Kava kava....ok so what does it do to or for benzo wd?

[[wh...]]

I have heard a lot of different thing about kava kava..I have horrible stress/anxiety/worry coming of the benzo for the 5th time as I have to do it this time and I am having difficulty with calming down as I go off slow.

 

um I tried passionflower,valerian, hydroxyzine cause I heard it was safe but still wake up with anxiety over the top and then when I think of my stuation and all I get really jacked up and anxiety hits me hard...I calm in the evenings but not enough...anyone have any advice on the kava kava? if it worked well or sx's ?  I heard it works on the benzo receptor..but not that much to really bother a taper so if it helps with anxiety I would be for it...just dunno?

[[Th...]]

Hi whatalife,

 

Many have talked about Kava Kava over the year I have been here. You may find those posts if you click "forum" at the top of the page, then type Kava Kava in the search box to the right. 

 

T2

[[Be...]]

I have heard a lot of different thing about kava kava..I have horrible stress/anxiety/worry coming of the benzo for the 5th time as I have to do it this time and I am having difficulty with calming down as I go off slow.

 

um I tried passionflower,valerian, hydroxyzine cause I heard it was safe but still wake up with anxiety over the top and then when I think of my stuation and all I get really jacked up and anxiety hits me hard...I calm in the evenings but not enough...anyone have any advice on the kava kava? if it worked well or sx's ?  I heard it works on the benzo receptor..but not that much to really bother a taper so if it helps with anxiety I would be for it...just dunno?

 

I haven't tried the kava-kava, whatalife, but I have read posts from people who have.  Like just about everything else related to benzos, the results varied.  I believe adelia found it helped her anxiety; others have said it was a waste of money.  It really will help if you can accept a certain amount of anxiety as perfectly normal for you now, like having a fever would be if you had the flu.  There is an old book by Claire Weekes, "Help and Hope for Your Nerves" that comes highly recommended.  I downloaded some of her lectures from iTunes and listened to them to keep from causing my anxiety to excalate.  I know it sounds too simple, but when you can stop getting yourself worked up ("when I think of my situation and all I get really jacked up"), you can help these anxiety waves to move through and out more quickly. 

 

Here is an article about morning anxiety...

 

"Yes, depression and anxiety are worse in the morning. That is when your body's cortisol level is the hightest(cortisol is stimulating) and that accounts for probably part of what you are feeling. Cortisol is the stress hormone, your body produces when you are under stress.

 

The paradox of stress/cortisol is that anxiety produces cortisol, which produces anxiety which produces more cortisol, which causes you to feel more anxious...etc....

 

Soon you find yourself in this never ending cycle of anxiety and depression.

 

What you must do to get well is ACCEPT your anxiety. You must ACCEPT your feelings and not try to fight them. Do this long enough and an interesting thing happens, the anxiety goes away."

 

Deanne Repich from her article Understanding Early Morning Anxiety says,

 

"Another reason why symptoms can be worse in the morning is because your blood sugar is low when you first wake up. You have gone all night without food.

 

 

It's important to maintain a constant blood sugar level because the brain uses sugar, also known as glucose, as its fuel. If blood sugar levels are too low or drop too fast, then the brain starts running out of fuel.

 

This causes the brain to trigger the "fight or flight" response. The "fight or flight" response sends a rush of adrenaline, cortisol, and other neurotransmitters through your body to prepare you to fight or flee the perceived threat (low fuel).

 

This process can trigger physical reactions ("symptoms") such as trembling, rapid heartbeat, sweating, panic attacks, fatigue, insomnia, mental confusion, nervousness, dizziness, and more."

 

I know it's been happening regularly but try not to expect it to happen; that kind of sets you up for it, you know?  And it is just another w/d symptom and will pass.

 

Hope this helps. 

 

 

 

[[ha...]]

Really good information beeper!  I hadn't seen that before.  There is so much that we can do to help ourselves that doesn't involve drugs.  Or supplements for that matter.  I do think that the tendency for docs to prescribe more and more drugs just adds to this cycle. If we can slow things down enough to get off this crazy ride, all of this makes more sense and we being to harness our own power.

[[wh...]]

thanks beeper and hawkeye...

 

beeper that was a great article...yeah the stress hits me in the morning....I try and forget it ..very hard...and then it is encroaching into the afternoons and evenings the lower I go so I dunno what to think of that?  do I just hold then til it lessens up or what the heck?

 

thanks for careing..xoxoxo

[[su...]]

Kava worked somewhat ok for me. Be careful with mixing with benzos, I believe it's toxic in high levels.

 

I also used a cayenne tincture made by an herbalist. It was brutal going down but it calmed the anxiety and it's safe. Look into it.

[[wh...]]

thanks to all of you nice people...you are all so kind...so sweet...thank you .

 

ok last nite I tried a mixture of stuff...1 valerian, 1/2 kava kava, 1 echinecia cuZ I felt a cold coming on...some vitamin c and echienecia tea and after doing that I puked up all my stuff and dinner...and then after I calmed down took 1/2 unisom and 5-htp and 1mg melatonin and slept well...since the other junk was puked up...I dunno...I hate the stress and anxiety so much...I hope it gets less as I go lower.

