Anxiety

[Heather Guthrie]

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A family member is suffering from periodic anxiety attacks. I've made suggestions regarding her diet, lifestyle and general stress management, but I think she needs more help and is hesitant to see a professional. She did see a general practitioner who suggested a number of supplements and melatonin to help with sleep but she found that these either haven't helped or are no longer helping.  Any recommendations?


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[Alannah]

Mindfulness meditation is very effective with anxiety and panic attacks. 

[Pat Robinson]

With melatonin, less is better. The liquid version can be dosed in smaller increments. There is a product called "Deep Sleep" which is an herbal extract to help maintain sleep. Many people find that the melatonin wears off after about 4-5 hours. Taken together, just a few drops of both Deep Sleep and Melatonin - can help provide a crutch to get some sleep. Getting sunlight and exercise as early in the day as possible is key to resetting the biorhythms. Going to bed by 10pm, before that 'second wind' of cortisol kicks in is important too.

I'd try adding zinc and magnesium in the diet, both help with ruminating symptoms. Folate helps with anxiety/depression.

Also consider some Bach flower remedies. White Chestnut is for "when thoughts go round and round in your head". Aspen for vague fears and a sense of peace. Honeysuckle for homesickness, nostalgia.

Check these Bach Flower remedy finder links to help you select which ones most speak to you/her. There are specific ones for social anxiety, fears, ruminating thoughts, paranoia, grief, self-doubt, overwhelm, etc.
http://www.ainsworths.com/remedy/default.aspx

http://www.bachcentre.com/centre/remedies.htm

http://www.bachflower.com/38_Essences.htm


I get them from Vitacost.com most inexpensively. Like $9 each, vs. locally $16.

Also, classical homeopathy can help with emotional lability, depression or anxiety also.

Epsom salt baths help too.


HTH,

Pat

[Denise Sokolowski]

I too have anxiety and have found that phosphatidylserine and trytophan both work well. For sleep, I use 500 mg trytophan and I use MZS Dr Pierpaoli's Original Formula, he is an expert on melatonin and combines it with a couple other things he finds are necessary

[GT]

I experienced the same in the past..I got into meridian tapping - EFT...it helped a lot, and also drank valerian tea in the evenings to sleep.  There are a lot of great videos on youtube for anxiety. My favorite is the EFT wizard, Brad Yates.  Now, I am focusing more on what I eat, drink, and think.

[Gail England]

I use a product called SED-8. it is a blend of herbs for anxiety. I take it night with a little trazadone. without, i do not sleep. I can't take either alone, have to have them together. I buy it from Barry's Pharmacy in Boca Raton, the only place I can find it. Some naturapaths have it.

[Kelly B]

Kava kava, Eleuthero, Valerian, Schizandra.  All wonderful herbs for reducing stress and anxiety. 

Meditation/prayer, yoga. 

[Tia Isham]

I've been suffering from anxiety attacks the past several months as well. I've recently discovered Provanax, an herbal supplement designed to help with stress, anxiety, and panic. Have been taking it for three weeks now. I'm off my medications (anti-depressant, xanax), which is a relief. I still experience some anxiety, stress, and derealization, but it has helped tremendously! Worth a try anyway.

http://www.moodoptimizer.com/anxiety-depression/naturally.php

[Mercedes Brian]

Any thoughts on 5-HTP? I had intense heart-pounding anxiety and also similar feelings of dread. Often they were the aura before a hot flash (year 7 of the flashes, I'm 55). I also had pain in my sternum that would wake me up and was relieved by rubbing. Also restless. I've tried many homeopathic appointments. No real help. I am 9 months into a stressful executive position (low pay as a town councillor) which I am finally starting to enjoy. As well, my parents died within three weeks this summer (Dad of a heart attack at 83, I think the sternum pain is related to my processing his pain), each leaving a devastated spouse. My husband and I worry constantly about our future life. We need his work, but he is unhappy, so we are working to start our own business and are trying to figure out if we can move to a cheaper place (so far, no, we are pretty frugal). Sooo, plenty of situational stress.

5-HTP at 100 mg 3x daily helped a lot with all the symptoms and also seemed to reduce hot flashes. But I developed a sore throat and sore tongue. When I got out the magnifying glass to read the cautions on the bottle I saw that mouth ulcers are a side-effect. Okay... Now I'm trying 100 mg daily only. Hot flash central here.

I haven't tried EFT. That's next. But I'm a little freaked out by a supplement, even if it worked, that gave me a sore throat and mouth!