Amino Acids and Magnesium cured my Anxiety

[kthotti]

No problem

Magnesium is naturally relaxing, which makes it great for panic sufferers and overall health, but that means some people also get sleepy after taking it (like my brother, who only uses it at night for that reason). For me, it stopped making me sleepy after a couple weeks, so I'd wait it out and see if you notice improvement. You could also try taking a lower dose in the morning and using a high dose at night. Just my opinion, do what works best for you!

Hanino, the original poster for this thread, said he took the regimen daily until about the six-month mark, and then started taking it just a few times a week--but that he was "cured" before that. For me, I saw huge improvements immediately. The first day I took it, I felt a difference. By the end of the first week, I felt even better. I'd say I felt "cured" 4 months in, but I was getting better every week and could feel it.

My particular anxiety came in days-long episodes, where for 3-10 days for no reason, I'd feel constantly anxious, depressed, and panicky, and within those days I'd get panic attacks on top of it all. I also had strange physical symptoms during those days--dark urine, headaches, stuffy nose, upset stomach, fever and chills...it was ridiculous. No doctor could figure out what was wrong with me--especially since I was completely normal between the episodes, sometimes even happier than usual (which I later learned was mania).

Finally, a doctor who listened and a few good Google searches led me to the problem: I had quit Abilify (taken for compulsive hair-pulling, for only two months) cold-turkey in January 2012, when all my symptoms and anxiety started. I had never had panic attacks in my life until that. My doctor called it "pharmacologically induced bipolar and panic disorders;" another called it PAWS (post-acute withdrawal syndrome). They both mean the same thing: my brain's neurotransmitters were not working properly anymore, and were actually depleted. This is why I believe Hanino's regimen worked for me--it gave my body and brain everything it needed to restore my brain's normal function, and it also helped my hormones level out after the birth of my child in Dec. 2012, when my "episodes" became worse than ever because of postpartum depression.

So, long story short, I felt the healing happening very quickly, and about two months ago I had a mild, two-minute anxiety attack--and none since. I get occasional twinges where I feel panicky, but like I've said before I think that's like PTSD...just me remembering those old feelings, since honestly that time in my life was traumatizing in many ways.

Everyone's different, so I don't know how long it will be before you consider yourself cured if this works for you (it seems to have worked for almost all of the people on this thread!) Even if your anxiety, unlike mine which was new to me, is something you've struggled with a long time, there's still a good chance it could improve/go away very fast--Hanino and others in the thread have mentioned feeling better in a few days, and 100% around one month.

I hope the regimen works for you! Just give it a fair shot and stick with it--I was skeptical when I started but I'm SO happy I went for it!

Thanks for the reply Tayloraine. I have some more questions. Sorry for the trouble. Is amino acid fuel better than pills or not? I saw free form amino acid pills in the market but it had little less mg , is that okay? Can I take amino acid pills in the am and magnesium in the pm

Thanks

[tayloraine]

Thanks for the reply Tayloraine. I have some more questions. Sorry for the trouble. Is amino acid fuel better than pills or not? I saw free form amino acid pills in the market but it had little less mg , is that okay? Can I take amino acid pills in the am and magnesium in the pm

Thanks

No trouble at all, I'm more than happy to help! Do you mean is the brand Amino Fuel better than others, or is the liquid better than the pill? Either way I think you'll benefit from any form you take, as long as you aren't taking one kind of amino but rather a formula with a blend of many/all the aminos, because they work together. In my experience, any time I took one amino acid/precursors (esp 5-htp) in isolation, it made everything worse. But taking the blend has been nothing but beneficial for me, even though it contains the same ingredients I took before--the difference is that I'm taking them all at the same time now.

I've only tried the TwinLabs Amino Fuel formula, so I can't say for sure if one brand is better than another. The mg difference probably won't matter if it's not a huge difference, esp. because the OP Hanino advocated taking less than what the bottle recommends (one ounce is what he took, I believe, and the bottle recommends a little more than that for muscle recovery post-workouts), so in actuality the mg were lower for him than the bottle stated, and he still saw great results.

The only reason I think liquid would be better than pills is for absorption reasons, but that's just a theory; it could work just as well.

