Re: ANTI ANXIETY DRUGS / My Lab Results--Thyroid & Adrenals

[Guest guest]

My heart breaks hearing your story , I hope you are doing better and better…Sending blessings your way, From: Texas_Thyroid_Groups [mailto:Texas_Thyroid_Groups ] On Behalf Of Sent: Friday, May 25, 2012 10:02 AMTo: Texas_Thyroid_Groups Subject: ANTI ANXIETY DRUGS / My Lab Results--Thyroid & Adrenals I can personally vouch for what Martha says below. I was put on a psychotropic drug because my hypothyroidism was not properly diagnosed (was depressed). I was treated for one of my symptoms and not the actual problem. I NEVER should have been put on psychotropic drugs. After being on a them for 12 years I weaned off way too fast (most dr's have NO CLUE how to properly wean somone off these drugs)and I cannot describe to you the hell I was in for over a year. I still don't know how I was able to hold down a job and fake normalcy. It took me over a year to slowly wean off this medication thru the help of another incredible chat group. Even tho it's been 7 years since I've been off the medication I'm still not the same person I was prior to weaning and I'm one of the lucky ones. There are some people on that chat group who were put on multiple drugs that all have the same hellish withdrawals. Some of those people will never fully recover. Hang in there and get your thyroid and adrenals 'fixed' first. You can google natural supplements for anxiety until you get things sorted out. There is a great store called Herb Mart in Plano that sells supplements/herbs cheaper than any place I know of. **************************************************Re: My Lab Results--Thyroid & AdrenalsPosted by: " Martha Lovejoy " lovejoyml@... lovejoymarDate: Mon May 21, 2012 1:57 pm ((PDT))Just based on my own experience, I would work with the doctor on anything BUT an anti-anxiety drug. Once you start chemically altering your brain, it's VERY hard to get off that type of medicine, and it can totally screw up your life.Marti

[Guest guest]

Before I got a hypothyroid diagnosis, I had suspected it for at least 10 years. I had so many symptoms and my tsh kept hanging around a 4. Finally, depression was too big and I was ready to give up my marriage – just did not care anymore and everything seemed far too overwhelming. I am the caregiver of high needs, disabled adult daughter and my husband travels about 90% of the time. I just could not take it anymore. I had about 3 nickels extra above our monthly budget, so determined that I would go visit the list of pathetic doctors on our HMO network to try to find someone who was a little more aware about thyroid. I knew I needed to get that addressed.

I made appts and saw 6 doctors in a row, about a week apart each. Each one looked at my “normal” labs, listened to my symptoms, and handed me a prescription for some kind of antidepressant. I would challenge them with this decision, asking if they really thought an AD would help my weight gain, since I was exercising and dieting, and did they think an AD would help my hair loss? Of course, they all showed their ignorance there by saying something stupid. I asked if they could run more tests than a tsh, and none agreed to it. So I kept moving on to the next one.

Finally, I went out of network to a doctor who accepts no insurance, who is hypothyroid himself. He heard the identical story, told me an antidepressant may seem obvious, but his preferred to address thyroid issues first and mine were glaring. Within just a few weeks, the dark clouds rolled away and I felt like I was better able to deal with my life and all its complications. I’ve never needed to go on an an AD yet. I have had to address my thyroid issues a few different ways, and I’m now on estrogen and progesterone. But the core issue for me was and is my thryoid.

I do take klonipin at nights. That is the hardest time around our house. It gives me extra support, which I need as a caregiver in a very difficult situation. But now I know I am taking it for a symptom above the core problem of thyroid, which has been fully addressed.

