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Alternative remedies - share your thoughts


Lis

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In the past couple of weeks I have received some interesting suggestions from my new psychiatrists:

1) drink 1/2 of your body weight, in ounces, per day in order for your "neurotransmitters to work properly"

2) Take Turmeric extract for the "curcumin" in it - for a whole host of reasons (including: backpain (anti-inflammatory), liver health, atherosclerosis, gallstones, and the irritable bowel syndrome and is recommended in cancer prevention).

I know that there are about a billion herbal remedies out there - have any of you found them to  be particularly helpful?

:)

Lis

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St John's Wort (especially tea)- does nothing for my mood or anything like that, but helps with some headaches.

massages with a peppermint and lavender oil stick - helps with some other headaches and even migraines

acupuncture, acupressure - headaches and migraines

tiger balm - colds, sore muscles, headaches, and a million other little woes

lavender (in tea, lotions - there's a wonderful good night baby lotion---so nice) - calms me a great deal

inhaling camomilla and peppermint oil - great for colds

sea water nose spray w/ zink

infrared light - wonderfully warm hehe, great for ear infections, sinusitis, back pain, menstruation pain...and cold feet!

hot packs in the neck, ice packs on the forehead and over the eyes- some headaches

large quantities of green tea - blood pressure and headaches

tons of herbal teas - for sleep, stomach probs (ginger!!!) and a ton of other things

dude i feel like a witch in my hut full of herbal stuff...just gimme some proper medication

art

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About two years ago,Vanderbilt University concluded a research project on St. John's Wort and did not find any significant benefits in relieving depression - I think the results were about the same as the placebo group.

massage has been wonderful for me - along with yoga, in helping with tense muscles and more awareness of what is going on with my body.

acupuncture - as wonderful as a massage!

lavender is awesome - a drop on your pillow will help you sleep - more than that will be stimulating and keep you awake.  It is also good for headaches, burns in the kitchen.

chamomile tea before bed will help you sleep.

echinacea, taken ten days on, ten days off, will help boost your immune system and help you keep from getting colds during the winter time.  If you take it continually, it will lose it's effectiveness...

ginseng is great for energy.

for anyone on medications, though, check with a pharmacist before starting anything herbal.  Some herbal medications can actually be dangerous or reduce effectiveness with some of the antidepressants and other medications that you might be taking.

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Although I have nothing against natural remedies (I always take garlic pills for any kind of upset stomach or digestive problem before taking anything else), please be aware that some of the herbal remedies (like St. John's Wort) can wreak havoc with some prescription medications (coumadin is an especially touchy one) and can cause severe complications (with coumadin the risk is internal bleeding).  Just because it's "natural" doesn't mean it's safe to mix with other things.  Check with your medical doctor first if you take prescription meds.

Lora

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BHI makes a line of homeopathy that is amazing. I've tried 3 of them so far:

Exhaustion

Calming

Body Pure, for detoxing

I just started taking the Calming one about a month ago. I have panic attacks. What I found is that if I am getting real tense, (I still have emotion memories coming up), that if I put a tablet under my tongue, in a few moments I start just crabbing about a whole bunch of stuff. My mouth just goes on and on, which is real funny for me cause I am so quiet most of the time. Within a few moments, I've stopped and I am peaceful. Its like I had this stuff stuck in my throat and it wouldn't come out, but this helped it to. Once its out, I feel better. Its kinda fun.

Same with the exhaustion one. If I am bodily tired, it puts me right to sleep. Like for some reason I didn't know I was resisting, but with this stuff I don't have a choice. It seems to get me to what I need most.

Also, Aconite. If I have gone through a really traumatic event and am shaking, aconite just calms me down real good. It doesn't change anything, but takes the freak out away, and the shaking.

Homeopathy works only if you have the symptoms for it. Like the Calming one for restlessness, anxiety, pms, insomnia.

