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Migraines and Anxiety - Supplement suggestions

wonderoushope

Senior Member
Messages
247
I think I now have deciphered why I get migraines. I have had migraines for years (way before I was sick, since a teenager) and was never quite sure why I got them. I thought it was a combination of light, stress, scents, diet. 3 months before I got really sick (5 years ago) I was getting migraines everyday at my old job.

The thing is since I have been unwell and being on a strict diet and not working, I hardly ever got headaches or migraines. It always seemed to occur in work situations. I now realise the main culprit is stress/anxiety and workplace situations and too much stimuli. The pain is at the front of my head and temples or sometimes my upper neck/back of head.

The reason I know this is I have just started back in a job two days a week for 11 hours total and bam, back comes my migraines after 5 years without them. When I get overwhelmed with information, anxiety kicks in and then the headaches, which eventually turns into a migraine.

Also my anxiety/stress reaction is a bit ridiculous at work. By the end of the day, I feel neurotic/over the top with anxiety and on edge. I overstress about things, especially if there is a rush job to do. I am sure this behaviour is adding to my health issues. I would say my increased anxiety/neurotic behaviour has to do with not being used to working with others (as I have worked for myself for 5 years) and perhaps also CFS issues increasing anxiety. I have had bouts through CFS where my anxiety went nuts (fight or flight went way out of whack at one point).

I know people suggest CBT, breathing, mindfulness, but honestly, when I have anxiety this bad, breathing and mindfulness doesn't seem to help. I think these things will help long term to reduce symptoms but at the moment I need something else. The only thing that seems to calm me down is a glass of white wine (which I am now able to tolerate but I know is not a good solution). The wine essentially makes me just tired and the tiredness must make me calm down. I actually think I am a bit intolerant to it as I notice I sneeze more after it and have had issues with glutamates in the past. So my question is, is there a supplement that has a calming effect similar to how white wine would act? I am thinking of asking to go on anxiety meds that also help with migraines. Has anyone taken anxiety meds and found them effective? Anyone else deal with anxiety induced migraines and if so what has helped?

I have a migraine now and due to work day and I am now at home (at night) just have this kind of wired/alert feeling and know I won't be able to sleep tonight.

I just don't want my health to go downhill again as it has not been too bad and so need to reduce stress.
 
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PatJ

Forum Support Assistant
Messages
5,288
Location
Canada
Here are some comments about anxiety that I've collected from various places:
Cold water, from Marco on PR:
Cold immersion (even dipping your face in ice cold water) is one technique for improving vagal tone - i.e; to switch the autonomous nervous system from the sympathetic fight and flight mode to the parasympathetic rest and digest.

From triffid113 on PR:
I took care of anxiety so bad I could not function at all in 15 minutes with 50mg DHEA. Nothing else required. And keep it off with a staggered dose of 25mg DHEA later in the day. 75mg total, nothing else.

Thiamin, from dannybex on PR:
[B12 lead to anxiety, then...] Since I had been diagnosed with a thiamine deficiency a couple years before, [the doctor] decided to try thiamine injections -- I believe they were 100mgs. And I swear, within maybe a week or so, I was so relaxed, so 'not-wired', that I felt I could quit my clonazepam cold turkey. It really was remarkable.

From Hip on PR:
Misc supplements
http://forums.phoenixrising.me/index.php?threads/non-standard-anti-anxiety-treatment.6432/

Three supplements (long thread follows)
http://forums.phoenixrising.me/inde...nxiety-symptoms-with-three-supplements.18369/
NAG (700mg 2x/day on empty stomach, Flax oil (1 Tb with food), Turmeric (1 tsp 2x/day on empty stomach)

[Note: roughly 50% of people on the thread report that it works, the other 50% report that it doesn't.]

Reducing the wired-but-tired feeling
from Hip on PR: http://forums.phoenixrising.me/inde...ired-but-tired-hyperaroused-brain-state.44269

Summary: The wired but tired state is probably due to excess glutamate; can lead to insomnia, irritability, and anger. Glutamate stimulates neurons, too much causes over-excitation (Dr. Cheney says this can lead to neuron death).

To calm the brain consider these supplements:
NAG - 700mg
Turmeric - 1000mg
Flax oil - 15ml
Magnesium - transdermal recommended
Kava root (only root! water extracted) - 300mg 1-2x/day increases GABA receptor sensitivity over time (a good thing); "does not appear to be subject to tolerance and withdrawal."
NAC - 600mg 3x/day slow release - glutamate inhibitor
 

ljimbo423

Senior Member
Messages
4,705
Location
United States, New Hampshire
Also my anxiety/stress reaction is a bit ridiculous at work. By the end of the day, I feel neurotic/over the top with anxiety and on edge. I overstress about things, especially if there is a rush job to do.