I'm not sure if taking the magnesium at night would produce the same results as others on this site or not, i.e. if the mag, l-glutamine powder, and amino acid blend have a kind of synergy going where they work best together. Hanino said he believed they did, and that the combination of these supplements and not necessarily the supplements themselves, was the most important reason the regimen works. So by that belief, magnesium should be taken in the morning with the other 2 supplements. But it certainly couldn't hurt to try. If in a few weeks you aren't seeing the improvement you want, but you feel your body's adjusted better to the magnesium, you could try adding it in the morning. Like I said, I take it all in the morning, but I also take a mag at night. It doesn't make me drowsy anymore but helps me sleep more soundly through the night. I think it relaxes my muscles...I used to be a very twitchy sleeper, haha.

If I *had* to recommend a way to go in choosing supplements and how to take them, I'd recommend the way I do it, which is the way Hanino outlined--but I haven't tried any other way, so it could still work with the variations you're thinking about using. Give it a shot if you want and track your symptoms for the next few weeks, and if you see improvements, stick with it! If not, you can always tweak the amounts, brands/types, times of day you take them, etc. until you're happy with the results.

Will you be taking l-glutamine powder too? Hanino stressed its importance, I can't remember why but he posted some medical info on why it was important...I remember thinking, eh I can skip that one...I saw improvement without it for about ten days, but once I finally added it to the routine I felt a HUGE improvement. I think they all work best together.

[tayloraine]

Mark:

Vitamin B, for me at least, always made my anxiety worse. I might feel better initially, like a burst of energy, but then it would turn into jitteriness...have you tried/are you considering trying the supplement regimen outlined in this thread (~1 oz TwinLab Amino Fuel, 1 tsp l-glutamine powder dissolved in some water, and 250 mg or so of magnesium, every morning on an empty stomach)? If you aren't currently on meds, I strongly urge you to pause the B-vitamins and try Hanino's (the OP) suggestions. I had panic attacks and depression in severe, episodic spurts for 2 years, and in the last six months since starting those supplements I've felt like my old self again--no panic attacks in 2 months, and only mild ones before that.

I don't know if it will work for everyone, but I believe, based on the theories as to why the regimen works, it could work for most. Good luck with whatever you decide to do, and feel free to ask any questions!

[Mark A. Camacho]

hey JohnC thanks a lot for your effort...Yes I have been to a doctor and on his advice I started to take Vitamin B but they dont resolve my problem of panic attack and as I mention before my panic attack is getting severe.

[Mark A. Camacho]

heyy Tayloraine! I really appreciate your effort and I have heard about the medicine which you are telling me but the doctor haven't prescribe me yet!As soon as he will prescribe me I am going to use this medicine. BTW thanks a lot for your suggestion.

[HRPOWER]

Both made me worse..

[tayloraine]

heyy Tayloraine! I really appreciate your effort and I have heard about the medicine which you are telling me but the doctor haven't prescribe me yet!As soon as he will prescribe me I am going to use this medicine. BTW thanks a lot for your suggestion.

The supplements, you mean? They're just vitamins and available without a prescription at places like Vitamin Shoppe, GNC, or online through Amazon and other places--if you're interested in trying it, of course. I would never tell anyone to go off their medication or not use prescriptions if they truly feel they're benefitting from them. BUt if you want to try something more natural, I do HIGHLY suggest the regimen described in this thread. I was like you, getting desperate--I didn't know how I could keep living my life this way, waking up with jolting panic, crying jags all day that kept me from caring for my daughter the way I wanted, anxiety that was straining my relationship with my husband, and a host of physical problems (darkened urine, vomiting, headaches, etc.).

I was so desperate that I finally caved and let my doctor prescribe me an antidepressant and Xanax. I even filled the prescriptions. The night I was going to start taking them, I was googling frantically--trying to find ANYTHING i hadn't tried yet that could help me, instead of pills. Again--not against medication, it just wasn't for me, since I was convinced (and definitely am, now) taking Abilify for my compulsive hair pulling 2 years ago is what started my anxiety and depression. I'd had no mood disorders or panic prior to that drug, so of course I was terrified to take more drugs to fix the issue. I also come from a long line of addicts, and I knew the odds of becoming dependent on Xanax were very high for me--it just didn't seem worth it, but as I said, I was desperate. Like, live or die kind of desperate.