One more: Depression by Nova is a homeopathy for Grief, anxiety, despair and melancholy.  Its a liquid. It kinda numbs me out, like buzzy & don't care.

Vitamins, I read for depression, so I started taking them. It seemed to regulate my crazy up and downs. The combo I take is B6, Bmulti, Cal/Mag, Multi, Phenalanine, and it suggests chromium, a, and something called tryptophan??? But I don't have those. It is to support the brain chemicals, like the Seratonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, gaba? and enkaphalins? i wrote this all down and then my other computer crashed so I will have to try to find the site again. It appears to be working a bit. I mean I did it for a while and actually felt like my old self, but then I couldn't get food one day and freaked out and couldn't take anything after that. I've been an adrenaline junky (fast cars, repeating, scary stuff), going through withdrawals. Supposedly the combination of vitamins helps bring the brain chemicals (depletion and too much) back into alignment. I don't remember the amounts to take, but I will try to find the site again.

THe green leaf is the best thing I have ever found to calm me down. It puts me right into meditative state and I can sleep. I can get a good perspective, a better perspective on what is going on. It actually was taking me out of that horrible adrenaline cycle, you might know of it... tenseness, panic, then relief, tenseness, panic, relief. But I cannot get it that often.

And oh my gosh..... The very bestest of all!!!!! I don't know how to say this.. Ok, if you can meditate - that is SO cool. I've had a hard time since this all started (flashbacks, and the like). But there are these tools I found that can be used to put one in a meditative state, and they help people calm down before a massage or any kind of body work, i heard. I have one of these and sleep with it every night. I don't have trouble staying asleep at all.  There is a site: shambhaladharmacenters.com   At the bottom of the page is a place to click. then look for the catalog. Alot of the writing is about what they are doing to help humanity, but the tools are under catalog. I have a vajra and a etheric weaver.

And the very last thing, helping others. the vitamins, balanced diet, sleep, and play time (don't do enough of this), combined with meditation and joyful body experiences, should be the key to an easier transition.

Ok, i'm done. thank you.

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Oh, my therapist suggested Bach flower remedies...anyone tried this?

First thing is I wouldn't know which flowers to choose since I have so many symptoms and if I remember this right you can only combine max. 3 kinds.

Second is, I could still try the rescue remedy one at least, but I've read horror stories of how this can really mess up already mentally unstable people on another survivor site.

Can anyone shed some light on this, it's something I'd be really interested in trying.

More alternative stuff I've thought of:

Autogenous training - the best relaxation technique I know, easy to learn and to do, and you can tailor it according to your own needs

Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) - I know a lot of people swear by this, for relaxation and to help with stress-related headaches or back pain. I have tried this myself and would not recommend it, I always ended up panicky or triggered, but that could be because it's just too close to the body.

art

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I've tried Bach Flower Remedies. I have the whole set.

The best way to use them is to just pick one, any one. It's like your highest self will pick it out for you. If you have a lot of symptoms, the one chosen will be the most important aspect that needs to be addressed at the moment. And you add a drop or two to a glass of water and sip it during the day. You can even put a few drops of Flower Remedies in your bath. Rescue Remedy is great for trauma. Its great for pets too.

Here is a quote from a book about them:  .."there is a direct link between man's unconscious and th eplant kingdom. Man is therefore able to contact his own essential nature of Higher Self at an unconsciuos level, through plant nature, and so restore harmony within himself."

Usually at the store, there will be a free flyer that sums up what the remedy is about. There are books that explain them in detail. A really in depth book about each Bach Remedy is:  Bach Flower Therapy, by Mechthild Scheffer. Its $12.95. But there are plenty of others that I'm sure are good too.

Just remember when you read the descriptions, that they are very general, and that the healing is in the vibrational aspects of the remedy itself. Knowing the attitudes that they are addressing is good to help let it go. But don't take them word for word.

Happy Healing!