I am sure this behaviour is adding to my health issues. I would say my increased anxiety/neurotic behaviour has to do with not being used to working with others (as I have worked for myself for 5 years) and perhaps also CFS issues increasing anxiety. I have had bouts through CFS where my anxiety went nuts (fight or flight went way out of whack at one point).

Hi wonderoushope- I stumbled on holy basil for anxiety, which helps a lot. I started taking it for gut dysbiosis and realized that a full capsule would make me drowsy.

So I started taking 100-200mg during the day for anxiety. It works without making me too drowsy.

I can really relate to you saying your anxiety/stress reaction is way out of proportion to the situation. I experience the same thing in very minor stress situations.

Believe it or not, treating gut dysbiosis stopped anxiety attacks I use to get on a regular basis for 40 years!! I still get anxiety but the level is much lower and no anxiety attacks.

Research is growing every year on how gut dysbiosis and increased intestinal permeability cause anxiety and depression by increasing inflammation in the body and brain.

Jim
 

Ema

Senior Member
Messages
4,729
Location
Midwest USA
A ketogenic diet, as described on the Hormones Matter blog.

Migraine is the manifestation of an energy (voltage) shortage in the brain, caused by insufficient electrolyte quality. This actually makes migraine into a symptom.

The insufficient electrolyte mix is caused by certain genetic variances that result in some electrolyte mineral deficiency. Therefore, the electrolyte imbalance is also a symptom.

The direct cause of migraine lies hidden in critical genetic variances that should operate the voltage gated channels of neurons but cannot. Why not? This is the heart of migraine: migraineurs are glucose sensitive with a brain that lacks capability to handle the huge electrolyte disruption when glucose enters the brain cells.

As we know, adaptation is an important part of evolution. It seems that a very large percentage of the human population was able to adapt to the dietary circumstances of contemporary life but people with the migraine-brains could not. I call the migraine brain an ancient brain that is not able to utilize glucose. Modern carbohydrate-rich diets overload this ancient brain with glucose.

Migraineurs are not the only ones with this problem. People with seizures, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, and many more conditions, have very similar—if not the same—problem. Not every human can eat birthday cakes, potatoes, and toast for breakfast. Migraineurs cannot.
.
 

Mary

Moderator Resource
Messages
17,334
Location
Southern California
@wonderoushope - there are some great suggestions here. I would add inositol - it's very calming, google inositol and anxiety. I take it at night to help with sleep but many people take it during the day. I recommended it to my sister who was very stressed at work and she loves it and recommended it to a friend of hers, who likes it a lot too.
 

datadragon

Senior Member
Messages
393
Location
USA
Gaba is known for its anti anxiety and relaxing properties. However, taking straight Gaba supplements usually is not very effective as it does not cross the blood brain barrier. L-Theanine on the other hand is a unique amino acid that upregulates GABA and should be effective for the purpose of producing calmness and reducing anxiety such as a racing mind and acute stress. Clinical studies have shown that L Theanine reduces stress, improves the quality of sleep, diminishes the symptoms of PMS, heightens mental acuity, and reduces the negative side effects of caffeine. Typical dose is 200mg 1 or 2 times a day or as needed. It does not act as a sedative at this dose Racing mind is usually a symptom of high copper to lower zinc levels.

Ashwagandha is also a good bet for long-term, more chronic stress like what your going through. Ashwagandha can actually lower serum cortisol (or adjust higher as needed), while l-theanine has no such effect.

A prospective, randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study of safety and efficacy of a high-concentration full-spectrum extract of ashwagandha root in reducing stress and anxiety in adults. Its also capable to raise cortisol during day and if used at night lower it to help sleep.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23439798

L-theanine is more your fast acting every day thing to combat minor stressors, mental tasks, improve mood, remain calm (inhibiting cortical neuron excitation) and can even modulate blood pressure increases in a high-stress-response. Both are ok for those with CFS.

One more that worked for me taken at night is Standard Process Cataplex G which helps with brain and nervous system function, lower high blood pressure, support metabolism and liver function, best for when your in a high cortisol/high stress mode trying to bring it down.

