St. john's wort?

[PathFinderGrl]

I had tried to post this post earlier today, but I guess it didn't go through. I was just wondering if anyone had tried St. john's wort for anxiety? SSRIs don't really work well for me. Zoloft made me gain weight, and the others make me irritable and feel like I'm in a fog. My doctor wrote me Ativan for marked anxiety, but I won't take it because I don't want to become dependent on it. I'm an LPN as well, and do not want to take any kind of controlled substances. I have had family members pass away from prescription drug dependency, so I don't want to take anything like that. I want to try the natural route- vitamins, exercise, etc.

[NixonRulz]

There are people that will be able to help you with this

Seems the guru here on this stuff is EMan

He is here all the time and he will gladly write an extremely long post!

Jesse and Gene can do pretty well with this as well

[PathFinderGrl]

Thanks for your replies. LPN stands for Licensed Practical nurse :)

[NixonRulz]

Thanks for your replies. LPN stands for Licensed Practical nurse :)

What would you have to do to get the status of "unpractical?" : )

[PathFinderGrl]

I guess becoming dependent on a controlled substance and doing a poor job as an LPN! lol

[NixonRulz]

I guess becoming dependent on a controlled substance and doing a poor job as an LPN! lol

HAHAHA. You will fit in here just fine.

[PathFinderGrl]

Thanks, glad I found this forum! :)

[PathFinderGrl]

forwells, my main problem is marked anxiety. I don't know if its from working as an LPN (Nurse) in a stressful doctors office in the past year and a half or what. But in the last 2 years I've developed terrible "White coat syndrome" when I go to the doctor! I don't know why... I have genetic high blood pressure, and my heart beats faster then most people, and I'm on beta blockers for that. I have a cardiologist who says my heart is fine, and my heart muscle is strong. But when the nurse takes my blood pressure at the doctor, I go in to a full blown panic attack. My heart races, my blood pressure goes up, and I feel like I'm going to pass out. I know it sounds crazy! I'm not afraid to go to the doctor, and I never experienced this when I was younger. It seems to have manifested after becoming an LPN. I also had a couple of health scares several years ago, and I think that may have contributed slightly too. But it really seems the panic attacks started after I became an LPN.

[NixonRulz]

forwells, my main problem is marked anxiety. I don't know if its from working as an LPN (Nurse) in a stressful doctors office in the past year and a half or what. But in the last 2 years I've developed terrible "White coat syndrome" when I go to the doctor! I don't know why... I have genetic high blood pressure, and my heart beats faster then most people, and I'm on beta blockers for that. I have a cardiologist who says my heart is fine, and my heart muscle is strong. But when the nurse takes my blood pressure at the doctor, I go in to a full blown panic attack. My heart races, my blood pressure goes up, and I feel like I'm going to pass out. I know it sounds crazy! I'm not afraid to go to the doctor, and I never experienced this when I was younger. It seems to have manifested after becoming an LPN. I also had a couple of health scares several years ago, and I think that may have contributed slightly too. But it really seems the panic attacks started after I became an LPN.

I had the worst panic attack in a doctors office that I ever had years ago while I was trying to explain to her what I was so jacked up about

I don't like that doctors office very much but I have never changed doctors because I didn't want to run away from the problem

Other specialists offices were fine but my GP office would make my blood pressure go through the roof

I don't feel panicky at that office anymore but my BP is still high every time it is checked there

[Dahila]

forwells, my main problem is marked anxiety. I don't know if its from working as an LPN (Nurse) in a stressful doctors office in the past year and a half or what. But in the last 2 years I've developed terrible "White coat syndrome" when I go to the doctor! I don't know why... I have genetic high blood pressure, and my heart beats faster then most people, and I'm on beta blockers for that. I have a cardiologist who says my heart is fine, and my heart muscle is strong. But when the nurse takes my blood pressure at the doctor, I go in to a full blown panic attack. My heart races, my blood pressure goes up, and I feel like I'm going to pass out. I know it sounds crazy! I'm not afraid to go to the doctor, and I never experienced this when I was younger. It seems to have manifested after becoming an LPN. I also had a couple of health scares several years ago, and I think that may have contributed slightly too. But it really seems the panic attacks started after I became an LPN.

You are not alone with it. I get my blood pressure up whenever I see the BP monitor, and the doc , gosh...heartbeat up, bp up, shaky, and anxious.

[PathFinderGrl]

Thanks everyone, your replies help. Just talking about this helps so much. I have a great husband, but he doesn't suffer from anxiety like me. He gets a little occasional anxiety (if he has a stressful project at work, a test coming up, etc.), but nothing like I get. Therefore I feel like I don't have anyone to talk to who understands at times. I have one sister, but do not get to see her much as she lives an hour away, is a busy mom, and works a lot. My mom lives near by, but suffers from mild bi-polar disorder and mild schizophrenia, so she is hard to talk to as well. Getting it off my chest here helps!

[Dahila]

Path you got us, you are going to get better:) Just stick with us

[NixonRulz]

Is your screen name a reference that you hike or drive a Pathfinder

Or it is just a random name?

