alternative treatments for anxiety?

[jbrain]

Hi All,
this is my 1st time to this part of the boards--I usually post at P.E. about my difficult child 1.

this is in regards to my easy child/difficult child 2. She has been diagnosed with a dissociative disorder and has been working with a therapist doing EMDR therapy for a few years now. When we first knew there was a problem with anxiety and depression she was seeing a psychiatrist who tried Prozac and Effexor with her. She also was on Concerta because we thought she had ADD at that time.

She had a bad reaction to Prozac right away (paranoia) and then tried the Effexor, which she stayed on for nearly a year. She didn't like how it made her feel--basically numb.

Lately she has been having very high anxiety, cannot eat without abdominal pain, etc. She is seeing her pediatrician tomorrow to rule out a physical problem with the abdominal pains but difficult child is pretty sure they are related to her anxiety. She does not want to try any more antidepressants, but does want some sort of help.

She asked me about fish oil this morning and I thought I would come to you guys and see what you know about fish oil or other "natural" remedies she could try.

Thanks so much!
Jane

 

[Josie]

I have had good luck with the gluten free diet. I was not diagnosis'ed with anxiety but in hindsight, I was an anxious person. When I went on the gluten free diet, I became very relaxed. I had been taking Lexapro for "PTSD" but was able to stop taking it and feel even better.

With her abdominal pain, it would be worth checking into. She could try eating gluten free and see if her abdominal pain goes away. It is important to eliminate every trace of gluten to see if it will work. If I eat something with "traces of wheat" or "manufactured in a place with wheat", my symptoms return.

I could tell within 2 days that I needed to stay on this diet. I did not have abdominal issues but I just felt mentally better.

There are tests for celiac disease that your daughter might get for her abdominal pain but they are not very accurate for gluten intolerance. I would guess at least 1/2 of the people on the girlfriend diet are undx'ed by regular doctors. Many have had the conventional tests come back negative but find their answer with this diet.

I found out about this diet because my younger daughter had stomach pain for her first 8 years. Doctors said it was anxiety. The celiac tests came back negative but her stomach issues are gone now since she is on this diet.

It is not as easy as taking fish oil but, for me, it works so well that I am willing to put up with the inconvenience.

 

[Josie]

If she is going to be tested for celiac disease, she should wait to try the gluten free diet until after the test. It is important to be eating gluten for the test to be as accurate as possible.

 

[jbrain]

Thank you, Fairly! I will let my dtr know of your experiences. She is seeing her pediatrician tomorrow and she will possibly refer her back to her pediatric endocrinologist. Several years ago she had a colonoscopy and nothing was really found--he did mention there might be a slight allergy to dairy though. She loves dairy, says she cannot live without it and won't try going dairy free. I don't know, I feel quite sure this is psychosomatic. Maybe the gluten-free would work for her. She could at least try it--we will wait though til the dr's have chimed in.
Thanks!
Jane

 

[house of cards]

I've taken Kava Kava, an herbal suppliment during stressful times with a little help, not earth shattering but it did help some.

 

[Jena]

hi

I found that B12, any omega's at all and the fish oil did help alot. Kava Kava tea as was stated helps also at night maybe before bed. Diet just stay away from caffeinne i learned the hard way how that can totally trigger anxiety and bring it to the surface.

my difficult child also gets bad stomach aches with her anxiety, so i have heard of that. I hope she feels better soon. anxiety is hard to deal with. What about yoga and meditation?? i did that also it helped alot. I actually did it today lol

 

[YoyoMama]

I cannot get my difficult child 8yo son to take many supplements at all although the Omega 3-6s he will take in the Cor-Omega packets. I have not seen much difference but have recently begun pushing these again as he has finally agreed to take them.

But I, who have suffered from anxiety for many years, discovered a book, website and supplements a couple of years ago that have been a life saver. http://adrenalfatigue.org/
It makes sense to me that my anxiety drained my adrenal gland and these supplements have made a noticeable difference in my life.

 

[janebrain]

Hi All,
well, I took easy child/difficult child 2 to her pediatrician yesterday and she had lost 7 lbs--she is 89 lbs now and is 5'3" tall with a small frame. I just hadn't realized she was losing so much! She ought to weigh about 100 lbs.

The dr. thinks she has gastritis or possibly irritable bowel syndrome. She did say that a person who is basically starving like dtr is will become more anxious. She thinks dtr is in a vicious cycle where it hurts to eat so she doesn't eat and then she becomes even more anxious and everything is just in a downward spiral.

So, she started her on Prevacid and a fiber supplement and she is to eat 3 meals a day even if it is just a couple of crackers. She is to drink Carnation Instant Breakfast (which she loves) to supplement her food and eat a yogurt a day with the probiotics. She already felt some better last night after taking the Prevacid and drinking an instant breakfast. She said her stomach was just feeling a dull ache rather than the sharp pains she usually feels after eating.

Also, we got the names of a couple of nutritionists that the pediatrician would like her to see so she can learn how to recognize hunger signals and just learn to have a better relationship with food. She told the dr. how sometimes she binge eats and then she won't eat anything for several days. The dr. says she doesn't think she has an eating disorder but she does have disordered eating and the nutritionist should be able to help with that.

easy child/difficult child 2 seems relieved to have gone to the doctor and she is willing to do everything she is supposed to do. The doctor said these measures might not make everything totally better but should stop the downward spiral. She reassured easy child/difficult child 2 that they won't let her die.

I just feel bad that it took me so long to really sit up and take notice and take her to the dr. I think I have been preoccupied with my own stuff--just had shoulder surgery 10 days ago, and have been letting other things slide.

Thanks for all the help, I'll keep you posted!

Jane

 

[crazymama30]

I think (not sure) that 5 HTP is supposed to help some with anxiety, but is primarily used for depression. I know it has helped me. It does interact with some medications, so you have to be careful.

 

[Nomad]

I have heard Inositol works well on Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and anxiety for people. (But of course you should double check with- a physician or other qualified medical professional)

I have seen on-line where people buy pharmaceutical grade powder from Jarrow and save money this way. Small dosages are always best when trying new things.

http://www.iherb.com/
This mixes into juice with no unpleasant taste.

Of course one never knows if this stuff is legit, but check out this lady's review from Utah re: Inositol:
We were given this by a social worker that we have been using, as an option to try before using traditional medication for my daughter who was going through an anxiety/Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) episode after having a best friend move away. Whether it was the Inositol or her own body adjusting, it seemed to make a difference almost immediately. I have always been a skeptic of herbal type remedies, but as long as it is helping, I am sticking with it at least for a while. My husband has a highly stressful job, and decided to try it also, he noticed a huge difference, not necessarily a "drugged up" feeling at all, just more of a calmness to help maneuver him through the day. I am sold!

Another supplement that I have heard good things about is Valerian Root. Perhaps it relaxes muscles, etc.


Additionally, perhaps the B vitamins, Vitamin D, Calcium/Magnesium and Fish Oil tablets would provide additional support for some people.