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What can I do to calm my anxiety besides medication prescribed by my psychiatrist?

I was diagnosed with social anxiety years ago when I was in college.  Since then I have been seeing a psychiatrist.  I am 30 now.   Along with talk therapy, my psychiatrist prescribed me Effexor.  This has helped me for several years until I started getting hives from the medication.  I've since gone off it and for the first month I was fine.  Then I started looking for a new job and felt some anxiety.  Then this past Monday I got a call about a potential interview (which I didn't end up taking) and after that I just could not stop thinking about the call and getting anxious until I became nauseous.  For the past two days I've felt a sinking pit in my stomach and a heavy weight in my chest.  I can have moments where I feel fine and then these feelings come back.  Then Wednesday I woke up to a panic attack.  I have never had one of these before and now I have had them for the past two mornings.  I called my psychiatrist and she prescribed Xanax for just a short bit to calm my anxiety.  The Xanax is working some but my anxiety is still ruining my enjoyment of life. Now I am desperate to find ways to help me with this.  My mother found a natural supplement online called AnxiClear.  I am thinking of trying it.  I'd love to hear of any non-medicinal ways people have used to ease their anxiety.
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Avatar universal
So I had my appointment with my psychiatrist on Tuesday.  We decided to try Paxil.  I'm starting on a very small dose, 5 mg, because of the side effects. Along with medication, I am also trying aromatherapy, a sound machine, and doing things like puzzles and (adult) coloring to focus off my anxiety.
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Avatar universal
Well, today I had my appointment with my psychiatrist.  We've decided to try Paxil to help with my anxiety.  Since it can have some not so fun side effects when you start it  she's starting me on a very low dose with the intention to gradually increase it until we find the appropriate dose for me.  Fingers crossed my hives don't react to it.  I am also trying aromatherapy, a sound machine, and doing activities such as puzzles and (adult) coloring.  I also intend to try yoga.  I am going to get a physical as well just to cover all my bases.
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Avatar universal
I am strongly considering getting a physical.  Just to cover all my bases.  Thanks for all your suggestions/advice.  I appreciate it.
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Avatar universal
I do not think it was the medication. People can get hives in response to stress. I know people that have hives and were worked up for every possible thing you can imagine. Sometimes in medicine you will never have the explanation as to why something happened. You just have to manage the symptom the best you can. If the Effexor worked and you felt better on it, I would stay on it. However, if you have tongue swelling, itchy throat, or difficulty breathing well I would stop taking it immediately because those are signs of anaphylaxis which is life threatening. Hang in there!
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Thank you.  Well, Effexor may not have been the cause of the hives but it definitely made them worse.  For a while taking Zyrtec helped a bunch but then it got to the point where it was not helping anymore and the hives were making me miserable (no to mention I was scratching the hell out of myself).   Getting off Effexor took the hives way down. I will work with my psychiatrist to find a medication that helps my anxiety and doesn't make my hives really bad.
Avatar universal
That's a possibility, but again, if you were taking this birth control for a long time I'd still say the cause is probably elsewhere, though I can't obviously know that.  It could be a new blanket, mold, chemicals on your food or clothing, those are the things that usually cause hives.  Something you come into contact with or have an allergic reaction to and if it's a new reaction, it's usually, but not always, something new to you.  The other explanation is something going on with your immune system, such as having taken antibiotics or steroidal meds that adversely affected your beneficial organisms, or something in your diet that has caught up to you and caused the same sort of disruption, such as eating dairy or wheat.  Could be anything, but not necessarily medication, though it could be that, as Effexor does probably adversely affect the liver in many people -- snris have proven to do that, and that can cause allergy problems, as can hormonal disruptions such as birth control,  but usually it would happen when you fist take them.  Anyway, lots to investigate, and hopefully a speedy conclusion.  
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Avatar universal
Thank you so much for your advice.  

The only other thing that could be causing my hives would be my birth control pills.  The Effexor and the birth control pills were the only medications I was taking when my hives started.  I've never had many allergies and there were no new foods or other substances I was using at the time my hives started. Maybe I should look into trying a different birth control pill.
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Avatar universal
Thanks for responding.  At the time I was on Effexor the only other medication I was taking was my birth control.  Perhaps the hives were from my birth control but after going off Effexor for a month or so my hives were greatly reduced.  

I'm not hanging my hat on AnxiClear.  I am just so miserable right now I am willing to try anything to help.  I do have an appointment with my psychiatrist in a couple days and I plan on discussing possible new medications to try.

