I cannot calm down no matter what I do. What can I take to help me calm down before I have a heart attack? My blood pressure is going up and I don't know what to do. I take three .05 Ativan daily and it isn't helping. I have tried a few antidepressants which make me feel worse. Any help?
Posted by lindadanis (Member # 51204) on :
I wanted to mention that my llmd has wanted to me to take a low dose of lamictal for a longtime but I am so scared too. I don't want to be on head meds but maybe I have no choose right now. I wake up in a complete sweat everyday and feel so anxious right away. It never goes away other than when I'm sleeping. I need to do something before I end up in a hospital. So scared.
Posted by lookup (Member # 44574) on :
I'm sorry you are going through this. I'd try Ashwagandha 3 times a day to feed the adrenals to help them not overshoot making adrenalin at night/morning. Maybe you have done this already.
Minerals like Standard Process MinTran (mineral tranquilizer) are helpful because the body gets so depleted of minerals from stress and sweating. I would try Standard Process Orchex prn if I felt super anxious and my BP was creeping up because of it.
I'd add two cups of celery juice in the morning to replace the electrolytes from sweating. It is also very hydrating.
Stay hydrated. Everything works so much better when we are hydrated. We want to keep the blood thin so the heart doesn't have to work so hard. Coconut water, lemon or lime water.
Lemon Balm tea can be drunk before bedtime. It's anti-viral and calming.
I'd avoid anything that was a neurotoxin like MSG which is often labeled "natural flavoring."
Here is the list: Hidden names for MSG and free glutamic acid:
Names of ingredients that always contain processed free glutamic acid: (7)
Glutamic Acid (E 620) Glutamate (E 620) Monosodium Glutamate (E 621)
Monopotassium Glutamate (E 622) Calcium Glutamate (E 623) Monoammonium Glutamate (E 624)
Magnesium Glutamate (E 625) Natrium Glutamate Yeast Extract
Anything “hydrolyzed” Any “hydrolyzed protein” Calcium Caseinate
Sodium Caseinate Yeast Food Yeast Nutrient
Autolyzed Yeast Gelatin Textured Protein
Soy Protein Soy Protein Concentrate Soy Protein Isolate
Whey Protein Whey Protein Concentrate Whey Protein Isolate
Anything “…protein” Vetsin Ajinomoto
Names of ingredients that often contain or produce processed free glutamic acid: (7)
Carrageenan (E 407) Bouillon and broth Stock
Any “flavors” or “flavoring” Maltodextrin Citric acid, Citrate (E 330)
Anything “ultra-pasteurized” Barley malt Pectin (E 440)
The following are ingredients suspected of containing or creating sufficient processed free glutamic acid to serve as MSG-reaction triggers in HIGHLY SENSITIVE people: (7)
Broken up for easier reading.
Posted by Golightly716 (Member # 51484) on :
Propranolol and Clonidine are 2 medications that are used for anxiety, but are technically blood pressure medicines. Make sure you cut out all caffeine and foods/supplements that are stimulating - taurine, green tea, etc. Some people find homeopathic things like “Moon Drops,” “Quietude,” and Bach’s “Rescue pastilles” to be extremely helpful. And walking helps quite a lot although I know this heat in the northeast probably isn’t helping anyone’s anxiety - it’s been hard to breathe!
Posted by sixgoofykids (Member # 11141) on :
Talk to your doctor about this. You might need to take something.
CBD oil taken orally or St. John's Wort might help, but talk to your doctor before adding in anything in case it interacts with your meds.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
My husband takes "Nerve Blend" by Solaray.
Posted by MannaMe (Member # 33330) on :
My friend takes GABA Boost and Holy Basil to help calm down. She takes both at the same time 3 times a day.
Posted by Bartenderbonnie (Member # 49177) on :
Xanax made the creepy crawling bugs and phantom ghosts go away, thank God. Worst time of my life.
