Natural/herbal remedies for anxiety - do any of them actually work?

That is very helpful and interesting, thank you.

I have heard of those medications but didn't realise they could be used for anxiety. My elderly mum has been taking Gabapentin for a few years (prescribed for nerve pain) and she does seem to be less anxious. Like me she has suffered from severe lifelong anxiety and I strongly suspect she is undiagnosed autistic.

I've had a quick look on the NHS website and I see that Pregabalin can be prescribed for anxiety, but Gabapentin doesn't seem to be (in the UK at least).

I'm going to give L-Theanine a try next, once I've given the Lions Mane a fair chance.

Funny you should mention that but I seemed to cry a lot while taking the CBD oil too!

Hi - that sounds so similar to me. Wake up feeling anxious, spend all day feeling anxious, go to bed feeling anxious. It’s no way to live and it’s absolutely exhausting and wears you down. 
I am so sorry you’re experiencing this too. Just like you any extra stress on top and then it’s seriously difficult to manage. We need to get our baseline down.

but how? I’m still trying to find a way. Even alcohol doesn’t really help me at the moment (I only have a small amount as I have quite low tolerance for alcohol  - one glass (or two at most) is about all I can have as I feel ill if I have more. It helps a bit - but of late is not much help. 

I’m so tired of it all. Ultimately though I don’t want to give up because I love my family and I want to enjoy my life again. Life is precious - too precious to spend feeling absolutely terrible all the time. I’m going to keep trying to find ways to deal with my anxiety. 

best of luck to you - I hope you find solutions to help you feel better soon.

It's data I thought ought to be shared if people are going to experiment.

I've seen some people get uncomfortably stoned, and require some gentle supervision for an hour or two, through not knowing this.

Yes, sometimes I find it even slower, so I allow for that.  Too many will think, "Oh.  It's not working.  I need to take some more" and then regret it later on. 

I did experiment with melting down fruit pastilles and gums in the microwave, adding some oil, then pouring them into a mould.  Very sticky and messy but the best fruit pastilles I ever had! 

Cannabis taken by mouth is slow to be absorbed.

When I eat the recreational version in opal fruits / starburst remanufactured sweets, it takes 20 mins to feel the first effects and two hours later is about "peak" experience.

Apparently it's absorbed as it leaves the stomach, mainly.

I've just been through that in recent weeks too - initially trying a hybrid version (CBD Gold Edition), then one that was more aimed at relaxation, but whatever initial effect I though I was getting seems to have subsumed by my uncanny knack of becoming resistant way earlier than I'd like. And, as you say, it's costly. 

I'm at my wits' end with intense anxiety this week, and am very sorry to hear that you are struggling with this too Kate, I've just ordered the CBD capsules via CBD Bros website, as they're a little cheaper and maybe the delivery system would work better for me? I found that drops under the tongue thing to be a bit weird - I'd end up underdosing or overdosing, with little sense of a difference either way. 

I've been trying Lion's Mane mushroom capsules too, after seeing a thread on here, but apart from some vivid dreams and nightmares I can't detect much going on from those.

This is fascinating - thank you so much. I will investigate and try what you suggest. I really appreciate you sharing what you’ve found to be helpful. 
I’m really sorry that you have severe anxiety too - it’s such a tough thing to live with and to try to manage - so I really empathise and am sending you solidarity and best wishes. 
thanks for your help :) 

What I didn't add is that L-Theanine works on the GABA, this is why I think this has been the most effective.

I also suffer from severe anxiety. 

You have a neurotransmitter in your brain called GABA which helps to control the overstimulation of neuronal activity (excitation), when this is 'downregulated' anxiety states occur. You've probably heard of the prescription medication 'Gabapentin' and 'Pregabalin', this is how they work.

I have researched and tried many different 'natural remedies' including combinations of vitamins & minerals.

Out of everything I have tried the most effective has been L-Theanine. This is a compound found in teas, mainly black and green teas.

It is quite 'sedating', slows you down, sleep is better, generally the system is a lot calmer including the brain, that is my no.1 recommendation.

