Homeopathy for GAD

[AliBhai]

Hi Everyone

Has anyone used homeopathy for GAD and depression? Did it work? Please share your experience.

[gloria60]

I took saffron tablets for a while and then all of a sudden my color became yellow and my blood start to become low. now it is five i have been told that I have Cold Agglutinins disease. could the tablet has anything to do with the disease i got

[AliBhai]

Thanks Paxiled for a very detailed answer. I really appreciate it.
I have recently started taking pregabalin for GAD and I can honestly tell that it is a miracle drug for me. It has been a week now since I have started taking 50mg pragabalin after meal. All of my GAD symptoms have gone. I don't feel severe anxiety, constant restlessness (akathesia), social anxiety, muscle tension, depression, panic attack e.t.c. Before that I was taking Zoloft, Paxil, Wellbutrin for sexual side effects, Inderrall for heart palpitation and muscle relaxants everyday. I stopped taking all of them immediately (shouldn't have done that) and replaced it with 50mg pregabalin. My doctor didnt prescribe pregabalin to me. I self medicated my self out of desperation. I don't no why all the doctors are is in love with SSRIs and SNRIs. They replaces one with other. For me SSRIs are useless as they make the problem even worst. Expecially long term side effect such as PSSD, infertility and some others have scared me off. FYI I have taken SSRIs for over 6 years.
I really like pregabalin. 50mg dose can last for me for two days. Only side effect that I have seen so far are excessive sleep and muscle cramps after jogging. Apart from that I haven't suffered any so far. In fact apart from faint head, I have not suffered from withdrawl symptoms of SSRIs. My libido is back which is very good thing since I have been planning to get married soon. Now I know for sure that my GAD is GABA related since pregabalin mimic GABA neurotransmitters.
However there is a bad side of pregabalin as well. Research has shown that it may cause infertility in men and can also be the cause of birth defects in childeren. This has scared me a bit. I love this drug but I am not sure what should I do. If I go back to my doctor, I am sure she willl prescribe me another SSRI. I am thinking of taking something natural which can produce same action on GABA neurotransmitter as pregabalin did. What would you suggest in terms of something natural?

Thanks!

[Paxiled]

The above is interesting, but may be useless for any particular individual.  Relora, for example, is just a more expensive trademarked product you can get cheaper by just buying what's in it.  Also, the above says vegetable protein will excite your nervous system, but there's no difference between one form of protein and another -- if it's protein, it's protein.  As for soy, again, no evidence for this claim -- Gymdandee just takes any excuse to get people to not eat soy products.  His claim is that soy products are estrogenic, but if that were true, it should be a relaxant, since it would lower testosterone, which is a stimulant.  Of course, there's no evidence to back this up, and no evidence it isn't true except for all those people who eat soy in Asia and have far fewer mental problems than the meat eating culture of the US.  So who knows?  I sure don't.  But you didn't ask about herbs, you asked about homeopathy.  The only true way to do homeopathy for this problem is to see a homeopathic physician, who will through trial and error try and find a constitutional remedy that suits you.  A form of homeopathy, flower remedies, have helped some people.  But don't expect miracles.  As for herbs and amino acids, you can see your naturopath and do trial and error, and work with a nutritionist on diet -- although it's hard to change a diet when you're depressed.  Obviously, we all know that sugar and artificial ingredients of all kinds have possible problems, as do any foods we're allergic to or have an intolerance to.  The more processed the food, the more additives, and the more you shop in supermarkets as opposed to health food stores the more problems.  Eating organic is best, since you avoid petroleum products -- unlike soy, these are truly estrogenic, whereas soy generally is estrogenic to those who need estrogen, but some are very sensitive to soy, and many soy additives are so chemically altered from the soy bean calling them soy at all is a lie, such as texturized vegetable protein.  What I would do on this score is see a holistic nutritionist if you can afford it, or do a lot of reading and divide by two, and for an overview that's dated but still a good start, get a book called Natural Highs by Hyla Cass, a psychiatrist at UCLA.  (The reason it's dated is the same reason I am -- ethnobotanists and herbalists are very busy right now scouring the world for herbs previously unknown beyond their immediate area of traditional use, before climate change, industrialization and urbanization destroy the knowledge forever.  Many of these herbs are problematic, but some will prove very useful).  As for a belief in God reducing stress, blind belief in anything reduces stress, including in your doctor or in placebos.  Placebos are the best medicine, because they have no side effects, but the effects don't often last long because it isn't real.  Some religions cause stress, because they induce guilt and enforce homogeneity that may be hard for a person to accept, so choose the one you want to follow carefully.  As for excessive exercise causing free radicals, all exercise that's intense enough to produce endorphins will also produce free radicals, particularly lactic acid.  A good cool-down from hard exercise will eliminate most of this problem.  And the most important thing is, don't think there's any one answer, and if one product doesn't work for you, don't assume nothing will.  Usually it will take a combination of things to help, along with therapy and lifestyle changes and, most importantly, motivation.  Personally, I didn't get to try the natural approach, because a medication destroyed my ability to react to it beneficially by the time I learned how to do it, but I will say that meditation and exercise and eating well did protect me from many of the physiological side effects of mental illness until that medication destroyed me.  So you can do some good for yourself even if you don't cure yourself.   Good luck.

