Cure for panic attacks and insomnia?

[rafter]

I am 53 (god, I hate it when I have to say that) Off and on over the past year I have had bouts of panic attacks and insomnia in the middle of the night.
Last year I read about how inocitol would help..I started taking 1 right before bed and it has helped a lot.
The past 2 weeks every night outside of a couple I have had panic attacks and then up for hours in the middle of the night. Usually I sleep 2-4 hours, then wide awake for 2-4 hours, then sleep again for a couple hours. I go to bed around 10pm..up at 7am ish.
No caffine, except for a couple cups of coffee in the morning. No sugar.

Anybody have a cure?

I'm wore out.

 

[Amethyst]

rafter, I'm not sure about the panic attacks or insomnia but I wonder if you might give this a try: two teaspoons honey right before bed. My brother had a friend that had to get up every night to urinate. This man had spend hundreds of dollars on doctors and medicine to no avail so he tried the honey from my brothers hives. It worked!

You also might try some chamomile tea. http://www.wholehealthmd.com/refshelf/substances_view/1,1525,766,00.html
Health Benefits

Although best known as a muscle relaxant and antispasmodic, chamomile also has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory capabilities. The plant's healing properties come from its daisylike flowers, which contain volatile oils (including bisabolol, bisabolol oxides A and B, and matricin) as well as flavonoids (particularly a compound called apinegin) and other therapeutic substances. Chamomile may be used internally or externally.

Specifically, chamomile may help to:


Promote general relaxation and relieve stress. Animal studies show that chamomile contains substances that act on the same parts of the brain and nervous system as antianxiety drugs. Never stop taking prescription medications, however, without consulting your doctor.

Control insomnia. Chamomile's mildly sedating and muscle-relaxing effects can help those who suffer from insomnia to fall asleep more easily.

I hope you find some relief!

 

[Trek]

rafter and Amethyst - I could kiss you both! Rafter, for starting the thread, and Amethyst for the honey tip!

It seems like the longest I've slept at night is 4 hours before walking into walls on my way to the bathroom. I am going to try taking honey before bed tonight (this morning? It's already after 1 in the morning!). If it works for me, I will be sure to come back and let ya'll know. I can't be the only one with nightly travels. I hope! Misery loves company and all that...

 

[Trasael Adnepos]

Wow, honey, huh? People's metabolism rates must vary a great deal. I'm thinking that much sugar would wake me up with a rush a couple of hours later.

Try 3 to 6 mg of melatonin, Rafter, about half an hour or 45 minutes before bed time. You may find it resets your body clock a bit, and you wake up rested earlier from deep REM sleep, but see what happens, and if you wake up too soon take two 3mg instead of one. There's also the stuff found in turkey and milk. It's been too long, what is that, tryptophane? Sounds a bit like your adrenals are maybe fouled up, and you should give attention to recharging them. Do you (or are you able to) get enough exercise, so you're deep cycling your adrenals? Maybe you ought to be taking some CoQ10 and some glandulars for a while. Whatever you do, if you are waking up like that, don't drink alchohol in the evenings. I'm older than you, but if I am not plumb worn out and have a snort after dinner, or even a glass of wine any more, my liver starts converting that stuff to sugar in the middle of the night, wakes me up, and sleep is gone, maybe for hours.

On the rare occasions I am too wound up to sleep the melatonin seems to eventually help; or when I am in strange surroundings and have to sleep with human activity I can hear encroaching, where my early warning systems still go to red replay mode and would keep me awake indefinitely, the stuff really seems to help, combined with some good earplugs and the .45 at my right hand.

I don't know for sure what a "panic attack" is, so can't help you there, but at the risk of going OT for this forum, try prayer, or reading the Word. Mom used to tell me, "Son, if I ever can't sleep, I just start reading the Bible, and the devil doesn't like it, so he puts right me to sleep."



Tras

 

[optimistic pessimist]

I have had some similar symptoms and success using Magnesium supplements. Magnesium has a great effect on the nerves. Hope this helps!

 

[rafter]

Thanks everyone for their suggestions. I'm going to give them a try..not all at once of course.

I have been getting more excercise now that the weather has straightened up, and I figured that would help. Also trying to stay awake as long as possible before going to bed. Last night was better, only because I hadn't slept for several nights and I was exhasted.

I figure it is menopausal...isn't that what you blame everything on????

I'll let you know what happens..hopefully something will work, as I sure don't have the money for doctors visit.

 

[fruit loop]

I've never found any meds helpful for panic attacks

I get them from PTSD. Never found any med to prevent or assist with them.

