I am currently taking 37.5 mg Effexor, 75 mg Wellbutrin & 25mg of a beta blocker for anxiety attacks. I've recently been reading up on herbal remedies instead, and picked up some Valerian, vitamin B complex & St John's Wort, but I'm worried about how to try these and go off the prescriptions eventually. Anyone else out there go from prescription to herbal for anxiety with success and how did you do it?
2007-10-30 05:00:13 · 3 answers · asked by dobiqueenx2 2 in Health ➔ Mental Health
The reason I'd rather take herbal is there are a LOT less side effects with them, such as the sexual side effects you get from antidepressants and feelings of depression since I've started taking them. When on Lexapro, I was even suicidal and w/in 2 days of going back on Effexor, felt myself again. Herbs have worked great for me for chronic sinus infections, so why not anxiety??
2007-10-30 05:21:38 · update #1
I actually am on Effexor and used Valian to sleep (it worked wonderfully for me), I also picked up Bach's Rescue Remedy which is a liquid flower essence that you put under your tounge - it works immediatly to start calming your body down and ease you out of an anxiety attack. Vitamin B complex just kind of made me feel happier, and didn't really have an immediate calming effect, St. John's Wort was too stimulating for me, so I never used it. I really hope that this helps!!
2007-10-30 05:04:39 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
St John's Wort is used for mild depression, not anxiety. Valerian is a sleep aid, not anxiety treatment. B vitamins are not a remedy for anxiety either.
Unlike prescription drugs, most herbal remedies have not been tested for safety or effectiveness. Herbals do not have to meet any manufacturing standards to ensure that the pills actually contain the listed ingredient, nor any standards about cleanliness of the manufacturing process. Sellers of herbal remedies can make quite wild and unproven claims about their products without doing any testing or providing any actual evidence that they work.
The drugs you are taking have been extensively tested. Talk to your doctor about the herbals and do not switch without his consultation. If your anxiety is associated with mild depression, you may be able to try the St John's Wort. It may interact with the Effexor and Wellbutrin and does cause photosensitivity so you will need to cover up or use lots of sunscreen if you go outside while taking it.
Questions to ask yourself: why do you want to switch to herbals? If you are going to take pills, why do you want unproven, untested and potentially unsafe herbal pills instead of tested and proven prescription pills?
2007-10-30 12:13:33 · answer #2 · answered by Judy B 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Great that you are looking for alternate help for your medication however, you should talk to your prescribing physician first before you star taking other substitutes. You are taking the prescribed medication for a very serious reason and best to talk to the doctor first
2007-10-30 12:12:10 · answer #3 · answered by mark1969 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