Herbal anxiety meds - Anxiety Message Board

JLUK · 11-08-2006, 08:29 PM

Are there any herbal anxiety meds out there? I am taking SAM-e and its not helping my anxiety so I want to find something to help me with this. My trouble is after 8pm. The kids are in bed, hubby is tired and falls alseep watching tv and I panic. I do not go to bed until after 2am and up at 7am. I am afraid to sleep. I do not nap during the day but when it comes to going to bed my mind is on overload and I stay awake. I find myself taping stupid movies and cooking shows so I have something to watch.

This is my post from the depression board and I hope this will help here, as I am thinking I should have posted it here.
I am not sure where to begin, but I will try and explain what I am going through and maybe someone else has felt this way so I can get some idea of where to go next.

About October 16th I was in bed and got this feeling of terror. I thought about all those around me dying. My husband, my kids and all my family, but not me. As hubby was out of town due home the next day so I called my mom and talked to her for over an hour. She calmed me down and than I watched tv for a bit and fell asleep. These thought kept coming into my mind for another 2 nights. I called her again, as hubby came home ill and was in no state to talk to me. Finally had to do something. So I took nyquil as I know when I am ill, I take it and am asleep in 40 minutes. I took it before I wanted to sleep and than 35 minutes later went to bed and was asleep. After doing this for 3 nights I knew this was not right. I than bought some sleeping pills. They were awful. I went to bed at 10pm woke at 2 am and up the rest of the day. That night I took the nyquil again as I needed sleep.

That day was a Saturday and we went shopping and I picked up some SAM-e after looking online for some ideas. I have been taking it for 2 weeks now. I total of 400mg/day taken in the morning. I feel better, but the thoughts of death are still there to some extent. If I watch a show with a funeral or something very sad I begin to think about it and feel bad. The thoughts only come at night. During the day I am fine. I find myself at night watching tv and than going on the computer to avoid bed until the last possible minute as my mind waunders and I start to think about this. I feel bad for having kids to only have them die when they get older. I feel most of this has to due to the fact that when my father was 32 he was told he had cancer and in two weeks time I turn 32. He died two years later and I was 9 when he died. What he had is not passed on but I have always worried and I guess I have not dealt with it as much as I thought I have.

We do not have the money to have me seek theraphy, and to be honest I will not go that route as I have done it before but never felt comfortable. I alwasy felt judged by the doc. I have been on various meds through the years from paxil to prozac to lexapro. None of which I ever felt made a difference. I had been off all doctor given meds for about 2 years when this came on. I am not sure what I can do to stop these thoughts, but I really want them to stop. I try to keep myself busy so when it is bedtime I am tired but no matter what I do from exercise to just staying busy all day I still go to bed with a mind full of thoughts.

I know I will not die until I am old as I am to stubborn to go early. I want to be heard and nothing will change this. I just want to stop thinking about this and move on. I miss the days I could lay in bed and just fall asleep.

ocdengineer · 11-09-2006, 09:35 PM

Damn! I wrote a huge response and lost it. Anyway, synopsis.

Kava Kava, Valerian, and Melatonin for the lack of sleep. If you take these from a reputable herb vendor then you will find that the anxiety will decrease and you will get some sleep.

I have the same issues you listed above. It is called Pure OCD. You just obsess and don't have compulsions. Very common even among the many people on this board.

If the herbs don't work consider Xanax daily as a long term solution. It has worked wonders for me and a lot of others on this forumn. Check it out if the herbs don't help.

By the way, don't take the Melatonin until you are ready to sleep, becuase it wil knock you right out with no grogginess in the morning. It is great stuff.

JLUK · 11-10-2006, 08:22 AM

I came on to find your post. I chose to see a doctor today. Last night was really bad. Could not sleep a wink and the thoughts of death are so clear now that its scarying me.

I was put on Lexapro 10mg and Ambien for the sleep. Now its a waiting game, but I know things are going to get better. Now just have to find some type of cheap medical insurance to help pay for upcoming visits.

ocdengineer · 11-10-2006, 03:29 PM

Just keep in mind that the thoughts scare you, so you react with anxiety or panic, you have to train yourself to not be bothered by the thoughts. If the Lexapro decreases the anxiety then try meditation to prcatice thought control. If you can get better at controlling your thoughts you will find the thoughts will be much easier to handle. If the side effects are too severe, consider Xanax, it really works for what you are describing and I am living with as well. Good luck. I hope it all works out for you.