I have a great number of supplements in my cabinet at my disposal from the past year or so of desperately trying to find a solution to anxiety issues I face but I feel that I don't really know what I am doing and have been on and off certain single supplements with no real plan other than "if it works it works". After discovering this forum I have realized that my approach may not be optimal and that there may be benefits to combining supplements to achieve certain desired results.
My question to the more experienced members on this board is what would be an optimal regimen / stack that you can make out of a selection of the herbs, minerals and chemicals that I have at my disposal and outlined below. My main goal is to quell general anxiety (the kind with only bodily symptoms) without having a sedative effect and cognitive impairment.
I guess a short presentation of what I am trying to medicate is appropriate. I have suffered from a generalized form of anxiety (heightened for no apparent reason in social situations) every day for many years and have been prescribed the benzodiazepine clonazepam 1-2mg to use sporadically to be able to do anything productive at all. Clonazepam comes with a great deal of benefit to those suffering crippling anxiety and have been very helpful but is not an option in the long term due to memory impairment, sedation and toxicity of the substance.
Professionals have ruled out that my anxiety is treatable or caused by psychological issues or thought patterns and have suggested that a neurological (I have a ADD diagnosis) or deficiency problem may be the culprit so for years I have been trying to find a solution on my own by trying out different things that I have found out about from various sources.
I have done a fair amount of recreational drugs back in the day and what worked 100% every single time, completely removing my anxiety and sort of putting my mind and body at ease and in fully working condition was amphetamine. This substance is no option for me for obvious reasons but I thought that information would be of interest to anyone contemplating the source of my predicament. Marijuana made me a lot more anxious. Others seem to have the opposite effect.
So, without further ado, these are the supplements (in no particular order) I have here right now along with the brand name, single dosage amount and a small comment on my experience when taken as a lone supplement not in combination with others (with few exceptions):
- Rhodiola Rosea 240mg - Gaia Herbs - Increased my anxiety.
- L-theanine 200mg - Now Foods - No noticable effect.
- Organic Cayenne Pepper Powder - Teaspoon mixed in water completely eradicates anxiety for a couple of minutes. Seems to have a great effect on general metabolic rate and function.
- Mucuna 250mg - Paradise Herbs - This one showed some promise for increased cognitive function but had no real effect on general anxiety.
- N-Acetyl Glucosamine 750mg - Jarrow Formulas - Seems to have a slight anxiolytic effect when taken on an empty stomach.
- L-Lysine 500mg - Thorne - I am currently taking this every day, seems to be slightly anxiolytic.
- L-Arginine 1000mg - Jarrow Formulas - No noticable effect.
- Kava Kava root 450mg - Gaia Herbs - Have tried it a couple of times, just got it and it does have a noticable anxiolytic effect. Not too sure about long term use though.
- Inositol Powder - Source Naturals - Slight anxiolytic effect but makes me tired.
- Ashwagandha 225mg - Jarrow Formulas - No noticable effect.
- Decaf green tea extract 500mg - Jarrow Formulas - Increased anxiety. Used with Mucuna Pruiens.
- Mucuna Dopa 100mg - Source Naturals - Good effects on cognitive function but no anxiolytic effect.
- Grape Seed Extract Liquid - Nutribiotic - Not sure what this does other then kill fungi, viruses and bacteria.
- Green tea extract 500mg - Source naturals - Used with mucuna. Made me a lot more anxious.
- Relora 250mg - Source Naturals - Noticable anxiolytic effect that only last for a very short time. Less than 30 minutes.
- Triphala 250mg - Paradise herbs - Bottle remains unopened.
- L-Phenylalanine 500mg - Source naturals - Calms me down a bit but also makes me tired, not super effective.
- Passion flower extract liquid - Eclectic institute - Does nothing for me.
- Bacopa Monnieri 250mg - Paradise Herbs - I do like this ayurvedic herb for the cognitive enhancement and slight anxiolytic effect but it gave me a strange tension headache at even the lowest recommended dose.
- Piracetam 800mg - SDFT - Made me more anxious but also increased my cognitive functioning slightly. Not worth the price and effort to smuggle into my country though, lol.
- Aniracetam 750mg - SDFT - No effect when taken alone but slight anxiolytic and great cognitive improvement when taken with piracetam. Seems to be very hit and miss though and only worked well on a couple of occasions.
- Pramiracetam 300mg - SDFT - Made me feel really strange, discontinued use swiftly. Did manifest cognitive improvements.
- Alpha-GPC 300mg - SDFT - Sometimes used with the Racetams above, increased anxiety when taken alone.
- Maca Powder - PM - No noticable effect.
- Hemp oil - Nutiva - No noticable effect.
- Magnesium Chloride - Slight muscle relaxant but no noticable anxiolytic effect.
That is that. I truly appreciate any input on a stack / regimen that may work. Will be watching this thread attentively, let me know if you have any questions.
Edited by OmShanti, 09 June 2013 - 11:20 AM.