Then I found this thread, and I shoved my prescriptions into a drawer, went to Vitamin Shoppe for the Amino Fuel and magnesium (I added the l-glutamine powder a few days later), and never looked back. I started getting better immediately, and a month later I threw out my filled--but completely unused--prescriptions.

By no means am I saying these vitamins will work for everyone, but I've said many times on this thread that I believe they will work for most. If you have access to these supplements, you should definitely give them a try. Best of luck--I hope you find relief very soon. I haven't had a panic attack in months, but that memory sticks with you a while so I know what you're going through.

[tayloraine]

Magnesium Doubled My Anxiety.... at least.... I am on paroxetine... be v careful.

Hi, HR-

Magnesium and amino acids (and the l-glutamine powder) could still help you, but I'm thinking if they made you worse it could be a reaction with your paroxetine. I'm not a doctor so I can't say for sure, but the OP Hanino mentioned that possibility and suggested avoiding these supplements until you've been off your meds at least six weeks, if I remember correctly. If you feel the paroxetine is helping you, stick with it, but if you're tapering or thinking of tapering off soon, you could introduce the supplements again when you've finished the taper.

If you are interested in going off Paxil, I found this site called paxilprogress.org when I was trying to find information about my Abilify withdrawal. I did it cold-turkey, not knowing better, and that's what started my anxiety and depression (I'd had neither before that--I was only taking Abilify for 2 months, for compulsive hair-pulling). Anyway, like I said if you're doing well on Paxil and want to stick with it, by all means do. I'm against meds for myself but I know they help others, too. I'm just saying *if* you go off the Paxil at some point in the future, it'd be worth it to give the supplements another shot. Best of luck

[MikesJewel]

Hello everyone. I am new to the forum and have to say that I am so relieved to find this. I have struggled with anxiety/depression for many, many years. Like most all the posts I have read, have been on medication after medication. Right now I am on Welbutrin. (sp ?) A couple of months ago, I tried to stop, but after about 5 weeks, the tense, anxious feelings came. They are constant. . .with shakes resulting in my poor husband getting the brunt of my outbursts of frustration. Then depression sets in because I do not want to be this way. So, I am back on the med and my husband isn't afraid to be around me again.

Something fairly recent, the past few years, about every three weeks I wake up in the middle of the night sweating profusely. It is only a couple nights with sweats, but for about three days I live in total fear. I cannot be alone or I feel like I am literally going to die. My heart races and there is a 'pit' in my stomach. Since I am 50, I had thought it was hormonal, but after six months on estrogen, hormones are all leveled out and still on a schedule, the night sweats and fear. It just isn't a good thing to have to be babysat at age 50. . . Doctors do not know what is wrong with me and want me to go to a psychologist. . . I had gone to one many years ago who told me that I just have an embalance (sp?) I agree with others who have done this and it's the same thing, talk about the same thing and listen to the same ideas to cope along with prescribing medication. . .

I desparately want off chemicals. Just this past weekend I visited with a naturalist regarding my condition, he told me about the B vitamins and I immediately rushed to a Natural Store to begin my new treatment. After stumbling onto this thread, and reading about the Magnesium and Amino Acids, I am going back to the Natural Store with high hopes that this is my answer. . .My question is, should I stop the Welbutrin immediatley or is it ok to take all together as I wean off?

Thank you so much for your help. . .
MikesJewel

[tayloraine]

Hello everyone. I am new to the forum and have to say that I am so relieved to find this. I have struggled with anxiety/depression for many, many years. Like most all the posts I have read, have been on medication after medication. Right now I am on Welbutrin. (sp ?) A couple of months ago, I tried to stop, but after about 5 weeks, the tense, anxious feelings came. They are constant. . .with shakes resulting in my poor husband getting the brunt of my outbursts of frustration. Then depression sets in because I do not want to be this way. So, I am back on the med and my husband isn't afraid to be around me again.

Something fairly recent, the past few years, about every three weeks I wake up in the middle of the night sweating profusely. It is only a couple nights with sweats, but for about three days I live in total fear. I cannot be alone or I feel like I am literally going to die. My heart races and there is a 'pit' in my stomach. Since I am 50, I had thought it was hormonal, but after six months on estrogen, hormones are all leveled out and still on a schedule, the night sweats and fear. It just isn't a good thing to have to be babysat at age 50. . . Doctors do not know what is wrong with me and want me to go to a psychologist. . . I had gone to one many years ago who told me that I just have an embalance (sp?) I agree with others who have done this and it's the same thing, talk about the same thing and listen to the same ideas to cope along with prescribing medication. . .

