Quit Smoking And Extreme Anxiety
Quit Smoking And Extreme Anxiety In my 15 years of helping clients quit smoking, I have occasionally seen a confusing answer. It's happened to a few people who don't normally suffer from anxiety. In these cases, their anxiety was overwhelming and made them feel so bad that they could not work or barely hold a conversation. When I delved into this problem, I found what is called a glutamate storm. The extreme form is common in head injury and stroke, but some individuals may experience a minor storm when nicotine is suddenly withdrawn from their brains. It is a similar reaction to what is described as an allergy to MSG, a salt traditionally used to enhance flavor in Chinese foods and commonly used in salty processed foods. Glutamine washes out of brain cells and displaces GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), an amino acid associated with feelings of calmness. In addition, calcium enters the same cells. There is a delicate balance between calcium and magnesium in all our cells. Calc...