Completely eliminated my severe anxiety symptoms with three supplements!

[nomad]

@Hip

Do the supplements you've listed specifically target inflammation as the underlying cause of anxiety?

 

[Hip]

Do the supplements you've listed specifically target inflammation as the underlying cause of anxiety?

Most of the supplements in my list are anti-inflammatories, and this is the mechanism by which I believe they reduce/eliminate anxiety. But some in the list have other mechanisms too: transdermal magnesium for example directly blocks the NMDA receptors (overactivation of which may produce anxiety), as well as being anti-inflammatory.

 

[ahmo]

@nomad, I've recently come to understand the role of histamines in anxiety. I'd have to review this whole thread to see if that's been mentioned. Here's an excellent talk by mast cell expert Dr. Theoharides re histamines and the brain. I've been doing coffee enemas lately. I've found that the irritability, spaciness, general toxicity I was feeling afterwards have been almost eliminated by taking anti-histamine supps right afterwards. rutin, royal jelly, quercetin.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=9QbZp3WcC1Q

@Hip, I started using arginine per your reference. My body consistently self-tests positive for it, seems like an old friend. I need extra of this, too, after my detoxxing. Thanks for this thread and all your suggestions. ahmo

 

[nomad]

@nomad, I've recently come to understand the role of histamines in anxiety. I'd have to review this whole thread to see if that's been mentioned. Here's an excellent talk by mast cell expert Dr. Theoharides re histamines and the brain. I've been doing coffee enemas lately. I've found that the irritability, spaciness, general toxicity I was feeling afterwards have been almost eliminated by taking anti-histamine supps right afterwards. rutin, royal jelly, quercetin.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=9QbZp3WcC1Q

@Hip, I started using arginine per your reference. My body consistently self-tests positive for it, seems like an old friend. I need extra of this, too, after my detoxxing. Thanks for this thread and all your suggestions. ahmo

This is interesting. Following your post Ive since read that high histamine levels do indeed produce fatigue and anxiety via triggering the inflammatory response.

I recently started taking a bromelain supplement for my asthma and my breathing freed up within days. The supplement also contained quercetin. I wonder what role it played in the recent reduction of my anxiety.

 

[shah78]

Interesting thread. I would like to throw in my usual, many times unwanted 2 cents. Three quarters of my 55 years of chronic anxiety ended within a few days of eating one lb of grass fed runminant/offal and massive amounts of extra animal fat.(Also called the Paleo Diet) The other one quarter ended within hours of Fredd's methylation program. Any acute anxiety issue is extiquished within four or five minutes by sitting in 45 degree water. (Also called a Jackkrussi).The" Jackkrussi "has a success rate of over 95%.

 

[Hip]

Any acute anxiety issue is extiquished within four or five minutes by sitting in 45 degree water. (Also called a Jackkrussi).The" Jackkrussi "has a success rate of over 95%.

Very interesting. Do you have any references for that?

Coincidentally, I have recently been reading about heat treatment myself recently.

I certainly find that hot baths are an effective treatment, and often take long hot baths for this very reason. I find that sitting in a hot bath for an hour or two does noticeably reduce both my anxiety, and moreover, greatly reduces my often very significant ADHD symptoms.

After such a long hot bath I usually find I am much more able to mentally focus and concentrate, and much more able to do productive work (on the computer, for example), as the heat significantly reduces my ADHD, as well as any anxiety symptoms.

Though 45°C is hotter than the baths I take. My baths are normally around 39 to 41°C, but I sit in them for an hour or two (the heat often makes me fall asleep for 20 minutes or so as well, and I wake up initially feeling dozy but very refreshed). I happened to measure my bathwater temperature recently, as well as the increase in my body temperature that took place while sitting in bathwater at around 39 to 41°C for an hour. The increase in my body temperature that I measured while in the hot bath was 0.4°C. Note that normally body temperature is around 37°C; a body temperature of more than 40°C is a medical emergency.

I was interested in this increase in body temperature because I have an idea that the significant reduction in ADHD and anxiety that I observe after long hot baths might in fact be due to the fever effect.

