My head feels like a pressure cooker and when I used to take xanax it felt like the pressure was being released from my head and I could breathe again. I have been reading about different supplements to relieve stress but I have no idea what might work. I have been feeling really desperate the last few days. My mom is sick with Myasthenia Gravis and I have had stomach and pelvic pain for several months. I have been waiting 3 weeks to have an ultrasound but very anxious & scared because I had cancer and I'm afraid it will return. All of these bad thoughts go through my mind all of the time. I can't seem to get any help anywhere. I would appreciate any ideas for natural remedies I can try or even a prescribed med that could be a good depression and anxiety. Thanks!
Is there any medication or supplement out ... - Anxiety Support
Is there any medication or supplement out there that is remotely similar to xanax?
You might try Klonopin, it's similar to xanax and is fast acting. There is a good book by Trudy Scott called "The anti-anxiety food solution" that has info on natural supplements and diet for anxiety/depression. I tried the natural route but it didn't move the needle enough for me and ended up on meds but we all react differently. I tried a number of different meds and none worked for me and then did a psychopharmacological test which used me dna to determine which meds were best suited for me. I started on one it recommended (Pristiq) and it has worked well fo me. My test was from Genesight and paid for by my insurance.
There are various teas, like chamomile, passion flower, decafinated tea, but really these are less that 1% of xanex typd medications.
Have you tried breathing exercises and meditation, or another medication? Xx
Thank you for your answer. I am working on all the things that you mentioned.
If you know of any good meditation videos, I would greatly appreciate the information. I would like to try a new medication but so far I have only been given blood pressure medications and my blood pressure gets so low, I feel like I am going to pass out.
Diazepam otherwise known as Valium reduces anxiety feelings in 10 minutes. Only available on doctor's prescription. Xanax isn't available on NHS prescription in the U.K. only privately.
The leaves of Lemon Balm herb have been used for thousands of years to reduce anxiety, available to buy as a tea leaf if you Google it.
Magnesium Citrate capsules also have a tranquilising effect.
Thank you for your thoughts. I have heard good things about lemon balm and I am interested in trying it. The valium, klonopin, & xanax are almost impossible to get nowadays although I know probably all of them are effective for anxiety.
Is best not to take any of the magnesium supplements without having blood test first, as it is as dangerous to have too much magnesium in our system as not enough. Too much increases the tremors - as I found out at great cost to my well-being
The recommended daily intake of magnesium in 180mg a day in the u.k. I have heard that it helps with anxiety but never found it effective for that myself. However, it is well known for treating heart arrythmia (missed beats) and has certainly been effective for that in my experience taking 150mg a day. Cardiologists have been known to recommend it.
hemp oil I find good
You should thank your lucky stars that things like valium, klonopin, and Xanax are so difficult to get hold of. Thankfully many countries no longer supply them. They may have been good for relieving anxiety, but boy once you are hooked on them they are a killer. I was kept on Xanax by my GP for more than 20years I was like a Zombie, if my Cardiologist hadn't helped me off them I would be dead by now. Stop treating your anxiety as an illness, it is the body's natural response to when things go awry. Start using natural methods of relaxation.
I have to disagree: Valium is the most effective and benefucial medication of them all. It gives instant respite from high anxiety and panic attacks thus allowing millions of people worldwide to continue with their family and work responsibilities. Rather than waiting a month for something to kick in.
Back in the 1970s I took it daily for a year and never felt any any diminishment in its tranquilising effect or need to increase the dose. I remained clear headed, no question of feeling like a zombie. When I decided to come off it I tapered the withdrawal gradually over many weeks - just as you have to with most other meds.
Of course, it should ideally be taken for short periods and only as needed with gaps in between these periods and eventually most people will want to find a method of recovery that does not involve a lifetime on medications. Valium offers respite not recovery.
This most valuable medication has been demonised to the point that many doctors are reluctant to prescribe it which denies many who would benefit greatly from it from taking advantage from the relief it brings.
Xanax I know nothing about as it can only be privately prescribed in the U.K. but I agree that 20 years is an excessive amount of time to be taking any tranquiliser.
Sorry Jeff1943 - valium is also one of 'the' most addictive medications. They are fine if used for short periods of time under proper medical supervision. The trouble is a lot of medics just put people on them and keep them taking them, without the checks and supervision. Valium was the very first I was prescribed - during my third pregnancy, a time when I should never have been prescribed them. This was my lowest ebb, a time when my in-laws had offered me £200 to leave their son at the altar, then a time when I was offered £250.00 to allow mother-in-law to bring up my first baby, (I said No to both requests, that was 55 years ago) a time when my father died, and because the hospital had lost his identity band, I had to identify his dead body. All too much for a pregnant 25 year old. It wasn't too much longer before Valium was outlawed in the UK and Diazepam came in to replace - same thing different name.
Valium is the trade name for diazepam which is the generic name and it has never been outlawed in the U.K. Valium is a victim of its own success: it is so effective that some people misuse it and that's the reason for its reputation as being addictive. By the same standard you could say that insulin is addictive for people with severe diabetes but nobody would seek to demonise insulin.
