Alternatives to Benzos
★★★★★
L-theanine 800mg helps, mulungu 500mg helps (most people never heard of) psychedelic mushrooms, ketamine may help. What helps you when you must withdraw (taper off Benzo addiction)?
(faithville, Us)
06/14/2021
Here are a few links. I found out I was pregnant and took 6 valiums a day and went cold turkey....really overwhelmed 42 years ago, it was a boy.
Can GABA Supplements Help Benzodiazepine Withdrawal? | Exercise.com
5 Best GABA Adaptogens for Benzo Withdrawal, Holy Basil, Ashwagandha (healthybodyhack.com)
Reading posts on sites about drug addicts you can find what they have used to get free. I watch AML daily and count my blessings I am not in their shoes.
Wild Youth - Bronson - YouTube
Hope something here helps you. Blessings, Charity
Thanks young lady (charity) sorry for late reply, I am just not sure how the replies work. I don't know if they go to my site or just posted on EC site. It would be nice to communicate directly, with a copy posted on site for all to view. This is old news, however curious how long you took 6 Valiums (60mg) daily? Wow. That's a lot, actually to much in my opinion but couldn't have been taking long or you would have had major Anxiety Attack plus………? Thank you, curious especially since my son took them for 5+ yrs and when I shaved a tiny off of one pill his Anxiety exploded. Today I restarted and after 3 days of reducing 2mg off of 20mg he is doing quite well. Albeit I do add a few natural things.
(Virginia)
09/09/2021
I never found any supplements that helped a lot for benzo withdrawal--it took me 3 years to taper off of Ativan. Possibly fish oil and tiny bit? The thing that helped the most was to do a liquid micro taper--crush the pill, either mix it with water to form a suspension or mix it with a ml of alcohol first to dissolve then mix some water to dilute and just decrease the amounts by micrograms every day. Here's some info on how to and the Benzo Buddies website is also helpful.
http://benzo.alwaysdata.net/titration/titrationHelp.htm?help=Readme+First
Sept 11,2021, just read your article, not quite sure I understand but I will view the link. My son is a disabled vet, has PTSD, (severe) among other issues, his VA Dr got him addicted to Valiums for 5 yrs and he takes 30mg daily. He has a new Dr., and in about 5 weeks hopefully she will start tapering him off. I know it is painful and people still suffer even though it is out of his system. Plus it can return and even seizures are possible. I am almost 80 yrs old the Dr says he can be an outpatient, I just have to monitor him. All I have for anxiety now is Acetyl-L-Carnitine 500mg 2X daily, I will also start Taurine. Acetyl-L Carnitine is for the brain, yet it works great, I stoped the L-Theanine 800mg. Anything else you can share will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
(PNW)
10/18/2021
Hi Joe,
I was tapered off a benzo which I depended on for sleep for way too many years. I had tried to reduce many times on my own, and couldn't, but with the help of a new "doctor, " actually a young nurse practitioner, we were successful. It took six months plus to slowly taper down to a very, very low dose which seemed almost microscopic, but then I just couldn't go any lower. She then prescribed Doxepin, a tricyclic anti-depressant at a low dose. At a dosage of 75 mg and up it treats depression, but they have found that a low dosage of 3 - 6 mgs helps with insomnia. It has helped me, a lot, I am off of the benzo and sleeping better, with a clearer head. I don't know if this will help your son with his issue, PTSD and benzos, but it might be another tool available for his tool kit.
I hope he has as good a clinician as my young ARNP.
Antacids
In my case I found that "acid reflux" was the cause of my problem. Whenever I start to have a panic attack---I take a few TUMS as it works the best for my acid/panic attacks! Baking powder will work too if I don't have Tums. But for some reason Tums works best on me.
Panic attacks are the scariest thing I ever experienced in my life. I hope this little secret helps someone with this problem.
Strong Coffee and hot chili can bring on an attack.
(New Orleans, La)
03/24/2012
★☆☆☆☆
WARNING!
Please be careful with TUMS. That can block phosphorus and have ill effects on your bones. Happened to me. Thought it would actually help bones because they talk about having calcium. I had fractures in my shins, femurs and feet. After many scans and blood work, stopped TUMS and went back to normal.
