03/01/07: Today’s question is being brought to you by our very own Russ What was the longest stretch of time you have gone without anxiety/ panic symptoms? minutes, days, months, years?

About 13 years ago I was put on Prozac. After the initial side effects had worn off I awake one day and my anxiety was *gone*, it was the weirdest experience, I meean it was *gone*, totally nothing left, not even the vestige of a memory…. I was elated, I started to do many things I had found very hard before and I had no problem at all doing them. I made many plans. This lasted three weeks and then I started to feel low anxiety at some point and the next day everything was as it used to be. I never understood the implications but obviously it *is* possible to get rid of all (pathological) anxiety; unfortunately I never found out what the trick was and how to repeat it. The pdoc I saw at the time chalked it down to placebo effect of Prozac but I’m not so sure about that. Philip — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

03/01/07: Today’s question is being brought to you by our very own Russ What was the longest stretch of time you have gone without anxiety/ panic symptoms? minutes, days, months, years?

The length of time that it takes to play a round of golf. It totally relaxes me. — Ron P Member of the invisible generation — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

About 13 years ago I was put on Prozac. After the initial side effects had worn off I awake one day and my anxiety was *gone*, it was the weirdest experience, I meean it was *gone*, totally nothing left, not even the vestige of a memory …. I was *elated*,

Endorphins kick in? Then everything is possible. The first time I went on Zoloft, not only did my depression go away, but I was slightly elated. I asked my psych if I was hypomanic, but he said "no". I started to do many things I had found very hard before and I had no problem at all doing them. I made many plans. This lasted three weeks and then I started to feel low anxiety at some point and the next day everything was as it used to be. I never understood the implications but obviously it *is* possible to get rid of all (pathological) anxiety; unfortunately I never found out what the trick was and how to repeat it. The pdoc I saw at the time chalked it down to placebo effect of Prozac but I’m not so sure about that.

I read that some people have a withdrawal syndrome when their placebos are stopped. Chip — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

03/01/07: Today’s question is being brought to you by our very own Russ What was the longest stretch of time you have gone without anxiety/ panic symptoms? minutes, days, months, years?

I think I’ve always had some underlying anxiety, even if very slight. Chip — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

I read that some people have a withdrawal syndrome when their placebos are stopped. Chip

Philip in himself is a placebo LOLOLOLOL I am that kinda person that laughs about her own jokes Kiss an ya nose — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

Chip schreef: About 13 years ago I was put on Prozac. After the initial side effects had worn off I awake one day and my anxiety was *gone*, it was the weirdest experience, I meean it was *gone*, totally nothing left, not even the vestige of a memory …. I was *elated*, Endorphins kick in? Then everything is possible. The first time I went on Zoloft, not only did my depression go away, but I was slightly elated. I asked my psych if I was hypomanic, but he said "no".

I think I used the wrong word. I was *not* euphoric in any way. just happy that after three decaded or so my anxiety seemed to have disappeared. I felt *normal*. I started to do many things I had found very hard before and I had no problem at all doing them. I made many plans. This lasted three weeks and then I started to feel low anxiety at some point and the next day everything was as it used to be. I never understood the implications but obviously it *is* possible to get rid of all (pathological) anxiety; unfortunately I never found out what the trick was and how to repeat it. The pdoc I saw at the time chalked it down to placebo effect of Prozac but I’m not so sure about that. I read that some people have a withdrawal syndrome when their placebos are stopped.

Sure. The mind is capable of great things. But even if it was a placebo effect there is no reason why it couldn’t have lasted forever IMO. Placebo can be a serious positive effect. Philip — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

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Anna schreef: Most infections go away without any treatment. Chip Not Philip hahahahahahahahaha

Please make up your tiny mind. Am I: – a placebo? – an infection? I can’t be both at the sanme time. Ah….Miss Anna…. just so we don’t get ourselves in trouble with newbies and moderators: luv’ ya, baby. Philip — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

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Most infections go away without any treatment. Chip

Not Philip hahahahahahahahaha — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

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Philip in himself is a placebo LOLOLOLOL You mean he has side effects?  :)

Boy oh boy don’t even begin to ask I am that kinda person that laughs about her own jokes Oh?  :)

Yes ! I laugh at mine! Chip

Alrighty hahahahaha — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

I think there is a difference. An infection is clearly a purely *physical* thing. I don’t think so. There’s a complex interplay between the mind/brain and the rest of the body. Physical illness affects how one thinks/feels. And how one thinks/feels affects the body. Some people "give up" and get sick and die. Others have hope or faith and get better.

Brain Behav Immun. 2007 Jan;21(1):34-44. Physiology of psychoneuroimmunology: a personal view. Besedovsky HO, Rey AD.  Department of Immunophysiology, Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Deutschhausstrasse 2, 35037 Marburg, Germany. This article offers a personal view on how the concept of the existence of a network of immune-neuro-endocrine interactions has evolved in the last 30 years. The main topic addressed is the relevance of the exchange of signals between the immune, endocrine and nervous systems for immunoregulation and brain functions. Particular emphasis is given to circuits involving immune cell products, the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis and the sympathetic nervous system. *The operation of these circuits can affect immune functions and the course of inflammatory, autoimmune and *infectious diseases*. We also discuss increasing evidence that brain-born cytokines play an important role in brain physiology and in the integration of the immune-neuro-endocrine network. PMID: 17157762 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Psychother Psychosom. 1997;66(1):3-26. Psychological stress, neuroimmunomodulation, and susceptibility to infectious diseases in animals and man: a review. Biondi M, Zannino LG.  III Clinica Psichiatrica, University of Rome, La Sapienza, Italy. This article reviews research on the role of psychological stress, personality, social support and other psychosocial factors in bacterial, viral and parasitic infections. After 100 years of research on man and animals, psychological stress is considered as a potential cofactor in the pathogenesis of infectious disease. Psychological stress seems able to alter the susceptibility of animals and man to infectious agents, influencing the onset, course and outcome of certain infectious pathologies. Many experiments have identified in neuroimmunomodulation the principal mediator of the alterations associated with conditions of stress. The development of psychoneuroimmunology has fostered in-depth study of the complex relationship between psychosocial factors, the central nervous system, the immune system and infectious disease. Although antimicrobial drugs have certainly remained the basis of all anti-infective therapy, this type of study has already led some authors to propose and experiment protocols of psychological intervention or psychoimmunotherapy in pathologies such as tuberculosis, or herpes simplex virus or human immunodeficiency virus infections. The psychoneuroimmunological approach to infectious diseases will probably grow in importance in the future not only in the setting of research in psychosomatic medicine but also in that of clinical microbiology. PMID: 8996711 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Chip schreef: But even if it was a placebo effect *there is no reason why it couldn’t have lasted forever IMO*. That’s an interesting thought. How bout if you were treating, say, an infection with a placebo, and after the first few days it became obvious to you the infection wasn’t improving? And we’ll assume in this case you’re convinced the pill you’re taking will make the infection go away. Cause it always has in the past. I think there is a difference. An infection is clearly a purely *physical* thing.

I don’t think so. There’s a complex interplay between the mind/brain and the rest of the body. Physical illness affects how one thinks/feels. And how one thinks/feels affects the body. Some people "give up" and get sick and die. Others have hope or faith and get better.  I don’t think PD (or depression, for that matter) is. There is a definite psychological aspect to it

And there are definite physical/physiological aspects to anxiety and depression. Both affect cognition, emotions, physiological reactions, and behavior. and that’s why CBT’s results are as good as results with medication.

