Print

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

[Kelieann]

Hi
I’m new to the site so hope this is ok.
I just wanted to ask for some opinions if that’s ok? I’m 47 and have always had anxiety. At the moment I take kalms which seems to help a bit. I think I am in perimenopause as i have night sweats among other things. For the past few months I’ve also been feeling really down, to the point that I am in tears a lot and just feel like everything is pointless. I saw my gp and he said to self refer for cbt (which I did but found it didn’t help and actually it made me more anxious having to do it) and to try St John’s wort.
I stopped taking the kalms to try the st John’s wort as I don’t think you can take both at the same time. I found it made me feel a bit less depressed but my anxiety came back.
Does anyone have any advice on where to go from here? I have stopped the St John’s wort and have started back on kalms but can feel myself getting down again. Are there any supplements that are good for both anxiety and depression? I have googled but I’d rather take advice from fabulous ladies with experience than the random
Internet. Thank you xx

[Elliebee]

Lots of people swear by Ashwagandha for anxiety and stress. If you type Ashwagandha into the search bar above it should bring up previous posts.

[Penguin]

5-htp is good for helping with serotonin levels and it also helps with sleep. You can't take it with st John wort or anti depressants though.
Have you thought about hrt for low mood? It could be that your body needs estrogen.

[Kelieann]

Thank you. I’ve never heard of ashwagandha so I’ll definitely look into it.
I asked my gp about hrt but he didn’t seem to want me to try it, rather try St John’s wort.
To be honest he didn’t seem that interested, it might be because I burst into tears when I was talking to him though 😬
Thank you again xx

[CLKD]

   Why won't GPs listen to patients  . Perhaps if you went in sobbing and saying that you can no longer deal with the hot flushes ....... is there a GP with an interest in womens health at your Surgery or a Nurse Practitioner?

If Kalms have helped, then stick with them.  I found Bachs flower remedy mouth spray of use too, I never wondered whether it would work and I never needed to use it more than once a day B4 anxiety niggled.

My GP has prescribed 'valium' on an as necessary basis - that was in the 1990s and saved my Life, I took 5mg the night prior to events that I was unable to get out of.  Usually visits to family  , a 2 hour journey.  I have also had propranolol - a betablocka - which was really helpful.  I weaned off that when Covid struck as I needed to find out if the headaches were related to the Virus.   They weren't.  And I haven't needed to restart.  I now have a prescribed medication on an 'as necessary, grab it now' in an emergency.

Some find that keeping a mood/food/symptom diary of use to chart progress.

[ElkWarning]

I found herbal remedies really helpful. However, I went to see a qualified herbalist who prescribed for me, and I saw her several times.

Calms is valerian, albeit in a highly processed state. From what I understand, valerian can be addictive.

Ashwagandha was prescribed for me for balance, but it was working with several other herbs (in a tincture) to address some of my other symptoms. I can't remember all the details, but I had something to cool me down (both physically and emotionally) and something to help with adrenaline/cortisol.

I don't really know enough about herbs to confidently self prescribe, apart from the old valerian + damiana + limeflower trick for a restful night's sleep.

Having now just typed all this out, I realise I should probably go back to my herbalist, so thanks for that prompt.

[Penguin]

I didn't know Kalms was valerian. I take valerian some nights to help me sleep and it does calm down the anxiety, but I do feel down the next day and have only recently made the link. I wonder if it was stopping the Kalms that made you feel less depressed. Perhaps try and find an alternative for the anxiety. My naturopath suggested taking some of those teas designed for sleep during the day if I was anxious. Passionflower is good as is lemon balm. Perhaps the valerian is having a downer effect on you.
Can you see a different GP? It is mot good that you don't feel heard.

[Losingtheplot]

I have heard good things about the calming effects of Ashgawandha and how it helps with sleep too and fancy trying it myself again.  I have taken it in the past and it does takes a while to get into your system.  One thing I would advise is to check how much of the product you are actually getting in each capsule as loads of suppliers put bulking agents into the capsule, meaning you only get a fraction of the actual product!   This obviously then turns even longer see any benefit.

There is also a product called Lions Mane which is a mushroom and has various health benefits and helps some people with anxiety - This did help me for a short while and I actually felt really good - but the effects seem to wear off I feel so I am back on Anti d's again.

I guess it is trial and error as not every product suits everyone.

Good luck I hope you find the right ones to help you x 

[CLKD]

Morning.  In the 1980s I went to a Chinese herbalist: he was a UK trained GP who had lived over there for many years then returned to practice in England.  All was well until as I was leaving he told me not to take peppermint products with what he had concocted.     .

I've also heard the lavender products aren't wise if a woman thinks she might be pregnant .......... being naive in those days I never queried those statements.

Some find benefit from alternatives until hormones go amiss.