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Mind sharing your doctor's name and where he/she is located?

thanks,

Barbara in San

[Guest guest]

,What are your suggestions for good natural supplements for anxiety?Thank you, From: Texas_Thyroid_Groups [mailto:Texas_Thyroid_Groups ] On Behalf Of d. OwensSent: Sunday, May 27, 2012 1:29 PMTo: Texas_Thyroid_Groups Subject: RE: ANTI ANXIETY DRUGS / My Lab Results--Thyroid & Adrenals My heart breaks hearing your story ,I hope you are doing better and better…Sending blessings your way, From: Texas_Thyroid_Groups [mailto:Texas_Thyroid_Groups ] On Behalf Of Sent: Friday, May 25, 2012 10:02 AMTo: Texas_Thyroid_Groups Subject: ANTI ANXIETY DRUGS / My Lab Results--Thyroid & Adrenals I can personally vouch for what Martha says below. I was put on a psychotropic drug because my hypothyroidism was not properly diagnosed (was depressed). I was treated for one of my symptoms and not the actual problem. I NEVER should have been put on psychotropic drugs. After being on a them for 12 years I weaned off way too fast (most dr's have NO CLUE how to properly wean somone off these drugs)and I cannot describe to you the hell I was in for over a year. I still don't know how I was able to hold down a job and fake normalcy. It took me over a year to slowly wean off this medication thru the help of another incredible chat group. Even tho it's been 7 years since I've been off the medication I'm still not the same person I was prior to weaning and I'm one of the lucky ones. There are some people on that chat group who were put on multiple drugs that all have the same hellish withdrawals. Some of those people will never fully recover. Hang in there and get your thyroid and adrenals 'fixed' first. You can google natural supplements for anxiety until you get things sorted out. There is a great store called Herb Mart in Plano that sells supplements/herbs cheaper than any place I know of. **************************************************Re: My Lab Results--Thyroid & AdrenalsPosted by: " Martha Lovejoy " lovejoyml@... lovejoymarDate: Mon May 21, 2012 1:57 pm ((PDT))Just based on my own experience, I would work with the doctor on anything BUT an anti-anxiety drug. Once you start chemically altering your brain, it's VERY hard to get off that type of medicine, and it can totally screw up your life.Marti

[Guest guest]

Hello

As I mentioned in my email diet is huge. I was on a very high carb diet, mostly

junk food really and that has an incredible affect on your mood. I'd crash and

then would have to eat alot of carbs to get back up. Of course my thyroid issue

not being properly diagnosed certainly added to the whole cycle. I was a size

22, hair falling out, EXHAUSTED,etc. I felt so sick and was getting very scared

because I went to several dr's and no one could find anything wrong with me. I

found this group (thank God for Jan)and found a dr who put me on Armour. I

started feeling better and started walking. I also started making small dietary

changes. Seven years later, 20 sizes smaller and with all my hair back I now

walk 3 miles a day. No way could all of this have happened if I was still

eating the same way.

I would start the day off with something " healthy " like a bowl of cereal not

knowing that this was a huge appetite trigger for me and I would crave junk food

for the rest of the day.

For me a high fat high protein diet and no processed carbs was the key. It's

hard at first because you will have serious carb cravings/withdrawals. Protein

is a kind of appetite suppressant - it satiates w/o the blood sugar spikes

(which turn turbo charge your appetite).

When I started adding good fats (avocados, nuts, seeds, nut butters) to my diet

that's when the weight really started coming off. If your body isn't getting

enough fat it's going to hang on to what it has.

I had to preface my answer with the above because, sorry, we've all heard before

but a good diet and exercise is what all the drug companies are trying to

bottle. We weren't designed to be sedentary. If those 2 things are out of

whack try the supplements but they're not the root of your problem. Having said

that as I mentioned there was a time I was too exhausted to walk. I didn't have

the energy to function let alone go for a stroll after work. It just depends on

where you are in the journey. If you can go for a short walk do it! Start slow.

It really does become addictive after a while because of all the chemical

reactions going on in the brain that no supplement or drug can replace.

Off the top of my head:

Chamomile tea

Cherry plum flower essence

St. 's Wort

Valerian root

L-Tyrosine

L-theanine

GABA

L-Tryptophan

*************************

,

What are your suggestions for good natural supplements for anxiety?