If some doctors don't properly supervise the patients for whom they prescribe Valium that's the fault of the doctors not the Valium. They just have to ensure that they don't prescribe it for daily use longer than they should and after that it is for occasional use only.
It was a lifesaver for me in the 1970s before I discovered Claire Weekes' Acceptance method for recovery: without Valium I wouldn't have been able to support and care for my family.
Mahatma Ghandi, the saintly and pacific Indian who led India to independence, started each day with a bowl of porridge grated from the rawawulfa root which is where diazepam was first identified and then synthesised.
Good enough for Ghandi good enough for me.
Hi Jeff 1943, thank you for your insight. To tell you the truth I don't know much about Valium and I have not taken it. I know everyone has to find a way to cope with their problems so I believe in whatever works for each individual person. The problem now is if you take a benzo/drug there is this automatic stigma that you are a drug addict.
A 'drug addict' is a description that implies the use of harmful illegal drugs such as cocain and heroin. Valium/diazepam is a therapeutic medication that is perfectly legal when prescribed. This is the first time I've heard that it carries the automatic stigma of making users drug addicts and question the correctness of that view.
It is the only anxiety med that brings instant respite as opposed to Prozac and Amitriptyline that take 3 to 4 weeks to become effective.
If I was having an anxiety melt down I know which one I would choose.
Thanks! I appreciate your comment. I'm sorry you had a miserable experience and I'm glad you figured it out. I am very thankful to everyone who has given me suggestions and advice. We all have different life experiences and it's important that we help each other out. I guess I'm just a weak person and I feel bad for everybody and everything. I can't watch tv or leave my house because I might see something that upsets me. I'm just looking for a way to have a somewhat normal life. Thanks again for sharing your experience!
Hi Fallin77 I have just reread your original post of 16 days ago. I can see apart from your anxiety you have had cancer. I had my first battle with cancer in 1989 - breast cancer, lumpectomy and radiotherapy, followed by a 4 year gap, before it came back and I had a mastectomy. Quite a few times in the following years I would have something go a bit awry with my body and be absolutely positive the big 'C' had returned. Nowadays I don't give a hoot if it comes back or not, it is too exhausting to worry about things like that till they happen. Also by taking on the attitude I have, my grandchildren (all 15 of them - only 2 under 17 years now) and I have had a lot of fun with, 'My prosthesis' the older ones used to pinch it out of its box - when I wasn't wearing it, and play catch. We had loads of laughs. My then 2 year old granddaughter would pick the thing up and caress it saying, I love this, Nan, because its part of you. What I'm trying to say is don't let something like cancer stop you from living the life you should be living. I have checked online and find that the Myasthenia Gravis that your mum has is not hereditary, should that be what you are worried about, although auto-immune conditions could be. You also seem to be wanting to take something i e. tablets, supplements etc; but have you ever tried meditation, no drugs, no supplements, just something to calm you right at the time you need calming? At the very first sign of pressure, take yourself to a quiet spot - bedroom - beach or garden (if you are close by) lay down, make yourself comfortable. Maybe play a soothing piece of music, allow yourself to become aware of the world around you, What can you see? what can you feel? what can you smell? what can you hear? what can you taste? Let your natural senses take over! Forget the stress, leave it behind. Also, think about what MIGHT be holding you back, past hurts, childhood problems, work issues, money problems, relationships. All of these things if not dealt with can and do pull us apart. And they need to be addressed. You, yourself, can work toward releasing yourself from everything that holds you. There are many agencies/ self help/ groups etc who can help you find peace. You may even find you don't need tablets, or supplements which will only dull the cause. You don't say from what part of the world you come, or how old you are, I am assuming maybe mid- 40 (ies) going by your call reference Fallin77. If this is so, you are still only a young woman with a lifetime ahead of you. Don't waste it! If you need help finding someone to help please come back to this forum and I will endeavour to find a way for you. I wasted more than 35 years of my life feeling sorry for myself - please don't let this happen to you.
Hi Babe 1213, My heart aches for the experience you have had and it's hard to explain to people who have not been there. I did not expect to hear back from you and I am thankful for all of the information that you have given me. I know that you are right with everything you say. Yes, I am 45 years old and I live in the United States. I have been a caregiver pretty much ever since I was a teenager. I wish I could do what you suggest but I would feel extremely guilty going outside and laying in the garden. I know I was given another chance to live because my cancer was detected early. I have a peptic ulcer which is very painful. I need to have 2 procedures next week because I'm anemic and don't know why, I have an organ prolapse that prevents me from having normal bowel movements. I have a colon cancer gene which frightens me. I need to have a hysterectomy by the end of November to prevent ovarian cancer ;I didn't react well to Tamoxifen so they have told me this is all I can do because of may age and I am estrogen+.
I know I won't ever be able to have a child of my own and I worry I will regret having the procedure. I guess I am depressed but I don't think I will live very long. I ask God to help me because my family needs me.
I'm taking relaxation drinks with lemon balm, and I am trying an anxiety tea and working on breathing exercises. I take Clonidine but it is not at all energizing and it does not help you with your mood or your frame of mind, it pretty much makes you drowzy and you are going through life in slow motion.
