Brighterdays4you’s Weblog

I had a conversation with my sister-in-law yesterday that was an interesting one.  It underscores the importance of ruling out multiple causes for emotional problems.  She stated that both she and a friend of hers realized that their panic attacks were food allergen based.  Hers was related to artificial sweeteners while her friend’s were related to fast food.  While my sister-in-law knew that she had sensitivities to foods because of her migraines and quickly figured it out, her friend had been to many different specialists all over the state and beyond.  She had tried many different kinds of medications for her anxiety and none had worked for her.  After keeping track of when her panic attacks were most likely to occur and linking them to her behavior on those days, she realized that they were linked to fast food.

For me the rule of thumb is to always rule out biological causes of panic attacks because it is better to be safe than dead before seeing a counselor or obtaining prescriptions for anxiolytics.  This conversation underscores ruling out allergens as well.  The best way to rule out allergens is to keep a food journal and a record of panic attacks.  Be aware of hidden ingredients in foods such as the multiple uses of peanuts and peanut oil.