I desparately want off chemicals. Just this past weekend I visited with a naturalist regarding my condition, he told me about the B vitamins and I immediately rushed to a Natural Store to begin my new treatment. After stumbling onto this thread, and reading about the Magnesium and Amino Acids, I am going back to the Natural Store with high hopes that this is my answer. . .My question is, should I stop the Welbutrin immediatley or is it ok to take all together as I wean off?

Thank you so much for your help. . .
MikesJewel

Hi, MikesJewel! First, welcome to the forum.

Second, what you're describing sounds similar to what I went through when I quit Abilify--intense panic, depression, weird and sometimes debilitating physical symptoms--and is known as Protracted or Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (also known as discontinuation syndrome and a host of other names). For some people, quitting a drug--psychiatric drugs, benzos, alcohol, etc.--is easy. They just stop and they're done. But for others, symptoms start a few days to weeks after stopping the drug, and can continue for months or for some, as with me, years; it happens in a pattern known as "windows and waves" in which a person feels the intense symptoms of stopping the drug for days at a time, with periods of normalcy, and over time the windows--feeling good--gets longer and longer, until eventually they're normal again. The community of people suffering with PAWS believes "waves," feeling bad, is the brain trying to restore its natural neurotransmitter activity after the drug(s) altered it.

This theory makes sense to me, which is why I decided to try the Amino Fuel, magnesium and l-glutamine powder regimen on this thread. Hanino, the original poster, pointed out that it gives the body--and therefore the brain--a good balance of everything that *should* be in our diets, but in this day and age just can't always be met. The body can pick what it needs and balance out our brains again.

Again, that's just a theory, but after two years of suffering from withdrawal symptoms after quitting Abilify, this regimen made me feel normal again. Better than normal--happy and stable! I was fortunate in that I have no pre-existing mood disorder (I was taking Abilify for compulsive hair-pulling, not depression or bipolar or anything like that), so I knew all along--even when doctors doubted it--that Abilify had done this to me, but for some it does become hard to distinguish the effects of the drug from the illness they took the drug for in the first place--hence they reinstate, as you did, fearing their condition for treatment became worse, when really it's the drug withdrawal causing that.

(Note: when I say "withdrawal" I don't mean it like an addiction. I just mean our brains have come to rely on these psychiatric drugs to function, and when they're taken away, we get depression, anxiety, etc. worse than before).

Anyway. I'm sorry you're having a hard time with the Wellbutrin. But you're doing research and that's great, something I wish I'd done before quitting Abilify cold turkey; the slower your taper, the easier time you'll have getting off the drug overall.

I'm not sure if you can take this regimen while tapering your Wellbutrin. Instinctively, I'd say no, because you'd be giving your brain the building blocks for neurotransmitters that Wellbutrin might be effecting simultaneously. That said, introducing the regimen slowly, toward the end of your Wellbutrin taper, might help alleviate any withdrawal symptoms you face later on.

Check out the site paxilprogress.org--it helped me a LOT when I was trying to figure out what was wrong with me, and there are lots of stories from people who have tapered/are still tapering. You can even search the site and find others specifically on Wellbutrin tapers. Also, keep in touch with your doctor throughout your taper, and let them know you want to do it very slowly. Slowly, to a doctor, can mean over a few weeks--you want to taper over a period of months or even up to two years, depending on your current dosage and how intense your symptoms are each time you step down the dosage. That will hopefully make the process easier. Overall, do what feels best for YOU.

PS: I used to get the night sweats too! I'm 24 so I knew it wasn't menopause, but I thought it was something hormonal since I'd given birth about 10 months after I cold-turkeyed the Abilify and all my panic/anxiety started. All my tests came back normal, though. I never did figure out what was causing it, but it hasn't happened since I started this regimen Best of luck in whatever you decide to do! I wish I could help more, i.e. give you a specific tapering/supplement schedule, but I don't know enough about medicine or you personally to do that. :/ One thing I can say for sure is it DOES get better. Just hang in there