Natural anxiety remedy

[JenniferG]

Tried Celexa this AM. And tonight she tells me she wants to put a gun in her nose hole. Exactly the reason it took me 6 months to try it.

 

Any suggestions for natural remedies???

 

Edit.....more OCD than anxiety.

Edited February 27, 2013 by JenniferG

[powerofprayer]

I've only read about Kava Root. Never have tried it though. Duke did some studies about 10 years ago with the conclusion that it is just as effective as Benzos. There is/was some concern about liver damage but according to the duke study its NOT an issue. I don't thing it's meant for long term though. Google it. You'll get lots of info.

[MomWithOCDSon]

Get your rotten tomatos at the ready . . . I think I'm a little sensitive on this topic.

 

Please understand . . . I'm not a proponent of Big Pharma, and if it were up to me, I would gladly and readily replace every prescription medication we currently use with an herb, an amino acid, a neurotransmitter, a "natural" alternative, given a similiar efficacy.

 

BUT . . . IF your DD is responding that quickly to the Celexa, then she is likely responding to the intended action of the med, which is the making available for her brain's use an increased amount of serotonin. So, you could go with something like SAMe, or inositol or St. John's Wart, but these are just non-prescription methods for achieving that same end (availability of more serotonin), and you may, in the end, get the same behavioral response. The only difference may be that the "natural" substances tend to be somewhat less focused, less specifically designed for the ends. So in taking a supplement, you are likely to get a reduced dose of the active ingredient, and a lower dose may be more beneficial overall. This is what has been found to be the case with prescription SSRIs and PANDAS kids, after all . . . that, when used, exceptionally low doses may be beneficial while a "normal" dose can have the complete opposite effect.

 

So, while SSRIs may be a true Bogey Man when it comes to some PANDAS kids, it may be more beneficial to consider WHY it's a bogey man -- why the kids have the response that they do -- rather than assuming that it is the nature of the prescription med in and of itself that's causing the negative reaction, and seek to replace it with a "natural" substance that may very well result in a similar response.

 

JMHO . . . . .

[Kathy4Him]

If you want something for anxiety and not ocd, I really recommend trying the lemon balm. I tried it myself for 3 days before giving it to my ds, 23. It really works. He has been taking it for about 10 days and his fingernails that were barely visible have all grown out and need trimming. Saw his Rheumatologist today, he could not believe it. It is natural so both his neuro psychologist/pharm D and rheumatologist said it was fine to use. Fairly inexpensive.

[LNN]

I don't have any experience with SSRIs but what Nancy writes makes sense. What dose of Celexa? Can it be lowered?

Regarding the natural remedies, SAMe works really well for some, bad for others, depending on your methylation and genetics (don't ask me which ones - I've only gotten to the point that I know epigenetics play a role, but not which genes). We tried inositol - took the edge off anxiety but didn't help OCD.

 

N-acetylcysteine (NAC) has helped in some studies but doesn't help my kids.

 

Regardless of meds or supplements, ERP is a very helpful tool. It's a lot of hard work, but it does give the kids some sense of control and it teaches skills they'll have for a lifetime.

[Dedee]

I am not big on jumping into medication quickly either. However, I would be suprised if the Celexa would cause an extreme response that quickly. Of course with PANS kids anything is possible. I am sure you are extremely worried and don't know what to do next. I have been there with my son many years ago. We ended up staying with a low dose of an SSRI and things smoothed out after a few days. But if you really think it's the medication, you should trust your gut and try something else. You could always stop for a few days and then try again at a lower dose. Just offering up options here. So sorry your daughter is going through such a difficult time.

 

Dedee

[nicklemama]

My DS took Celexa with disastrous results. If I were to do it over, I would have given him a much smaller initial dose and I might have tried Zoloft over Celexa. But I did not know about PANS when we tried him on Celexa. It took about 8 wks to make him suicidal. He was 6 at the time.

 

I may try that lemon balm for myself. I've about reached my limit on being able to cope with this PANS without pharmaceutical help.

