Anxiety

[belindalore]

Does anyone use a natural supplement for anxiety that works? I don't care to try a prescription. I had severe reactions to Paxil years ago and Dr said not to try any others. I'm on Eliquis. Anything to take with it that's natural? Thanks

[Padayn01]

You try CBD oil?

[belindalore in reply to Padayn01]

No. How much would one take of something like that? Do you use it and does it work for you? Right away?

[Padayn01 in reply to belindalore]

No it don't work right away and also it all depends how bad your Anxiety is, but the brand i have used is from CBD Brothers go on there website and check it out, i just put 3 drops on my tongue, but i don't take this no more as did not want to rely on it long term

[belindalore in reply to Padayn01]

Thanks for info.

[belindalore in reply to Padayn01]

Oops. Googled the cbd oil and read about. Not good to take with blood thinners and can cause tachycardia. So I'll pass on it.

[CDreamer]

Breathing exercises, mindfulness and CBT are preferable, especially for worry thoughts.

Be very careful with any supplement as ‘natural’ does not mean better - just not controlled.

The only remedy I have ever used for panic attacks was Bach’s Rescue Remedy and that always worked in seconds for me - in fact the worse it was, the better it worked. I used to, no longer need them, carry the ‘melts’ around in my bag. It doesn’t seem to be affective for chronic anxiety however.

[belindalore in reply to CDreamer]

Thanks. Didn't think about Bach's and know of it because I've used it before for my cats. Usually I can get by with the other techniques but there are times when that's not enough. I know I purchased Bach's from the health food stores here. I don't want anything to take all the time. Thanks again.

[doodle68 in reply to belindalore]

Hi belindalore 😊 I agree with C Dreamer, rather than take supplements better to find ways to deal with your anxiety.

I used to have terrible anxiety and now realise it causes a release of hormones like cortisol great if you need to mobilise your ''fight or flight '' response but the last thing someone with AF needs . Better to learn to cope with the anxiety by using relaxation techniques and measured breathing . With a bit of practice you can use these skills anytime anywhere to help you to stay calm ...

[belindalore in reply to doodle68]

Thanks. It is kind of risky to take supplements with Afib.

[sleeksheep]

I used to suffer anxiety ( panic attacks ) and went to a hypnotherapist and after two sessions I had the "tools" to reduce my anxieties to almost nothing. This was after thirty years of not really coping that well if it struck.

This worked for me but doesn't necessarily work for everyone.

[belindalore in reply to sleeksheep]

That sounds great. But my pockets aren't full of extra money to seek out someone like hypnotherapist. And my insurance limits me and doesn't cover things like that. Thanks though.

[Ppiman]

I wish you luck and offer you sympathy for I know what you must be going through. If you do find something, please do let me know. as I'd be the first in the queue to try it. In my case, my anxiety is linked to insomnia, so that's a double whammy. I've tried literally everything over the years and found nothing works well enough to recommend, and certainly over the longer term. Most non-prescription medicines or "alternative" treatments are placebos with a short-term effect only.

Like you, I had a dreadful time with the SSRI drugs, and found the others, such as mirtazapine and amitriptyline, to give far too much daytime sedation to be useful.

The only tablet that, in the past, gave me some useful kind of relief and had few side effects was diazepam, but it's not one I'd take regularly (nor would my doctor let me).

Steve

[belindalore in reply to Ppiman]

I'm up this morning. I feel like I have one foot in the grave. Feel sick. The last couple days I felt halfway decent. This morning back to feeling crappy. Can't get any help from the Drs. They don't seem to understand the need to check your nutrients. Cardio Dr wouldn't. Pissed him off I guess when I asked him about that. He only knows drugs and ablation as the only treatments. When I left his office I expected at least a follow up appt in a couple months. Nope. Nothing. What the heck????? Begged my primary who did sent me for labs but what she did was in no way thorough enough. Only checked one vitamin. Vitamin D. Was low. Bilirubin up which could have been from metoprolol or possibly the Eliquis I'm still taking. Have lots of side effects with it too. Some people say they do great on it. Not me. I'm sensitive to all prescription crap. I quit metoprolol because it was making things worse. Lost a lot of weight. And now I'm underweight. Told cardio I'd use it as a pip. Surprised he even agreed to that. And I have trouble sleeping. Started taking magnesium and a little more vitamin D. But is it too much. Not enough. Is there something else I'm lacking. So sick of feeling like crap. And the anxiety is worse because I don't feel well. How anyone else gets along like this I have no idea. It's hell. Sorry for venting. I wish I could tell you I found something for anxiety. Have to be careful about what you take with this medicine so it's a mystery to me. Take care. Sorry.

[Ppiman in reply to belindalore]

I wonder whether most of what you feel isn’t down to anxiety? If your bilirubin is really high, then you’d have jaundice, I’d think - but perhaps that might be making you feel bilious? Vitamin D levels are not likely to be of concern really.

As for nutrients, the reason doctors seem sceptical is I guess because the average person who eats a half-decent diet lacks nothing important, and taking more will achieve nothing - at least once any placebo effect has worn off.

