Anti-Anxiety OTC alternatives...

zacseph

First off, apologies if this isn't the right area... i was a bit confussed...

I've been looking for some kind of natural or over the counter anti-anxiety medication... i'm looking towards something that would aid in increasing seratonin, and not something that prevents anxiety by incurring drowziness...

After a little research, I found something called 5-HTP... but the place i've looked told me it wasn't available in ireland, only NI or the UK...
Apparently L-Tryptophan is as good / better, but again, not sure where I could get this?
Anyone know anything about the above two, or if there are any other alternatives??

SparrowTown

According to this book "L-Tryptophan is an amino acid which occurs natuarally in the body and is a precursor to 5 hydroxytryptamine or serotonin."... "It can inhibit production of the B vitamin pydridoxine"

I am sure i have seen it in 'natural health food shops' but that is some time ago. Be aware there may be side effects.
more info here

This is not medical advice

starviewadams

I tried L-Tryptophan a few months ago,but it didn't help my anxiety much,all it really did was make me feel a bit light headed.

I got it from here: http://www.thehealthstore.ie/index.php/viridian-l-tryptophan.html

zacseph

starviewadams wrote: »

I tried L-Tryptophan a few months ago,but it didn't help my anxiety much,all it really did was make me feel a bit light headed.

I got it from here: http://www.thehealthstore.ie/index.php/viridian-l-tryptophan.html

Cool - might take a look anyways... tried Valerian root already - it does help a little, but kinda makes me drowzy - i was hoping for something that would get me a bit more positive and proactive... not sleepy

On a side note, would love to find out what used to be in the old head shop drugs they used to sell - made me feel great, whatever it was!!

ILA

Alcohol.

It certainly gets rid of any anxiety I have, day or night.

zacseph

Yeah, but slightly frowned upon in work... :P

SparrowTown

zacseph wrote: »

On a side note, would love to find out what used to be in the old head shop drugs they used to sell - made me feel great, whatever it was!!

maybe why you are anxious in the first place

zacseph

SparrowTown wrote: »

maybe why you are anxious in the first place

not likely - i had anxiety issues LONG before i ever tried them... if anything it's been less since then, but they're a bit too severe for day-to-day use even if they were still available...

SparrowTown

zacseph wrote: »

not likely - i had anxiety issues LONG before i ever tried them... if anything it's been less since then, but they're a bit too severe for day-to-day use even if they were still available...

doubt if any of that poison would do anyone any good in the long run. asyou say yourself

would love to find out what used to be in the old head shop drugs they used to sell

all street drugs a like hash lsd etc can cause panic and all sort of psy problems too

krankykitty

I know this is not an OTC remedy, but I find getting some exercise can help

SparrowTown

I came across this, not sure if it will be of any help and i am not recommending it but it says it has calming effects

Odysseus

SparrowTown wrote: »

doubt if any of that poison would do anyone any good in the long run. asyou say yourself all street drugs a like hash lsd etc can cause panic and all sort of psy problems too

Spot on, but we have to be careful here because they don't cause those problems for everyone who tries them. I hate it when psych services pass a client on to me as soon as they hear about any type of drug use. Telling them they need to sort out their drug use/addiction first before they can help. I have a special interest in comorbidity/dual diagnosis that's a person who has an addiction and another disorder such as panic or anxiety.

Whilst such drug use can cause significant problems for people with anxiety, depressive etc issues; it's making five out of two + two to jump to such conclusions. I'm not saying you are doing this but out of a profession interest I keep an eye on this forum and I do see quite a judgemental attitude appear as soon as a person metions any type of history of drug use.

What I would suggest to the OP is that they find themselves a good therapist. CBT gets metioned a lot here that can help, but there are other forms of psychotherapy that can help too, for example I'm a psychoanalyst myself. Just a word of warning a lot of people who call themselves CBT therapst's have a very limited training in that modality, always check with a professional body.

darkmaster2

I take 100mg 5-htp every day, + 50mg Vitamin b6 to help convert it into seratonin. I find it helps greatly with depression and energy levels.

5htp is not available in Ireland for some reason?, but can be easily bought on ebay from the uk.

SparrowTown

Odysseus wrote: »

Spot on, but we have to be careful here because they don't cause those problems for everyone who tries them. I hate it when psych services pass a client on to me as soon as they hear about any type of drug use. Telling them they need to sort out their drug use/addiction first before they can help. I have a special interest in comorbidity/dual diagnosis that's a person who has an addiction and another disorder such as panic or anxiety.

Whilst such drug use can cause significant problems for people with anxiety, depressive etc issues; it's making five out of two + two to jump to such conclusions. I'm not saying you are doing this but out of a profession interest I keep an eye on this forum and I do see quite a judgemental attitude appear as soon as a person metions any type of history of drug use.

