alternative supplements and results

[bluelake]

Hello everyone, I'm new here.  Just found this website today.  I've suffered from anxiety/panic off and on for about 15 years.  Most of the time its mild but every 8 years or so i go into continual panic attacks and overbearing anxiety in between them.  Yesterday I had a really big panic attack, so much so, I just knew it was a heart attack.  Went to the ER and well, as you guessed, it was a panic attack and the heart was doing just fine.  The doctor gave me a prescription for Effexor but after reading so many testimonials on it, I just dont think I want to go that route.

While searching the web today I found some things on the over the counter anxiety "solutions" like Seredyn and those like it as well as some folks talking about Magnesium Taurate and other supplements.  It's been a while since I've had the panic attacks pop up again so I have no current knowledge on those things.  Has anyone ever tried that or still trying it and had success?  I'd actually prefer no drugs.  I do have my emergency Xanax but still hesitate to take that as I'm prone to make things into a crutch sometimes rather than a temporary fix.

Also, this is a way of introducting myself to the posters here, I have to say I've been really really impressed with you guys reading your postings.  Lurker no more!

[gma2]

Welcome, welcome. I just wanted to say that this forum and all the people that share experiences (good and bad) are literally here for each other. IMHO it's a life line. We are all going through such amazingly similar things and a) it's freeing to share b) it's great info gathering c) you feel a connection to someone that truly 'gets it'. The last being the greatest, for me.

People that aren't 'in it' do not get it and we can't expect them to and therefore how great is it that we have a safe place like this to go to in order to share without being judged, truly get things off our chest, learn from others that are going through it...and even cry when we need to and express that that is what we are going through.

The gamut of emotions each of us are going through are valid! People here will help you to realize that. I never feel ashamed, embarrassed or wrong here. Someone on here told me (and I will never forget this) that people on here can't here us, but they read us loud and clear. Awesome, huh?

I say lurk somemore, add somemore, learn somemore, and be helpful for others as well, because we all need that helping hand, and it's a true feel good to try to be helpful for others.

In our 'real' worlds, some of us do not get the support, compassion, understanding and allowances for our moods that we get here. We often get the opposite and that is not good.

So....hang in there...loving how you are so insightful to your own mind and body. I don't have that, but I'm learning how to work on it because of the suggestions on here. Being gullible, knowing that, and questioning everything is a good thing, I think. I am too trusting in everybody around me, who 'for my own good' - they say - seem to all of a sudden become experts in what is wrong with me and know exactly what should be done and tried, so I done and tried a lot of the 'fix-all' stuff.

$$ is all that disappeared. Still have the problems. Then being told I didn't give it long enough, or am not trying hard enough, or even why should they bother, I don't listen. *sigh*

But here, it is all good. Stay onboard and if you feel you are falling off the boat...we will any or all of us will throw you a life vest, ok?

I hope you find comfort here and anything else you might need. I did (and still do).
Take care now

[remar]

your wecome. i just find for myself and for my daughter who has depression and anxiety also that if we eat well and exercise it helps. we're always comparing notes on what we're eating and how we're feeling that day. we're both vegetarians so we have to get our protien from other foods. i'm like you, if i eat unhealthy, i worry about my heart. there are many studies that have been done on nutrition and your mental health and how what you eat effects you. i think many kids with adhd and other problems would do so much better if their parents would take the sugar and fast food away. as far as the omega-3 caps, i would start out on a low dose because they can cause nausea and other problems if you know what i mean. you can look on the web for nutritious foods and what vitamins and minerals you need. try to eat organic if possible too, actually, anything that you can buy organic would be great, veggies, fruit, meat, milk .stay away from fatty foods, you do need good fatty foods like nuts ,avocados and olive oil,  i eat those alot. i'm just trying to keep you from taking an antidepressant if you really don't have to. effexor in my opinion is the worst one i've ever been on. the support of this site will help you also, i does for me. oh, and look on the web about breathing exercises when your having a panic attack , they help. let me know how your doing and take care. remar

[bluelake]

wow, thanks remar, you sound a lot like my inner concience speaking lol.  yeah, the excercise is such a good therapy for me and i notice when i'm doing it regularly my anxiety is such a minor thing.  you'd think that fact alone would motivate me more :)  but i'm really wanting to take this new bout of anxiety/panic head on so i think you're spot on with the excercising.

as far as the natural nutritious way, i honestly don't know a lot about it, i've just now started reading on it.  but hey i love a good turkey sandwich with a glass of milk so yay i'm off to a good start!

i really think if i get back to a healthier lifestyle then quite a few of my anxiety issues could be thwarted.  i've noticed that if i eat unhealthy one day then i spend the next week thinking i'll have a heart attack because of it.

funny you mention multivitamins because i just started taking one  :)  men's formula.  i was also thinking about the omega3 gel caps and garlic pills, i dont know, im rather gullible on things yet i know i'm gullible on things so i question everything.....which is a bit of a paradox.  so i often wonder about the supplements thinking is it too good to be true?

thanks for the response and you're not kidding, there's some great people on this board with some really wonderful input!  keep the faith  :)

[remar]

hi, and welcome! i'm fairly new myself. the people here are great. o.k. , this my own opinion. don't take the effexor. i had terrible side effects from it and it's extremely hard to get off of. if your anxiety is'nt that bad all the time then why not try the natural route? you can get magnesium from some foods so i would try that before going to supplements.  a couple of calming foods are milk and turkey. do some research on the web about calming foods and supplements. if you can stay away from drugs that's the best way to go. do you take a multivitamin everyday and are you getting enough calcium? also, exercise helps alot. i try to walk every day and it helps with my depression and anxiety. let me know how your doing and really think about taking the effexor. take care. remar