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i like rescue remedy...it seemed to calm me the few times i've used it. i used to work for an acupuncturist who swears by it.
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I use meditation quite a bit, and massage (if I'm tense, not triggery). THey both really help me calm dowwn. Visualisations as well. A lot of people have reccomended affirmations, but I choke on them.

Herb-wise, valerian, mint and chamomile are good when I'm stressed.

A few years ago, I was having massive problems with my joints (arthritis-like symptoms). None of the doctors I went to were able to diagnose anything or do anything to make it better. I went to a Chinese herbalist, had him take my pulses and ask all sorts of personal questions, and he prescribed this *wierd* concoction I had to make into a tea and drink 3 times a day. It was the foulest thing I've ever tasted, but within a week, my joints were doing fine. I can't find him anymore, which is a shame, cause I'd definitely go back to him.

One of my friends is a reiki practitioner, and that's really worked well for me.

Caitlin

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  • 3 weeks later...

another quick question on rescue remedy (I've tried it now and it's soooo good):

does it lead to tolerance if you take it regularly?

if it does, I'll have to reserve it for really extreme situations and exams, if it doesn't I'd take it every morning before uni

art

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  • 2 weeks later...

I'd like to put in a word for yoga as a useful tool. I had had panic attacks from age 16-17 on, sometimes frequent & intense, sometimes months w/out any symptoms, but they never went completely away.

About 3 years ago, I began yoga, which certainly turned out to be something other than what I had expected. I would often feel close to tears during the 10-minute relaxation time at the end of each session. As time went by, I suddenly noticed that I hadn't had an attack in quite a long time. I have been essentially symptom-free for 3 years now--occasionally I will feel somewhat edgy & as if one might be on its way, but it never develops into a fullblown panic attack. This is by far the longest I have ever gone without having problems in that area.

If anyone does decide to pursue this idea, I would offer a few hints:

1)  when choosing a yoga class/teacher, try to find a teacher w/many years of experience in yoga rather than some aerobics teacher who took a weekend class in teaching yoga. It is important that your teacher be gentle & understand the deeper aspects of yoga, not just put you thru a series of postures.

2)  again, if you can possibly find a class conducted at a place that specializes in yoga rather than the local YMCA, you will probably have a better experience & find more guidance as to what will help you as an individual

3)  when looking at the type of yoga (and there are many types), try to look for the more gentle ones, such as hatha yoga, or especially kripalu (word means compassion) yoga. These types will help you to be gentle & loving with your body, mind, & soul. Perhaps the more active types, such as ashtanga or Iyengar (focuses on alignment) would be helpful to some people, but as a perfectionist, they only add to my stress/demands for achievement on myself.

Yoga works naturally w/meditation, if you are inclined that way. And should this be a concern to anyone, yoga is NOT a religion--it can incorporate Buddhist or Hindu aspects if YOU want it to, otherwise nothing is contained or implied.

I feel strongly that there are many misconceptions about yoga practice, & hope this may clarify it a bit for anyone who is curious.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Sapphirezfuryrains

Me and Anti Depressant don't get along too well. Infact me and a lot of RX meds don't get along very well.  

I used to get migraines ALL the time (severe ones that made me throw up and go temporarily blind)- I went to a nutritionist and he gave me Parathyroid Complex which has mostly stopped the migraines.

I have issues with my kidneys so I take Cranberry pills that work wonders.

Flax seed and Cod liver oil help the brain get the right nutriants, and have helped my 3 year old who has ADHD.