[Mayzoo]

If you want something for anxiety and not ocd, I really recommend trying the lemon balm. I tried it myself for 3 days before giving it to my ds, 23. It really works. He has been taking it for about 10 days and his fingernails that were barely visible have all grown out and need trimming. Saw his Rheumatologist today, he could not believe it. It is natural so both his neuro psychologist/pharm D and rheumatologist said it was fine to use. Fairly inexpensive.

 

We are going to try the lemon balm (I bought a 490mg by Nature's way, Melissa leaves). How often and how much are you giving?

 

Right now she has such separation anxiety that I cannot get her to be more than 2 feet away from me and I am bumping into when I am cooking. I cannot even go to the bathroom alone. We dealt with this before, but it resolved with the ABXs. So far, no resolution yet. I am hoping the T & A will help in the long run as we get some of the infections under control without the tonsils being a constant source of reinfection.

 

Thanks

[philamom]

What is lemon balm? A supplement? tea? Thanks.

[Mayzoo]

What is lemon balm? A supplement? tea? Thanks.

 

I bought a capsule. I think it comes in a tea and a lotion as well. Here is the link for what I bought:

 

http://www.iherb.com/Nature-s-Way-Melissa-Leaves-100-Capsules/2015

 

Here is a synopsis and a link to a pretty good site:

 

"Other uses

 

Some evidence suggests that lemon balm, in combination with other herbs, may help treat indigestion. Others reveal that lemon balm oil has a high degree of antibacterial activity. In one study, lemon balm showed adequate activity against Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus auerus. And a few studies have found that lemon balm may help improve cognitive function and decrease agitation in people with Alzheimer's disease."

 

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/lemon-balm-000261.htm

Edited February 28, 2013 by Mayzoo

[Kathy4Him]

If you want something for anxiety and not ocd, I really recommend trying the lemon balm. I tried it myself for 3 days before giving it to my ds, 23. It really works. He has been taking it for about 10 days and his fingernails that were barely visible have all grown out and need trimming. Saw his Rheumatologist today, he could not believe it. It is natural so both his neuro psychologist/pharm D and rheumatologist said it was fine to use. Fairly inexpensive.

 

We are going to try the lemon balm (I bought a 490mg by Nature's way, Melissa leaves). How often and how much are you giving?

 

Right now she has such separation anxiety that I cannot get her to be more than 2 feet away from me and I am bumping into when I am cooking. I cannot even go to the bathroom alone. We dealt with this before, but it resolved with the ABXs. So far, no resolution yet. I am hoping the T & A will help in the long run as we get some of the infections under control without the tonsils being a constant source of reinfection.

 

Thanks

 

 

He takes 300 mg 1 time a day. We were giving it to him in the morning, just switched today to evening. He seemed a bit tired the last few days and wanted to see if switching it would help.

[Kathy4Him]

What is lemon balm? A supplement? tea? Thanks.

 

I bought a capsule. I think it comes in a tea and a lotion as well. Here is the link for what I bought:

 

http://www.iherb.com/Nature-s-Way-Melissa-Leaves-100-Capsules/2015

 

Here is a synopsis and a link to a pretty good site:

 

"Other uses

 

Some evidence suggests that lemon balm, in combination with other herbs, may help treat indigestion. Others reveal that lemon balm oil has a high degree of antibacterial activity. In one study, lemon balm showed adequate activity against Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus auerus. And a few studies have found that lemon balm may help improve cognitive function and decrease agitation in people with Alzheimer's disease."

 

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/lemon-balm-000261.htm

 

We use New Chapter brand Lemon Balm force 300mg small capsules. I checked with 2 Drs before using and they both said it was fine. We saw his main dr yesterday and he definetely feels it is helping.

[trggirl]

Check out Chemar's story on the lemon balm. If you find her name and click on her link, she talks about it and the success they have had using it.

[mar]

I have heeded great things about lemon balm and gave it DH years ago and he said if does make him feel more relaxed. Quick question ds is sensitive to lemon tested years ago. Should I try the tea? Would that cause an issue bug he sure needs something to relax him. Have been debating.

Mar

[ThinkGutBacteria]

We've had good results with chamomile tea. Like lemon balm, chamomile is a naturally good source of luteolin, a flavonoid that reduces brain inflammation and may improve motor function (read: tics).