I’m sorry to hear about what you’re going through. I’ve had some intense experiences with extreme anxiety myself, which were triggered by a sudden shift in brain chemistry and activation patterns due to an autoimmune condition and pharmaceutical interventions. This led to what felt like a complete reconfiguration of my brain’s activation state—something unique to me because of my highly overactive brain, some underlying inflammation, and a dramatic chemical change. It’s possible that this shift has caused a permanent alteration in brain activity for me.
Based on what I’ve learned and experienced (for context, Xanax at 4 mg/day and SSRIs didn’t work for me), the next step in my case was exploring antipsychotics like quetiapine or aripiprazole. Personally, 150 mg of quetiapine reduced my anxiety by about 50%.
When it comes to medications that target brain chemistry, it’s important to remember that every brain is unique. While certain drugs may have documented effects in 65% or more of cases, their impact can be highly unpredictable in individuals. This unpredictability could be an opportunity to explore options. Some suggestions you might consider include:
Tianeptine
Bupropion
Modafinil
Methylphenidate
Lamotrigine
Atomoxetine
These medications tend to work relatively quickly, allowing you to evaluate their effects on your anxiety. For me, tianeptine and bupropion were particularly effective.
Another potentially beneficial intervention is Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). It can positively alter brain activation patterns, and pairing it with neurofeedback afterward could provide even more precise calibration.
As a more extreme measure, there’s Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT), which has the potential to provide long-lasting relief or even a cure. However, it does carry risks, so careful consideration and professional guidance are essential. If this is something you’d like to explore, you can access it in countries like Turkey, among others.
Wishing you strength and clarity as you navigate this. Let me know if you’d like more details or support.
Indeed, but if symptoms return, many specialists recommend maintenance TMS sessions (usually 1-2 sessions per month or a short cycle of treatments). This approach helps prolong the positive effects.
FWIW - SSRIs are first line for a reason. However it’s not uncommon for SSRIs to not work alone, sometimes they need to be augmented, eg with atypical antipsychotics or alternate antidepressants like Wellbutrin.
My personal experience is that I benefit from a combination of 4 medications: SSRI, Aripiprazole, Wellbutrin and stimulants. My primary diagnosis is ADHD (more of a slow type low motivation), comorbid with depression and anxiety. Stimulants are the workhorse of course, but without the other augmentation they sometimes don’t work at all (like taking a sugar pill), and I would still experience anxiety and irritability with stimulants alone.
At any rate, I bring this up to say perhaps don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater on SSRIs or other chemical assistance.
L-tyrosine has alleviated mild anxiety in me. When I stop taking it, the anxiety returns.
A normal dose might be 1 gram, 3 times a day; I just need that twice a day. Nothing is
stressing me to cause this. I think it’s just a result of old age. You might google tyrosine anxiety
to get some ideas.
Bruce,
L-theanine works well for mild to moderate anxiety…I haven’t seen reports about its use for severe anxiety. Theanine boosts production of GABA which is a calming neurotransmitter.
Here is a link to my article posted on my blog:
Title of post: Theanine: Amazing Herbal Anti-Anxiety Agent & Sleep Aid
Link: Longevity Blog | Ross Pelton | The Natural Pharmacist
I just started taking LDN and was reading more about it because it’s making me feel a little different (not yet sure if it’s better or worse!), and I saw that it can also help with anxiety.
I’m personally taking it for the potential long term brain benefits, and as an added bonus, to see if it can reduce my hashimotos. Perhaps it is something worth looking into?
SSRIs and benzos cause changes to receptor sites in the brain, which makes it difficult and sometimes impossible for people to discontinue these drugs. I encourage people to try natural therapies for depression and anxiety…and seek professional counseling.
I have been taking LDN (first 1 mg, then 3 mg then 4 mg at night for a year) for chronic pain and have not sensed any difference in my mood. I was aware that LDN can release endorphins, which is one reason it is recommended taken at night. I was hoping for a mood boost. But it never materialized.
Clonidine is a very potent vasodilator often used in ER. It can make BP drop very low and very quickly if taken orally. The lowest dose is 0.1 mg. This dose s too high for me. I would split it into .025mg and take only as needed. Patches (0.1 mg/day) work pretty well. I use them occasionally.
I see that Selank was mentioned, here is one study.
It was shown that the anxiolytic effect of Selank is comparable to that of classical benzodiazepine drugs and that the basis of their mechanism of action may be similar.
I have not tried this one yet but it is on my to-do list I’m not an anxious person but I’m interested in some of the other benefits this peptide may provide.
Enhances cognitive function: Selank may help enhance focus, mental clarity, memory retention, and learning abilities
A little more about tyrosine-
Life Extension offers a test to indirectly measure one’s neurotransmitter levels:
It’s a urine test. The actual value of it is uncertain.
