Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Weeloz]

Hi all I dropped hrt 6 weeks ago due to bleeding as I hated the bleeds  . Now my anxiety has come back and I was wondering if there is a natural supplements that works for anxiety that anyone has used and had success with . I'm 52 postmenopausal for 4years

[CLKD]

Menopause is natural.  Some HRT regimes do cause a bleed, which can be a nuisance.

Bachs Flower Rescue Remedy may help, there are mouth sprays, pastilles etc.
Avoid St John's Wort - it can interact badly with other medications/foods

Relaxation therapy.  CBT.  Regular exercise. 

It really does depend on how badly anxiety affects you.  How is your diet overall, eating regularly can make a big difference.

[jaypo]

Hi there,have you tried CBD? Or there are those Bach remedy drops,for me it was magnesium glycinate that helped,also helped with sleep too,they can be harsh on the stomach so look for the gentler ones,sorry,can't remember what they're called,should be easy enough to Google though 

[Nas]

Cbd oil may help, or as other’s have said, BACH rescue remedy drops.

The cause of the anxiety will be a reduction in oestrogen though. Were you on a continuous or sequential regime at the time ?

[ElkWarning]

I had to stop taking HRT ...

I saw a herbalist for a while and that really helped, turned the dial down, most importantly stopped (those cortisol) waking up at 3am every night with a sense of overwhelming panic / dread.  She made a special mixture for me, so not exactly a supplement.

I also took CBD oil for a while and that seemed to have a positive effect, although it was pretty limited.

I'm a fan of herbal tea, and Valerian works for me.

And this might sound a bit ridiculous, but my mother used to swear by Floradix (it's an old fashioned iron and vitamin liquid, a bit like a tonic, no constipation for me with this) and I really do think it works ... Literally no scientific evidence for this, but I believe that it lessens fatigue and so I don't need as much adrenalin to get through, which in turn means it reduces my anxiety.

Nowadays, if I feel as if I need a bit of support, I reach for the Floradix and Valerian tea (the stuff you can buy from the supermarket labelled as 'Peace' or 'Relax' seems to work for me, although I also make my own with Valerian, Damiana and Lime Flower).  These are definitely the cheapest and easiest options.

I should also say that I see a good massage therapist once every couple of months and I've been in weekly therapy for over three years, so yeah, I can't really disentangle what's having what effect.

[ATB]

You’ve had some great advice already so I’ll just add to the other ladies recommendations for CBD, valerian, magnesium glycinate and I also have therapy which I would say has been the biggest help. Good luck  

[ElkWarning]

Also, I know this isn't a popular train of thought, but I'm not 100% convinced less E = more anxiety ... There was an interesting article in the Guardian yesterday busting the myth that less serotonin = depression.  In terms of our mental health, we've been told for quite a long time that it's dependent on chemical balance, and problems are due to a chemical imbalance.  I don't believe this to be true.  Turns out the medical profession itself is now shifting its position.

For what it's worth, I think anxiety is a perfectly normal response to stress and change.  I think severe anxiety (I have panic disorder and a bunch of other stuff) is linked to trauma.  From my perspective, my ability to manage stress and change was / is influenced by my hormonal state, but also (as a rational person) it is possible for me to consciously think my way through things.  That doesn't mean I'm fine all the time.  I'm definitely not.  But at that point, I'll reach for my rescue meds (Benzos in my case).  For me, the only exception to this is in terms of nutrients.  When I'm mired in stress and change, I tend to reach for the quick hits (ready made sandwiches, crisps, chocolate, a large glass of Chardonay) and my body gets sort of starved of the good stuff it needs to balance itself.  Hence the Floradix, because it helps me to re-establish good habits.

Guardian article - https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/jul/20/scientists-question-widespread-use-of-antidepressants-after-survey-on-serotonin?CMP=share_btn_fb&fbclid=IwAR0CS_su87PeJCZqGCjQ9f6fURPiDyfmbYjH6S1_VMWpCswRLu6XUtuqZgI 

[ATB]

Hurdity, does floradix supplement iron as high as the supplements a doctor might give you? I used to use it a lot in my 20’s but stopped as a doctor reminded me not to take iron without a blood test indicating I needed it as too much is obviously toxic. But I think floradix has a lower dosage? Is that right? I had it when pregnant and it was really helpful.

[Marchlove]

My favourite and one recommended by Ben Lynch and many others is low dose lithium orotate (5mg is usual dosage but can got up to 20mg).

Not to be confused with the prescription medication lithium carbonate, which is used in much higher dosages for bipolar patients.

If you Google it there are many articles and studies regarding it and loads of reviews on Amazon.

A word of warning though, only take it if you actually feel anxious or irritable, not if you’re feeling ok and definitely not if you are feeling low and depressed.

I’ve taken it in the past when not on hrt and just started taking it again primarily for irritability, but it does work for anxiety as well.

I do not know if there are any drug Interactions, so if your taking SSRI’s or something you might have to research further.

Have a good read about it first and see if you think it might be right for you.

X

[CLKD]

I can't find out who sponsored that particular article which appeared all over the Press yesterday.  Also as a long-term depression sufferer I know how chemical imbalance works - having watched down the male family line  . I wonder if that article was after more research grants 


One needs to think back to how our moods were cyclical.  Has this pattern altered, become worse or less and at which point in your usual bleeds.

Tnx. Marchlove - Dad had Lithium carbonate and needed monthly blood tests to make sure that the dose was enough.  He was well on the regime.

[ATB]

I’m so sorry, I said Hurdity and I meant Elkwarning! I got the two huge sources of knowledge here mixed up! Sorry Elk!

The guardian article Elk linked to is based on a recent study, I think it’s pretty worthwhile reading it.

[Katherine]

For me by far the best thing was long term therapy. In terms of supplements, magnesium is brilliant, I like Remag, you add it to water and sip it through the day. Also there is a skin spray by Betteryou that is handy if you are out and about.

 Also iron tablets if you need them, your blood test / GP will tell you if you need them although I was told the ‘minimum’ safe level of 10 is too low and I should aim for 30-50. I was told things like Spatone don’t contain much iron so I take ferrous fumarate and contrary to popular belief they don’t give me constipation if you drink enough water and get enough fibre.

[sheila99]

If hrt controlled your anxiety and the only problem with taking hrt was bleeding wouldn't it be better to sort out the bleeding? A mirena usually stops bleeding even for pre meno women or if you're on a conti regime you could increase or change the progesterone. My anxiety was entirely due to oestrogen deficiency and it sounds as though yours is too as it was controlled by hrt. There's no way I'm going back there again, it wrecks your life.

[Marchlove]

CLKD- yes you do have to test regularly if you’re on high dose lithium carbonate, not only to check that you’re getting enough but also for toxicity as too much can damage your kidneys.

I’ve only been back on the lithium orotate a few days and at the moment taking 5mg at breakfast and 5mg at lunchtime. It takes a few weeks to build up so will probably be able to cut back down to 5mg.

I’ve been doing some more reading about it this morning and apparently it helps transport vitamin b12 into your cells.

I must stress again though that if you’re taking AD’s I’m pretty sure you can’t take orotate, so you must do your own research about it if you’re considering trialing it.

X

[CLKD]

Anxiety ruined my Life in that I lost many years of activity due to it.  By the time I reached peri, I was on appropriate medication which helped.