(USA)
10/30/2020
Regarding the Effects of Tums as an Antacid and on Bones,
My mother always took a Mult-vitamins, B-Complex and JP which may have been a blessing to her. Though she walked with Tums and Alka-Seltzer in her pocketbook encase of a heartburn or antacid attack, she had strong bones even in her nineties. The key may be in mineral balancing. Also, recently I was trying to figure out what to do about the throat burn I get from taking Alpha-lipoic acid and someone said to take a Tums, to my amazement it worked for me.
(Bakersfield, Ca)
11/06/2012
★★★★★
Thank you. After spending lots of money every month on prescribed medications for my daughter for her anxiety attacks that would hit her several times a day and night. Well some of the meds came up missing and we didn't find out til the weekend so I started looking on here for a natural remedie and found this one and thought that it would be a good starting point and low and behold it WORKED!!! . now I wonder if its just reflux and if a regular reflux pill will work even better...
(California, US)
01/08/2015
Tums is just baking soda and aspirin. It may be cheaper and healthier for you to just take baking soda. I started taking baking soda daily to get rid of a cold, and I started to notice my anxiety and panic attacks would go away within ten to twenty minutes of drinking baking soda. So I started looking online for others who have experienced the same thing. Baking soda seems to be very helpful in reducing or eliminating them. Including magnesium and potassium in your regimen helps even more. So it makes total sense to me that a mineral supplement, and "green pills" which are alkalizing just like baking soda, helps a lot.
(Queensland, Australia)
08/15/2015
(New Zealand)
10/10/2015
One teaspoon mixed with a glass of warm water. Drink it all down. The following burps flavour should betray to you the offending food source..
(Seattle)
02/05/2018
In reply to Kellie above, Tums is calcium carbonate with a tiny amount of sodium -- it has no baking soda or aspirin in it. Perhaps you were thinking about Alka-Seltzer. Nevertheless, as you say, baking soda alone may help.
(Udaipur, Rajasthan)
09/17/2020
Apple Cider Vinegar
★★★☆☆
WORKED TEMPORARILY
I read about ACV on this site and decided to try it a few days ago, using the standard recipe of 2 tsp in water 3 x a day. For 3 days, it has been amazing! My motivation, appetite, energy, ability to function, all came back within a day and by the second day my constant stress headache had vanished.
I took the same amount today and nothing happened. My headache is back, my motivation/energy are low. Is it possible for your body to become used to the ACV that quickly? Should I stop taking it for a few days? I am afraid of what will happen if I do. But I am also concerned because I have osteopenia, and have read that ACV taken regularly can exacerbate this. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
(Somewhere, Europe)
06/26/2012
Chelsea, read up on Rhodiola here on EC.
(Clacton On Sea, Essex, Uk)
06/26/2012
I think we sometimes confuse depression and sadness. If we are in an awful place and very miserable about it we call it depression when it is sadness. I do not believe that any medication can help with that, it has to be you changing the way your life is so that you become happy and are no longer sad. I have heard that Apple Cider Vinegar helps with lots of things but never depression but if it does wonderful. I cannot see how it helps for a bit and then stops nor how such a small amount can cure depression. But there again they now say daffodils can, so maybe. Maybe you were feeling so miserable you wanted it to work so felt it did?
(Reston, Va)
06/28/2012
I had a similiar reaction after drinking Apple Cider Vinegar for the first time I just felt like clean and balanced which in turn made me happier. Things that I've done that have helped in the long term are chaste tree berry (if your depression is hormonal youll see a huge difference) and holy basil tea (tulsi tea). I also take 5htp from time to time. Eating healthy and going on a juice fast will really show a HUGE difference too. At the end of the day though you have to take care of your spiritual health in whatever way feels natural to you, that is when you will start to feel real comfort! Good luck :)
(Reston, Va)
06/28/2012
ALSO try getting a magnesium supplement... Stress depletes your bodys magnesium apparently, I felt much better after getting some magnesium citrate in powder form and having some whenever I felt stressed (whole foods has a good one blue bottle I think)
(Oc, Ca)
07/26/2012
I second rhodiola as a remedy to try. It sounds like you are physically burned out, and the way you described your symptoms is exactly what I went through because of a really demanding job and relationship a few years ago. Rhodiola helped me immensely in terms of getting my life and energy back. If you take it in small doses (100-200mg), it helps stimulate your energy and removes anxiety. In larger doses, it makes you feel drowsy and super relaxed. It has been a God-send for me. I take about 125mg twice a day.