The second is Magnesium Threonate, this is the only form of Magnesium to date which crosses the blood brain barrier - at my last research - this is very good for cognitive calmness and clarity without the more sedating effect of L-Theanine.

Passiflora is the worse herbal supplement I've ever tried, caused bad palpitations and headaches, CBD oil (4 different brands) just made me cry and gave me a bad headache too.

Finally, if you take supplements, check your level of B vitamins as with the exception of B12 they can make anxiety worse, being very stimulating (you'll get more energy from those) and find any supplements without magnesium stearate as this is a common filler/tableting agent which is counter productive to the absorption of nutrients so you would most likely get a lot less from it anyway.

breathing and focusing on breathing in and out can help anxiety at the moment of it. if its anxiety over a pre-planned appointment or event thing then forcing all the nerves out by poop often helps, not that you have a choice it will make you poop anyway lol but it still calms and deals with it in a way, i guess the body deals with it like that better than we can think of. although i guess also its not very efficient as that usually could lead to ibs symptoms if its regular like that.

If it helps, the main company making anti-anxiety medication is Pfizer. LOL

I absolutely agree about trying to be as natural as possible. I had so many problems growing up as well physically that I avoided drugs until a certain point. However, a few things changed my mind. The kind of stress I was encountering was giving me headaches daily for almost 2 years. The GP suggested the meds are the better evil between them and a stroke. I agree. 

They are highly addictive which is why they're a Class C in the UK and I"m not sure if you can only get them from private. But I've also never had a problem with addiction and it just may be from being too analytical - which are the brain waves responsible for anxiety. haha. But I have noticed over the years the drugs can cause anxiety if taken more than 3 days in a row. Just like caffeine - 3 seems to be the magical amount of days. But the week I took them daily simply meant I needed to make hard changes to my lifestyle. I do find them imperative when I can't shut this brain down though anything else - especially if it's past midnight. 

Natural things are killers too, though! The wrong mushroom, improperly / uncooked bamboo, all herbs or vitamins at too large a dose can cause kidney or liver damage. Mercury and naturally radioactive rocks are harmful. One really need to be mindful of turmeric for instance! Or drink enough water to flush out vitamin C. CDB can lower the immune system. I have noticed Vit D boosters + a few cups of coffee do give me anxiety. So there's something there (at least for me).

 But all drugs are inspired by something in nature. Once I started thinking about this, throwing one micro dose when needed into my year at the odd occasion felt less overwhelming. 

The research is becoming more clear about why autistics are prone - not to emotionally driven anxiety - but physiological and how there is this out-of-control acceleration which can cause anxiety. I think it's imperative we have access to things which help.

Right-o.  I just messaged you.  The NHS summary of care was easily obtainable without charge from my GP but my online patient records contained the same info anyway.  There was, I think, I printable version I could just scan and send to Sapphire and they accepted this.  

I do trust them but initially I did it because I was desperate and felt utterly cornered.  I was seen by one of their consultants and, in order to keep costs as low as possible, I agreed to share my "anonymised data" with them as they are building up a data bank of patient experiences.  All this means is that I have to do a couple of questionnaires once a quarter. 

After the consultant appointment I then need to see a pharmacist once a quarter, which adds to the expense, but I feel reassured by their knowledge and advice and they have been able to adjust my prescription as required (usually upwards!)

The faff and expense do still bother me, don't get me wrong, but it's for something that works!   

Yes.  I am actually aghast at how many of us have battled with this, often over a period of years and years.  

My worst ever attempt to relieve my anxiety was when I was at uni and got some Frisium prescribed by the campus GP.  This was after going through the first couple of years of my ill-chosen modern languages degree in a constant state of anxiety and even dread at times.  I needed copious amounts of alcohol to enable me to socialise and it took me everything I had to summon up the courage to go to the GPs.

So...  What happened was probably fairly predictable.  I tried the Frisium, in the prescribed dose, and it didn't help!  So then, in order to join my "friends" (they weren't really, it turned out later) on anight out, I took a double dose, washed it down with wine, then went out.  It still wasn't working, so, being prepared and having the jar with me, I took even more.  I even, in state of false sociability and drunkenness, shared the tablet with my friends.  Plink, plink, fizz, as the advert used to go...   None of us remembered what happened next but we did eventually sleep it off and I was left with the feeling that it had worked.  