Posted by lindadanis (Member # 51204) on :
thank you for these replies. She suggested I keep weaning off the Ativan but didn't suggest what to take for this anxiety. I actually only had an apt for labs but saw her for like ten minutes. Wish I just could get rid of it, it is the most horrible symptom for 20 months. Awaiting results of igenex labs.
Posted by MissVictoria (Member # 45232) on :
I very highly recommend Bach Flower Remedies
Posted by lookup (Member # 44574) on :
Especially Bach Rescue Remedy
Posted by tricia386 (Member # 29623) on :
I took xanax when I needed it and when I didnt need it I stopped! Same with sleeping pills.
For natural anxiety meds
L-Theaine Kava Kava is probably my favorite.
Posted by klutzo (Member # 5701) on :
Please take Ativan w/d very slowly! It can kill. Read the Ashton Bible (dr. Heather Ashton) and join benzobuddies to help learn how.
I ended up with a holistic Psych ARNP handling my w/d after my Primary doc botched me up badly, adding a year to my w/d! I saw her once every 3 mos. and she gave me progressively lower doses of Valium, after switching me to an equivalent dose.
Direct withdrawal from short-acting benzos like xanax and ativan is CRUEL, and I am not surprised you are having trouble. It is doggone hard even with valium.
Valium goes down to much lower doses, making the end stages of w/d easier. I am now taking 1/8th of a one mg. half tablet and will cut to 1/16 in two weeks, then take it another two weeks before stopping. The worst w/d sx hit about 8 wks. after w/d is over, and it can last for years.
I am just now close to being off xanax after 2 YEARS of slow w/d and it's the hardest thing I've ever done, and I've had a very hard life.
L-theanine is good, but I found it not nearly strong enough to effect w/d at all. Kava can hurt the liver. I'd avoid it. Mg is very helpful. I like Natural Clam, since you can control your dosage.
Addictive tendencies are genetic and very few people can just quit these things. If you have any first degree relatives with any type of addiction, including gambling, shopping, chocolate, etc., you should never just quit!
You need to avoid anything that uses your GABA receptors, since that will just create another addiction in place of Ativan, so don't take GABA or Passionflower or Valerian.
Things that have helped me are Clonidine, Verapamil, Tryptophan, Benadryl, doxcylamine (Unisom), and Seriphos....
Seriphos is a supplement that helps lower inappropriate cortisol that may keep you awake at night and make you shake a lot.
Important: Do not be fooled by less effective phosphytidal serine. You need phosphorylated serine, brand name Seriphos, which is 4 times stronger.
The most common sx of benzo w/d are insomnia, tachycardia and higher blood pressure, so this is not unusual. Cramping and other GI upset is also very common.
Good luck and keep on plugging away. Once you beat this, you'll know that you can handle anything!
Posted by Harmony (Member # 32424) on :
You might try Inositol
It has been shown to help OCD as well as prescription drugs
not sure if your agitation is related to this kind of agitation
if it is, Inositol can be a wonderful help since it is inexpensive, sweet, and easy to take, and it has no known side effects
for OCD, it takes 12 to 18 g per day (gram! not milligram or mircogram, g not mg or mcg)
it comes with a scoop that holds about 9 g per scoop - two of those a day for a couple of days will show you if it works or not
I would take it in a cold liquid, like iced tea, not hot, since I think it is a B-vit precursor and may get damaged if heated?
if it works, it will likely take 2-3 days to work and you will know that it worked if you stop abruptly and your symptoms return
may be worth a try
Posted by sixgoofykids (Member # 11141) on :
quote:Originally posted by lookup: Especially Bach Rescue Remedy
I even give this to my bird. We recently moved and rescue remedy helped the bird and me.
Posted by lookup (Member # 44574) on :
Sixhoogykids- fantastic! All of the flower remedies work on animals, as you probably already know. There’s remedies for everything from jealousy to homesickness.
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