(Fl)
10/31/2015
(NJ)
03/05/2022
Put a pinch of baking soda in it as well. It calms the second brain and sends better signals to your brain.
Apple Cider Vinegar
★★★★★
Apple Cider Vinegar
★★★★★
(Sumter, South Carolina)
06/25/2011
Just add a pinch of baking soda to lower the acidity.. :) I'm very sensitive to anything going in my tummy, and my Mom told me about the BS.. No problem since. :)
(Milan, Italy)
05/24/2015
I suffer from a very severe anxiety disorder brought on by many catastrophic traumas one after the other in my life. The anxiety is constant, the horrible racing thoughts, the what-ifs, stomach in knots, insomnia, you name it. I am in therapy and medication. If I try the apple cider vinegar remedy I will have to stop the meds immediately right? How many days do I have to wait to see the effects?
R: It is advised by many naturopathic Physicians to minimize pharmaceutical mind medications as the side effects can, in themselves, be debilitating.
Here are some natural alternatives for healthy mind. Yoga & Transcendental Meditation. Warm baths of Epsom Salts or Magnesium tablets taken orally. Herbs like Chamomile, Passion Flower, Valerian, Hops are helpful. Audio or healing harmonic music is becoming increasingly popular for helping correct an whole array of both mental and physical conditions. Go to YouTube.com and type in your condition ("anxiety") plus the words "binaural beats" or "isochornic beats" and listen to this music w/ headphones whenever you can and especially before sleep or while relaxing in bed. Most of these artist have their own YT channel and information about purchasing the tracts so you can download them to your mobile devise and listen when you can.
(Michigan, Usa)
05/26/2015
Reeka, (Milan, Italy), It is usually better to taper off anxiety medications, as stopping them immediately may cause greater issues. Someone else may be better able to answer your question of whether ACV can be taken while you are tapering off the meds. I don't know if there would be any adverse interactions.
(Ga)
06/22/2016
I mix mine with grape juice and have a bowl of cereal or a biscuit first! Hope this helps!
(Rock Springs, Wyoming)
06/30/2016
(Kathleen, Georgia)
10/18/2017
Try 1 tsp in an 8 oz glass of warm water, once in the am and once before bed.
(Manitoba)
06/26/2018
They say to take it before meals, though I do that and my stomach gets upset too. Taking it after you've eaten seems to be the best bet.
(Columbus, Oh)
06/27/2018
Try adding a 1/4 teaspoon of Baking SODA & 1 teaspoon of organic Apple Cider Vinegar (with "the mother") to a 16-ounce glass of filtered water. The Baking Soda may prevent your stomach upset.
(Ny)
07/25/2020
If you add pure organic raw honey it helps with the upset stomach. It also adds to the benefits as well. Honey is a natural tranquilizer and has a lot of other great qualities too. Hope this helps.
(Port Charlotte, FL)
07/30/2021
Apple Cider Vinegar
★★★★★
(Niceville, Fl)
01/29/2010
To Debra from Texas: You mentioned it "hurt" your stomach at first. You might probably had a stomach ulcer and didn't know it. ACV is the cure for that too.
My guess about anxiety and why people might not come back and comment on their problem for long term results...it probably really works and we forget what problems we have when they are gone. I have been using ACV and various other remedies from this site for almost 6 months now. I will admit I was a mess before and I forget all the problems I used to have. I did make a list/journal when I first started these home remedies and update often.
Apple Cider Vinegar
★★★★★
Apple Cider Vinegar
★★★★★
Apples, Water
★★★★☆
Try it, hope it helps.
(Prague, Czech Republic)
05/13/2012
★★★★★
I agree that dehydration may trigger anxiety. It definitely was a factor in my first panic attack, also, supposedly many people experience attacks after they had been drinking alcohol.
Drinking herbal/green tea, plenty of water, eliminating alcohol and coffee from my diet has helped me a lot when dealing with anxiety, and so did changing my eating habits. I found that I had been missing on some essential vitamins, so adding those to my diet was a part of the healing process. A lot of people nowadays have low magnesium and/or 'B' vitamins intake (I used to get cravings for peanut butter, apples and celery, now I know why), which may also add to your anxiety.
Ashwagandha
★★★★★
My naturopath just started me on this. Fingers crossed it helps! I found that so far exercise has been the best remedy but hopefully the ashwagandha helps keep things level when I can't exercise.