Always curious about how people came up with their screen name

And Aunt Dahila is correct, you will always be able to talk with us about your anxiety

Or just to talk about anything

Sometimes this place gets more social than anything, which is a good thing

[Michael33]

St.John's Wort is good but for it to reach full effectiveness it will take a few weeks or so. It takes a while longer than a normal SSRI to work properly, but it's natural and has many less side effects as a pose to other SSRI's. I've personally tried it, and I felt a little apathetic while on it - fact is, I'm suffering from a form of OCD(Pure O) and I'm able to keep very busy and active so depression isn't really a concern for me. As far as anxiety goes, I read that recent studies show St John's Wort as being not so effective for anxiety, if effective at all, however it is somewhat proven to help with depression.

Stay away from Ativan, I HATED that drug. I was on it for 2 weeks and it was still hard for me to get off of, doctors were telling me it shouldn't be because I didn't take it long enough to get addicted, but I never suffered from panic attacks and I somehow had 3 consecutive panic attacks in a row while getting off of it and I was on the lowest doseage.

[Dahila]

St.John's Wort is good but for it to reach full effectiveness it will take a few weeks or so. It takes a while longer than a normal SSRI to work properly, but it's natural and has many less side effects as a pose to other SSRI's. I've personally tried it, and I felt a little apathetic while on it - fact is, I'm suffering from a form of OCD(Pure O) and I'm able to keep very busy and active so depression isn't really a concern for me. As far as anxiety goes, I read that recent studies show St John's Wort as being not so effective for anxiety, if effective at all, however it is somewhat proven to help with depression.

Stay away from Ativan, I HATED that drug. I was on it for 2 weeks and it was still hard for me to get off of, doctors were telling me it shouldn't be because I didn't take it long enough to get addicted, but I never suffered from panic attacks and I somehow had 3 consecutive panic attacks in a row while getting off of it and I was on the lowest doseage.

Two weeks suppose to be the maximum of taking ativan... it is fast acting drug, which should not be used regularly. It is possible that you got addicted in two weeks, but I doubt it. Very often is the way we perceive that benzo. I do not like it either, but as long as I remember they were stuffing me with it. It is years. I never had problem to stop it..
When something helps and give the relieve, and then you stop having it, your brain is telling you that it want to feel better , then the connection. I heard that Xanax is so addictive , that it need a short time to get inot it. Still I think the addiction is in the mind not the body, not in this short time.
I always advice people not to abuse ativan, it can be dangerous:))

[Michael33]

You could be right Dahlia, before I got off the Ativan I was really worried about withdrawal symptoms especially having read about all of them, so maybe I just talked myself into a panic attack.

[Dahila]

You could be right Dahlia, before I got off the Ativan I was really worried about withdrawal symptoms especially having read about all of them, so maybe I just talked myself into a panic attack.
I did it so many times, especially after Dr. Google,
Lately I stopped and I take my meds, no problem, but I have a wonderful psdoc and I trust her :))
Worry is my middle name and panic attack last :))
Have nice day:)

[PathFinderGrl]

Is your screen name a reference that you hike or drive a Pathfinder

Or it is just a random name?

Always curious about how people came up with their screen name

And Aunt Dahila is correct, you will always be able to talk with us about your anxiety

Or just to talk about anything

Sometimes this place gets more social than anything, which is a good thing


Thanks again for the support on here! :) Good guess! Yes, I do drive a Nissan pathfinder, and I love it! :) I do like to hike some locally as well at local state parks in the summer with my family. We mainly hike short distance trails, or walking paths. But the screen name came from the truck!

[PathFinderGrl]

St.John's Wort is good but for it to reach full effectiveness it will take a few weeks or so. It takes a while longer than a normal SSRI to work properly, but it's natural and has many less side effects as a pose to other SSRI's. I've personally tried it, and I felt a little apathetic while on it - fact is, I'm suffering from a form of OCD(Pure O) and I'm able to keep very busy and active so depression isn't really a concern for me. As far as anxiety goes, I read that recent studies show St John's Wort as being not so effective for anxiety, if effective at all, however it is somewhat proven to help with depression.

Stay away from Ativan, I HATED that drug. I was on it for 2 weeks and it was still hard for me to get off of, doctors were telling me it shouldn't be because I didn't take it long enough to get addicted, but I never suffered from panic attacks and I somehow had 3 consecutive panic attacks in a row while getting off of it and I was on the lowest doseage.

Thanks for the info on the St johns wort. I just got off of Celexa, and started taking St johns wort. But I have felt really "foggy headed"... I think I started the St johns wort too quick, and hadn't let the Celexa clear my system enough yet. I am going to wait a few weeks, and start St johns wort again. I don't suffer from depression, I just tend to worry sometimes easily, and suffer from anxiety. I figure I'll give st. johns wort a try, as I've tried everything else! lol I took St johns wort several years ago, but didn't take it very long, so I don't think I gave it enough time to kick in.

As for the Ativan, I'm not going to take it. I'm just too scared of prescription addiction. I lost my beautiful aunt (that I grew up with) in 2004 to an accidental prescription drug overdose. She was only 28 years old, and left two kids behind. She had been in & out of rehab for years. She finally took too much, went to sleep one night, and never woke up. :( I watched my stepfather suffer through kidney failure, & dialysis, due to a pain medicine addiction that destroyed his kidney function. He as well passed away in 2007. My mother also was addicted to prescription Xanax for years. THANKFULLY, my sister & I didn't give up on her, and kept pressuring her to get clean. She is now three years clean of Xanax and is doing very well! :) Prescription medicines scare me. I will not take anything but my medicine for high blood pressure.