Well I have been back 24 hours and I thought it was time to earn my keep.
As most of you are aware I monitor the medical abstracting website NCBI for all new research that has come out that might apply to us on this forum. During my absence I only came across one article that I thought was of particular interest. It dealt with the cause and treatment of panic attacks, something that affects all of us with anxiety as well as most who go through the Cymbalta withdrawal.
It has been well shown over the years that during periods of high stress the body discharges large amounts of calcium and magnesium. Both of these elements are critical in controlling muscle contractions. Magnesium supplements have been prescribed by drs for years to help with heartpounding, skip beats, irregular heart beats, muscle spasms and chest pain and pressure associated with anxiety.
Calcium works within the mucle cells to control muscle contractions. During contractions as well as stress calcium is discharged from the cells through small openings in the cell membranes called 'calcium channels'.
Magnesium is located outside these cells and slowly forces the calcium back into the cells for reuse. This allows our muscles to recover and be used again. It has recently been discovered that calcium loss also occurs in brain tissue like the Amygdala and Hippocampus which are the centers in the brain involved with fear, panic and anxiety.
Enough background. The last year or so drs have been experimenting with drugs that 'block' these calcium channels and limit the loss of calcium from the muscles. Tests of these 'calcium channel blockers' have had limited success in treating anxiety however,
Now to the good news. There are significant numbers of people on blogs/forums reporting success using calcium supplements to help stem the severity of panic attacks. I would remind you that these are not medicals studies only experiences of others like us. Most use a dose of 200 to 300 mg at the first sign of significant panic. As it is nearly impossible to take too much calcium this should be a safe process HOWEVER I have always suggested caution with the taking of all new supplements or medications. I would suggest starting at 50 mg and if no side effects then work your way up to 300 with each new panic episode. I will be trying this method as well. It would certainly be nice to have another tool in our war against anxiety and withdrawal.
