Posted by Lao Tzu on August 17, 2010, at 14:13:34
In reply to Re: Social Anxiety Vitamin » Lao Tzu, posted by morgan miller on August 16, 2010, at 21:21:01
Morgan, hi! How are you? What's an EMG stand for? Going to a rheumatologist is probably a wise step for you. You would want to rule out as much as possible. Maybe it would just give you some peace of mind to know either way.
Selegline? I don't know if my doctor would try this. He's not the type of doctor that is in to experimenting with different drugs. He's pretty much by the book and only gives me the best medications for my disorder. I have asked him about so many other medications, but he just says they won't help. He did, for a little while, recommend Chantix for smoking cessation, but when all the bad press came out about it, he stopped talking to me about it. I guess he wants to try and avoid any malpractice suits. I asked him about Wellbutrin for smoking, and he said it doesn't work. So I have over the years been putting more faith into what he tells me. I now admit that he really is a very good psychiatrist. Unfortunately, the current medications are not miracle drugs, and I doubt they ever will be. If I want to quit smoking, if I want to get a life, I have to put forth some effort. That's life, I guess, difficult as it is.
I will consider schisandra like you suggest and cordyceps. So far the only two herbs that have had a real impact for me are cinnamon and ginger. I gave up on the holy basil. I actually felt too mellow with the holy basil. I like to be a little more alert. I'm sure the holy basil would probably work fine if I wasn't on so many meds that tend to mellow you out. It's just too much mellowing for me. I've been trying to keep my regimen as simple as possible, and I've noticed an improvement. Taking too many supplements can just cause all kinds of complications when you're on heavy doses of medication. I'm learning that now.
I still have my Chinese pills sitting in my desk. I haven't tried them yet, and I don't know if I ever will. The formula has cordyceps in it, I believe. I'm curious about the TCM, but I don't really know if it is for me. I want to avoid complications and making the whole thing too complex. However, I do realize that if ginger and cinnamon have helped me a lot, then there must be other herbs out there that will be beneficial to me. I just haven't found them yet.
I've been thinking the social anxiety vitamin might be a little too indulgent of me. I'm not thinking clearly. Social phobia/anxiety has its complexities. Finding the underlying root of the problem is problematic. The SSRIs help to some degree. CBT helps to some degree. Maybe even Emotional Freedom Techniques would work as well, but I never found anything that miraculously cured my social anxiety other than benzodiazepines, which leads me to believe that GABA neurotransmission may be involved in relation to other neurotransmitters. It's a complex web of relationships, the brain is. We haven't mastered it yet.
Anyway, I really hope you start getting some specific answers as to what is wrong with you. Good luck with the EMG. Did the neurologist recommend any type of physical therapy? You said he couldn't explain your fatigue. The causes of fatigue are complex and numerous. I know bipolars can have extreme fatigue, which the doctors can't seem to explain thoroughly. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Possible virus exposure. Adrenal exhaustion is a big one. You can get better with certain herbs, diet, and certain key nutrients. Oxidative stress in the brain could be a factor in fatigue, or not getting enough circulation and nourishment to the brain. Who knows for sure why you are fatigued? I guess an autoimmune disease could lead to fatigue as a symptom. I'm glad you're trying to get some definite answers, so you can deal with it if that's what you have.
I know when I was working everyday (I had a very physical job a few years ago), by the end of the day I would usually have this extreme fatigue, I mean almost everyday. I didn't want to do anything on the weekends because I felt I needed to recover. I became lazy and lethargic. That's not normal for most people. Usually, all someone needs to do to recharge their batteries is sleep and rest for awhile. Then they get up and continue on with their lives. People who have bipolar disorder and schizophrenia find it difficult to recharge their batteries simply by taking a nap or just by being inactive for a few hours. I've always wondered why exactly that happens to these people. Is it a direct result of neurotransmitters that are lacking or are not working properly? Is it that these people are always stressed out so they never truly unwind and forget about a hard work day? Something physical is going on and maybe is affected by psychological factors, but I've never received a good answer as to why it happens. Certainly, if your brain neurotransmitters are working properly and you feel okay, you're not going to experience as much fatigue. I know this to be true from taking Provigil and Ativan. The Provigil works on Orexin cells in the brain which cause a state of arousal and wakefulness, essentially a stimulant effect. Ativan, though not a stimulant, at higher dosages makes you feel at ease with yourself, and so you don't even recognize any fatigue. You just feel relaxed, psychologically and physically. So medical science can manipulate the feeling of fatigue quite well, but perhaps, there are no easy or quick ways of treating the underlying causes of fatigue. Perhaps it would take many months or a year to treat a specific illness with nutrients, diet, exercise, etc. before the symptoms of fatigue start to wane. If medication is the only way, then that would have to do, and many people find relief from medication, at least for a time. Maybe that's why so many people smoke pot. Because when you do, you relax, you don't focus on fatigue, you don't focus on any of your problems. Yet, pot can cause other problems, and personally, I don't think it should be legalized for just anybody. There again, you're not addressing the underlying problem.
Oh, I've rambled enough already. Good luck with your tests. I do hope you find the answers you're looking for because there could potentially be a therapy out there that might be of benefit to you and allow you to live a more rewarding life. I have this feeling you will discover something that helps you just because you are looking for it. Stay well.Lao
poster:Lao Tzu
thread:956702
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20100812/msgs/958925.html