I took the test and here are my results: http://bayimg.com/CaGAGAABO
According to the book, “Heal with Amino Acids and Nutrients”, depletion of epinephrine and
norepinephrine can lead to depression and anxiety, and “The natural way to normalize brain levels
of norepinephrine is with supplementation of tyrosine or phenylalanine.”
So I think anyone with a low norepinephrine measurement could take perhaps 2 grams of tyrosine
twice a day, on an empty stomach, for a few weeks and see it it makes any difference in their mood.
The difference might be most noticeable a few days after stopping the tyrosine.
I also found this on PubMed: “Although mounting clinical and pre-clinical evidence now indicates
that oxidative stress may be a major component of anxiety pathology, whether oxidative stress is the
cause or consequence remains elusive. Studies conducted over the past few years suggest that anxiety
disorders may be characterized by lowered antioxidant defenses and increased oxidative damage to
proteins, lipids and nucleic acids.”
There’s a test, "“Stress and Nutrition Antioxidant Screen” at https://www.ultalabtests.com
for about $100 which might indicate a need for more (or less) antioxidants, as far as I can tell.
I take Seroquel myself, 25 mg, sometimes only half. It does work well. I’ve tried Selank, both injected and intranasally, with no results so far. But I may be an outlier. A stronger version, NA-Selank, is probably much better. I aim to try it.
Another research chemical said to be anxiolytic is carnosic acic, derived from rosemary and common sage. Available from several online sources, it is often used to help people taper off benzos. Bromantane is yet another RC that’s characterized as a mild stimulant with anxiolyitic properties. It is also found online.
I take 100 mg of Seroquel for sleep and feel no relief of anxiety. A psychiatrist one time wanted to give me 300 mg for anxiety during waking hours. If 100 mg puts me to sleep at night, I was not about to take 300 mg of it during the day. Unless the smaller dose is what works on anxiety and a larger dose does not.
Great thread. I have nothing to add to the exogenous molecules (have used many of the OTC ones). But will relate one experience, the memory of which helps me cope: I went to see my doctor about a skin thing that had me very anxious. The doctor reassured me it was nothing to worry about – just a keratosis. I remember that as I walked down the stairs, leaving the office, I was aware of this bolus of anxiety, almost buzzing, having had to vacate its previous object of attention, was now looking for a new location, a new thing to worry about. It was like it was an independent phenomena, “not me,” operating on me. And having seen it for what it was, I have ever after been able to look at it and separate it from my “self.”
Long ago I made a cup of tea and this was the message on the Yogi tea tag: “The mind is given to you. You are not given to the mind.” This has become a kind of mantra for me. It is this experience of you yourself as separate from what your chemistry is doing to you that I find empowering. First got this from meditation long ago.
Your Yogi tea message reminded me of this quote by John Milton: “The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven…” I am also reminded of an observation by William James regarding our thoughts and feelings. It’s not that our thoughts come first and then our feelings, but our feelings come first and then our thoughts.
In other words, I have found that thoughts cannot have much more than a minimal impact on my visceral anxiety. I have had anxiety to as far back as kindergarten. What is happening in me is not susceptible to thinking differently. I first read about cognitive psychology back in the middle 1980s. But it did little more than offer momentary relief, and then only when I am thinking positive thoughts. The second I stop to do some real-life chores, the anxiety comes roaring back.
Maybe I just need to apply more discipline to meditation. But my anxiety gets in the way if I try.
@Deborah_Hall I think about this often. I’d add another idea that I find very useful.
“You” are not in charge of your brain by default. “You” are one of several operating systems that the brain uses to do its thing (survival, procreation). “You” resides in the language, planning ahead operating subsystem that works best if it can exert temporary control over certain other functions / operating systems (you can stop breathing for a while, you can stop eating for a while, you can take risks or do without something to gain a longer term benefit). But the brain always take back control when it chooses to do so. (Freewill lives or dies here).
“You” go along with these decisions because you rationalize that this other behavior is “really for the better” or the brain convinces you with emotions or other signals (hunger, fear, anxiety, pain, etc). You retain the feeling of being in charge because you function better when you feel agency. If you felt that nothing matters, that would not end well.
On the other hand, when you enter Flow, “you” essentially disappear; “you” are just living the experience. It is very enjoyable because it is freeing. All troubles and obligations and worries are lifted. A sense of time disappears as well.
In general, “you” can develop a sort of long-term control over your brain by training it to want what you want. When your brain learns that what you want works out well (food, safety, sex, etc) it will learn to want what you want (but not let you be in charge). Habits live here.
This is wisdom. It is hard to obtain and hard to retain.
This is my perspective and is not based on scientific study but is consistent with everything I’ve read about the brain, emotions, habits. I’d love to hear from anyone with a more scientific understanding of this area.
I’m not an anxious person but I’m interested in some of the other benefits this peptide may provide.