Some studies have shown that. I don’t know if it’s true. Some studies have shown the combo of CBT with meds is better than either alone. An infection is *measurable* while PD/anxiety/depression sort of slips through your fingers like sand.

There are scales (like the Hamilton and Beck) that measure anxiety and depression. That makes it much more volatile and hence more susceptible to suggestion = placebo. Now that we’re at it there is no scientific reason to state that our feelings are *caused* by our thoughts

I thought the consensus was that thoughts lead to feelings, and that feelings lead to thoughts, but that thoughts are something we can control. Therefore the emphasis on controlling/changing thoughts in CBT and REBT. but this axioma no.1 of both REBT and CBT often works (even Ellis himself has modified his earlier stance over the years admitting that the relationship between thoughts and feelings isn’t necessarily as simple as the theory says, the interaction between them is more subtle and fluid than sinmple Skinnerian stimulus-response or cause — affect). One might well think of CBT as placebo as well as its main principle is really conjecture and based on "philosophy" rather than empirical scientific data about the brain. But the bottom line is IMO: *If it works, it works*.

My understanding is that numerous studies have shown CBT to be effective for a number of different physical and emotional conditions because there were control arms in the studies. With an infection things are much more defined, I believe, which iks why placebo will not cure it (although I don’t want to exclude this completely;

Most infections go away without any treatment. Chip — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

Chip schreef: Philip in himself is a placebo LOLOLOLOL You mean he has side effects?  :) I am that kinda person that laughs about her own jokes Oh?  :) I laugh at mine! Chip

I never laugh. I’m always serious. P. — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

Chip schreef: But even if it was a placebo effect *there is no reason why it couldn’t have lasted forever IMO*. That’s an interesting thought. How bout if you were treating, say, an infection with a placebo, and after the first few days it became obvious to you the infection wasn’t improving? And we’ll assume in this case you’re convinced the pill you’re taking will make the infection go away. Cause it always has in the past.

I think there is a difference. An infection is clearly a purely *physical* thing. I don’t think PD (or depression, for that matter) is. There is a definite psychological aspect to it and that’s why CBT’s results are as good as results with medication. An infection is *measurable* while PD/anxiety/depression sort of slips through your fingers like sand. That makes it much more volatile and hence more susceptible to suggestion = placebo. Now that we’re at it there is no scientific reason to state that our feelings are *caused* by our thoughts but this axioma no.1 of both REBT and CBT often works (even Ellis himself has modified his earlier stance over the years admitting that the relationship between thoughts and feelings isn’t necessarily as simple as the theory says, the interaction between them is more subtle and fluid than sinmple Skinnerian stimulus-response or cause — affect). One might well think of CBT as placebo as well as its main principle is really conjecture and based on "philosophy" rather than empirical scientific data about the brain. But the bottom line is IMO: *If it works, it works*. With an infection things are much more defined, I believe, which iks why placebo will not cure it (although I don’t want to exclude this completely; "There is more in heaven and earth….") Philip Chip

– The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

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I think I’ve always had some underlying anxiety, even if very slight. Chip I often wondered about that. I know I had anxious moments or episodes from very early childhood on but not like a disorder, more like *incidents* which were few and far between and I never connected them.

As a child I had a restless uncomfortable feeling and didn’t know what it was do to. Or even if it was abnormal. In retrospect it was anxiety. But today when I think about things I did before PD I cannot imagine anymore how it felt to not be anxious at all (not even *background anxiety* which now is constant and also manageable but it *is* there all the time). I just can’t imagine having hitch-hiked through Europe on my own without anxiety which I definitely did.

I can’t imagine taking all those bus trips with the Cal band to other states to play at football games. But I did. In gloomy moments I think that’s *sad*.

I know what you mean. At least I’m not having out of the blue panic attacks several times a day. As I used to many years ago. Chip — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

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Philip in himself is a placebo LOLOLOLOL

You mean he has side effects?  :) I am that kinda person that laughs about her own jokes

Oh?  :) I laugh at mine! Chip — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

The first time I went on Zoloft, not only did my depression go away, but I was slightly elated. I asked my psych if I was hypomanic, but he said "no". I think I was a little manic or something when I first started Nortriptyline.

That could have been a substance-induced mania. One can’t make a diagnosis of bipolar disorder if the mania was caused by a substance. Chip — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

…. I was *elated*, Endorphins kick in? Then everything is possible. The first time I went on Zoloft, not only did my depression go away, but I was slightly elated. I asked my psych if I was hypomanic, but he said "no". I think I used the wrong word. I was *not* euphoric in any way. just happy that after three decaded or so my anxiety seemed to have disappeared. I felt *normal*.

Gotcha. I read that some people have a withdrawal syndrome when their placebos are stopped. Sure. The mind is capable of great things. But even if it was a placebo effect *there is no reason why it couldn’t have lasted forever IMO*.

That’s an interesting thought. How bout if you were treating, say, an infection with a placebo, and after the first few days it became obvious to you the infection wasn’t improving? And we’ll assume in this case you’re convinced the pill you’re taking will make the infection go away. Cause it always has in the past. Chip — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

About 13 years ago I was put on Prozac. After the initial side effects had worn off I awake one day and my anxiety was *gone*, it was the weirdest experience, I meean it was *gone*, totally nothing left, not even the vestige of a memory …. I was *elated*, Endorphins kick in? Then everything is possible. The first time I went on Zoloft, not only did my depression go away, but I was slightly elated. I asked my psych if I was hypomanic, but he said "no".

I think I was a little manic or something when I first started Nortriptyline.  That is actually why the one Dr. wouldn’t let me try it since I had a false diagnosis of Bi-Polar and he said it may send me off on a manic spree.  Damn I felt great for a couple days! Tony — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – 03/01/07: Today’s question is being brought to you by our very own Russ What was the longest stretch of time you have gone without anxiety/ panic symptoms? minutes, days, months, years? I think it was almost 2 days.  I was very close to suicide and like magic I had no anxiety, none whatsoever!  I was in a state of euphoria, the end was very near so I stopped caring about everything that would have given me anxiety. I don’t recommend it as a good way to handle anxiety/panic. Tony Definitely not, but you must have felt great at the time!  I can’t imagine feeling so free.

Euphoric isn’t a strong enough word to describe how wonderful I felt. If I ever feel that way again I hope it’s due to a different situation! Tony — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

Chip schreef: 03/01/07: Today’s question is being brought to you by our very own Russ What was the longest stretch of time you have gone without anxiety/ panic symptoms? minutes, days, months, years? I think I’ve always had some underlying anxiety, even if very slight. Chip

I often wondered about that. I know I had anxious moments or episodes from very early childhood on but not like a disorder, more like *incidents* which were few and far between and I never connected them. But today when I think about things I did before PD I cannot imagine anymore how it felt to not be anxious at all (not even *background anxiety* which now is constant and also manageable but it *is* there all the time). I just can’t imagine having hitch-hiked through Europe on my own without anxiety which I definitely did. In gloomy moments I think that’s *sad*. Philip — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

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Id have to say it’s always there.  It might be underlying but it has me on guard at most times. smiles, Elise

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – 03/01/07: Today’s question is being brought to you by our very own Russ What was the longest stretch of time you have gone without anxiety/ panic symptoms? minutes, days, months, years? Jackie ~*~My halo is temporarily out of order~*~ — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

– The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

03/01/07: Today’s question is being brought to you by our very own Russ   What was the longest stretch of time you have gone without anxiety/ panic symptoms? minutes, days, months, years?