B Complex
★★★★★
B Complex
★★★★★
B-Complex With Zinc
★★★★★
I beat a terrible case of anxiety without the use of pharma drugs. And by terrible, I mean absolutely terrible. I had never dealt with it before, but it hit me like a freight train out of nowhere. One night at work, I had a massive panic attack, thinking I was having a heart attack I rushed to the ER only for them to find nothing. I developed a fear of going to work as I worked alone, and I was scared to be alone. I was in constant fear that "something" (anxiety, panic attack, heart attack) was going to get me or "something" was going to happen. Constant insane tension. I had multiple panic attacks over the course of a few weeks and ended up in the ER on multiple occasions only for them to find nothing.
After a trip to my regular doctor he prescribed me some meds, which I refused for obvious reasons. However while I was there he gave me some excellent advice: "You are like chicken, be like duck." He explained that stress is like water. I was like a chicken because my "feathers" absorbed the water. And I needed to be shedding the water like the feathers of a duck. Eventually as you "absorb" water, the weight of it adds up and you will eventually begin to be crushed under the weight of it. This is when you run into anxiety and panic attacks. So, I took his advice and stopped allowing myself to take on stress that I didnt need to take on. I stopped allowing myself to get emotionally involved in other peoples problems or to be disturbed on any level. This doesnt mean I became heartless, unhelpful, or uncaring, it just means that I refused to allow things to needlessly cause me stress, especially when it wasnt my problem to begin with. If someone came to me with some drama or a problem, I didnt take it to heart and dwell on it. I would converse with them and offer my advice and condolences, etc. But thats where the problem would stop for me. As a matter of my own health, I would seek to get my mind into a place of peace and happiness as soon as possible and keep it there. Whether that was through a hobby, watching funny videos, having fun with a friend or family member, etc.
Through some research, I had read something about Zinc being crucial for helping you deal with stress. Its been a long while since I read up on it, and I'll probably butcher the recap, but something along the lines of, when you stress/worry, your body burns through your stores of Zinc, and when it runs out you get that anxious tense feeling we call anxiety. Anyways, again, full disclaimer, dont quote me on that, this was all years ago.
However, there are a lot of vitamins and minerals that contribute to dealing with stress/anxiety. Magnesium, calcium, vitamin D, copper, B vitamins.. the list goes on. I have good reason to believe in my case, Zinc made the difference.
I found a supplement, its a Stress B - Complex that includes Zinc. This for whatever reason works for me 100%. It doesnt include every vitamin or mineral that can help manage stress/anxiety, but this one works for me. I personally think the Zinc is what made a difference for me. As I was taking another B-Complex that didnt include Zinc and it didnt work.
Also, sunlight and the outdoors. In addition to the mental diet and the supplements, I found that getting myself outdoors helped a lot. Due to work, I was a night owl. I hardly every got out during the day. I made it a point to get out, take walks, go fishing, attending family get togethers and things like that.
All together my terrible run in with anxiety, lasted probably a month or less before I got a serious handle on it. In the years since, I've had it try to come back but I'm more than well enough equipped to handle it. Usually it happens during times I'm dealing with something stressful and all I need to do is step back from the stress and take my Stress B-Complex for a few days to knock it out again.
I'd give the brand of the supplement, but I dont know if giving exact brands is allowed here. I will say its usually readily available at Wal Mart. Brown bottle, with a yellow lid and label.
B12
★★★★★
I have to take monthly B12 shots or the anxiety and paranoia come back. Google B12 deficiency and see if your son has some of the other symptoms that come with this disease.
B12
★★★★★
I was having horrible anxiety and was seeing a therapist who kept trying to give me anti-anxiety medicine. When I had some blood work done it was discovered that I was very low on B12.
Apparently, B12 deficiency causes anxiety, depression and insomnia, in addition to numerous other dangerous health problems.
After I started loading doses of B12 shots, my anxiety DISAPPEARED COMPLETELY. Just like magic.
If you think your B12 level must be OK because you are taking an oral supplement you might be wrong. B12 is the only vitamin that requires a cofactor (intrinsic factor) in order for your body to be able to use it. There are many reasons why your body may not be able to absorb B12 properly, including use of PPIs. So, if you can't absorb B12 the normal way, get a B12 shot. You'll be so glad you did.
(Somerville Nj)
07/15/2020