Steve

[belindalore in reply to Ppiman]

The reason some people are deficient in nutrients is because these blood thinners and beta blockers deplete the nutrients. I've read as much as I can about this and most everything I read says this. I eat a pretty good but can't gain weight and have lost a lot after being on these meds. I feel better since stopping the metoprolol but still not great because as I said I am one of those people who's very sensitive to meds. And the Eliquis gives me bad side effects. There are others like me so it's not just me. Drs don't tell us everything about the meds we are given. Especially the side effects. They don't learn about nutrition and they should. What is in our bodies definitively makes a difference. Our vitamins and minerals and electrolytes all need to be in balance or we don't thrive. Go to drugs.com. And you will see ALL the side effects of these meds and read the posts that people put on there who are taking this poison. Read about Dr Wolfson who became a holistic cardiologist in Arizona because he was tired of his patients not getting well. He's too expensive for me to ever see but the man is right about how Drs really need to help their Afib patients. Throwing pills at people and talking surgery like ablation that has to be done more than once most times is NOT helping people. Drs don't want to treat the whole person anymore. That's why Dr Wolfson stepped away from a practice that he realized wasn't helping the patients anymore. Other than making the Drs rich. Yes he's unfortunately still rich but he has the correct approach and more Drs need to get on the bandwagon. Treat the person not just the symptoms. We are more than symptoms.

[Ppiman in reply to belindalore]

I’ve spent a good chunk of my life involved with health care, medicines and the like and, like you, have read very widely indeed. I’ve come to a different conclusion from you, however, so I’m afraid I don’t see eye to eye with you on this. except in as much as you individually might have suffered because of your tablets.

The reality is that the great majority of people don’t even know that they’re taking tablets, so few are the side effects they suffer. This is borne out in double-blind, placebo-controlled trials.

I realise that people hold strong and opposing views but the numbers of people both now and historically treated with beta-blockers speak for themselves, as I see it.

Steve

[belindalore in reply to Ppiman]

That's great. You have your opinions. But just because there are trials does not mean there aren't people like me who do suffer from bad side effects from these meds. I was a volunteer in a drug trial years ago. Adults of different ages etc etc. Study was only for 11 days. One of the problems with Some drug trials are they aren't long enough. They don't really assess the long term effects for meds. I had a sneak conversation with one of the nurses one day. She could have been fired. She told me her job paid well and was easy. But she said the drugs aren't tested long enough to see if there's any long term effects that could come about. Here in the USA there's commercials on TV for attorneys who have class action lawsuits against drug companies for people harmed by some drug. Some people who complain about side effects are just ignored by their Drs and give up. Made to feel like they are nuts because the Drs don't want to be bothered by trying to find out how the patient is being affected by these meds. If they are deficient in some nutrient or mineral. The body needs to be in balance. When something is off can't thrive. You should know those things from your studying. Every one has a different body. We are all made differently so for us who suffer the bad side effects , drug trials don't mean much. I have had my body for 68 years and I know better than the Drs how it reacts to different meds. Meds treat symptoms. People can't get better just by treating symptoms. Read Dr Wolfson in Arizona. Too bad all Drs aren't like him in his view.

[Ppiman in reply to belindalore]

I’m sure lots of what you say is right - but keep in mind that we’re not so different from each other as some like to claim. Double-blind, placebo-controlled studies can’t lie, and they show that the majority of people do react similarly to many drugs.

The length of clinical studies varies, so the nurse you spoke to, likely wasn’t seeing the whole picture. What people say to one other is always anecdotal and skewed for all kinds of reasons, so can’t easily be fully relied upon - that’s why “blinded” studies are so vital. Some people - like you, I’m guessing, and perhaps me, too - are especially sensitive to our body’s sensations and feelings.

I’ll look out the doctor you mention but the internet is now so awash with commercially supported “information” as well as a deal of misinformation that it’s become impossible to trust much of what is there.

Still, our own experiences are special and what matter most to us. When we suffer, a kindly doctor is what we need every time.

Steve

[belindalore in reply to Ppiman]

Yes. Thank you for listening. And yes a kindly Dr would be nice. Which too aren't always to come by. I think you live in the UK? Our system works somewhat different than yours. And here it seems too many Drs are profit driven and not patient driven. The insurance companies rule the Drs and big pharma rules Drs and insurance and Wall Street rule over all. Investors in the healthcare industry want to see big profits. In the end people suffer. Not getting the care they should. Sad but that's what medicine has become here. People still get good care. But your care depends on how good your insurance is and if you have the type of insurance that allows you to choose the Dr you want. That's called PPO. What I can afford is called HMO and you only have certain Drs you can see. If you want to see Drs outside your plan it costs you a lot.

[Mawes]

I use Rescue Remedy..you can buy through Amazon

[Mawes]

Seems like maybe you are overthinking about the meds and side effects. Probably a private consultation with a psych consultant will help you to sort out your fears and anxieties and then to make a plan to sort out best meds for you.

[Madscientist16]

Yoga and mindful exercises work well for me.

[Holachicos]

I ve tried pretty much everything Belinda. For me CBD doesnt do anything at all. The only thing I ve found worth spending money on is 5Htp, SOLGAR complex combines it along with magnesium and B6. It really has made a difference after 6 months so bear in mind that is has not inmediate effect like Benzos.

Also read about st Johns worth but quit since I take Levothyroxine and apparently can interfere with meds!

I hope it helps.

[belindalore in reply to Holachicos]

Thanks for your info.

[Newtoit]

Check these below but check for contradictions with meds and side effects.

experiencelife.com/article/...

[belindalore in reply to Newtoit]

😊Thanks.