Effective Treatment of Panic Attack (dysautonomia) with Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine

On June 22nd of this year, 75-year-old Mrs. C arrived at my clinic supported by her husband. Her complexion was dull, and she was extremely weak. She explained that her husband had suffered from recurrent urinary tract infections after receiving radiation therapy for prostate cancer, and had been hospitalized for 10 days in early April due to another infection. Worrying about him and being exhausted, Mrs. C’s blood pressure spiked. She was sent to the emergency room three separate times—on April 19, April 26, and May 8—due to systolic blood pressure exceeding 200 mmHg. Aside from her pre-existing diabetes, doctors found no physical abnormalities and diagnosed her with panic attacks. She was prescribed paroxetine (an antidepressant), Losartan and Amlodipine (for blood pressure and heart protection), Hydralazine (to be taken when systolic blood pressure exceeds 160 mmHg), and Lorazepam (to be taken during severe palpitations).

When she came to see me, she was experiencing palpitations, chest tightness, fear and anxiety, dizziness, insomnia, night sweats, lack of appetite, and difficulty swallowing food. She had lost 4 to 6 pounds and was extremely frail. Her systolic blood pressure often reached as high as 190 mmHg, controlled only by medication. Her husband had found me online. She said she was terrified and begged me to save her.

Her pulse was floating and string-like (floating-wiry), her tongue was pale-puffed with teeth marks, and it had a thick white coating. Her blood pressure measured 146/78 mmHg. She described her tongue feeling as though it were pressed against a cold steel pipe, causing her immense discomfort.

Her symptoms were classic manifestations of dysautonomia (autonomic nervous system dysfunction).

A Panic Attack represents an acute, severe functional breakdown of the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS), particularly involving the sympathetic nervous system.

1. Why is a Panic Attack considered Autonomic Nervous System Dysfunction?

Our autonomic nervous system consists of two main branches:

• Sympathetic Nervous System (The Gas Pedal): Responsible for responding to danger or stress (the "fight-or-flight" response).

• Parasympathetic Nervous System (The Brakes): Responsible for relaxation, rest, and recovery.

The Essence of a Panic Attack: In the absence of any real external danger (such as a fire or a wild beast), the brain's "alarm system" (the amygdala) mistakenly perceives a life-threatening crisis. It slams down on the sympathetic nervous system's "gas pedal," triggering an instantaneous, massive release of adrenaline.

2. Classic Autonomic Dysfunction Symptoms During a Panic Attack

When the sympathetic nervous system becomes abnormally hyperactive, organs throughout the body produce a series of acute physiological responses:

• Cardiovascular System: Rapid heartbeat, palpitations, sudden spikes in blood pressure, and chest tightness/pressure (often mistaken for a heart attack).

• Respiratory System: Rapid breathing, feeling oxygen-deprived, and hyperventilation (which can cause numbness in the hands and feet or muscle spasms).

• Digestive System: Tightness in the stomach, nausea, retching, and abdominal discomfort (sympathetic excitement inhibits gastrointestinal motility).

• Nervous & Thermoregulatory Systems: Sudden profuse sweating, cold sweats, body tremors, dizziness, and an overwhelming sense of impending doom or loss of control.

Mrs. C said she was in unbearable pain and pleaded for help to recover as soon as possible. I recommended a combined treatment strategy of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. Eager for quick relief, she asked if she could receive acupuncture every day. I explained that daily treatment was unnecessary and suggested starting with three sessions per week, reducing to twice weekly and then once weekly as her symptoms improved. However, she insisted on returning the very next day for another session, and I accommodated her request. After the acupuncture session, I prescribed a tailored Chinese herbal formula designed to strengthen the Spleen, resolve dampness, aid sleep, stop night sweats, invigorate blood circulation, unblock the meridians, soothe the Liver, and calm the spirit.

June 23: When the patient returned the following morning for her second acupuncture session, she reported that her eating and sleep had been very good after returning home yesterday. However, she experienced dizziness upon waking, with a blood pressure of 156/80 mmHg. I reassured her that I would help her recover, but reminded her not to rush, as full healing takes time.

June 29: The patient reported that her night sweats had completely disappeared, though she still experienced occasional palpitations, and her blood pressure remained around 150/80 mmHg. I adjusted her herbal prescription accordingly.

I then temporarily paused acupuncture treatments to travel to Northern California over the 4th of July holiday to visit my daughter.

July 7: Upon my return, the patient shared that she had felt very good over the past several days. Her systolic blood pressure remained consistently below 130 mmHg without any palpitations, though her sleep was still somewhat variable. She joyfully shared that she had rejoined her choir for singing practice. Her fellow choir members were thrilled for her recovery and asked which Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner she had been seeing. She took several of my business cards with her that day.

July 18: The patient's complexion had restored its clear, fair tone with healthy color. She reported that her blood pressure had stabilized around 120–130/70–80 mmHg, and her episodes of palpitations had significantly decreased, occurring only occasionally. Her resting heart rate was 70–80 beats per minute, and she was able to sleep for 5 hours at night. I informed her that we could now reduce acupuncture sessions to twice a week, but due to fear of relapse, she requested to continue three times a week for one more week. She had already stopped taking Hydralazine and Lorazepam. Seeing that her blood pressure was stable, I advised her to consult on gradually tapering down her Losartan and Amlodipine.

July 23: After one month of combined acupuncture and herbal treatment, all of the patient's symptoms had completely resolved. Aside from her night sleep still being slightly under six hours, she experienced no discomfort whatsoever. Following my suggestion, she had reduced her evening dose of Losartan by half.

July 25: The patient also reduced her morning Losartan dose by half without experiencing any discomfort. She noted sleeping for 6 hours the previous night. With normal blood pressure and no remaining palpitations, I suggested she continue by attempting to taper down her Amlodipine as well.

Over the past 20 years, I have treated several patients suffering severely from debilitating symptoms such as palpitations, chest tightness, intense fear, and severe insomnia—where Western medical diagnostic tests revealed no underlying structural causes. In severe cases, patients could not sleep for days and nights on end, finding it difficult even to eat or drink water. By tailoring treatment plans—utilizing acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, or a combination of both based on the severity of the symptoms and the patient's preferences—all were successfully treated. Traditional Chinese Medicine is uniquely well-suited for treating these types of functional autonomic disorders.