This (actually dreadful once others shared their thoughts on how the night out had gone!) experience encouraged me to take more Frisium to help me with an assessed seminar I had to do the following week.  Of course, I knew I needed to take more than the prescribed dose. In fact I was so crippled with nerves I took the rest of the jar!  And, I felt OK (for the first time in a class like this)...  for a while.  Then I made some silly "asides" in my presentation (the lecturer was scowling, I was later told) and, even though I thought i'd done well, I only just scraped through.  I attended another lecture immediately afterwards and, in my state of newfound confidence, took copious notes.  "Great!", I thought.

Of course, none of this was great.  I hooked up with unsuitable partners while in this state and attempting to socialise, I didn't do as well on the course as I might have done (with the correct identification and support) and as for my brilliant notes - when I looked at them the following day it looked as though several spiders had crawled over the page!   It also took me the best part of a week to recover! 

And yes, I struggled in certain situations but my baseline anxiety seemed much higher than others too.  As one of my GPs later observed, I was "differently calibrated".  I was so keyed up every day that it became my normal, and this started before I even became aware of it.  I can remember feeling that way in reception class age 4 and I still felt it at age 54!

So the prescribed cannabis has been a revelation for me.  Could it be the medication I always needed?     

Yes - I think when it’s a severe and long term anxiety issue the more gentle herbal teas etc are not going to deal with it (in my experience anyway). I’ve tried so many of these things without success. 

Have just sent you a friend request in case you felt it was better to DM regarding this. 
I’ve decided to definitely give this a try. I’m tired of just existing with this level of anxiety and I’ve got to do something proactive. You mention the NHS  ‘summary’ - so it’s not all your records then? Just a brief summary? Was your GP willing to do this - and do they charge for this? And did you feel secure in handing this info to a private company? Do you trust them? Thanks 

Thanks! I’m beginning to think you’re right! 

Yes, it absolutely should be available on the NHS and I'm hoping that in time it will be.  My GP and consultants (for my liver and kidney disease) are all aware of my use and get copied into any correspondence from Sapphire.  So, apart from the expense (which I do resent when it's the only things that's helped), I feel covered.  Plus if anyone stops me or the police are involved (unlikely cos I'm not one of their usual suspects, being a grey-haired, older female) I have a handy legal prescription.  

The Sapphire process took a while to set up because they needed all my details plus a care summary from my GP (which you can ask for or printout yourself if you have online access) then to check I'd tried other approaches that either hadn't worked or were unsatisfactory for some reason) but it was well worth it.  And, although the money bothers me, I know I'm getting something that actually works, for a change.  Now it's the time, money and effort I spent over the years (and we're talking decades) on things that didn't work that grieve me.   

It was a horrendous experience for me too and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. It's scary to think that medication freely prescribed by doctors is capable of such negative effects. My GP kept saying that was normal at first and that I should continue with them. If it hadn't been for a locum doctor, who recognised what was happening and took me off them, I don't think I'd be here today. 

Exactly.  My cherry and pistachio brownies are a speciality.  :)  And coconut oil can be added to teas and coffees - hey, I MADE that chamomile tea work!   All very transportable and discreet, in a lunchbox or flask too.  

Muggles often don't understand me anyway, so this just opens up a whole other area of "masking".  :)

Ah yes.  I do still use relaxing teas at bedtime and also mint tea for any stomach issues.  I actually grow my own mint for this (including chocolate mint, which smells of After Eights and pineapple mint which is a bit more refreshing, i think).  They do help a little.  

It's just that for my major anxiety issues, usually relating to being out there the the world (especially the workplace) or being overwhelmed by a host of things here at home, these barely touch the sides.  So, yes, it's definitely about the intensity of the problem and whether the effects are big enough.  For me I do like and benefit from using herbs, but they didn't deliver an effect that was anywhere near big enough for my massive, lifelong anxiety problem.  :(