Thank you,

[Guest guest]

,I agree with you 100% that diet is extremely important.  Like you, I find that I do best on a high protein, high fat diet.  The fats are very satiating and the protein takes much longer to digest than any starches (even quality ones like brown, etc.).  I think we are all slightly different.  I have found the blood type diet matches what works for me quite well - I'm an O and we are the ones that need the high protein. In addition, we are the ones that benefit most from a lot of exercise.  Mercola also has the concept of specific body/diet types - high protein/low carb, medium protein/medium carb and then those who do well on a diet with little animal protein and lots of veg and much more grain that the other two types.  I think the folks that feel well on Atkins (or the latest rave Paleo) for example likely are gluten intolerant and protein types.  Those that feel great on vegetarian and vegan diets likely are those that just don't need animal protein to feel well.  I tried the latter and felt awful.  

I did try to look for a correlation between thyroid issues and blood types, etc. and it does not seem to be isolated to one body type, so what works well for some of us might not work so well for others.  Although, healthy protein is essential whether you eat meat or not.  It's a misconception that eating nuts will make you fat.  I eat at least one cup of nuts a day - sometimes two when I travel and I can guarantee the only time I gain weight is when I get lax and eat too many GF grains (again, even the healthy ones). 

About. com has some good summaries of the various diets as they apply to thyroid health and how to lose weight when you are hypo.  B.

 

Hello

As I mentioned in my email diet is huge. I was on a very high carb diet, mostly junk food really and that has an incredible affect on your mood. I'd crash and then would have to eat alot of carbs to get back up. Of course my thyroid issue not being properly diagnosed certainly added to the whole cycle. I was a size 22, hair falling out, EXHAUSTED,etc. I felt so sick and was getting very scared because I went to several dr's and no one could find anything wrong with me. I found this group (thank God for Jan)and found a dr who put me on Armour. I started feeling better and started walking. I also started making small dietary changes. Seven years later, 20 sizes smaller and with all my hair back I now walk 3 miles a day. No way could all of this have happened if I was still eating the same way.

I would start the day off with something " healthy " like a bowl of cereal not knowing that this was a huge appetite trigger for me and I would crave junk food for the rest of the day.

For me a high fat high protein diet and no processed carbs was the key. It's hard at first because you will have serious carb cravings/withdrawals. Protein is a kind of appetite suppressant - it satiates w/o the blood sugar spikes (which turn turbo charge your appetite).

When I started adding good fats (avocados, nuts, seeds, nut butters) to my diet that's when the weight really started coming off. If your body isn't getting enough fat it's going to hang on to what it has.

I had to preface my answer with the above because, sorry, we've all heard before but a good diet and exercise is what all the drug companies are trying to bottle. We weren't designed to be sedentary. If those 2 things are out of whack try the supplements but they're not the root of your problem. Having said that as I mentioned there was a time I was too exhausted to walk. I didn't have the energy to function let alone go for a stroll after work. It just depends on where you are in the journey. If you can go for a short walk do it! Start slow. It really does become addictive after a while because of all the chemical reactions going on in the brain that no supplement or drug can replace.

Off the top of my head:

Chamomile tea

Cherry plum flower essence

St. 's Wort

Valerian root

L-Tyrosine

L-theanine

GABA

L-Tryptophan

*************************

,

What are your suggestions for good natural supplements for anxiety?

Thank you,

[Guest guest]

I found that a really high-quality l-theanine was awesome for my anxiety. I

still take Xanax every night to sleep (and I love it... it basically saved my

life...just another opinion) but I can't take it during the day because it

knocks me out. If I have anxiety during the day I take a lot of l-theanine and

it has almost the same effect. I take a brand called " Nutrascriptives " which I

get from Dr Edgerton in Austin. I don't know if you can find it online or not. I

have tried other brands from the health food store and not had the same results.

I take 600 to 800 mg which is more than usually recommended, but I found that

was what worked for me.

good luck,

Tierney

>

> Off the top of my head:

>

> Chamomile tea

> Cherry plum flower essence

> St. 's Wort

> Valerian root

> L-Tyrosine

> L-theanine

> GABA

> L-Tryptophan

>

>

> *************************

>

> ,

>

> What are your suggestions for good natural supplements for anxiety?

> Thank you,

>

>

>