Is it possible to overcome generalized anxiety without meds?

Question

Last year I was diagnosed with GAD and went on lexapro. The lexapro did help to alleviate my symptoms but I hated take a drug everday to feel normal. I weaned myself off the medicine in October and have been fine ever since. I recently got sick with a sinus infection and had to go to the doctor and for some reason now I feel some of my symptoms may have returned. Mainly nauseau and being jittery. I took a xanax and the doctor said I could go back on lexapro but I really don't like being on the meds. I feel horrible though. No appetite at all.

Answer 1

I wonder if you were prescribed an antibiotic in the fluoroquinolone family of antibiotics. There are several different antibiotics in the fluoroquinolone class and they are chemically related to the controversial lariam drug. They are very well known for triggering symptoms such as anxiety. That is the only explaination I can think of for a sinus infection causing anxiety. Here are links for sites where people have had taken fluoroquinolone antibiotics. I could be way out of line and I admit I am only guessing at what triggered your symptoms after sinus infection. Here are the links http://www.fluoroquinolones.org
http://www.fqvictims.org and http://www.fqresearch.org
Xanax is very addictive and the withdrawal anxiety from xanax can be torture. I would try and ride out the symptoms. I am sure they will calm down in time.

Answer 2

It's all in your diet. Without appetite this just makes matters worse. Start bumping up the fats in your diet. Try coconut oil and good organic dairy products that are of full fat. Raw organic food are a first choice. The really good stimulant is to take a daily dose of cod liver oil, it has excellent levels of Vitamin A and D along with great levels of Omega 3's. No drugs should ever be needed in such a case. Also consider eating an apple in the early moring as this is been known to be much more of a stimulant than a cup of coffee. The good thing about a good diet is you get to enjoy the food to the point were you look forward to it and there is no side effects like every drug out there on the market has. Good Luck

Answer 3

For some people, self-help works much better than meds. The steps to overcome GAD are fairly simple, but it takes a little time and practice to change the way you think. You stand a very good chance of overcoming GAD without meds if you recognize that there is no actual threat causing you to panic, and if you can accept that the panicky feelings are a normal and OK reaction to something that scares you, whether or not its real or imagined. Once you accept this, you can quit worrying about having a panic attack because you know that the uncomfortable feelings are a normal reaction that all people get when they face a threat, and you can also learn some steps to bring the anxiety under control.

This link has very good direction for trying self-help:

Answer 4

Have you been suffering with GAD for a while? You might want to try avoiding all stimulants in your diet for a start. Like coffee, tea, chocolate to name a few. You can also get started in a low impact exercise program, or start walking every other day. Take relaxing baths, try to go to bed at the same time each night. I take a tea that contains chamomile to relax.... it helps a bit. If you are struggling with issues in your life you may have to deal with them. Talk to a close friend of family member if you are comfortable in doing so. Sometimes it is necessary to take medications and that is better than suffering needlessly. I hope I have helped a bit...
Blessings!

Answer 5

I am so happy, it was only a 35 minute drive ( 70 minutes total) but absolutely no sign of anxiety or panic i shopped till I dropped - brilliant! I will now go for the next stage DUAL CARRIAGE way, probably at the weekend, with my husband accompanying me first then the solo drive, if successful the final stage of driving on motorway

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