What the body needs to make serotonin for anxiety/panic, ocd and depression to fix it naturally:
https://understand-andcure-anxietya...pression.com/images/MelatoninCopperBlocks.jpg

5-HTP increases serotonin also in addition to melatonin. 5-HTP increases REM sleep by about 25%, while increasing deep sleep stages 3 and 4 without lengthening total sleep time. The sleep stages that are reduced to compensate for the increases are non-REM stages 1 and 2, the less important stages. the recommended dosage is 50–150 mg, 30–45 minutes before sleep. 5-HTP converts to serotonin with Zinc, Magnesium, Vitamin C (use whole not ascorbic acid), and Vitamin B6 (P5P is the active form) (Tryptophan Hydroxylase - an enzyme) then B5 and SamE to Melatonin. If 5-HTP doesnt work (for sleep) then use Melatonin 2-3mg short term as you figure out what your lacking of Zinc (check plasma not serum), Magnesium, B1, B5, B6. Stomach Acid is usually low and can use Betaine HCL at all meals which will break down protein properly to get the nutrients.

You could then try L-Tryptophan instead a bit to see if you get similar benefits. L-Tryptophan is converted to 5-HTP as needed using the cofactors Folate, Iron, Calcium, B3, Magnesium, B6 (P5P) and is much safer to use in the long term. Its possible to build up too much serotonin in the blood before it goes to the brain with 5-HTP over time but not L-Tryptophan. Some people need a special form of Folate and just because you supplement something doesnt mean you are getting the right form or its absorbing properly sometimes due to low stomach acid.

If that works, try to just Eat more protein, take Betaine HCL to break it down at meals, and check Zinc Plasma (not serum), B1, B6.

Higher copper then Zinc lowers all the things with an X. A zinc plasma (not serum) and serum copper will tell you whats going on right now at the moment of the test. High copper over zinc is the cause of racing mind and some insomnia and OCD as well keeping you from sleep.

EMFs are a big one as they have the ability to disrupt your pineal gland’s production of melatonin and serotonin. make sure any cell phone, laptop are put into airplane mode as the wifi is still active usually even when turned off. Put them in airplane mode also when not using as they are also a significant contributor to mitochondrial damage and dysfunction, which is at the heart of virtually all chronic disease. If you have any smart tv, dvd/blu ray with apps, or video game systems put them on a switched outlet so you can turn the power off when not in use. Unplug the wifi router if possible at night. Replace wireless devices like mice and keyboards and printers with wired ones. These all deplete your magnesium for example which is usually a problem already for anyone with cfs
 

wonderoushope

Senior Member
Messages
247
Believe it or not, treating gut dysbiosis stopped anxiety attacks I use to get on a regular basis for 40 years!! I still get anxiety but the level is much lower and no anxiety attacks.

Research is growing every year on how gut dysbiosis and increased intestinal permeability cause anxiety and depression by increasing inflammation in the body and brain.

Jim

Thanks Jim. I do believe it. My dietician thinks I have gut dysbiosis and I am sure that has added to my increase in anxiety. My gut is a bit better now, as I can now tolerate more foods, but it's still far off from being healed! Thanks for your suggestions, I will give it a go. Do you have a brand you would suggest?
 

ljimbo423

Senior Member
Messages
4,705
Location
United States, New Hampshire
Thanks Jim. I do believe it. My dietician thinks I have gut dysbiosis and I am sure that has added to my increase in anxiety. My gut is a bit better now, as I can now tolerate more foods, but it's still far off from being healed! Thanks for your suggestions, I will give it a go. Do you have a brand you would suggest?

Hi wonderoushope - I take this one from Swanson Vitamins. Although I think most any will work. If you happen to have the spice in your cupboard, that would work.

I now take a combination of 200mg basil and 50mg 5HTP when I have high anxiety and less when my anxiety isn't so high.

I have found it to be profoundly better than any combination of antidepressants and anti-anxiety meds I have ever taken and I have taken dozens over the years!!


Jim
 
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datadragon

Senior Member
Messages
393
Location
USA
Hi Jim,

Yes as I mentioned just a few posts above yours as to what the body actually needs to make serotonin, 5htp requires less conversions and is a good starting point to get you up and running as you did. Take a look at that post as it shows how you can then go backwards to find what deficiencies are causing you the problem or if there arent actually deficiencies to get your body back to normal functioning or use l-tryptophan.

me/cfs people I believe are also dealing with copper which when high initially or when your not in exhaustion anymore and it starts coming out of the tissues again causes issues with the b6 conversion of glutamate to gaba also and why the mind races so much when its high etc.
 
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