I've been on so numerous medications since I was young, it's ridiculous. I'm at the point where I'm done being a guinea pig and taking pills for anxiety that are harsh on my body. I was looking into valerian root but someone had told me that it still makes you feel yucky for awhile.
Is there some type of natural tablet or something I can take to help with my anxiety and possibly sleep without making me feel like total crap?
They say that exercise is legit to combat anxiety and sleep deprivation.
I was on zoloft for a long time.. But thats a prescribed medication.
Ive heard st johns wort works for some people, but It didnt for me.
Omega 3 fish oil is also rumored to help..
but when it comes down to it, its diet exercise and health.
I know.. i dont want to go that route either.
I would rather alcohol or smoke pot than take government medications. Try some pot.
There are lots of possibilities. Not all of them work for everyone, and herbal medicines usually take longer to work than laboratory made ones. It would not be wise to discontinue your medication right off the bat in favor of a natural treatment. But you could try supplementing your medication with other things, and eventually taper the meds off if the other treatments work for you.
I had instant improvement in my anxiety when I started taking fish oil, 2,000 mg a day. Within two days, I felt much more balanced and serene. Flaxseed oil, evening primrose oil, or borage would also give you the omega 3 fatty acids, which is what fish oil boasts, if you can't or don't eat fish.
Taking vitamin B complex also helps. I took it for a while as a supplement to Zoloft, which I was on for anxiety, and continued taking vitamin B complex after stopping the Zoloft. It took about four weeks for the vitamin B to start making a noticeable difference.
Some people find St. John's wort helpful for anxiety. However, you shouldn't take that while on any psychiatric medication. They might interact.
Magnesium supplements are also recommended as a treatment for anxiety.
Flower essences may be helpful. Aside from Bach's Rescue Remedy, which is available just about everywhere now, some other flower essences may help. I'm not too familiar with that, but it would bear looking into.
If you have the option of getting Emdr therapy, that could be a good non-drug treatment. The do-it-yourself version, Eft tapping therapy, you can learn from an online video. There are many.
These are only a few ideas, the ones I know best. Whether you do some more research, you might find more.
Symphony: There are alot of good alternatives to anxiety meds and drugs. Valerian is Ok but it can make you very sleepy which is not always desirable. Try looking at other herbs like Ashwagandha, Tryptophan, 5-htp, and Rhodiola Rosea. Those are good and theres numerous others. Theres a whole pile of other remedies on website below.
I havent tried this myself but im sure it would work well.
Fish oil pills helped me a little, they contain Omega 3 fatty acids which are proven to help people with anxiety and Adhd, two matters I have. Also exercising helps a little too. I still have anxiety though but not as poor after taking fish oil pills and exercising. I'm also in your position because I have a prescription for Vyvanse which is used to treat Adhd and anxiety, but it makes me feel depressed and awful later and is bad for your blood pressure. Take care and God bless.
In my experience, anxiety is a symptom of a trouble, not necessarily the problem itself.
Anxiety symptoms (racing heart, weak knees, sweating, etc) can be caused by low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) or a poor diet high in sugars, low in protein.
Anxiety could be a symptom of an earlier emotional trauma that hasn't been addressed or healed.
Anxiety could be a symptom of a nutritional imbalance or hormonal imbalance.
The other poster listed some natural remedies and valerian, Gaba, 5htp and lemon balm are also options. As you have learned, drugs aren't working because drugs aren't solving the problem, they're just trying to mask the symptoms.
If you don't feel you have any past unhealed emotional trauma, then I propose you look in to The Mood Cure for proven combinations of food, vitamins and natural supplements.
http://www.moodcure.com/
Also, check to see whether you might have low blood sugar issues-- I did. Once I changed my diet and healed by body, my anxiety symptoms improved by 98 Here's a link to their online quick quiz.
http://www.hypoglycemia.org/hypo wishes to you.
You may want to reseach this on fhu.com. It will tell you about emotional factors, rather than dumb medication that won't help.