I appreciate your advice.
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Avatar universal
Personally, I wouldn't try this particular supplement.  However, there is much research and traditional usage of natural medicine that might help you.  It won't be as fast as medication, though.  The reason I wouldn't use this supplement is the same one I wouldn't use anything sold on the internet only -- there's nobody to randomly check shelves in a good health foods store to see if the ingredients are what the company says it is.  Most of these companies are more like pyramid schemes than herbal companies.  As to the ingredients, I have some concerns.  For example, although I went on the website and it listed the ingredients, it didn't list the dosages.  Some of the ingredients, such as 5-HTP, an amino acid metabolite of tryptophan, which creates serotonin, are probably best taken on an empty stomach and others it doesn't matter as much and some, such as the magnesium, should be taken with food.  It also doesn't say what form of magnesium is in it -- some forms are well absorbed, some are not -- nor how much.  It might say so on the bottle.  Other of the ingredients are actually hormonal in nature, such as magnolia, more than calming for everyone.  There's nothing terrible in it, I just think you could come up with a better program by seeing a naturopath or herbalist or practitioner of integrated medicine than taking all this stuff in one pill sold by a company we can't tell anything about.  And the adaptogen, or adrenal balancer, it includes is only eleuthero.  It's a good herb for the adrenals, but there are more calming ones, such as ashwagandha or holy basil.  And again, we don't know how much is in it and how often you take this pill -- eleuthero, as with most herbs, is best taken more than once a day to keep it in your system.  Some of the other herbs are good ones to use -- passionflower, for example -- but again, it's best taken several times a day to keep it in your system and when you take a bunch of things together in one bottle you can't regulate what you want to take and when.  I'm not saying it won't help you, but it's not the product I would use.  A good book to read on natural remedies for an overview is Natural Highs by Hyla Cass, a psychiatrist at UCLA, but there are many other books.  But when you do the natural method, you'd also be sent to therapy, be taught meditation, have your diet looked at, etc.  Those hives, for example -- if they're happening without the Effexor, then how did you know it was that drug causing them, especially since you'd been taking it for a long time without getting hives?  Could have been caused by anything.  And Effexor isn't even a drug usually used if your main problem is anxiety, as it's a very stimulating antidepressant, so perhaps your anxiety is secondary to depression, which is common.  I'm with you, if you successfully got off Effexor, you know it's not the easiest thing to do, and I have no problem personally with you trying a natural approach to see if it works, I'd just do it with the help of someone who knows how to do it and who can switch around remedies until you find a combination that works for you.  And if it doesn't work, drugs will still be there if necessary.  Good luck.
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Avatar universal
I've struggled with panic/anxiety for the last five years, and have tried various supplements, vitamins, etc. Honestly, I don't think supplements offer any help, except possibly if they have a placebo effect.

It seems strange that you would have a negative reaction to any medication after years of taking it. Are you sure you didn't react to something else? For example, I discovered I get hives when I take NSAIDS like Ibuprofen. Perhaps something else like that caused the hives.

I'm highly skeptical of this "AnxiClear." The sad fact is there are some snake oil salespeople out there capitalizing on people who are desperate for a solution for anxiety and will try virtually anything. I'm sorry, but this is probably in that category.

I suggest returning to therapy. Also, ask a psychiatrist about going back on Effexor. I'll bet you dollars to donuts that it's not responsible for your hives.
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Avatar universal
Thank you so much for responding and for the kind words.  I've just started Xanax so I'm not giving up on it yet but my hives seem to be returning so I'm concerned that I may also be allergic to it. I'm also concerned about becoming addicted to Xanax since it is known to be addicting.  I'm not completely against the medication route but when I had to go off Effexor it was very tough and so I'm a bit leery of permanently using medication again.  That's why I am giving AnxiClear a chance.  I would be willing to go on a different medication but I'd like to try something else first.

I hope you are doing well with your anxiety.  I will let anyone who is interested in how AnxiClear works or doesn't for me.
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6669309 tn?1462648142
I had my first anxiety attack in the 80's and I was so frightened, I thought I was losing my mind. That's a lot more scary than what it really is. A kind large black orderly  in the hospital took my hand in his big hand and said "What your having is called anxiety, and we can help you with it." What a relief it was to finally get my life back! They prescribed Xanax and it has worked for me ever since. I take 0.5 twice a day to avoid it altogether or wait for it to hit and just take one. It goes up and down with my tolerance.
I was grocery shopping with my five yr. old son when I suddenly got this dread to go through the grocery line, I felt this horrible fear, started sweating, felt shaky, and couldn't understand what was happening to me. I did what most people that feel that kind of anxiety do, I left the store and my grocery's behind. My son said "Mommy why are we leaving our groceries behind?? Poor kid. That's when I decided to seek help and got it. My first question was why do some people have this and others don't? My doctor explained that it can be genetic, (you inherited it like your brown hair) or something traumatic interrupted your emotions. However you ended up with it you can deal with it head on! The best advice that I can give you is "You are in charge, not anxiety!" The more you run from it the more it prevails. That;s how people end up being house bound. No no no this will not happen with you! Us anxiety sufferers have to fight through it and show it whose running this show sometimes. If you are persistant enough and go on with your life and not let it limit what you are doing, some can conquer it without meds. I found with myself that it was too intrusive in my life, I did not want to have to fight it so I went the medication route. I will tell you this you don't ever want to stop Xanax suddenly (like many other meds) that is beyond uncomfortable. How sweet that your Mom wants to help. If you ever find a natural supplement that works will you please come back and report it for us? Good luck to you and know this, you can have a full and happy life (unlike other illnesses) and good luck to you. If your Xanax is not working? Please discuss with your doctor about a medication adjustment that fits.
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