I think it was almost 2 days.  I was very close to suicide and like magic I had no anxiety, none whatsoever!  I was in a state of euphoria, the end was very near so I stopped caring about everything that would have given me anxiety. I don’t recommend it as a good way to handle anxiety/panic. Tony — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

03/01/07: Today’s question is being brought to you by our very own Russ What was the longest stretch of time you have gone without anxiety/ panic symptoms? minutes, days, months, years? Jackie ~*~My halo is temporarily out of order~*~

2 weeks, maybe? kili — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – 03/01/07: Today’s question is being brought to you by our very own Russ What was the longest stretch of time you have gone without anxiety/ panic symptoms? minutes, days, months, years? I think it was almost 2 days.  I was very close to suicide and like magic I had no anxiety, none whatsoever!  I was in a state of euphoria, the end was very near so I stopped caring about everything that would have given me anxiety. I don’t recommend it as a good way to handle anxiety/panic. Tony

Definitely not, but you must have felt great at the time!  I can’t imagine feeling so free. kili — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

03/01/07: Today’s question is being brought to you by our very own Russ   What was the longest stretch of time you have gone without anxiety/ panic symptoms? minutes, days, months, years? Jackie ~*~My halo is temporarily out of order~*~ — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

Ask the doctor who did your peak flow:  what was the FEV1 ? What is your Pulse oximetry showing (simple test).  Are you taking any medications daily?  If so, which ones, how much, and for how long?  What is your occupation?  When was your last vacation?  What is your marital status? What are your top three current stressors (THE 3 biggest ones, the ones you would lose if you could get a genie in a bottle to take them away). I’ll talk with you again. Gary

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi all, I am a newbie to this forum, and I have looked through old posts etc, but I guess I could use some help still with my own situation. YOU BEEN SPYIN ON US??? (steve will now have’ah come-apart.) In July of last year I noticed myself having difficulty breathing, a feeling of butterflies in my stomach we’ve met?  <giggle and the sensation that my stomach was too excited to allow proper deep breathing. (that wasn’t yer stomach) <tee hee Obviously the more I notice this the worse it gets. I am also suffering from sinus problems generally, and have had intermittent (2-3 week) bouts of the same butterflies/breathing probs at various stages since July. Before then I very very occasionally noticed myself having the butterflies/breathing problems when going to sleep at night, but never in the day and never to the extent it became a problem. ok… this "butterfly" issue has GOT ta be explained, i ain’t quite ‘gettin it’. I suppose my query is how do I know if I am suffering from anxiety? is it important that you put’ah name to it? I don’t feel there is anything psychological or in my life actually causing it, or any specific issue, but do my symptoms resonate with you guys? not mine, (but thanks yer lucky stars on that’n.) I could never say I’ve had a panic "attack", I tend to suffer anxiety and breathing probs generally for a few weeks at a time, with some days being worse than others. I wake up in the morning and feel that tingling in my stomach and know it will get worse as the day goes on and as I exert myself. maybe stop exertin’ yerself.  (it kinda smacks’ah exercise.) My doctor prescribed a short course of Xanax at Christmas to allow me to work without fear of having to leave in the middle of the day, and when I take Xanax it does seem to improve my symptoms somewhat and allow me to breath again. you didn’t mention that part.. fear of having to leave your surroundings.  how often and what do you fear?  leaving?  or having to leave to be in a comfort zone. yanno?  that’s like tha most important thang ya said.  and ya put it like way down on tha list.  why’d ya go off’n confuse poor belle? how often and under what circumstances does this manifest itself? Does this tell me my problem can be treated as an anxiety problem? Or would Xanax just temporarily override any actual physical problems causing my breathing to be restricted? (this is v important for me to know) now holllllllllllllllld up there cowboy…. yer breathing IS restricted or FEELS restricted?  do you feel any other symptoms, like heart palpitations, rise in blood pressure, a fear of dyin’ like right there right now?  do you have feelings of impending doom?  have you been tested for athsma?  have you ever seen a grown man na….. (oh wait, wrong movie)  ….. is there any given situation that motivates these feeling?  is this overwhelming your life? if so…. (it’s herpes.) i’m kiddin. I have had a chest x-ray, peak flow test, and a full allergy test and nothing has been found with any of these. peak flow???? (i dun wanna know) My doctor also said perhaps more regular excercise and/or meditation would help me, but in a sort of chicken/egg way, I worry if I excercise I might feel even worse. NOW THAT’S SPOKEN LIKE’AH GUY AFTER MUH OWN HEART !  KUDOS ! (holy shit.. what if Ronan’s a chick)  <gasp why not try it, fa real.. whaddah ya got ta lose? (except yer dignity in tha shower.) I appreciate anyone taking the time to respond, I’m sure the questions become very repetetive for people reading. i ain’t heard many of yer issues, so it was’ah swell diversion, actually. WELCOME TO ASAP !  (where alllllllll your fantasies come true.) thaaaaaaaa LOVE BOATTTTTTTT, EXCITING AND newwwwwwwwwwww…. come COERCED !) ~tanya xoxoxox .

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi all, I am a newbie to this forum, and I have looked through old posts etc, but I guess I could use some help still with my own situation. In July of last year I noticed myself having difficulty breathing, a feeling of butterflies in my stomach and the sensation that my stomach was too excited to allow proper deep breathing. Obviously the more I notice this the worse it gets. I am also suffering from sinus problems generally, and have had intermittent (2-3 week) bouts of the same butterflies/breathing probs at various stages since July. Before then I very very occasionally noticed myself having the butterflies/breathing problems when going to sleep at night, but never in the day and never to the extent it became a problem. I suppose my query is how do I know if I am suffering from anxiety? I don’t feel there is anything psychological or in my life actually causing it, or any specific issue, but do my symptoms resonate with you guys? I could never say I’ve had a panic "attack", I tend to suffer anxiety and breathing probs generally for a few weeks at a time, with some days being worse than others. I wake up in the morning and feel that tingling in my stomach and know it will get worse as the day goes on and as I exert myself. My doctor prescribed a short course of Xanax at Christmas to allow me to work without fear of having to leave in the middle of the day, and when I take Xanax it does seem to improve my symptoms somewhat and allow me to breath again. Does this tell me my problem can be treated as an anxiety problem? Or would Xanax just temporarily override any actual physical problems causing my breathing to be restricted? (this is v important for me to know) I have had a chest x-ray, peak flow test, and a full allergy test and nothing has been found with any of these. My doctor also said perhaps more regular excercise and/or meditation would help me, but in a sort of chicken/egg way, I worry if I excercise I might feel even worse. I appreciate anyone taking the time to respond, I’m sure the questions become very repetetive for people reading. Thanks alot,

Hi Ronan, your symptoms sound like they could be anxiety and it may not be obvious what the trigger for it might be presently. Sounds like you’ve had all physical conditions checked for which is always a good start as anxiety symptoms can mimic all types of conditions. If you are satisfied you don’t have anything wrong physically then I’d suggest you seek a referral to a psychiatrist who specialises in anxiety conditions for a diagnosis. If you are concerned about exercise why not try a very light activity such as a walk. I have found meditation helpful and even if this is not anxiety, meditation would not cause you any harm and may in fact help you control your breathing. Vaness

Response:

Hi all, I am a newbie to this forum, and I have looked through old posts etc, but I guess I could use some help still with my own situation.

