Passion flower? Other herbal remedies?

HI Mike
'I know there are a few that go the Herbal route but I am not one of them .......

Am sure you will get better help and input from other members soon
STAY with us and glad you DO enjoy the HW family support and ppl

LYN

Thanks guys, im just so done with the modern medical route, Ive tried 3 antideppresants and have had horrible reactions to them all... then my doctor prescribed a beta blocker... (which is a really good and safe idea for those of you that havent tried this) but as my luck goes with medicine it actually gave me chest pain! So I had to stop that too.
So annoying! LOL

Im sticking with exercise, good diet, good attitude and maybe some supplements after i educate myself some more =)

Thanks again!

Hello,

I don't take medications for my anxiety either, not because I had bad reactions but just because I didn't care for them. I do have used an herbal remedy that I'd recommend. It's a specific brand so I hope this isn't considered advertising. It is called Bach's Rescue Remedy and it's a combination of different flower essences that's supposed to calm you down when you're stressed, anxious, or panicking. I won't go into exactly what's in it -- you can google it and find the website. (I'd post the link here but not sure about the forum rules on that). You can find it at health food stores. I found out about it because someone actually recommended it for my dog since he had severe separation anxiety. I know it sounds weird that I started taking something meant for my dog LOL but when I researched it I discovered it's safe for people and animals, and I read up on it's use in people. Anyway, it comes in an oil that you can add to water and drink, you can put drops directly on your tongue or rub some on your earlobes. I believe they also make a spray for your mouth and perhaps a powder. I was having trouble sleeping and used the drops on my tongue, I found it really relaxed me. Sometimes when I feel super anxious or think I have a panic attack coming on, I also do the drops and it really does help. It might be a placebo effect, but hey whatever works, right!? So anyway, if you're curious or interested, just google it!

P.S. Maybe it wasn't a placebo effect because it really did help my dog too LOL. I'm not kidding!

Take care and good luck!

Okay heres an update for you all... I went with Anxietyriddens suggestion and tryed that Bachs rescue remedy which I bought at a local supplement store, and I want to say it worked to chill me out, but it did make me just a little "out of it" but I can see how this would work for some people.

I also bought this product called calm-u-nat... which basically is just passion flower... I tried this today in the morning, and so far I really like it, im not "out of it" at all, but I am pretty chilled out, so im going to try this for awhile.

Ill keep ya posted.

-mike

Im also going to buy that book "panic away" that everyone has been talking about so much on this site.

Good luck to everyone

 

I'm very interested in reading stuff like this. I, personally, would never consume any "remedy" that hasn't been rigorously tested and monitored, but I'm sure some of this natural stuff DOES work to at least some extent. I've said it before but I'll say it again...I really wish the FDA would put this stuff through clinical trials. My guess is the drug companies don't want them to, and they hold a lot of sway. It's unfortunate, though, for sure.

To PanicAttacker:

It's no surprise that anti-depressants would make you more nervous. They're stimulating by design. However, in many cases if the patient can stick with them for a month or so, they are effective in treating panic disorder. Sometimes this one month window can be eased by prn use of a short-acting benzodiazepine, so if the natural route doesn't work out for you, consider discussing that with your doctor.

Well, I've been there and feel your pain. A little more than a year ago I tried Lexapro and it did the same thing to me....I refused to take another pill or another drug that worked anything like it, pharmacologically. Some people just don't tolerate them. Benzodiazepines are an option for you. The side effects are tolerable. They, of course, have a downside but the bottom line is they almost universally work for treating A/P so it's worth discussing the risk/benefit scenario with your doctor.

If the natural stuff doesn't work out, that is.

Another problem with taking something that's unregulated is manufacturing inconsistency. You could go from batch to batch and experience a very wide degree of efficacy with a "natural" product. Brand to brand, there's sure to be a difference. No standards, no testing, no regulation...this stuff is supposed to work on your HEAD. Pretty delicate organ. I know some people say the pharmacos produce a lot of poison, and they do, but there's an awful lot of poison found in nature, too.

Don't want to discourage you. Like I said, some of the products probably do work, and some of the companies out there may have a very tight supply, manufacturing and distribution process which yields consistent substances year in and year out. But do your research and learn all you can before putting anything in your body.

I just want to note that Bach flower essences actually are FDA approved. If you google Bach essences you'll find tons of research on them. I agree with Debaser, I think I'd be hesitant to ingest anything that didn't have some standard of testing linked to it.

As Mike noted, Bach Rescuse Remedy made him feel a bit "out of it." It relaxes me but doesn't make me feel out of it -- I find no problem using it during the course of the work day or before going out with friends. But because it may affect different people different ways I would suggest trying it for the first time when you have no pressing engagements and can just sit back and see what it does for you.

Kitt -

Eveie mentioned she was taking the Bach essences along with her Zoloft. I did not take the essences while I was on Lexapro, although the doctor told me that it would be OK to do so. I only started taking them once I made the decision to come off of the meds.

Are there certain herbal supplements that do negatively interact with SSRI's?