Completely eliminated my severe anxiety symptoms with three supplements!

[Skippa]

Grrr my latest iherb order has DHL hitting me with a customs/import charge!!

Is this normal? My first order (@Hip s trio) didn't have any import duty.

But this order does. Different items.

Do they charge based on individual components of the order? Or perhaps total order value?

 

[Hip]

@Skippa
In my experience of importing supplements into the UK, roughly half of the time, the packages arrive without any customs charges, but the other half of the time you get charged. It's random. Note that goods which total to under £15 are not subject to customs charges.

 

[NICNICNIC]

Hi Hip
Flax Seed Oil – any recommendations for a good tasting oil?

Until i find a good tasting flaxseed oil i plan to take this item https://www.naturesbest.co.uk/flax-seed-oil-1000mg-p559/
How many capsules must i take in one go to match what i would receive via the method of a tablespoon of oil?

Would it be also okay to use Milled Flaxseed ?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product...act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE

Apologies for the questions but I just had no real idea of the flaxseed supplement to get for part of the treatment discussed here.

 

[Hip]

Hi Hip
Flax Seed Oil – any recommendations for a good tasting oil?

They all taste similar to me. I just buy a cheap brand in my local Asian shop.

Until i find a good tasting flaxseed oil i plan to take this item https://www.naturesbest.co.uk/flax-seed-oil-1000mg-p559/
How many capsules must i take in one go to match what i would receive via the method of a tablespoon of oil?

15 ml of flaxseed oil weights 13 grams, so you would need 13 x 1,000 mg capsules.

Would it be also okay to use Milled Flaxseed ?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product...act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE

I don't know, but I did a calculation once, and estimated that 30 grams of of flaxseed would contain 13 grams of flaxseed oil.

 

[nado417]

Hi Hip, I figured I would describe my circumstances and see if you had any more specific advise. I'm a 34 yo male with no major health issues other than anxiety. My anxiety started the day after I experienced a significant overdose of Ecstasy (or some variation) at the age of 18 and ended up in the hospital. Thinking back, it appears as though my synapses/pathways short-circuited and caused permanent damage. I have been on SSRI/SNRIs ever since, despite no prior or current issues with depression, suicidal tendencies, etc. I have been on Pristiq for the past 6-7 years (100mg a day and I can sometimes go down to 50mg per day) and it has worked well; no major side effects. I am, however, a social drinker with the propensity to binge drink on the weekends. My hangovers and the following 1-2 days are hell as the effects of the alcohol withdrawal give me extreme anxiety and elevated heart-rate. Within 12-16 hours of my last drink I have to take a much larger does of Pristiq. In particularly bad situations, I sometimes have to take a 400mg dose. Again, this is due to uncontrollable anxiety and heart-rate, not because I feel depressed or otherwise mentally unstable. The Pristiq does the trick, but it has to be a large dose, which ultimately dwindles my monthly supply of pills as 100mg per day is the maximum prescribed dose. It's also worth mentioning that I have persistently elevated/high blood pressure. My average over the past 3-4 months (taken at all times/days) is about 137/94. I've read that Pristiq can cause HBP, but i'm not ready to blame that yet. I'm curious as to what supplements I can take to both prevent and treat those instances when I drink. I realize the easy answer is to stop drinking on the weekends, but I'm single and have a relatively active social/professional life here in New York City. I have read prior posts on this site and am thinking about trying out or mentioning to my psychiatrist the benefits of NAG, Flaxseed Oil, Turmeric, and Inositol Powder. I also take high-quality/whole food multivitamins and pre/pro-biotics for overall gut health, which I know can be directly related to brain health. What would be your recommended dosage and timing for each of these and what would regimen would you propose I start with?

 

[Leopardtail]

They all taste similar to me. I just buy a cheap brand in my local Asian shop.





15 ml of flaxseed oil weights 13 grams, so you would need 13 x 1,000 mg capsules.





I don't know, but I did a calculation once, and estimated that 30 grams of of flaxseed would contain 13 grams of flaxseed oil.

Nice to see you are back Hip.

 

[Hip]

What would be your recommended dosage and timing for each of these and what would regimen would you propose I start with?

In my case (and in the case of many on this forum), my ME/CFS and anxiety symptoms started with a viral infection — a chronic infection which I think is causing constant brain inflammation. I think brain inflammation may sometimes cause generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) symptoms. My theory is that supplements like NAG, turmeric and flaxseed oil treat anxiety buy reducing brain inflammation.