YOU BEEN SPYIN ON US??? (steve will now have’ah come-apart.) In July of last year I noticed myself having difficulty breathing, a feeling of butterflies in my stomach

we’ve met?  <giggle and the sensation that my stomach was too excited to allow proper deep breathing.

(that wasn’t yer stomach) <tee hee Obviously the more I notice this the worse it gets. I am also suffering from sinus problems generally, and have had intermittent (2-3 week) bouts of the same butterflies/breathing probs at various stages since July. Before then I very very occasionally noticed myself having the butterflies/breathing problems when going to sleep at night, but never in the day and never to the extent it became a problem.

ok… this "butterfly" issue has GOT ta be explained, i ain’t quite ‘gettin it’. I suppose my query is how do I know if I am suffering from anxiety?

is it important that you put’ah name to it? I don’t feel there is anything psychological or in my life actually causing it, or any specific issue, but do my symptoms resonate with you guys?

not mine, (but thanks yer lucky stars on that’n.) I could never say I’ve had a panic "attack", I tend to suffer anxiety and breathing probs generally for a few weeks at a time, with some days being worse than others. I wake up in the morning and feel that tingling in my stomach and know it will get worse as the day goes on and as I exert myself.

maybe stop exertin’ yerself.  (it kinda smacks’ah exercise.) My doctor prescribed a short course of Xanax at Christmas to allow me to work without fear of having to leave in the middle of the day, and when I take Xanax it does seem to improve my symptoms somewhat and allow me to breath again.

you didn’t mention that part.. fear of having to leave your surroundings.  how often and what do you fear?  leaving?  or having to leave to be in a comfort zone. yanno?  that’s like tha most important thang ya said.  and ya put it like way down on tha list.  why’d ya go off’n confuse poor belle? how often and under what circumstances does this manifest itself? Does this tell me my problem can be treated as an anxiety problem? Or would Xanax just temporarily override any actual physical problems causing my breathing to be restricted? (this is v important for me to know)

now holllllllllllllllld up there cowboy…. yer breathing IS restricted or FEELS restricted?  do you feel any other symptoms, like heart palpitations, rise in blood pressure, a fear of dyin’ like right there right now?  do you have feelings of impending doom?  have you been tested for athsma?  have you ever seen a grown man na….. (oh wait, wrong movie)  ….. is there any given situation that motivates these feeling?  is this overwhelming your life? if so…. (it’s herpes.) i’m kiddin. I have had a chest x-ray, peak flow test, and a full allergy test and nothing has been found with any of these.

peak flow???? (i dun wanna know) My doctor also said perhaps more regular excercise and/or meditation would help me, but in a sort of chicken/egg way, I worry if I excercise I might feel even worse.

NOW THAT’S SPOKEN LIKE’AH GUY AFTER MUH OWN HEART !  KUDOS ! (holy shit.. what if Ronan’s a chick)  <gasp why not try it, fa real.. whaddah ya got ta lose? (except yer dignity in tha shower.) I appreciate anyone taking the time to respond, I’m sure the questions become very repetetive for people reading.

i ain’t heard many of yer issues, so it was’ah swell diversion, actually. WELCOME TO ASAP !  (where alllllllll your fantasies come true.) thaaaaaaaa LOVE BOATTTTTTTT, EXCITING AND newwwwwwwwwwww…. come COERCED !) ~tanya xoxoxox .

Response:

Hi all, Welcome I am the moderator ( hehe) , only kidding I am a newbie to this forum, and I have looked through old posts etc, but I guess I could use some help still with my own situation. In July of last year I noticed myself having difficulty breathing, a feeling of butterflies in my stomach and the sensation that my stomach was too excited to allow proper deep breathing. Obviously the more I notice this the worse it gets.

Your not alone or BINGO.my favorite subject. Lots of people having hard time breathing, notice the commercials for asthma lately? They even have a song where the guy says I can’t breathe over and over and now they are trading energy warrants and talking about hybreds but guess what? I still think I am being poisoned by polluted air. Maybe anxiety causes one to breathe harder and faster so maybe we feel the effects more? Who knows why though you are Ronan? Till you get the proper tests I am guessing asthma or gerd or and anxiety combined. I am also suffering from sinus problems generally, and have had intermittent (2-3 week) bouts of the same butterflies/breathing probs at various stages since July. Before then I very very occasionally noticed myself having the butterflies/breathing problems when going to sleep at night, but never in the day and never to the extent it became a problem. I suppose my query is how do I know if I am suffering from anxiety? I don’t feel there is anything psychological or in my life actually causing it, or any specific issue, but do my symptoms resonate with you guys?

For anxiety ? Well you came to this group instead of asthma group so maybe somewhere deep inside you see a connection?  Personally I think more and more people are having breathing problems. That Lindsy Lohan girl was just rushed to hospital because of asthma. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I could never say I’ve had a panic "attack", I tend to suffer anxiety and breathing probs generally for a few weeks at a time, with some days being worse than others. I wake up in the morning and feel that tingling in my stomach and know it will get worse as the day goes on and as I exert myself. My doctor prescribed a short course of Xanax at Christmas to allow me to work without fear of having to leave in the middle of the day, and when I take Xanax it does seem to improve my symptoms somewhat and allow me to breath again. Does this tell me my problem can be treated as an anxiety problem? Or would Xanax just temporarily override any actual physical problems causing my breathing to be restricted? (this is v important for me to know) I have had a chest x-ray, peak flow test, and a full allergy test and nothing has been found with any of these. My doctor also said perhaps more regular excercise and/or meditation would help me, but in a sort of chicken/egg way, I worry if I excercise I might feel even worse.

Now thats a good / excellent question .It can make it worse or better. about your last point, Actually no , its good to hear specific questions. I can say much more on this breathing issue if you leave your email. I have  a history/ reputation  of posting about this topic for around two years . – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Take care, and good luck Steve I appreciate anyone taking the time to respond, I’m sure the questions become very repetetive for people reading. Thanks alot, Ronan.

Response:

Hi all, I am a newbie to this forum, and I have looked through old posts etc, but I guess I could use some help still with my own situation. In July of last year I noticed myself having difficulty breathing, a feeling of butterflies in my stomach and the sensation that my stomach was too excited to allow proper deep breathing. Obviously the more I notice this the worse it gets. I am also suffering from sinus problems generally, and have had intermittent (2-3 week) bouts of the same butterflies/breathing probs at various stages since July. Before then I very very occasionally noticed myself having the butterflies/breathing problems when going to sleep at night, but never in the day and never to the extent it became a problem. I suppose my query is how do I know if I am suffering from anxiety? I don’t feel there is anything psychological or in my life actually causing it, or any specific issue, but do my symptoms resonate with you guys? I could never say I’ve had a panic "attack", I tend to suffer anxiety and breathing probs generally for a few weeks at a time, with some days being worse than others. I wake up in the morning and feel that tingling in my stomach and know it will get worse as the day goes on and as I exert myself. My doctor prescribed a short course of Xanax at Christmas to allow me to work without fear of having to leave in the middle of the day, and when I take Xanax it does seem to improve my symptoms somewhat and allow me to breath again. Does this tell me my problem can be treated as an anxiety problem? Or would Xanax just temporarily override any actual physical problems causing my breathing to be restricted? (this is v important for me to know) I have had a chest x-ray, peak flow test, and a full allergy test and nothing has been found with any of these. My doctor also said perhaps more regular excercise and/or meditation would help me, but in a sort of chicken/egg way, I worry if I excercise I might feel even worse. I appreciate anyone taking the time to respond, I’m sure the questions become very repetetive for people reading. Thanks alot, Ronan.

