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Where Should I Start? | Supplements for anxiety and general Health

supplements nootropics adaptogens depression anxiety panic generalized anxiety panic disorder mental brain

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#1 birthdaysuit

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Posted 03 September 2015 - 11:29 PM


BACKGROUND - 5 months from present:  I’m 20 years of age, quite smoking cannabis a few months ago and I believe that I have developed a form of social anxiety. All throughout me teenage years, until about a year ago I was an extrovert. Very outgoing, with lots of charisma. However, I am now the complete opposite of that following my cannabis induced panic attack. I have not felt the same since and have become extremely introspective.  


After my cannabis induced panic attack, I quit cold turkey and went to the doctors because I didn’t know who I was. My brain was in a fog, I could not concentrate, my eyesight was blurry and dull almost like I was looking through a film of grey, sounds were earsplitting, I had a full prickly rash all over my body, I had tingling in the fingers and an odd sensation in my left front-upper side of my head that resembled a void/black hole. I always felt it when I smoked but it didn’t seem to bother me until my panic attack. To cope with it I usually try to occupy myself with something or else the sensation will become too overwhelming. Nevertheless, Lyme disease was ruled out, although blood tests can oftentimes come back false negative. My doctor me to take vitamin D3 everyday.  

Moreover, the biggest PROBLEM is that I get these weird spasms that can materialize when I’m anxious/nervous. It has caused me to try to void my thoughts in order to block out the sensations; my brain feels as though it's trapped in a pressurized vise and my head wobbles. This has also caused me to be unable to look people in the eyes. If I do my neck will tense up and I’ll start to spasm out. I try to control my spasms by never looking up or making eye contact and resting my head on my hands. If I’m in class, I’ll distract myself by scribbling or taking notes, however if I cease doing this my symptoms will appear. If I let these symptoms continue, I’ll start to clench and sweat. Moreover, I am unable to talk long periods of time to people because my brain feels like it stops working. I’ll forget what I am saying mid sentence and an uncomfortable, overwhelming feeling will take over me. That being said it is very annoying and I want it to stop so bad! This never happened before I started smoking cannabis! I was the complete opposite of who I am today. I can’t even look at my parents in the eyes! Others have told me this is a time of transition from adolescence to adulthood and, like all transitions, is often accompanied by a degree of doubt and worry.

That being said I am not anxious or depressed if I’m in solitude/alone fishing or hiking. I continue to do the things I love to do sober, like music, hiking, fishing, and birdwatching but it seems I like to do these things in solitude. I believe that company is good but solitude is bliss, I’m just striving to be more social in the process. 

 

Currently: Some days I’m full of energy; blissful and happy, other days I’m completely emotionless, spaced out and anxious. When I’m spaced out my social anxiety goes through the roof. 

 

I struggled with spasms that materialized when I was anxious/nervous for another 2 and a half months. The feeling surfaced when I was at college in a class, where I just wanted to leave and hug a tree. The black hole like void sensation in my head has all but disappeared, it usually will surface when fight or flight response kicks in.

 

My thoughts can be intrusive, in the way that I overthink social situations to the point where I sometimes experience impending doom. I just want to cry. That’s why Im so desperately trying to find a cure. I exercise heavily 4 to 5 days a week. I also eat healthy, quinoa, chia, grains, fruit, vegetables, meat twice a week, fish 2-3 times a week. 

 

Supplements: 

 

Cycled Perfect Brand Rhodiola Rosea (3% rosavins) 4 days on/3days off for 4 weeks: It seemed to boost my physical performance at work, however it also increased my anxiety and intrusive, negative thoughts. I got easily agitated and angry. Others have said this was a miracle herb for their anxiety.

 

Gaia Ashwagandha - 1cap/2times daily: Made me extremely tried. I took it just before bedtime and although I was able to fall asleep quick I felt spaced out and groggy the next day. I also took two capsules, (recommended dosage) one in the morning and one in the afternoon. It gave me extreme brain fog, possibly because it is an GABA-recepter antagonist. I could barely concentrate. I felt slow, lethargic, and dumb, which made it hard to think.   

 

Maca powder Nutivas - 1/2tsp. daily: Increased energy, no significant impact on anxiety, increased libido, harder/longer erections. 

 

Nordic DHA/EPA fish oil - 1cap/2times daily: Seems to reduce inflammation. No more aching joints, no more brain fog but still no effect on anxiety. Should I also take naturewise organic flaxseed oil ALA with the fish oil or is this pointless?

 

Turmeric curcuma (Curcumin) - 2 tablespoons: Made into a tea, with cinnamon, cardamon, milk, peperdine, and honey. Felt like a sedative. Ridded of all aches and pains but made me groggy and more irritable. 