 

I woke up and tried to accept the anxiety and be calm and each day at noon no mater what I get this weirdo dizzy and light headed feeling..dunno what that is...I did medetation today and a little yoga and deep breathing and walked and I kept trying to accept the anxiety and let my thoughts go and not fight them and replace them with another but then they kept coming back..those thoughts that remind me how sick i am and how much more i have to come off of this hell...I know that the drug is not good and ct's did no good either and reinstating the drug is not working for me ..it is against me and I feel it makes me sick when I take it but if I stop taking the damn junk then I could go into ct again..and I am not wanting that .....cuz the anxiety hit so hard my chest tightened up to where I could not breath and I hope going slowly this will not happen?  2 months after ct...is when my chest seithed up on me and wow ....what a fright...and grabbed a benzo and it was gone...and then so was I..so I am very upset that I did not hang tough.  I thought going back on and coming off slow would cure that...and yet I have a lot of anxiety and it is tortourous...

 

so um...how long did the anxiety hang with you guys after you were off the benzos?  did it get worse the lower you got on the titration?  when you got totally off did it get worse?  how long til it went away?  thank you.

[[su...]]

Don't take too much stuff at once. I've done that and it makes you really sick. Valerian is a bit rough on the stomach. It's going to take a little while after you get off for your body to heal up. I screwed up after I got off. It wasn't good. You will get better though.

[[pa...]]

Whatalife- Please be careful with what supplements your taking. Alot of people have problems with them revving them up. If you really want to take a supplement try 1 at a time so you know how it effects you, this way if one makes you feel worse you know what it is.

 

Amanda

[[wh...]]

thanks...I am afraid...I feel worse as I lower...I am going slowly....I did a dumb thing and updosed one day to see if it helps and I feel worse ....so should I hold?

[[Th...]]

thanks...I am afraid...I feel worse as I lower...I am going slowly....I did a dumb thing and updosed one day to see if it helps and I feel worse ....so should I hold?

 

If updosing didn't do any good and your holding is not helping, the only option at this point would be to continue tapering.

[[wh...]]

it has been two days since my stupid updose and I did just do it one day and then went back to my original dose of .310 and I have horrible anxiety today..worse ever and wonder if it is caused by the updose I did and if I hold here for a bit will my body balance out from that?

 

I  heard tho that when one ct's and then waits a while to reinstate..like I did ...2 months and then not totally stable...that the way down is horrible and worse as you go lower...I am wondering if I keep lowering this mess then the anxiety would get worse too right?  it is horrible and unbearable now...so what do I do?

 

um seems that holding for like a month would get my body ajusted to this right?  where my body would calm down and I could go lower ..the anxiety could calm down?  or why would it not get better if I hold? 

[[Th...]]

um seems that holding for like a month would get my body ajusted to this right?  where my body would calm down and I could go lower ..the anxiety could calm down?  or why would it not get better if I hold?

 

There is no way to know or not. I had the same problem but my anxiety was due to my thyroid. You were tapering slow enough so holding more will probably not help??

[[ad...]]

Hi whatalife,

 

Have you tried screaming in the shower (at the top of your lungs)....every morning?  No, seriously, that might work.  It's part of the benzo self-acceptance program.....

 

About the kava, Beeper was right, it really worked for me (good memory Beeper!).  BUT...what I found is that it varies hugely from brand to brand.  I had a very good brand from my local whole foods store.  When I would feel a meltdown coming on, or after one had already hit, two droppers full of that in water would help me be relaxed in 10 minutes.  I reserved it for "emergencies" sort of.  Didn't take it all the time.  Every few days maybe. 

 

Then, I ran out of that and ordered a different brand, still a tincture, and it sucked.  It really didn't do anything at all!  And it was a good herbal brand too.  I've been meaning to write to them and tell them.  I was reading up on Kava, and a good brand should have between 30-70 "kavalactones" or something along those lines.  Do a google and check it out. 

 

But even getting a "bedtime" tea with kava might help too. 

 

However, there is one caveat against using kava kava.  It can go against some other meds.  So...check that out first.  As I recall, you aren't on any anti-depressants and such...?

 

Re my anxiety.  Anxiety was not one of my major symptoms.  Body and muscle pain was/is.  Course, by the time you add in every other possible symptom, it's hard NOT to feel a little anxious, including tachycardia and squeezing chest. 

 

It's just that I would do everything I could to PREVENT anxiety.  Which meant controlled my fried brain...somehow.  During the first 4 hardest weeks, I turned the TV on almost the minute I woke up.  To distract my brain.  I never planned on having such a close relationship with both my TV's during w/d's, but alas.  I did what I had to. 

 

I often cried in the shower, if it's any consolation whatalife.  However, I did not kick either cat.    So proud of myself. 

--adelia

[[ad...]]

By the way, WAL (whatalife...),

 

When are you going to get off that stuff?

 

--adelia