Response:

Hiya! I was wondering if anyone has noticed that there appears to be a closeness for people with herpes and hpv to want to know others with herpes? I noticed this compared to other people with illnesses and was wondering why? I am kind of guilty of the same logic: I joined Picking Up the Pieces, post on alt.support.herpes, and I think I also joined Beantown Friends and another Living with Herpes group, etc. There’s another group that’s kind of humorous called Planet-H and I think I joined this also. I don’t have any other std’s or HIV but just through observations I haven’t seen these people really cling or share stories like people with herpes and hpv. Its kind of weird due to the statistics: Herpes Simplex oral: 65% Herpes Simplex genital: 20% Epstein Barr: 80% Chicken pox/shingles virus: 90% HPV: 22% Since I have all of the above and I am sure most people have 3-4 on this list is almost like everyone should be part of the herpes social groups when you think about it. Just my thoughts… Al

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I think folks have a tendency to congregate towards individuals and groups that they have a common bond with or share a common interest or goal. If we didn’t have herpes or know somebody that has herpes or wondered about herpes would we even be interested in such forums? Probably not as much.. I think folks that have HIV are probably interested in contacting others with HIV. Pregnant Mom’s like myself are probably interested in being in touch with other pregnant Mom’s-to-be. Folks that have depression probably reach out to others that suffer from depression.. and the list can go on and on. It’s great to see you so involved in many different types of herpes and hpv support groups Al because this will give you a well rounded view of things as you see them during your recovery process. It’s all good! Angela — Instant Message Anyone? Yahoo! Messenger – yoshi2me http://www.yoshi2me.com/ http://www.herpes-help.blogspot.com/ http://yoshi2me.com/phpbb/index.php

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hiya! I was wondering if anyone has noticed that there appears to be a closeness for people with herpes and hpv to want to know others with herpes? I noticed this compared to other people with illnesses and was wondering why? I am kind of guilty of the same logic: I joined Picking Up the Pieces, post on alt.support.herpes, and I think I also joined Beantown Friends and another Living with Herpes group, etc. There’s another group that’s kind of humorous called Planet-H and I think I joined this also. I don’t have any other std’s or HIV but just through observations I haven’t seen these people really cling or share stories like people with herpes and hpv. Its kind of weird due to the statistics: Herpes Simplex oral: 65% Herpes Simplex genital: 20% Epstein Barr: 80% Chicken pox/shingles virus: 90% HPV: 22% Since I have all of the above and I am sure most people have 3-4 on this list is almost like everyone should be part of the herpes social groups when you think about it. Just my thoughts… Al

Response:

I have pretty much healed myself physically at least not doing anywhere as badly as a while back. The outbreaks I do get are pretty short even though they are frequent. Mentally I am still trying to get past some of the social issues with depression and other aspects of living with herpes/hpv. Besides myself I know 4 other people personally who also have genital herpes, so its pretty common I suppose. I think herpes and hpv have definitely contributed to my own depression, but I’m dealing with it. Al

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I think folks have a tendency to congregate towards individuals and groups that they have a common bond with or share a common interest or goal. If we didn’t have herpes or know somebody that has herpes or wondered about herpes would we even be interested in such forums? Probably not as much.. I think folks that have HIV are probably interested in contacting others with HIV. Pregnant Mom’s like myself are probably interested in being in touch with other pregnant Mom’s-to-be. Folks that have depression probably reach out to others that suffer from depression.. and the list can go on and on. It’s great to see you so involved in many different types of herpes and hpv support groups Al because this will give you a well rounded view of things as you see them during your recovery process. It’s all good! Angela — Instant Message Anyone? Yahoo! Messenger – yoshi2me http://www.yoshi2me.com/ http://www.herpes-help.blogspot.com/ http://yoshi2me.com/phpbb/index.php

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New to this group as I just realized I have Oral HSV1.  But, I know a fair amount about steroids.  They come with warnings to avoid the Herpes virus due to increased susceptability.  Steroids can suppress your immune system. I have spent 12 years around oral hsv1 — ex husband and now my daughter —   and never broke out until having my immune system suppressed.  I have no way of knowing how long the virus has been in my body, but I am certain that the outbreak was triggered by the drugs. Shari

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -I heard that steroids are bad for genital herpes. I had problems using hydrocortisone cream in the past because of this. Well anyway, I recently had a knee problem and had to have a cortisone shot in my knee. In addition I have asthma so I was using my albuterol inhaler this week for some asthma attacks. I also took Relafen, Celebrex and Aleve for the pain in my knee. I was wondering if any of these are steroids? I wonder this because I recently have been having a multitude of outbreak related problems lately. I have been having such bad throbbing and tingling in different areas down yonder that I am thinking I did something to sabotage myself. In addition I think my family is trying to sabotage me because my aunt made this chocolate bundt cake with nuts and I had eaten some of it without thinking and now I am regretting it. The medicines I will probably be using on a regular basis are Albuterol inhaler, and Aleve (Naprosen) or possibly Celebrex both are anti inflammatory drugs. The cortisone shot was just once. Thanks, Al

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Too many cortizone shots are very dangerous..for the body don’t know about for the H…surprised any doc gave more than 3 or 4 in a year…Stan

Absolutely.  But sometimes you gotta have them. ar

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Too many cortizone shots are very dangerous..for the body don’t know about for the H…surprised any doc gave more than 3 or 4 in a year…Stan – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – That’s ok Al ~ I don’t always remember all the things I want to ask my doctor either. Today after I left my OBGYN’s office there were at least three more questions I could have asked. So, when I got home I just wrote them down and will save them for next time. Angela

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What did your doctor say about all this? Angela — Instant Message Anyone? Yahoo! Messenger – yoshi2me http://www.yoshi2me.com/ http://www.herpes-help.blogspot.com/ http://yoshi2me.com/phpbb/index.php

Response:

I didn’t ask him, but then again I forgot to bring it up so it is partially my fault.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – What did your doctor say about all this? Angela — Instant Message Anyone? Yahoo! Messenger – yoshi2me http://www.yoshi2me.com/ http://www.herpes-help.blogspot.com/ http://yoshi2me.com/phpbb/index.php

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That’s ok Al ~ I don’t always remember all the things I want to ask my doctor either. Today after I left my OBGYN’s office there were at least three more questions I could have asked. So, when I got home I just wrote them down and will save them for next time. Angela — Networking – What’s New Webmasters? http://www.yoshi2me.com/herpes-dating.html http://www.yoshi2me.com/herpes-hpv-ssna.html http://www.yoshi2me.com/link-exchange.html http://yoshi2me.com/phpbb/index.php

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -I didn’t ask him, but then again I forgot to bring it up so it is partially my fault.

