Posted by bleauberry on September 10, 2008, at 20:05:29
In reply to anxiety medication, posted by jefferey snow on September 10, 2008, at 11:47:34
You should probably seek a second opinion. Your doctor has made some valiant attempts, but unfortunately they have all been in the antidepressant category. Your inderal is more for stage fright situational anxiety, not for longterm prophalactic use.
While those can also be good for anxiety for many people, they are useless for others. They are really not anti-anxiety meds. Anti-anxiety meds include xanax, klonopin, diazepam, valium, and family. Benzodiazepines. That's what they are for. Your doctor is robbing you of your potential by being too conservative. Sure benzos cause dependence over time and often require higher doses over time. But isn't that the same with any of these meds? You can't tell me you didn't have aweful withdrawals on your other meds. Your body was dependent on them, regardless they didn't do any good. Right?
Other meds used for anxiety include Zyprexa or Seroquel, sometimes Risperdal (antipsychotics). Mood stabilizers such as Depakote, Lamictal, or Lithium sometimes work. Any way you look at it, you need a doctor who is willing to venture out of the limited world of antidepressants and try some other stuff. It makes pretty logical sense at this point, considering your diligence so far, to turn to things that work most of the time, things that are intended specifically for anxiety. Yeah? If your doc won't do that, you need to see a second one who will.
You would not be the first to find surprising relief at the local health food store. Magnesium glycinate if you can find it. If not, magnesium citrate. Get a bottle of Glycine, or L-Glycine. Sometimes GABA works. Herbs would include Valerian or Passionflower. If your anxiety is from overblown cortisol, which it could be since inderal helps, then anti-cortisol herbs would be helpful. Siberian ginseng, holy basil, sometimes St Johns Wort, sometimes Rhodiola Rosea (after an initial worsening of anxiety). Of all the comments I've seen here over the years, the best and most common herb is Valerian in mid to high doses. It acts similar to the benzos.
You can provide a good foundation to your body against anxiety by diet. Probably not a cure, but a turbocharge to anything else you do against anxiety. That is, no or very little caffeine, no or very little sugars. A diet high in proteins and veggies.
For vitamins, include a high dose of Niacinimide (specifically Niacinimide, not Niacin or any other form of Niacin). It also acts on the benzo receptors. I mention the above natural options because they are cheap and easy to try while you wait to sort out the doctor thing.
poster:bleauberry
thread:851332
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20080903/msgs/851415.html