And for my depression I take 5-HTP and Theinine- both help the brain work correctly.  Believe me Im crazy either way, but by taking these I keep my senses pretty well :)

Im a firm believer in Natural meds and Rx meds.  Both are very important and I use both to maintain my health as best as possible.  I dont think u can use one without consulting the other just because both working together can actually help more :)

I might not be making sense, I only had 3 hrs of sleep last night :)

hehe

AManda

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  • 1 month later...

i find aromatherapy very helpful. i love it. i guess i am a very sensual person in that way. its like a big huge hug

i have a vaporiser and dilute essential oils with carrier oils and massage myself. also compresses for aches and pains.

lavender is calming relaxing and balancing

ylang ylang is soothing and comforting

my bad mood mix is lavender ylang-ylang and jasmine

to lift my spirits i try jasmine and bergamot

when i'm getting ready to go out or for parties i use black pepper and sandalwood

for severe emotional crises i use camomile and rose

tea tree is great as an antiseptic type for wounds

eucalyptus and peppermint are great for colds

peppermint and ginger are good for upset stomachs [no do not drink them.... inhale from a diffuser or steam bowl or massage onto tummy]

rosemary is good for study and headaches

i find the smell of clove oil quite warming and comforting

but i am not sure of its benefits yet

i also use bach rescue remedy and that is quite helpful when things are intense.

dora

x

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  • 5 years later...

I've been using chiropractic care (from a energetic perspective). Acutonics (google it, it's cool) has worked miracles for all sorts of things. Acupuncture along with Acutonics is great too. Breathwork is supposed to be great too. In chinese medicine problems with the lungs can have to do with grief. I don't know about you but when I am having an episode of anxiety or depression I hold my breath. Definitely symptomatic. An alternative to bach flower remedies is Australian Bush Flower Essences. I'm really hoping to try "Chi Nei Tsang Abdominal Massage" soon. There is a local practitioner who is willing to trade. I'm starting to hear Vit D is a good anti-depressive vitamin.

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SureWhereMySparkIs

I love yoga, its been amazing for me, until I started doing it regularly I hadn't taken a full breath in years and it was actually painful and something I have to work on, but the yoga is wonderful.

GABA-works with the same neurotransmitters in the brain as something like Xanax or Valium would but with your body's natural chemistry and doesn't give you that drugged out feeling....

I love lavendar for relaxing, bergamot....

I try to find as much homeopathic stuff as I can, that's all I use for my kids aside from if they really need Tylenol or antibiotics.....

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  • 1 year later...

There's a lot of scientific evidence for the effectiveness of alternative remedies and treatments readily available in the west (you can see this on PubMed among other places). There are also many people who find them helpful, and that's good enough in itself.

Something that worked really well for me here in the UK is MyoComplex (which includes passionflower, valerian, calcium and magnesium). It helped me get some sleep when my insomnia was really bad. I think they now market it as being for PMS, but my doctor recommended it for insomnia and it's good.

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  • 3 weeks later...
waterfountain

EFT - best remedy yet! emofree.com download the mannual for free

Shamanic Healing

Deep Tissue Massage

Breathing through feelings

Talk therapy

Accupuncture

Reflexology

Journaling

Reiki Healing

Sea Salt Baths

Smudging Aura with Sage saying this light invocation three times "I invoke the light of God within, I am a clear and perfect channel, Light is my guide"

Bach Flower Alcholol free remedies

B vitamins

Calcuim Magnuism

Multi Vitamins

Herbs/Herbal teas

Low Gi diet, eating every two to three hours, foods like greek yogurt, veggies etc

Yoga, be ware of raising cons. though

Excercise

Dancing

Having Fun! laughter, enjoyment is best remedy

Edited by waterfountain
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  • 1 year later...

I find some things really are miracles, like ginger. Ginger is really soothing on a sore throat or upset stomach, for most people. Ginger tea might not cure a cold, but it certainly feels good during one. When I had surgery and had to have a tube down my throat, I sucked on little ginger tablets, and it was not only delicious, it improved my sore throat considerably.

But it's also true that there are lots of companies who just throw leaves together and market it at ridiculous prices. But, at worst, a lot of those herbal remedies aren't BAD for you, just probably not as helpful as a Tylenol, and some are expensive. Drinking a nice warm cup of ________ herb tea to calm your nerves is always nice-- maybe it's not the herb that helps, maybe it's the warmth, and you happen to like the flavour. Chamomile tea is nice, but doesn't work on me... I do have LOADS of it, though. Just in case one day it works. Hehe.