Response:

I can help you with the bundt cake.  :)  Pass it on over here. I had seven cortisone shots in the course of a month or so.  I did not have an outbreak after this.  But that was me. ar – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -I heard that steroids are bad for genital herpes. I had problems using hydrocortisone cream in the past because of this. Well anyway, I recently had a knee problem and had to have a cortisone shot in my knee. In addition I have asthma so I was using my albuterol inhaler this week for some asthma attacks. I also took Relafen, Celebrex and Aleve for the pain in my knee. I was wondering if any of these are steroids? I wonder this because I recently have been having a multitude of outbreak related problems lately. I have been having such bad throbbing and tingling in different areas down yonder that I am thinking I did something to sabotage myself. In addition I think my family is trying to sabotage me because my aunt made this chocolate bundt cake with nuts and I had eaten some of it without thinking and now I am regretting it. The medicines I will probably be using on a regular basis are Albuterol inhaler, and Aleve (Naprosen) or possibly Celebrex both are anti inflammatory drugs. The cortisone shot was just once. Thanks, Al

Response:

I heard that steroids are bad for genital herpes. I had problems using hydrocortisone cream in the past because of this. Well anyway, I recently had a knee problem and had to have a cortisone shot in my knee. In addition I have asthma so I was using my albuterol inhaler this week for some asthma attacks. I also took Relafen, Celebrex and Aleve for the pain in my knee. I was wondering if any of these are steroids? I wonder this because I recently have been having a multitude of outbreak related problems lately. I have been having such bad throbbing and tingling in different areas down yonder that I am thinking I did something to sabotage myself. In addition I think my family is trying to sabotage me because my aunt made this chocolate bundt cake with nuts and I had eaten some of it without thinking and now I am regretting it. The medicines I will probably be using on a regular basis are Albuterol inhaler, and Aleve (Naprosen) or possibly Celebrex both are anti inflammatory drugs. The cortisone shot was just once. Thanks, Al

Response:

Al writes: Relafen, Celebrex and Aleve for the pain in my knee. I was wondering if any of these are steroids?

No clue. For info on that sort of thing, I usually plug the names into a search engine like Google or Yahoo etc.  That’ll pulls up fact sheets that might be informative. family is trying to sabotage me because my aunt made this chocolate bundt cake with nuts

Yes, aunts can be brutal this time of year  ;-) M2

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It’s not the actual virus that turns folks into victims. It’s how folks percieve their own situations and how they choose to react to everyday life situations. Best Wishes, Angela — Social Support Networking Alliance – No one is as good as ALL of us! *HOLIDAY PARTIES* and 2006 events posted! http://www.yoshi2me.com/herpes-hpv-ssna.html http://www.yoshi2me.com/herpes-support.html http://www.yoshi2me.com/herpes-h-pals.html http://yoshi2me.com/phpbb/index.php

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And this is true. When I had some really bad outbreaks last Feb I was a mess physically and emotionally.Now I am living life and enjoying it as a regular person would. I am not ashamed of my herpes situation at all. I still get frequent outbreaks, but I’m doing okay. Al

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – It’s not the actual virus that turns folks into victims. It’s how folks percieve their own situations and how they choose to react to everyday life situations. Best Wishes, Angela — Social Support Networking Alliance – No one is as good as ALL of us! *HOLIDAY PARTIES* and 2006 events posted! http://www.yoshi2me.com/herpes-hpv-ssna.html http://www.yoshi2me.com/herpes-support.html http://www.yoshi2me.com/herpes-h-pals.html http://yoshi2me.com/phpbb/index.php

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 Don’t Let Herpes Make You Into A Victim We live in an affluent, highly privileged society. We spoil and indulge ourselves shamelessly. We consume way more than our fair share of the planet’s resources. We drug ourselves with coffee, cigarettes, alcohol and comfort foods. We distract ourselves with junk culture coming from our televisions, radios and print media. In the midst of all this the temptation is there to want to identify ourselves as a victim so we can have an excuse to feel sorry for ourselves. There are many real victims out there: children who are being sexually abused, women who are the target of men’s rage, seniors being targeted by con artists or mistreated in nursing homes. For those of us with herpes there is no need to buy into to the victim role and feel sorry for ourselves. Herpes is a minor sexually transmitted skin disease. It’s easily managed and you can effectively protect your intimate partner/s from being infected. Between herpes, HPV and Chlamydia alone there’s probably no one you know who has had more than six sex partners who hasn’t caught a sexually transmitted disease, so having herpes isn’t unusual- you haven’t been singled out by God for punishment, you are simply dealing with the reality of life in the 21st century, we are hosts for a variety of microorganisms, some of them sexually transmitted. I don’t expect anyone to throw a "I’ve just been diagnosed with herpes " party, but why all the doom and gloom? Must we really buy into this false stigma? Is it all that bad? No it isn’t all that bad. Get down on your hands and knees and be grateful that you don’t have a real illness like my patients with M.S. and Cancer and HIV. Make peace with that little red virus inside of you and go on with you life. Love and laugh and enjoy the blessings of being in a wealthy, peaceful, abundant society. Face whatever challenges life throws at you with dignity and courage. MY feeling is that we with herpes have no right to behave like victims. I reserve that right for the women in Africa who have endured genital mutilation, for the people starving all over the world, for the children scavenging for scraps to sell in garbage dumps, for the families destroyed by war and its aftermath. They’d all trade their fates for a simple herpes infection any day of the week. christopher scipio homeopath/herbalist herpes treatment sppecialist

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I honestly have no idea why your outbreaks do what they do to you. I wish I could say more about it – I don’t get outbreaks like that. Take Care, Angela — Social Support Networking Alliance – No one is as good as ALL of us! *HOLIDAY PARTIES* and 2006 events posted! http://www.yoshi2me.com/herpes-hpv-ssna.html http://www.yoshi2me.com/herpes-support.html http://www.yoshi2me.com/herpes-h-pals.html http://yoshi2me.com/phpbb/index.php

Response:

I wish I knew! I’m okay, I tend to complain alot at times. Men have worse outbreaks than women have in terms of pain I am told.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I honestly have no idea why your outbreaks do what they do to you. I wish I could say more about it – I don’t get outbreaks like that. Take Care, Angela — Social Support Networking Alliance – No one is as good as ALL of us! *HOLIDAY PARTIES* and 2006 events posted! http://www.yoshi2me.com/herpes-hpv-ssna.html http://www.yoshi2me.com/herpes-support.html http://www.yoshi2me.com/herpes-h-pals.html http://yoshi2me.com/phpbb/index.php

Response:

Oh I don’t know about that Al ~ I think it just varies from person to person. When I get outbreaks they are very uncomfortable. But again ~ it usually doesn’t last long for me. So sorry to hear you are still struggling with this issue. Angela — The STD Resource Network – by Those Who Live It!    Sites by Angela http://www.yoshi2me.com/ http://www.herpes-help.blogspot.com/ http://yoshi2me.com/phpbb/index.php    Sites by Gayla http://www.herpesonline.org/ http://www.std-for-dummies.org/blog/

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -I wish I knew! I’m okay, I tend to complain alot at times. Men have worse outbreaks than women have in terms of pain I am told.