 

Swanson Inositol for my OCD - 10-18g once/day: The first day I took 8g, the second day I took around 17g. My OCD and anxiety was reduced tenfold, be it I was alone and not in a college classroom but it seemed to really help! I also felt an inner peace that I only seemed to experience as a child. The only side effect was drowsiness at night and perpetual diarrhea. Recently took 12g of myo-inostiol a day ago, experienced heart palpitations, slight onset of panic/impending doom. Groggy, unable to think clearly. 

 

Reishi 35% polysaccharides powder - 1tsp. two times/daily: Experienced tranquility with long term use, (2 weeks). Relaxing, eases intrusive thoughts and saturates colors. Have yet to try in social situations, but it definitely helps with the burden of worry.  

 

L-theanine 200mg - 1cap/2 times daily: Defiantly psychoactive. Increased sense of calmness. Pairs great with caffeine. 

 

Could anyone give me some input regarding supplements worth taking for anxiety and/or panic.

 

Experiences with these supplements would greatly be appreciated! 

 

-Caffeine/L-theanine 

-Piracetam

-Gotu Kola

-Niacinamide

-Kratom - Serious withdrawals so I’ll probably stay away from it 

-Relora

-Ginseng

-Resveratrol - Use to get a lot of hype

-Magnolia Root/Bark
-5-HTP
-SAM-e
-PEA
-Phenibut - Serious withdrawals 
-DL-Phenylaline
-Rhodiola Rosea 
-St. John's Wort
-Manganese
-Lexapro 
-Bacopa - Heard great things!
-DMAE
-1,3 dimethylamylamine
-Chocamine
-Coffee and/or Green Tea
-Kava Kava
-Valerian Root

-Inositol

-Lemon Balm

-Reishi

-DHA/EPA Omega-3

-Raw Cacao

-magnesium

-L-Tryptophan

 

 


Edited by birthdaysuit, 03 September 2015 - 11:31 PM.


#2 Gerrans

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Posted 04 September 2015 - 02:34 PM

You might try taurine, because it is anxiolytic and also anti-spasmodic. It lowers epinephrine, which is associated with fearfulness and disturbing memories.



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#3 cuprous

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Posted 04 September 2015 - 08:18 PM

Hey, congrats on being willing to tackle these challenges head on.  You did the right thing by stopping smoking, at least for now.

 

I've had a similar experience to you in regards to a cannabis-induced panic attack.  It's important to keep in mind that you've experienced something traumatic and it's going to take a bit of time for your brain to settle down and re-establish a healthy equilibrium.  You will get there though!

 

My thoughts can be intrusive, in the way that I overthink social situations to the point where I sometimes experience impending doom. I just want to cry. That’s why Im so desperately trying to find a cure. 

 

 

Unfortunately while supplements might help they probably won't fix everything by themselves.  I would encourage you to consider learning meditation.  Sounds like it would be up your alley.  PM me if you want and I can point you to some guided tracks that I like.  It can also be very helpful to keep a journal even if you just jot down a few sentences at the end of the day.

 

Stay away from caffeine if it at all antagonizes you.

 

Obviously do your own research but low-dose lithium orotate might help.  Lithium is proving more and more to be very "nutritious" for the brain.  You can buy 5mg LO over the counter at least in the states.  I bite off half of one every couple days.  You might try the same and maybe increase to 5mg a day if it seems like it's helping.  This is a tiny, tiny fraction of what is prescribed for bipolar disorder and the like.

 

If you suffer from a pounding heart, shaking hands or the like you might want to ask for a prescription for propranolol.  It basically blocks out adrenaline, saving you from shaking like a leaf. :)

 

Most of all, give yourself space and time to recover.  I know the sense of impending doom can be dreadful and overpowering but these are just thoughts. Pick up a book or two on panic/anxiety, you'll find you're not at all alone in this struggle.


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#4 Junk Master

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Posted 06 September 2015 - 05:48 PM

Hang in there, you are definitely NOT alone.  I had much the same experience over 20 years ago.

 

I have found meditation and CBT extremely helpful, but both require you put your time in.

 

Short term, nothing worked better (besides Benzos...and that route is a different topic) than regular exercise.  For me, I didn't really notice strong anxiolytic effects until 45 minutes of aerobic exercise.  Of course, that can become tough to sustain;  but as you know,  anxiety trumps pain or discomfort any day.

 

Of the supps you mentioned I had pretty good luck with Ash and also with high dose Inositol until it started to bug my stomach.

 

I also think Tianeptine Sulfate has great potential.

 

Over the years I've tried pretty much every SSRI and a few SNRI'S and never found any to be effective for an extended period of time-- plus the side effects began to outweigh the benefits.

 

Again,  good luck.



#5 birthdaysuit

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Posted 06 September 2015 - 08:50 PM

 I would encourage you to consider learning meditation.  Sounds like it would be up your alley.  PM me if you want and I can point you to some guided tracks that I like.  It can also be very helpful to keep a journal even if you just jot down a few sentences at the end of the day.

 

Stay away from caffeine if it at all antagonizes you.