I really don't want medication but I am tired of being in a bad mood and feeling hopeless. Thank you just for listening to me. I don't ask for anything more and I am so glad that you are doing okay now. Take Care
Hi Fallin77 - Thank you for your reply and for sharing so much. Things have been tough in life for me almost from infancy, of which I have only shared the tip of the ice-berg. But you know what, I have a firm Christian faith, and I can honestly say, 'It has been a privilege to suffer in every aspect that I have. I look at suffering and pain, as Christ allowing me a splinter or two of His Cross, seems silly, but makes a whole lot of difference to me. I used to ask often, GOD, Why Me? or God, Why me again? But through my journey of many years, much heart ache/break has occurred, but I have come through it all, and I feel stronger and more able to come alongside others in distress. I have worked alongside people from all walks of life, and people who have suffered far more than I ever could. I firmly believe the Lord has allowed bad things to happen in my life - as he does in many lives - in order that we can learn and pass our love and hope on to others. this may sound daft to some, but to me its true. I have said many times to many people on this forum, 'Every negative can become a positive.' To you now I say, 'Let your heartache for my experiences change to 'Your heart rejoices with me that this has happened. I have learned so much that has strengthened me - You can too!
I have also had many good things in my life, travelling the globe has been one of them, I have been to USA many times, and covered many States - I love it! I envy you, being part of it.
Don't feel guilty of doing anything to help yourself - let's be honest if you become ill or break down you'll be of no help to anyone. Put yourself first! One of the first things I learned as a Christian Minister is to 'heal myself' before trying to help heal others. It works!
I am happy that your cancer was detected early, much easier to treat when this happens. I feel very sad for all the people who when they find something is not right - have a tendency to denial and stay away from medics, this gives much time for the cancer to develop and grow. I am sad also that you didn't react well to Tamoxifen - I was on that from the 11 years between mastectomy and reconstruction, and it worked well for me.
Please let me know when exactly you are having your 2 procedures, and I will hold you in prayer. Also don't be afraid of the colon cancer gene - it doesn't always follow that it will happen to you, such a lot of worry for nothing, just be aware that if anything gives cause for concern - get it looked sooner rather than later. More is being done to cure these days, as long as its not left. I'm not very familiar with Clonidine, other than its for hypertension and helps with withdrawal symptoms. Another thing you could try is green tea with ginger and or Tumeric. They will also benefit your bowel probs.
At 45 (O to be 45 again - that was when I had the mastectomy - You are still a young woman 10 years younger than my eldest daughter, hopefully you have a long life ahead of you and you owe to yourself and your family to be fit and well.
It is good you are staying off meds at present, but if you do need them and they are available don't worry or fret about taking, just make sure you read the instructions.
I don't like modern technology, but at times like this it is helpful to get in touch quickly. If you feel like chatting any time - I check in daily, as do many other people who want to help you,
Every blessing, Mary x
Mary, thank you for your response! It means a lot to me since I am having my procedures tomorrow. I do trust in God and I know everything is happening to me for a reason. I just feel sad sometimes but you have made me feel better 😌
Hi Fallin77 - I did reply to this message early this morning, and checked when I got up only to find for some reason my reply has not gone through. I hope you have this message before your procedures - just wanted to let you know I am praying for you, for your peace and calm, that you will be able to put all fears aside. I am asking God to keep you firmly wrapped in his arms, tenderly caring for you. Praying for wisdom for the medical teams who will be caring for you, and asking for good results. Please let me know how things go. As a minister for GOD I will leave you with His blessing, which is, 'May the peace of God that passes all understanding keep your heart and mind in the knowledge and love of God and of His Son Jesus Christ, and the blessing of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit be upon you, and remain with you, always. Amen. Now take some time for YOU, to allow that peace to sink in, and for your total healing as you recover. xx
Love, Mary x
Hi Babe1213, I just wanted to tell you thank you for your blessing it brought me a sense of peace I have not felt for a long time. Miraculously, I was told that I was going to have 10-20 polyps in my colon due to the MUTYH gene that I carry and maybe even a "carpet" of polyps as the doctor phrased it and I would need to have my colon removed but in the end they found nothing at all. I am relieved but at the same time very confused. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers! God Bless
Hello there! I personally am on 50 mg of Hydroxyzine and to me I feel as though it gives me the calm relaxation that Xanax gives. It does make you tired but to me I can function and it takes my mind off the problem that’s causing the anxiety in the first place. The doctor told me it’s non addictive so that’s good and it’s easy to get with a prescription and not expensive. I hope this helps. 
Hi Autumnmarie5, I did try hydroxyzine at one time and it is possible I didn't give it much time to work because I thought it was just an allergy medication. I would be willing to try it again. The other thing I tried was propranelol but it didn't make me feel good. I think it's more effective as a blood pressure medication.Clonidine, Hydroxyzine & propranelol are pretty much drugs doctors give you because they don't want to prescibe you anything addictive. What I miss with the xanax was that it made me happy, these other drugs just slow you down. Thank you for the tip because I never would have thought about going back to Hydroxyzine if you didn't mention it.
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