Try relaxation techniques instead. Shut your eyes, breathe deeply, play some music or something to keep you anchored while it's happening. If you're in a stressful situation, immediately remove yourself from it. Find a place you feel safe, or find a trusted person who can keep you grounded until it's over.

If it happens at night, get a sound machine. Turn it on and listen to rain, chirping crickets and frogs, rushing water, whatever you find soothing. A nightlight may also help so you don't wake up disoriented in the dark, which can make the attack worse.

Try drinking chamomile tea before bedtime. It's a natural tranquilizer. Valerian capsules are also good, but valerian stinks like old gym socks. SleepyTime tea has chamomile in it.

Good luck

 

[cin]

I also think it's hormonal.

I would have a low sugar snack before bed, maybe some whole grain cereal and low fat milk.
If I don't do that, I will wake up with a low blood sugar.

I gave up on trying alternative methods for controlling panic attacks, and regulating hormones, and tried traditional medicine with great results. If you give up too, and want to know what helped me, send me a PM.

 

[LeafyForest]

Have you tried Melatonin? It is just a sleep aid - but it seems to work for me. I often get up in the middle of the night and then have trouble getting back to sleep. Found that Trader Joe's has the Melatonin in chewable tables, so now keep them in the head of my bed and use them when necessary. They aren't supposed to be addictive, and you usually just need one or two, and the next thing you know you it is morning!! It is supposed to replace the natural melatonin we have in our body, but the older we get the more we use, so this helps us get back on track!!

 

[cin]

Melatonin is actually a hormone produced by the brain. Be careful with this stuff.

 

[rafter]

Have you tried Melatonin? It is just a sleep aid - but it seems to work for me. I often get up in the middle of the night and then have trouble getting back to sleep. Found that Trader Joe's has the Melatonin in chewable tables, so now keep them in the head of my bed and use them when necessary. They aren't supposed to be addictive, and you usually just need one or two, and the next thing you know you it is morning!! It is supposed to replace the natural melatonin we have in our body, but the older we get the more we use, so this helps us get back on track!!

Where do you buy it?

I tried the cereal and milk last night. Went to bed at 10, woke up at 12:30..up til around 3am, then slept til 7am. Its getting old.

 

[Warren Bone]

Did you ever consider going to a doctor about the panic attacks and sleep problem?

There is help for both.

warren.

 

[rafter]

Did you ever consider going to a doctor about the panic attacks and sleep problem?

There is help for both.

warren.

No money, no insurance. Have to work this out for myself. Picked up a few items at the health food store today after doing some research, hopefully it will help.

If I only knew Spanish.....

 

[jazzy]

rafter,

when menopause hit a few yrs ago i thought i was going to crawl out of my skin and a good nights sleep was something id have to give up. ive tried several thing til i found what worked for me. i was constantly waking up, trying to roll over, worrying about whatever, dozing, waking up and repeating the damn cycle.

for sleep i found melatonin really worked. there are different brands and doses, you'll just have to try, but it relaxes you and you fall asleep nicely with no groggy feeling in the morning. even when i occasionally wake up in the middle of the night, i'll take another if i need to.

i take st johns wort tincture in some water during the day. i dont care for the pills or capsules, i think tinctures work better and you can make your own very cheaply.

i also found a recipe for a ticnture made out of several different herbs that deal with menopause that ive found to work just great for me. no more panicky feelings or hot flash zingers that seem to stir up my adrenaline, especially at night. ive bought some, but now i can make my own, its very easy. if you are interested in trying it, ill PM it for you.

but the st johns and melatonin work very well.

camomile tea is real nice too. have you ever tired cutting back on your morning coffee for a week or 2 to see if that might play into it? ive found i cant do coffee at all anymore.


best wishes and hope you find something that works for you soon---i know how hard this can be.


jazzy

 

[FireDance]

Yeah, I'd say perimenopause. I started doing this too. The panic attacks REALLY suck, but I think if you cut WAY down on the caffeine, you'll find they'll get better. I had to go total decaf for awhile and eventually was able have caffeine again. (I don't know why I could tolerate it again, it's weird.) Sleep will help this when you can actually get some.

I agree with Melatonin (I take 30 mg a night and still wake up if someone needs me and have no "hang around", etc.). I like the sublinguals by Source Naturals that are orange flavored (They have peppermint also). It's very, very rare that I wake during the night unless I drink way too much water or something. I used to be afraid of side effects with the melatonin, but no more. Source Naturals also makes a melatonin complex that works really, really well, but the taste just about drives me bonkers before it's finished. Very chalky and acidic to me - brrrr.