What I would suggest to the OP is that they find themselves a good therapist. CBT gets metioned a lot here that can help, but there are other forms of psychotherapy that can help too, for example I'm a psychoanalyst myself. Just a word of warning a lot of people who call themselves CBT therapst's have a very limited training in that modality, always check with a professional body.

I have been told by several high trined professionals that use of hash/lsd etc can cause panoc and indeed psychosisJ

ust a word of warning a lot of people who call themselves CBT therapst's have a very limited training in that modality

also true for psychoanalysis for which there is no valid scientific basis

darkmaster2

SparrowTown wrote: »

I have been told by several high trined professionals that use of hash/lsd etc can cause panoc and indeed psychosis

They generally don't cause the panic,anxiety or psychosis, but can invoke it in people with an underlying condition. They bring things to the surface psychological problems that may be suppressed. Whether that's a good or bad thing well that is up for debate.

Also...

http://www.emaxhealth.com/1357/psychedelic-mushrooms-ease-anxiety-cancer-patients

A new study shows that psychedelic mushrooms ease anxiety for cancer patients. Late stage cancer patients given a moderate dose of psilocybin, a hallucinogen with effects similar to LSD, were measurably less depressed six months after a single dose compared with a placebo. Patients seemed somewhat less anxious.

leitrim28

I've been taking 50 to 100mg every day or when i feel i need it, of 5-HTP for a year now, I tried anti depressives from my doctor they made me feel nothing up or down, also forget having a sexual relationship.
5-HTP works great for me, I don't get panic and anxiety attacks anymore, even after a heavy night on the drink. much happier and relaxed in general.

I live near Northern Ireland border so I buy my 5-HTP from holland and barrett in Enniskillen, it's not cheap (£15.79 for 60, 50mg capsules) stock up when they have sales on. but well worth it, for me anyway.
but you can but online and get it delivered to Ireland for £6.95 Also ebay and amazon have it.

Mr Benevolent

I tried 5-HTP, didn't do much other than make me wake up very tense, but Valerian worked well. The best solution I found was getting a job, i.e, a a complete change of situation.

davo3

has anyone tried 5 htp for chronic fatigue syndrome

Graces7

davo3 wrote: »

has anyone tried 5 htp for chronic fatigue syndrome

re
yes years ago for the s.a.d asociated with m.e.

initial side effects were worrying then i read up in more detail and never touched it again.

wary of stuff that affects and alters the brain as there is no reversal possible.

wise to stay clear of prescription stuff. watched last night a u.s documentary re these drugs there...the side effects are appalling. suicidal thoughts caused by anti depressants. has emerged that all the high school shootings were done by kids on these meds. caused by the side effects

i knew this from my own long ago time on anti ds and eg valium. constant suicidal thoughts that cleared when i got free.

leading a more sensible life eg exercise is a less dramatic way but achieves a lasting balance and health and living within your limitations.

i do this now and lead a fuller and more fulfilled life.

sam34

Graces7 wrote: »

re
yes years ago for the s.a.d asociated with m.e.

initial side effects were worrying then i read up in more detail and never touched it again.

wary of stuff that affects and alters the brain as there is no reversal possible.

wise to stay clear of prescription stuff. watched last night a u.s documentary re these drugs there...the side effects are appalling. suicidal thoughts caused by anti depressants. has emerged that all the high school shootings were done by kids on these meds. caused by the side effects

i knew this from my own long ago time on anti ds and eg valium. constant suicidal thoughts that cleared when i got free.

leading a more sensible life eg exercise is a less dramatic way but achieves a lasting balance and health and living within your limitations.

i do this now and lead a fuller and more fulfilled life.

do not post on this forum advising others to avoid prescription medication. You are not qualified to make that call, not qualified to judge the need to prescribe, and not qualified to make medical assessments of people. If you post in that manner anywhere on this forum again you will be banned.

Graces7

sam34 wrote: »

do not post on this forum advising others to avoid prescription medication. You are not qualified to make that call, not qualified to judge the need to prescribe, and not qualified to make medical assessments of people. If you post in that manner anywhere on this forum again you will be banned.

not quite sure what this is about as i did not do this

i responded to the op who was seekng alternatives to precription meds because of side effects, and to a direct question re 5htp. from my own experience

at no time did i advise anyone to do ele than a they were already doing and simply told a they did of my own experiences and mentioned the very intereting changes in the us.

your post is puzzling indeed thus. such a tirade with no cause in fact.

will leave this here; typing now i too painful. to o much bad news now re nerve damage and an end to all i have had of hand skills all my life long to give.
had nothinh to give other than the widom of long uffering decades

thanks to the kind ones here. greatly thanks

while i do know the penalty for speaking in reply yto a moderators post i am far too far on my journey in this life to let injustice pass. and this is jut that sadly. very dee ply upsetting to an aged but sincere lady.

blessings and peace...too near my last long journey for this and feeling very old and sick tonight. welcome is the quiet night alone now. blessings and deepest peace.