The fever effect is a phenomenon in which an individual with ADHD or autism seem to get significant improvement in their symptoms when they come down with a fever (from catching a cold, for example). I have had ADHD all my life, and have observed in the past that my ADHD dramatically improves when I catch a cold, and get a fever.

One explanatory theory of the fever effect revolves around a part of the brain called the locus coeruleus (LC). The LC is responsible for initiating fever, and the LC is also activated when an individual encounters an extreme of temperature (such as a hot bath). Dysfunction of the LC is implicated in autism, anxiety and ADHD. The theory is that the activation of the LC via the fever process temporarily restores normal functioning to the LC, and thereby ameliorates the symptoms of autism, etc. I suspect a hot bath has a similar LC-activating effect as a fever, and I think this may explain why hot baths significantly ameliorate my ADHD, and help reduce anxiety.

 

[MeSci]

For quick but short-term relief from anxiety, tension and low mood I recommend getting one of these head massagers:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31LocDcF89L.jpg

They are ridiculously cheap! I saw the UK's comedian/doctor Phil Hammond demonstrating one on the TV programme Countdown, bought one and was so impressed that I bought them for several friends too!

 

[Hip]

@MeSci
I tried one of those head massagers years ago at a party. It gave a peculiar sensation, as if someone had cracked an egg on my head, and the fluid contents were running down the sides of my head. Vey weird.

I can't imagine though that this device would do much to counter severe anxiety disorder driven by biochemical factors.

 

[shah78]

Dear Hip, Actually I meant 45 degrees in USA. so 10 degrees celsius! lol. Check outHealclick.com Joey wrote an excellent summary of Jackkruse's theory on the subject.

 

[leanguy]

Hip, I started using N-A-G at 1g 3x per day and the anti-inflammatory effect has been amazing. I have persistent sinus inflammation (and burning mouth) and it is the only supplement so far that has helped. I also have anxiety and insomnia. I have noticed some improvement with anxiety, but not help with insomnia... yet. I am hoping the benefits keep coming from taking the N-A-G, perhaps by gut healing. Anyway I just wanted to say thanks for starting this thread!

 

[Hip]

Hip, I started using N-A-G at 1g 3x per day and the anti-inflammatory effect has been amazing. I have persistent sinus inflammation (and burning mouth) and it is the only supplement so far that has helped.

Very pleased NAG has helped.

Some supplements listed here might help your burning / sore throat.

 

[qbsbrown]

Great post, hip! And congrats with your success and relief using these things!

A few questions. I'm on board with this idea of brain inflammation causing some of these things. i feel in my case it is. Now I'm wondering what to try, to reduce this. I have had the same kind of anxiety that borders psychosis as well. Only to find out, that these symptoms reduced when I took a couple of anti inflammitories.

Why tumeric instead of curcumin? I had read where you put that in some, curcumin could induce irritability and anger (although i don't recall tumeric inducing this). That's spot on when I tried it. Do you think that grape seed extract is the best replacement?

 

[Hip]

@qbsbrown
Turmeric contains 3% curcumin, but also contains several other active ingredients including demethoxycurcumin, bisdemethoxycurcumin, tumerone, atlantone, and zingiberone. I found that turmeric worked much better for me than curcumin.

Grape seed extract is useful, and is on my list.

In this post, you will find a list of supplements and drugs that I found specifically helped with the psychosis symptoms, as well as the anxiety symptoms. I think these should be useful if you sometimes get anxiety psychosis.

 

[qbsbrown]

Thanks Hip! Yeah, the curcumin gave me wild vivid dreams, then induced that irritability and anger you spoke about. never had that on tumeric

What would be the top anti inflammitories treating brain inflammation caused by neuro Lyme (that may be inducing the anxiety, ocd, and mild psychosis)? I'm reading that NAG may perhaps aggrivate this. Is tumeric still on this list? I've read some that might indicate that alpha lipolic acid may help in this case? something about healing the damaged blood brain barrier.

Thanks in advance, and I look forward to your recommendations!

