worried that I think I created that problem myself). I got some natural medicine for that (phosphatidylserine) and that helped almost immediately. EvMAYA - What natural medicine did you get put on? Hope you feel better soon!

jchartr1

replied on December 2nd, 2007

New User

I am hypoglycemic and have been suffering from anxiety for a while. I have always had more worries than I probably should, but I only started having severe anxiety and panic attacks a few months ago. I also started feeling really weak a few months ago and I got tested for diabetes but found out that I am just suffering from hypoglycemia. I find that whenever my sugar levels get low I start to feel very anxious, so I think that it is plausible that hypoglycemia may contribute to anxiety disorder. My doctor put me on 20 mg of prozac and it has been amazing, and I am currently in the process of changing my diet to keep my sugar levels balanced. Perhaps the diet change will do more good than the meds, but for now I am just not sure so I'll continue to take the prozac for a while. I personally think prozac is a wonderful drug to treat depression and anxiety because it has been on the market for a long time and it's side effects and long term effects are well known. If you are seriously worried about the meds you are on and don't think you can be without some kind of medication, I would talk to your doctor about changing to prozac.

*edit* Wow I didn't realize that the original post for this was in 2004...Ah well, I gave my 2 cents anyway.

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