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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 4 of 4. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Lao Tzu on July 22, 2008, at 4:41:31
I've noticed that in my case, at least, no one supplement solved all of my problems. I almost always had to take a cocktail of supplements. And the difficult part is finding the correct combination and dosages of supplements to help you with your symptoms. If your depression is accompanied by a lot of anxiety, then certainly there are some key supplements that will help, including vitamins B6, B12, B3 (Niacinamide form is the best!), folic acid, magnesium, calcium, zinc, L-Taurine, Glycine, magnesium glycinate, kava kava, herbal blends with passionflower, L-Theanine, 5-HTP, omega-3 fish oils, inositol, and probably some others. The key is to find the right combination of supplements. You may find that you only need a couple of these supplements or maybe more to help you with your anxiety. There is no well-defined formula for this, and you either have to experiment on your own, or find a doctor that specializes in naturopathic medicine.
Posted by bleauberry on July 22, 2008, at 20:24:08
In reply to Supplements for anxiety disorders, posted by Lao Tzu on July 22, 2008, at 4:41:31
Mileage does indeed vary. I've tried every single one of the supplements you listed. All either did nothing, caused other problems, or did the opposite of what they should have done. Except for one, which I think is a good one...Passionflower. Either by itself or in a blend with Lemon Balm and/or Skullcap. All the other stuff you listed, pretty lousy for me.
Phosphatidyleserine is another to be on the list. Many anxieties are caused by HPA axis being messed up secreting too much cortisol, too much norepinephrine, or secreting at the wrong times of the daily clock. PS triggers the control center in the brain to back off on the secretion.
Posted by Chris O on July 26, 2008, at 15:08:04
In reply to Supplements for anxiety disorders, posted by Lao Tzu on July 22, 2008, at 4:41:31
I have a bad case of GAD, a lifelong, relentless disorder. I've tried everything on your list too. The only thing that had any type of mild effect on me is fish oil. However, for that to work, I have to take it in really high doses, like 10 to 15 grams. I'm pretty much resigned to the pharmaceutical approach, or to suffering and complaining about my suffering to everyone I meet, a/la the unnamed main character in Fydor Dostoevsky's Notes from Underground.
"I am a sick man. I am a spiteful man. I am an unattractive man. I believe my liver is diseased. However, I know nothing at all about my disease, and do not know for certain what ails me."
And on and on.
I'm great at parties!
Posted by Lao Tzu on August 4, 2008, at 17:39:29
In reply to Supplements for anxiety disorders, posted by Lao Tzu on July 22, 2008, at 4:41:31
I'm sorry to hear that a lot of the supplements I've mentioned didn't do anything for you. The most important thing to understand is that not everybody responds well to certain supplements. The reasons for this might be:
1. Your dosage is wrong, too much or too little.
2. You are probably not taking a combination of supplements that complement each other, and this is difficult because you could have intolerable side effects from one supplement while at the same time that you are taking another supplement that actually helps you. It's frustrating, I know.
3. You are taking prescription medications in addition to supplements and some kind of interaction occurs OR you are not taking any prescription medications at all and just relying on supplements to stabilize you.
4. Your psychiatric diagnosis might only respond to certain medications and certain key supplements.
5. Your body just doesn't tolerate certain supplements, probably because you don't have a deficiency of that particular supplement.One of the most frustrating things for me to do was find the right combination of supplements that helped. It took a very long time. Also, I must remind people that I am taking 4 different psychiatric medications for bipolar/schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety. I only started dabbling in natural supplements after about one year of being stabilized on my medication. In most cases, if you have a severe psychiatric illness, medication first is absolutely necessary to stabilize your brain and make you less anxious and depressed. Since bipolars and schizophrenics have problems with dopamine pathways, in a lot of cases an anti-psychotic is the best stabilizer. I say this because some people have an overactive dopamine system that causes a lot of anxiety. Antipsychotics address this issue. Psychiatrists do prescribe a very low dosage of antipsychotic, say Risperdal for example, to people with severe anxiety disorders. They only give you about .5 to 1.0mg (depending on how severe your anxiety is) and the much higher dosages of antipsychotics, say 4mg per day of Risperdal, is reserved only for people with bipolar and schizophrenia. I had severe social anxiety, and unfortunately, the low dose antipsychotic did nothing for social anxiety. However, it was much more helpful for generalized anxiety disorder.
I would always weigh the pros and cons of taking medication. If your depression/anxiety is severe enough, you may have no other choice. In my case, I had no choice but to take the medicine because I couldn't function without it. Some people, however, only have a slight touch of depression or anxiety that comes and goes, but doesn't prevent you from living your life. In that case, medicine is not necessary and nutritional supplements are more in order, or even just counseling. It really depends on what your official diagnosis is and how severe it is. One thing I've found is that there is a solution out there for most people with anxiety and depression, whether it be medicine, diet and nutritional supplements, a combination of the two, and other non-pharmaceutical therapies. Seeing a therapist every week might also be very helpful.
If fish oils help, great! If passionflower helps, great! Either there is a biochemical reason for your anxiety, or some event or activity you participate in everyday is causing you too much stress. It could be low serotonin or an overactive dopamine system, or problems scientists have yet to discover. Whatever the cause, there are some good medications and supplements out there to make your anxiety a little more tolerable. Not necessarily cure you of it, at least not yet. Keep trying and don't give up too soon. I mean, there's nothing worse than having bipolar or schizophrenia, so if I can find a measure of stability in my life, then certainly you can too. Don't give up. Talk to somebody if you're desperate, a psychiatrist and a therapist. There is help out there, no cures, but help.
This is the end of the thread.
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