Bill Lee

I have ordered 1600mg Valerian tablets and 100mg 5-htp tablets from Ebay. I ordered both as the seller recommended taking them together.

Can anyone vouch for their effectiveness in dealing with anxiety? I don't have very bad anxiety, just a little social anxiety and I would love to have a safe and natural alternative to Alprazolam, which I have been taking a small dose of for a few years.

BlueFairy

Bill Lee wrote: »

I have ordered 1600mg Valerian tablets and 100mg 5-htp tablets from Ebay. I ordered both as the seller recommended taking them together.

Can anyone vouch for their effectiveness in dealing with anxiety? I don't have very bad anxiety, just a little social anxiety and I would love to have a safe and natural alternative to Alprazolam, which I have been taking a small dose of for a few years.

Bill, you might like to look into something like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy which will help you deal directly with the social anxiety itself?

The supplements that you mention can work in the same way as medication to lighten your mood and help you feel less anxious, but they won't help you deal with the root of the problem which is usually in the way that your thought processes work. CBT can help you deal with this directly and will help you challenge the socially anxious thoughts.

Supplements and meds can be great to help us calm down from really bad places and level out our mood again, but some mental work is needed too in order to give you a good chance of getting past the anxiety.

Bill Lee

BlueFairy wrote: »

Bill, you might like to look into something like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy which will help you deal directly with the social anxiety itself?

The supplements that you mention can work in the same way as medication to lighten your mood and help you feel less anxious, but they won't help you deal with the root of the problem which is usually in the way that your thought processes work. CBT can help you deal with this directly and will help you challenge the socially anxious thoughts.

Supplements and meds can be great to help us calm down from really bad places and level out our mood again, but some mental work is needed too in order to give you a good chance of getting past the anxiety.

Thanks BlueFairy.

I actually went to a CBT therapist for 4 or 5 sessions about 7 years ago. I found it to be absolutely useless, to be honest. I don't know if this was because the practitioner was inadequate or some other reason but it did nothing for me.

Eventually, after self-medicating with too much benzos and booze, I decided I would treat my anxiety by having as healthy a lifestyle as possible. No alcohol, caffeine, regular exercise, good diet, plenty of sleep. It works well but I would still like something natural to have to give me that helping hand when I need it.

Maybe I would consider CBT again but I just remember going in fully committed to the idea and after a session or two feeling it was a complete waste of time!

BlueFairy

I'm sorry you had such a bad experience first time around with CBT, it might have been down to the therapist? I know I've been to a bad therapist or two in my time. I did CBT myself a few years ago and found it great, it gave me a good understanding of anxiety and how it works, and gave me some great tools for working through my irrational thoughts.

The thing about CBT is that it takes a lot of work on your own behalf, you really have to push yourself to challenge your thoughts and use the exercises you learn as much as possible, but in time it just gets easier and you think that way more naturally.

It sounds like you have a good handle on your lifestyle, that's always good to see. It really helps when you have your daily life in good balance, I find that no caffeine and getting good sleep is a big part of how I feel too.

If you haven't come across it already then I'd suggest reading Flagging Stress, it's by an Irish author called Harry Barry, great book for understanding and managing anxiety problems.

Bill Lee

BlueFairy wrote: »

The thing about CBT is that it takes a lot of work on your own behalf, you really have to push yourself to challenge your thoughts and use the exercises you learn as much as possible, but in time it just gets easier and you think that way more naturally.

.

Thanks BlueFairy. I'm open to trying it again in the future and hopefully if I find a good therapist I will give it 100%. The problem the first time is that after a couple of sessions I really didn't have any faith in my therapist and just sat there thinking "what a waste of money this is!".
Also, I know everything about anxiety and panic and even though I understand them completely, it doesn't stop me feeling anxious in certain situations. Once I started having panic attacks, that fear of having another I think will always be there. So, I suppose, unless I continue with medication, CBT is the only answer!
Anyway, I take a low dose of medication and things are good. It's just a pain being tied to something that you have to visit your GP for every month. I'll try this Valerian and 5-htp and see how that is.

Naked Lepper

ILA wrote: »

Alcohol.

It certainly gets rid of any anxiety I have, day or night.

makes it even worse the next day though and then youre stuck in a vicious circle.

the best thing for me is exercise - either running or playing sports, cardio.

always feel calm and like a huge weight is lifted afterwards.

endacl

Bananas.

Bananas are a natural source of 5-HTP and L-Tryptophan. Also high in potassium, nature's beta blocker. Don't bother with the pills*. Eat more bananas.





* unless prescribed, of course. Also, run the 'bananas' idea past your GP.