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benzo like withdrawal symptoms

benzo anxiety gaba

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3 replies to this topic

#1 centurian

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Posted 20 November 2017 - 07:48 PM


Hi. since May of this year, I had been taking a certain supplement stack daily up until September.

The stack in question included:

artichoke extract
gotu kola
apigenin
rutin
luteolin
probiotics
gigartina red seaweed
arabinogalactan
dandelion leaf
dandelion root
ashwagandha
potassium
magnesium
phellodendron amurense
nettle root/leaf
vitamin D
elderberry

At the beginning of September, i experienced a HUGE anxiety/panic attack. I immediately ceased taking all the supplements in question, but since September, I have been experiencing daily anxiety attacks, catastrophic thinking, nervousness, and feel terrified for literally 24hours daily. my sleep is greatly disturbed.

it's approaching 3 months since stopping the supplements, and i have been researching endlessly to find the cause/reason, and the symptoms I'm currently experiencing are very very similar to people to are experiencing benzo withdrawals.

i started to research more in depth into the supplements i was taking, and have since discovered that

luteolin
apigenin
rutin
gotu kola
ashwagandha
probiotics
artichoke extract
arabinogalactan

all have some form of gaba agonist/GABAergic capability. even elderberry contains flavonoids that effect Gaba?!

this has shocked me as i had not realised at the time that so many supplements are gaba agonists.

i have since come across a post written by scienceguy regarding anxiety, who had made it clear to try to avoid any gaba agonist supplements if one wants to heal from anxiety. i always thought i had been, bar the inclusion of ashwagandha and gotu kola, which i was taking very small doses of.

i was taking very high doses of the artichoke extract, and the dandelion leaf/root with a view to helping my liver and kidneys etc and high doses of gigartina with view to bolster my immume system(antiviral).


the symptoms im experiencing at the moment are horrific. terrifying. I've become so afraid and anxious, and have had to sign off work due to the anxiety and panic attacks. but even being at home is unbearable, as my mind has started to become anxious about everything, from family to finances. it feels as though I've developed a severe generalised anxiety disorder, and i keep thinking the worst about every and any situation, with images and horror movies of worst case scenarios playing out in my mind constantly. waking up daily in a total panic driven state, with really irrational thoughts like becoming financially broke, loved ones dying, being alone forever, to even panicking about being unable to pay bills and becoming bankrupt and ending up in prison, or dying an early death from a heart attack etc. All irrational fears, but they seem so real. i have since discovered that thoughts like these are a symptom of severe generalised anxiety.

before September, i was absolutely fine. no anxiety or depression present.

i wanted to know, does anybody have experience with any of the listed supplements above? am i definitely experiencing a withdrawal of some sort? and if so, when will this nightmare end.

I'm in weekly therapy, and the doctor has prescribed me sertraline, which i am hesitant on taking, and i am too scared and avoiding all supplements for the time being. I'm not experiencing any relief from the psy therapy yet, and i don't know what else to take or do to help myself.

can anybody advise?

#2 Kinesis

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Posted 25 November 2017 - 04:00 AM

Sorting through your list in search of a putative single culprit is a bit of a needle in the haystack kind of exercise, especially without knowing the dosages involved. It’s possible it’s in the combination as opposed to any one thing ... in fact it might not even be caused by what you were taking. Panic attacks can materialize for no obvious reason, and it’s possible you were ‘due’ just when you happened to be taking these supplements.

Yet still maybe more than coincidence ... could the causality actually have run the opposite direction? The possibility that you were taking anxiolytic supplements because of building anxieties in the first place is worth considering. In which case the anxiety that culminated in panic attacks caused the supplements rather than the other way around.

Anyway ... what to do now? If your doc has recommended sertraline, it’s definitely worth serious consideration. I understand your reticence to go that route, because all too often people wind up in a pattern of dose escalation and virtually permanent drug maintenance. But you could look at it instead as a way to buy time to find a real solution. Maybe taking it for a limited time (say, three months) can break the cycle without getting you into that escalation and indefinite medication treadmill. I do know from personal experience that unabated panic attacks can be a self-sustaining cycle that is much harder on your long term health and well being than the drugs. Tell yourself it is temporary and resist getting on that dose escalator unless it is absolutely necessary ... and you may find that it is not.

Use the time to look for real solutions. Review your diet, take a good foundation multiple, make sure you are getting regular exercise and rest, and continue counseling if those lifestyle measures aren’t enough, or if you suspect there may be environmental or psychological issues. Aim for such good health that you couldn’t possibly feel bad.

First make the panic attacks stop, then work to make sure they don’t come back. Best of health to you!

...

Edited by Kinesis, 25 November 2017 - 04:01 AM.


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#3 Eryximachus

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Posted 25 November 2017 - 06:32 AM

Zoloft is a good first choice.  I'd say Seroquel would be the next choice, but I've gotten flamed for that.  



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#4 Kinesis

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Posted 25 November 2017 - 02:39 PM

Just so there’s no confusion, Zoloft is sertraline ... so Eryximachus you and Centurian’s doctor are in good agreement.

Another option in the pharmaceutical category is amitriptyline. I was prescribed ami for panic attacks and it worked wonders. It’s also sometimes used for benzo withdrawal ... something that may appeal to OP’s concerns. As with the other pharma options I’d view it as a temporary stepping stone.

In more detail, my doc prescribed amitriptyline in combination with clonazepam (a benzodiazepine). Then when discontinuing the clonazepam, we stepped up the amitriptyline. Then tapered the ami.





Also tagged with one or more of these keywords: benzo, anxiety, gaba

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