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Mine is mainly prodrome and for about 4 days and on the last day I get the lesions, but usually they go away fast…1-2 days. I used to get these painful sores from hell, but not too much anymore.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Oh I don’t know about that Al ~ I think it just varies from person to person. When I get outbreaks they are very uncomfortable. But again ~ it usually doesn’t last long for me. So sorry to hear you are still struggling with this issue. Angela — The STD Resource Network – by Those Who Live It!    Sites by Angela http://www.yoshi2me.com/ http://www.herpes-help.blogspot.com/ http://yoshi2me.com/phpbb/index.php    Sites by Gayla http://www.herpesonline.org/ http://www.std-for-dummies.org/blog/ I wish I knew! I’m okay, I tend to complain alot at times. Men have worse outbreaks than women have in terms of pain I am told.

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Hi Al ~ Glad to hear that they aren’t so painful for you any more. Angela — The STD Resource Network – by Those Who Live It! http://yoshi2me.com/phpbb/index.php http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/PickingUpThePieces/ http://www.yoshi2me.com/herpes-h-pals.html

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Mine is mainly prodrome and for about 4 days and on the last day I get the lesions, but usually they go away fast…1-2 days. I used to get these painful sores from hell, but not too much anymore.

Response:

I know that herpes tends to have many, many possible outcomes as far as symptoms, lesions, frequency and severity. Aside from my sores looking different from time to time, my outbreaks tends to at least always have the same prodrome, and I am wondering why this is? A Typical Outbreak for me: Day 1: Feeling run down, tired, soreness in the genitals, aching in the lower back, groin, buttocks and thighs. Day 2: More aching, and shooting pains in the underarms. Day 3: Bothersome itching on the inner thighs, groin, maybe more aching. Later first round of pimples/blisters. Day 4: Cool burning sensation on the genitals that resembles a mentholated feeling, then inner and outer thighs. Day 5: More aching, pinching sensations primarily inner thigh area, then more blisters/pimples. Day 6-8: Healing period. So what I noticed is that the itching almost always happens after the aching. There must be something to the nerves being irritated and then the itching is like the nerves trying to heal, just like when you get a cut and its healing it itches. The mentholated feeling must be what some people refer to as "tingling"? Those are some observations I have noticed, if anyone wants to comment feel free. This outbreak started Monday and I prided myself, because I actually had not had one in about 10 days prior, but all good things come to an end I suppose.

Response:

an example is Astragalus root; it contains L-canavanine. it was to me, one of the most effective anti-herpes herb I’ve ever taken, together with Prunella Vulgaris (Self Heal) infussion. Perl von Molson http://www.thorne.com/altmedrev/.fulltext/8/1/72.pdf Other Constituents Phytosterols, a volatile oil, and amino acids, including gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and L-canavanine, have been isolated from the root.11 Zinc, iron, copper, magnesium, manganese, calcium, potassium, sodium, cobalt, rubidium, molybdenum, chromium, vanadium, tin, and silver have also been found in the root of Astragalus, as well as traces of tantalum, hafnium, europium, and thorium. Organic compounds identified in the roots include choline, betaine, gluconic acid, and

Considering that L-Canavaline have almost identical chemical formula as L-Arginine – a herpes favourite, cannot herpes be fooled by taking L-canavaline as L-Arginine and then die? Where specifically in the body herpes is using L-Arginine? On its asymptomatic shedding areas? The question is, how deep on the skin-mucosa area, the regular site for herpes shedding, the L-canavaline cream/oil needs to penetrate the skin? Well, in case it cannot penetrate deep enough, it may be useful to first apply a Benzalkonium Chloride solution or Melissa in ethanol solution that would assure the penetration of the antivirals deep into the skin/mucosa, and after that, to maintain an environment that is unfriendly to herpes virus, should be applied this topical solution of L-Canavaline? I don’t know, maybe the solution can be processed from alfalfa powder? Perl von Molson

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http://www.pubmedcentral.gov/picrender.fcgi?artid=254990&blobtype=pdf the above article contain some stuff about these issues regarding L-Canavanine (sp)

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http://www.pubmedcentral.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=… Inhibition of herpes simplex virus replication by succinyl concanavalin A. P Garrity, C Szelc, C Paquette, M McEvoy, R Millette, and R Adler Abstract Incubation of herpes simplex virus type 1-infected cells with succinyl-concanavalin A, a derivative of the jack bean lectin concanavalin A, resulted in the decreased production of virus. The mode of inhibition by the lectin was unclear. No effect was apparent on the level of viral DNA synthesis. However, incubation of infected cells with increasing concentrations of the lectin appeared to result in a decrease in the quantity of viral protein produced within the cell. A reduction in the virus titer of 57 to 64% was observed upon direct incubation of extracellular virus in the presence of 50 to 100 micrograms of succinyl-concanavalin A per ml.

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 J Gen Virol. 1974 Mar;22(3):319-30. Related Articles, Links The effect of canavanine on herpes simplex virus replication. Bell D. PMID: 4361921 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&…

Response:

Sutherlandia Gel, 75 ml  Sutherlandia Gel is good for soothing sores and abrasions, for soothing herpes and shingles outbreaks, helping with eczema and psoriasis acne, athletes foot, herpes, shingles, & skin rash.. For external use only. 50ml. ACTIVE INGREDIENTS: Gel Contains 27% of a 20% aqueos extract of Sutherlandia frutescens subsp. microphylla herb. http://www.insensual.com/sutherlandia-gel.html http://www.sutherlandia.com/l_canavanine_frame.htm

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http://www.sutherlandia.com/gel_frame.htm – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Sutherlandia Gel, 75 ml  Sutherlandia Gel is good for soothing sores and abrasions, for soothing herpes and shingles outbreaks, helping with eczema and psoriasis acne, athletes foot, herpes, shingles, & skin rash.. For external use only. 50ml. ACTIVE INGREDIENTS: Gel Contains 27% of a 20% aqueos extract of Sutherlandia frutescens subsp. microphylla herb. http://www.insensual.com/sutherlandia-gel.html http://www.sutherlandia.com/l_canavanine_frame.htm

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As M2 said, shingles hits all ages.  I believe my father had ten days worth of meds when he had it. ar – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -I’m 50. Isn’t that a little young, statisically. I know young people get it. But aren’t most cases in people 60 and over? Second, I got Famvir and it is working well. But the doc only gave me like three and a half days worth. Shouldn’t I get more?

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My mother had shingles when she was about 48-50 yrs old and I know of a girl that had it at 25 years old. From what I understand, if you have the herpes varicella zoster virus in your body it can come out as shingles later in life. I had chicken pox when I was 5 yrs old so I can get shingles later in life. You carry this virus forever as you do with Simplex and Epstein Barr, also herpes virii.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – As M2 said, shingles hits all ages.  I believe my father had ten days worth of meds when he had it. ar I’m 50. Isn’t that a little young, statisically. I know young people get it. But aren’t most cases in people 60 and over? Second, I got Famvir and it is working well. But the doc only gave me like three and a half days worth. Shouldn’t I get more?

Response:

I’m 36 and I’ve got it. My little sister was in her 20s when she had it. My doctor gave me 7 days of Famvir-it doesn’t seem to be doing anything 4 days into it. He did say it was a really expensive treatment, maybe your doctor’s trying to cut costs? Claire — "…The people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger "  – Herman Goering at the Nuremberg trials "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little  temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."  - Benjamin Franklin, 1759

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’m 50. Isn’t that a little young, statisically. I know young people get it. But aren’t most cases in people 60 and over? Second, I got Famvir and it is working well. But the doc only gave me like three and a half days worth. Shouldn’t I get more?