However, I don't think all cases of GAD will be due to brain inflammation. Yours may not be. In which case, many of the anti-anxiety supplements that work via an anti-inflammatory mechanism may not work for you. So if the anti-inflammatory effects of NAG etc do not help, you might consider trying some supplements that do not work by via an anti-inflammatory mechanism.

Supplements that do not work by via an anti-inflammatory mechanism include high dose transdermal magnesium cream, high dose inositol, and not in my list, but a very good anti-anxiety supplement is kava root 300 mg daily.

 

[marklarr]

• Saccharomyces boulardii yeast probiotic 3 capsules daily
• Jarro-Dophilus EPS probiotic 5 capsules daily

Hello, Hip. Im so glad youve done this research into anxiety and that it has helped you and many others.
Im only now starting to understand after so long what might be causing my GAD.

Ive been reading your other post 'Non-Standard Anti-Anxiety Treatment' and have stocked up on pretty much all thats been suggested there. It should all be here next time this week.
I'm going to try the routine mentioned in that thread and if it doesnt help me - I plan on/am currently gathering a whole bunch of the pills and potions listed in this thread.

My question to you is - Are the two probiotics recommended necessary?.
Im not challenging your knowledge on the subject. I'd like to know this because Ive purchased my own probiotic which I'll link here.

http://www.gummyvites.com/en/PB8/Product-Supplement-Facts

Will the two you suggested work greater than just the one I have?
I will also be taking inulin btw

Cheers

 

[nado417]

In my case (and in the case of many on this forum), my ME/CFS and anxiety symptoms started with a viral infection — a chronic infection which I think is causing constant brain inflammation. I think brain inflammation may sometimes cause generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) symptoms. My theory is that supplements like NAG, turmeric and flaxseed oil treat anxiety buy reducing brain inflammation.

However, I don't think all cases of GAD will be due to brain inflammation. Yours may not be. In which case, many of the anti-anxiety supplements that work via an anti-inflammatory mechanism may not work for you. So if the anti-inflammatory effects of NAG etc do not help, you might consider trying some supplements that do not work by via an anti-inflammatory mechanism.

Supplements that do not work by via an anti-inflammatory mechanism include high dose transdermal magnesium cream, high dose inositol, and not in my list, but a very good anti-anxiety supplement is kava root 300 mg daily.

Thank you for taking the time to respond.

 

[Hip]

Thank you for taking the time to respond.

My suggestion would be to try NAG initially, say at a dose of 700 mg two or three times a day, and see if that helps reduce anxiety levels. If it does, I think that may indicate that you have brain inflammation causing the anxiety.

However, a quick Google search indicates that large doses of MDMA can destroy serotonin axons, so perhaps in your case, a down-regulated serotonin symptom due to loss of axons may be the cause of the anxiety (anxiety is most strongly linked to the glutamate and serotonin neurotransmitters).

So in this case, supplements that boost serotonergic response could help. These include high dose inositol (probably the most potent serotonin boosting supplement), L-tryptophan, SAM-e (S-Adenosyl L-methionine), Garcinia cambogia, Rhodiola rosea, cat's claw and neem.


Another approach might be to try to regrow the lost serotonin axons, assuming this is your issue. One supplement that specifically promotes axon regrowth is inosine (not to be confused with inositol), which you could take in doses of say 1000 to 2000 mg daily.

The brain nerve growth factors NGF, BDNF and GDNF promote axon growth:
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor promotes the survival and sprouting of serotonergic axons in rat brain

The nootropic supplement noopept increases NGF and BDNF in rat hippocampus, so this might be useful. Doses are around 25 mg of powder, taken sublingually. The supplement 7,8-DHF (7,8-dihydroxyflavone) acts like a potent BDNF, so this may be useful.

The supplement idebenone (an analogue of co-enzyme Q10) promotes NGF secretion. The supplement naringin (found in grapefruit) increases GDNF.

The Russian drug cerebrolysin increases BDNF. Ref: 1

Any other supplements that promote brain repair may be useful, such as fish oil.

 

[Hip]

My question to you is - Are the two probiotics recommended necessary?.

You are referring to Saccharomyces boulardii yeast probiotic, and Jarro-Dophilus EPS bacterial probiotic.

These are quite different in the way they work: the Jarro-Dophilus EPS bacterial probiotic, like your probiotic, is designed to colonize your intestines with beneficial bacteria. (By the way, I found that prebiotic supplements were more effective that probiotics at promoting beneficial bacteria).