Brian

 

[Hip]

@qbsbrown
I am not really sure what might be specifically helpful for Lyme. I find best approach is the empirical one: try out some of the supplements, keep notes of how your symptoms respond to the supplements, and in this way you will find what works best for you.

 

[Space88]

Hip, I am going to follow your protocolt and I hope it help at least a bit for my severe social anxiety.
I am planning to order following supplements from iherb :
NAG, Turmeric, Flax seed oil, Propolis, Bacopa, Gotu Kola, Ashwagandha, Inositol, Choline bitartrate, transdermal magnesium... (and also Amisulpride in low doses).
As for Turmeric, I am considering to order one of these :
http://www.iherb.com/Simply-Organic...disc=0&lc=en-US&w=turmeric&rc=1014&sr=2&ic=10
http://www.iherb.com/Frontier-Natur...c=en-US&w=turmeric powder&rc=327&sr=null&ic=5
...are these two ok ? or should I look around for something else instead ? I definitely do not want to order curcumin, because as you wrote (and some others too) it causes angriness and irritation. So I would rather avoid these side effects.
As for Transdermal magnesium cream, could you pls. provide me a link where it is possible to buy ? So far, I have found this one on IHerb:
http://www.iherb.com/product-reviews/Kirkman-Labs-Magnesium-Sulfate-Cream-4-oz-113-g/38169/?p=1
and for example this one from Amazon UK :
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Magnesium-C...4447699&sr=1-2&keywords=transdermal+magnesium
...but I am not sure, if these are the right types which are supposed to help me with anxiety.
Finally, I want to ask you on magnesium oral form, according to you, which one is probably the best for a person who suffer from constant anxiety ?
Thank you!

 

[Hip]

@Space88
Those turmeric supplements are fine. Curcumin only seems to cause significant anger and irritability in me in at higher doses of 3 grams or more, but 1 gram or less is fine. Anyway, this side effect may not occur in other people.

This post tells you how you can cheaply make your own transdermal magnesium cream, which I recommend you do. Any chelated magnesium oral supplement should be fine, but you are limited with oral magnesium, because higher doses will cause diarrhea. This is why it is best to get most of your magnesium dose transdermally.

 

[qbsbrown]

Hip, after failure with literally every medicine and herbs supplements, I"ve had some success with alpha lipoic acid (for anxiety, ocd, near psychosis). I saw that your protocol recommended 500mgs a day. Is this all taken at once? If this is helping, what might this indicate, and would it also indicate that another supplement/herb might be helpful to add?

 

[Hip]

@qbsbrown
You are referring to the alpha lipoic acid mentioned in this thread: Non-Standard Anti-Anxiety Treatment

It might be better taking alpha lipoic acid 250 mg twice day, with food. Though be very cautious if you have ME/CFS, because high dose ALA often seems to cause adverse reactions in ME/CFS patients.

My hunch is that the anti-anxiety effects of ALA arise from the fact that ALA reduces NF-kB activation. Thus you may want to also try some of the other NF-kB inhibitors listed on that thread, such as grape seed extract 500 mg daily, as these may also help. It is advised to take biotin with ALA since ALA depletes biotin.

 

[123pdeme]

Hi Hip. I've been reading this thread with great interest. I've had GAD for around 10 years. Sometimes it just goes away. I've been pretty good recently until I started heavy gym sessions. Now the GAD is back with a vengeance. I'm thinking the gym sessions have caused inflammation and this has kickstarted the anxiety again. I've tried gaba/ndma related supplements such as valerian, magnesium, niacinamide, they do almost nothing. Taurine and Lemon Balm help for sleep. Theanine does very little. Valium works but I wont take it, can't get reliant on that stuff. Holy Basil seems to make it worse. I have a cupboard full of supplements, magnolia, lithium or,otate. Anyway I've never tried NAG, turmeric and flax seed I've never stuck with. So I'm going to try NAG.

Now here's something interesting, I get a lot and I mean a lot of mucous in my nose and throat and I cough up clumps of it in the morning. No doctor can explain it. I've had a CT scan on my nose and the sinus was very clear. I think I have some inflammatory problem and anxiety is the result.

Anyway I'm willing to try NAG just to seeing if it helps.