I started meditating a couple years ago, practicing various techniques to find the one that best suited me. I started with Open eye Kundalini meditation. I practiced that on and off for several months. Supposedly, the practicer utilizes energy flow through a phenomenon known as chakras. Chakra's are energy centers in our body in which energy or bio-electricity flows through. This could be a complete sham but I’m not sure. I started with my root chakra and worked on it for several months before feeling a strange sensation near my tail bone. That led to an explosion of never-ending heat. After that very odd experience I studied Kundalini and found out that one needs to be guided by a well-trained meditator. In many cases, people have experienced kundalini syndrome, which is equivalent to psychosis if not practiced appropriately. So i stopped meditation for about a year, before getting back into mindfulness. 

 

I find that mindfulness meditation makes me even more introspective than I already am. I do feel less stressed and calm after my practice, I just feel emotionally blunted and in my head. I have yet to find a perfect practice that helps my social anxiety, but I’m trying. I have never practiced with a guide or with the help of a learning meditation but I would love to try!   

 

Hang in there, you are definitely NOT alone.  I had much the same experience over 20 years ago.

 

I have found meditation and CBT extremely helpful, but both require you put your time in.

 

Short term, nothing worked better (besides Benzos...and that route is a different topic) than regular exercise.  For me, I didn't really notice strong anxiolytic effects until 45 minutes of aerobic exercise.  Of course, that can become tough to sustain;  but as you know,  anxiety trumps pain or discomfort any day.

 

Of the supps you mentioned I had pretty good luck with Ash and also with high dose Inositol until it started to bug my stomach.

 

I also think Tianeptine Sulfate has great potential.

 

Over the years I've tried pretty much every SSRI and a few SNRI'S and never found any to be effective for an extended period of time-- plus the side effects began to outweigh the benefits.

 

Again,  good luck.

Can CBT be done by yourself or is it done with a therapist. 



#6 Junk Master

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Posted 07 September 2015 - 05:38 PM

I began CBT with a therapist and would encourage that route.  I would also recommend reading "Cognitive Therapy and The Emotional Disorders" by Aaron T. Beck, as well as "Feeling Good" by David D. Burns.

 

However, as with meditation, I don't think it would be impossible for an individual to learn CBT techniques on their own, just that a qualified therapist or teach would shorten the learning curve with both practices.

 

Now if I could just keep meditating once I start feeling better!!  It's work.

 

 



#7 birthdaysuit

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Posted 07 September 2015 - 07:23 PM

I began CBT with a therapist and would encourage that route.  I would also recommend reading "Cognitive Therapy and The Emotional Disorders" by Aaron T. Beck, as well as "Feeling Good" by David D. Burns.

 

However, as with meditation, I don't think it would be impossible for an individual to learn CBT techniques on their own, just that a qualified therapist or teach would shorten the learning curve with both practices.

 

Now if I could just keep meditating once I start feeling better!!  It's work.

Thank you, I appreciate it!

 

Is there anywhere where I can read Aaron T. Beck’s book for free? I’ll pay for it if I have to. 



#8 birthdaysuit

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Posted 08 September 2015 - 12:24 AM

I began CBT with a therapist and would encourage that route.  I would also recommend reading "Cognitive Therapy and The Emotional Disorders" by Aaron T. Beck, as well as "Feeling Good" by David D. Burns.

 

However, as with meditation, I don't think it would be impossible for an individual to learn CBT techniques on their own, just that a qualified therapist or teach would shorten the learning curve with both practices.

 

Now if I could just keep meditating once I start feeling better!!  It's work.

It’s just hard knowing that I was socially inclined a year and a half ago and now I’m afraid to talk to people. I tense up and panic, something i’ve never experienced before my panic attack. I feel it in my soul and it feels like hell.

 

I want to look in people’s eyes again! I will integrate meditation into my life, I will practice everyday if it means curing my anxiety. I hear picamilon is also great for social anxiety.



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#9 cuprous

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Posted 08 September 2015 - 01:19 AM

 Chakra's are energy centers in our body in which energy or bio-electricity flows through. This could be a complete sham but I’m not sure. I started with my root chakra and worked on it for several months before feeling a strange sensation near my tail bone. That led to an explosion of never-ending heat. After that very odd experience I studied Kundalini and found out that one needs to be guided by a well-trained meditator. In many cases, people have experienced kundalini syndrome, which is equivalent to psychosis if not practiced appropriately. So i stopped meditation for about a year, before getting back into mindfulness. 

 

 

My own $0.02 is that it's really easy to over-think and over-experience meditation.  Chakras are a notion that you should think about after you've done a whole lot of meditation and want to get into some of the psuedo-anatomy thinking.  Until then, meditation is just sitting.  A sitting practice.  Thoughts come and go as do all sensations.  Getting wrapped up in your mind - especially with notions of what you should or should not be experiencing -  is easy to do but not why you sit.  You sit to get a reprieve from the ongoing narratives in your head.







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