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Just to follow up — I was supposed to get 21 Famvir pills, but the pharmastict shorted me. We got some more pronto. I started taking them about 24-36 hours after I noticed an odd rash starting out as what looked like bug bites. With 48 hours of taking the pills, the situation started to clear up. After seven days and 21 pills (the prescribed protocol) this have cleared up substantially and pain is 90 percent gone.

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I’m 50. Isn’t that a little young, statisically. I know young people get it. But aren’t most cases in people 60 and over? Second, I got Famvir and it is working well. But the doc only gave me like three and a half days worth. Shouldn’t I get more?

Response:

miscellaneousmedia writes: I’m 50. Isn’t that a little young, statisically

I don’t think I’ve ever seen stats on Shingles broken down by "age". But from personal experience, just people I know, Shingles hits all ages. Young, old, everything in between. I wasn’t aware of a prevalence. I got Famvir and it is working well. But the doc only gave me like three and a half days worth. Shouldn’t I get more?

Again, Shingles isn’t my bag but I would think you’d need more than that. Maybe the doc thinks it’s a mild case that can be zapped that quickly and he’s saving you money. You’ll know after a couple of days though. You can always call him back and get more. M2

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Thanks everyone. I’ll have to look into medscape or pubmed to see more info. I agree that I did have some pretty risky sex in the past and in many cases didn’t use any protection. Through my 39 years, I have gotten alot more std’s than hpv and herpes, but those are the only two I am still left with. Unfortunately, I had quite a few partners, probably more than my mother, brother, aunt, grandparents and my two cousins put together, so now I have to pay for it. As far as alcohol causing risky behavior…I agree with that. I think I agree with the fact that women can be infected more easily, but I am not sure 100%. Angela, you asked where I got the information on hpv being more likely because of smoking. I got it from various sources including a book I had just taken out of the Library near my house called: Everything you need to know about Human Papillomavirus by Elizabeth Carter. I read some of your information on www.yoshi2me.com regarding hpv and other sites including stds for dummies, but I wanted to learn more. I have a couple of books on herpes which include living and loving with herpes; a chronic std, and the truth about herpes. I also read Westover heights and other things. Thanks, Al

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Grant writes: Where do you think women are getting herpes and HPV? From men, of course.  (At least, if you’re heterosexual).  So, that one comment about it being more likely for women than men is kind of bogus, in my opinion. Depends on how you look at it. I agree that women contract herpes mostly from men, no question. But I can also see why women can be more easily infected. I think it’s the way their plumbing is designed as compared to men (but I hope God NEVER changes it). But whatever the reason, the studies that I’ve seen of discordant couples, with results broken down by gender infected, show a higher percentage of women being infected than men over the same time period. In other words, say you have a study of 1000 discordant couples, starting with 500 infected men and 500 infected women. At the end of the study, more women will end up being infected than men. Seems to be a fairly consistent result study after study. Alcohol may be a contributing factor because when you’re drunk, you’re less likely to use protection or you are more likely to make stupid choices. Bingo! …. and I think men and women can be equally stupid when they’re drunk  ;-) M2

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Grant writes: Where do you think women are getting herpes and HPV? From men, of course.  (At least, if you’re heterosexual).  So, that one comment about it being more likely for women than men is kind of bogus, in my opinion.

Depends on how you look at it. I agree that women contract herpes mostly from men, no question. But I can also see why women can be more easily infected. I think it’s the way their plumbing is designed as compared to men (but I hope God NEVER changes it). But whatever the reason, the studies that I’ve seen of discordant couples, with results broken down by gender infected, show a higher percentage of women being infected than men over the same time period. In other words, say you have a study of 1000 discordant couples, starting with 500 infected men and 500 infected women. At the end of the study, more women will end up being infected than men. Seems to be a fairly consistent result study after study. Alcohol may be a contributing factor because when you’re drunk, you’re less likely to use protection or you are more likely to make stupid choices.

Bingo! …. and I think men and women can be equally stupid when they’re drunk  ;-) M2

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Hi Al, Well, think about it.  Where do you think women are getting herpes and HPV? From men, of course.  (At least, if you’re heterosexual).  So, that one comment about it being more likely for women than men is kind of bogus, in my opinion. Alcohol may be a contributing factor because when you’re drunk, you’re less likely to use protection or you are more likely to make stupid choices. As to your specific situation, who knows? ar – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Hello All, Recently I read that smoking cigarettes increases your chance of getting genital hpv, because it lowers the immune system. I was a smoker for years, and smoked Marlboro regular (1 pk a day), until I quit in 1999. I suspect that I contracted genital hpv and genital herpes at the same time or 9 years ago approximately. Does anyone know if smoking is also a factor in increasing the risk of getting genital herpes? I am curious mostly because I am a male and have gotten both, where I was also told that females are more likely to get herpes and hpv than males. I am wondering if smoking sabotaged my immune system that much? I also read that drinking alcohol increases the likelihood of getting either of the above, and although I don’t really drink, I have maybe 1-2 drinks a week, such as beer or wine coolers. Does anyone know if this could have increased my chances also? Thanks, Al

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Hi Al ~ You might try doing some searches on smoking and herpes over on pubmed to see if there is any significance to what you mentioned. Where did you hear about all that? I was a smoker for 10 years before I quit in the spring of 1998. I don’t believe my smoking had anything to do with the fact that I contracted herpes simplex virus. Quitting smoking is probably a good idea for everybody and not just the people that have herpes. I believe that the reason why alcohol increases a persons risk is because people have a tendency to participate in risky behavior when they are under the influence. That’s probably the only correlation at this point unless of course you find something over on pubmed or medscape that I wasn’t aware of. Take Care, Angela — Instant Message Anyone? Yahoo! Messenger – yoshi2me http://www.yoshi2me.com/ http://www.herpes-help.blogspot.com/

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello All, Recently I read that smoking cigarettes increases your chance of getting genital hpv, because it lowers the immune system. I was a smoker for years, and smoked Marlboro regular (1 pk a day), until I quit in 1999. I suspect that I contracted genital hpv and genital herpes at the same time or 9 years ago approximately. Does anyone know if smoking is also a factor in increasing the risk of getting genital herpes? I am curious mostly because I am a male and have gotten both, where I was also told that females are more likely to get herpes and hpv than males. I am wondering if smoking sabotaged my immune system that much? I also read that drinking alcohol increases the likelihood of getting either of the above, and although I don’t really drink, I have maybe 1-2 drinks a week, such as beer or wine coolers. Does anyone know if this could have increased my chances also? Thanks, Al

Response:

Hello All, Recently I read that smoking cigarettes increases your chance of getting genital hpv, because it lowers the immune system. I was a smoker for years, and smoked Marlboro regular (1 pk a day), until I quit in 1999. I suspect that I contracted genital hpv and genital herpes at the same time or 9 years ago approximately. Does anyone know if smoking is also a factor in increasing the risk of getting genital herpes? I am curious mostly because I am a male and have gotten both, where I was also told that females are more likely to get herpes and hpv than males. I am wondering if smoking sabotaged my immune system that much? I also read that drinking alcohol increases the likelihood of getting either of the above, and although I don’t really drink, I have maybe 1-2 drinks a week, such as beer or wine coolers. Does anyone know if this could have increased my chances also? Thanks, Al

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