[AliBhai]

Thanks for very detailed answer!

[gymdandee]

compelling evidence that monosodium glutamate (MSG) and other excitotoxins in foods and beverages can induce a panic disorder in experimental animals — a reaction that exactly resembles what we are seeing in humans low magnesium can dramatically magnify this effect.
recent finding that the drug methylphenidate (Ritalin) can dramatically increase free-radical levels in the brain something common to all stress-related disorders.
While there are a number of pharmaceutical drugs used to control anxiety disorders, not all
are successful and many produce unwanted side effects, including neurological damage, impotence and profound weakness. There are things you can do to reduce anxiety in a much safer manner. For those not adequately controlled by these methods, it would allow you to use lower doses of your medications, which would reduce side effects.
Most important is to avoid excitotoxins in your food. These include MSG, aspartame,
hydrolyzed proteins, vegetable protein, isolated protein, soy products (including soy protein isolates, soy protein and soy milk), natural flavoring, sodium or calcium caseinate and others. All of these food additives worsen brain excitation and have been shown to specifically target the amygdala nucleus a set of neurons in the brain’s temporal lobe. They are key to the processing of emotions. Increase your vegetable intake to at least
5 servings a day. Many of the flavonoids in vegetables have been shown to reduce anxiety
especially hesperidin, quercetin and curcumin. All three are available as supplements. The dose is 250 mg. of each three times a day. Quercetin comes in a water-soluble form. Otherwise it must be dissolved in either fish oil or extra-virgin olive oil. Reduce your intake of fats especially saturated fats and omega-6 fats (vegetable oils,such as corn, safflower, peanut, sunflower, soybean and canola oils). Studies have shown that animals on high-fat diets release more cortisol and take longer to recover from stress than those on low-fat diets. Magnesium is the body’s natural calmative agent. It reduces excitotoxicity and when taken at bedtime, it aids sleep. It also reduces the immune over-reactivity seen with anxiety disorders. In addition, it reduces your risk of heart disease, stroke and type-2 diabetes (and metabolic syndrome). White tea contains a flavonoid called epigallocatechin gallate. This flavonoid has recently been shown to calm the brain and reduce
anxiety. It works by activating the organ’s most protective system against anxiety the gammaaminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor. This aids sleep as well. White tea has a higher level of this flavonoid and much less fluoride than green tea. For those who do not want to take a pharmaceutical drug, the herb valerian has been shown to activate the same calming brain GABA receptor. It has been used to induce sleep but also calms anxiety during the day. It should not be mixed with medications that act as sedatives or
tranquilizers. Another useful product is called Relora. It is a blend of two extracts — Phellodendron amurense and Magnolia officinalis. In a number of tests, Relora has been shown to reduce excess cortisol levels associated with stress while improving mood and reducing stress. It acts via the brain’s GABA and serotonin systems, which are both
important in controlling anxiety. Avoid caffeine. People with anxiety disorders hyper react to stimulants, such as caffeine. They can also worsen insomnia.
                         Protecting the Stressed-Out Brain
Vitamin C (as magnesium or calcium ascorbate): The dose is 500 to 1000 mg. three times
a day between meals. Vitamin E (natural form-Unique E is the purist form): 400 to 800 IU a day
Multivitamin/mineral without iron: I suggest Extend Core (www.vrp.com). Riboflavin 500 mg. a day for those age 50 and over: This increases brain cell function and reduces free radical formation. It also blocks excitotoxicity. Curcumin 250 mg. twice to three times a day: Curcumin is being shown to be one of the most powerful brain protectants known. A new
study in the journal Experimental Neurology found that curcumin dramatically improved synaptic plasticity (brain healing), mental ability (cognition) and reduced free radicals and lipid peroxidation in animals with severe brain injury. Mix the curcumin with a half of a tablespoon of fish oil. Quercetin (250 mg.) twice to three times a day: Also a powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant for the brain. Mix with the fish oil and curcumin.
Fish oil It has been shown to specifically reduce brain inflammation and improve healing within the organ (especially the dendrites and synapses). The dose is 2 to 4 grams a
day. Keep the oil refrigerated. Relora: As stated above, this reduces cortisol elevation caused by stress. The usual dose is 3 capsules a day with or between meals. You can get
Relora from Pure Encapsulations by going to (www.MyVitaNet.com).  Regular, moderate exercise is important: Studies show that it strengthens the antioxidant systems and releases endorphins (a morphine-like compound) from the brain, which calms the mood
and reduces depression. However, excessive exercise will increase free radicals and can be harmful. Also, exercising in the late evening can cause insomnia. Faith: A recent study done at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine found that African-Americans deeply engaged in their religion experienced significantly lower blood pressure than
those who didn’t. A strong belief in God can remove a lot of stress found in the world today.
P.S. I also suggest sending a message to paxiled just look for the name paxiled on any of the posts. Paxiled is very knowledgeable on this topic.