Whereas the Saccharomyces boulardii yeast does not colonize your intestines; rather it stimulates the IgG immune response and has anti-inflammatory effects. So it is not a probiotic in the usual sense. It does a different thing to regular probiotics.

 

[marklarr]

Whereas the Saccharomyces boulardii yeast does not colonize your intestines; rather it stimulates the IgG immune response and has anti-inflammatory effects. So it is not a probiotic in the usual sense. It does a different thing to regular probiotics.

Okay so I should stay with my probiotic and get the saccharomyces boulardii right?

 

[Hip]

Okay so I should stay with my probiotic and get the saccharomyces boulardii right?

There's not really a right way or a wrong way: the list at the beginning of this thread provides 29 supplements and drugs that I found reduce my inflammation-driven anxiety. Some of those supplements are more effective than others; but generally, I found that each additional supplement I took reduces anxiety by a bit more. On really bad anxiety days, I found I needed to take a lot of these supplements together, in order to combat the anxiety. But the choice of what to try is up to you. There are lots of options.

 

[pspa123]

I didn't read this entire thread and may have missed this, but how does one know if one has anxiety from brain inflammation? Is it empirical -- the supplements helped, therefore I must have had it? Is it based on blood tests such as CRP or inflammatory cytokines? Imaging? Something else? Thanks and again sorry if I missed it.

 

[Hip]

I didn't read this entire thread and may have missed this, but how does one know if one has anxiety from brain inflammation?

Having anxiety from brain inflammation is just my own theory of what may cause generalized anxiety disorder in some cases; there is very little research in this area (although there is increasing interest in the idea that inflammation / immune activation may be behind neuropsychological symptoms such as depression).

My theory is based on the facts that: (1) my anxiety symptoms were caused by catching a virus that seem to induce a lot of inflammation throughout the body (not in me, but also in others who caught the same virus); (2) I noticed that most of supplements and drugs which happened to reduced my anxiety levels were anti-inflammatory.

So yes, it is empirical -- the supplements helped, so therefore it may well be neuroinflammation. I am not sure if there is any way of testing for this type of neuroinflammation.

One complexity is that I also found that the chronic inflammation in my nasal and sinus cavities (caused by the chronic viral infection) was contributing to the anxiety levels (because I found topical treatments of the nasal / sinus inflammation was noticeably reduce anxiety). One of the actions of supplements like N-acetyl-glucosamine is to act at the mucous membranes, and I noticed NAG reduced my nasal / sinus inflammation.

Inflammation in the body is now known to increase inflammation in the brain (via signals sent along the vagus and trigeminal nerves), so in this way, if brain inflammation is behind your anxiety (or depression), then inflammation in the body may worsen these neuropsychological symptoms.

 

[pspa123]

Thank you that is very helpful and makes sense to me. I don't make any association between my own anxiety and any triggering event, or other symptoms, so I am guessing this is not the situation for me.

 

[Hip]

Thank you that is very helpful and makes sense to me. I don't make any association between my own anxiety and any triggering event, or other symptoms, so I am guessing this is not the situation for me.

I would say that the easiest way to test whether these anti-inflammatory supplements are going to work for you is to get hold of some NAG. This I found has the most potent anti-anxiety effect. If within 1 or 2 hours of taking NAG you feel reduced anxiety, then it works, and it would then suggest that you may have inflammation-driven anxiety. NAG seems to work well for around half the people on this forum with anxiety who try it; for the other half, they get no benefits.

 

[vision blue]

Are you sure its an anxiety disorder? elevated catecholamines seem to occur with CFS as part of the disease process and dysregulated HPA axis. And its these neurotransmitters that can make one feel wired and intepret it as anxiety.

If anyone else had their catecholamiens tested, i've started a thread on that.

 

[Hip]

Are you sure its an anxiety disorder? elevated catecholamines seem to occur with CFS as part of the disease process and dysregulated HPA axis. And its these neurotransmitters that can make one feel wired and intepret it as anxiety.

In my case, I also get the classic ME/CFS "wired" state, but the anxiety state is something distinct from this, although there are some similarities.

It has been proposed that the "wired" state of ME/CFS is due to high levels of extracellular glutamate in the brain; my theory is that generalized anxiety disorder may arise when there a high levels of glutamate in the areas of the brain (like the amygdala or locus coeruleus) which are involved in generating the anxiety state.

So in this way, both the "wired" state and the anxiety state my be due to excess glutamate — but in different areas of the brain.

 

[eljefe19]

@Hip I remember from your post that carbonoxolone (sp?) helped remove glutamate from the brain. I couldn't find a good source though have you?