I also started taking taurine and CQ10 and that helped with the panic attacks. Do some research and you should be able to find somethign that works for you. Good luck and hang in there. It's an up and down process, but has gotten somewhat better for me. I think good nutritional support has been key. The doc (as usual) didn't do much for me while I was going through this.

 

[JIL3]

A high protein snack just before bedtime helps to regulate blood sugar through the night.

I sometimes take 3 mg of melatonin when I can't sleep, and it has worked well for me.

Also, Rescue Remedy is very calming and relaxing.

 

[rafter]

I finally slept last night, though did wake several times.

Here is what I got at the health food store....5mg melatonin lozanges. Something called L-Theanian. It is great!! I took it in the afternoon to calm me down (yesterday wasn't a good day after 2 weeks of no sleep) and another right before bed. They have a calming nature and in 15 minutes I felt better than I had for days. I also picked up some drops called 'stress away' mostly herbs. If you have an attack it is suppose to get rid of it in about 15 minutes...but I didn't have to take it last night.

I just know that L-theanian was great stuff and I sure appriceated the girl at the health food store telling me to get it. She said several of her menopausal women turned her on to it.

 

[FireDance]

Rafter - go back to the HF store and buy some "Natural Calm." Read about it here:
http://www.naturalcalm.net/home.shtml

I had forgotten about this, but it DOES provide almost immediate results. Run, do not walk back to the HF store and buy some! It's relatively inexpensive and has really helped a lot of folks.

 

[rafter]

Rafter - go back to the HF store and buy some "Natural Calm." Read about it here:
http://www.naturalcalm.net/home.shtml

I had forgotten about this, but it DOES provide almost immediate results. Run, do not walk back to the HF store and buy some! It's relatively inexpensive and has really helped a lot of folks.

I found it on the internet, but the HF store here doesn't have it. I'll try at Vitamin Cottage the next time I make it to the front range.

The 'Stress Away' I got says it is for anxiety attacks also.

Check out what is said about the L-theanine.

http://www.biosynergy.com/theanine.htm

 

[Hermit]

I used to have terrible problems with panic attacks, as I am a manic-depressive.

Here's what has helped, in order of importance (of course I'm talking about natural remedies rather the medication I take):

1. Kava Kava - it's available as a tincture at health food stores - it can be a little hard on the liver so don't take it with large amounts of alcohol (a little alcohol is ok, or put it in juice or soda). This is MUCH better than valerian root, a natural tranquilizer that's not trippy like valerian. Or maybe I should say the trippiness is nicer than valerian's.

2. Peppermint and Chamomile teas, brewed together - one bag of each per mugful. You can put the above-mentioned honey in this.

3. A small, high carb, low fat, low protein snack at night. It could be a piece of fruit for example, or a slice of bread with jam, or a little popcorn. Carbohydrates 'pull' tryptophan from your muscles and send it alone to your brain - tryptophan can't compete with other amino acids, so avoid protein at night. (I can try to explain this further if necessary, but it's complicated).

4. Melatonin sometimes worked .... from what I've heard they're recommending much smaller amounts than they used to, so start with a low dose like a half milligram. If that doesn't work gradually ramp it up.

 

[6ftofun]

Sure sounds like menopause. There are a number of holistic estrogen supplements available including soy and plant derivatives. I also ended up on a traditional med (a bio-identical patch). Good results. Insomnia, notsomuch. Watch your body for other symptoms as well-irregular periods, tenderness in the breasts, rage, depression, acne, lots of fun stuff. I do know that exercising more, reducing caffeine, alcohol and processed sugar will help ease these kinds of symptoms as well. The panic attacks are recent for me and I always thought they were kind of a bogus symptom. Many mornings I wake up with them-keep thinking that this is what a heart attack must be like, they are un nerving at best. Meditation, deep breathing, white noise sometimes help.

 

[FireDance]

Watch your body for other symptoms as well-irregular periods, tenderness in the breasts, rage, depression, acne, lots of fun stuff.

These are not symptoms of menopause, they're symptoms of being a woman. My favorites so far are the acne and inexplicable rage. Yeah, when my face turns into a pizza LOOK OUT! I had this yesterday and finally figured out that yeah, it's about that time. Today, I'm no longer a killer, but a docile human again. sigh.

 

[rafter]

I have picked up enought herbs and suppliments from the natural food store that I have the panic attacks under control, but the insomnia persists. Perhaps someday.

 

[Amazed]

Next time you have a panic attack, talk to it. Tell it you know it can't kill you. Tell it to give you it's best, that you'll just lie there until it's over. Just try this a few times and see what happens.