I was born with some facial defects-- nothing major, it's all been corrected by surgery and I look totally normal now. But I don't have a sense of smell! Because of all the surgery on my nose, I can't depend on any aromatherapy. tongue.gif I'll stick to my ginger tablets...

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  • 1 year later...
itsjustme

I take cranberry pills for minor UTIs and Vitex (main ingredient in chaste berry)to regulate my hormone levels. My doctor actually warned me against using natural methods for hormone regulation but when my blood hormone levels continued to be out-of-balance I tried the chaste berry. My next blood test about 2-3 months later showed the levels were balanced for the first time in years. She even acknowledged that it was an effective treatment happy.gif

Everybody's body is different. The key is to find what works best for you-- traditional or not.

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  • 1 year later...
weefeemcdee

I quite agree with Itsjustme - There are many complementary therapies. However, what works for one person may not work for another. I would recommend that people should try different complementary therapies to see what works for them.

Many GPs are becoming more accepting of the benefits of different complementary therapies such as accupuncture, aromatherapy & reflexology.

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I've found melatonin very helpful for sleep.

And ginger is fantastic for nausea, which I have chronically. For anyone with stomach problems I'd be careful with certain herbs, mint (or anything in the mint family like catnip), and chamomile are some that make me really sick. So I can't use mint for stomach problems, but like I said, ginger is fantastic. It also has a lot of other health benefits.

I've always been skeptical of alternative remedies until I found some that really do work. I took meds for everything, and still do rely on medication but I try to supplement what I can because medication can have very bad side effects and also sometimes effects that do not go away when the med is no longer being used. I think its important to look into what can happen with alternative remedies as well some can have certain risks as well. Others have been found to be safe with no bad effects which is pretty unusual find a medication that does not have some warning whether it actually affects one badly or not. So to me, a safe alternative remedy is a huge plus.

I've found yoga also to be great for core body strength, as well as relaxation and overall a good feeling of wellness, and meditation is great as well for relaxation and one can use if for self knowledge and exploration too.

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  • 1 month later...

Celestial seasonings has a few really good teas. Sleepytime really does help with my insomnia, and the sinus soother one is especially good during allergy season.

Also, i used to get uti's constantly. It got to be expensive, and i was concerned about taking antibiotics so often. I found that if i take a dose of alka seltzer when i first notice symptoms, and then drink several glasses of water after, i can avoid infection entirely. If you don't want the aspirin that's in it, you can put baking soda in water and drink that instead. I did find scientific evidence to back this one up-the bacteria need a certain pH to survive, and alka seltzer changes that enough that it kills the overgrowth of bacteria.

An 8 oz. glass of beer followed by several of water will flush out your kidneys, as will a serving of asparagus.

Listerine takes the itch out of bug bites. White vinegar will take the sting out of a sunburn.

To remove splinters and bee stingers, you can moisten a tea bag and hold it over the wound for about half an hour and it will come to the surface. Bread soaked in milk will also work. (When my husband told me the bread thing i thought he was nuts, but he showed me once when he got stung lol)

Bathing in epsom salts is one of my favorite ways to relax. It really does soothe sore muscles and helps bruises heal faster.

There is a product called alkalol that is an all natural nasal rinse. It's wonderful for clearing the sinuses and preventing a cold from becoming an infection.

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for heartburn taking about a tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda in a glass of water helps if you have nothing better, very salty and unpleasant tasting but helps.

Edited by rus
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  • 1 year later...

Hi all,

Ive recently been diagnosed with Fibro and display all the usual symptoms.

Ive also recently moved and therefore registered with a new GP.

I havent yet been started on any of the pharmacotherapies my consultant has recommended Gabapentin and amitryptilene, excuse any spelling mistakes.

I have had Shiatsu therapy with a local lady for over a year now and I find it really really helps me, combined with herbal remedies and a controlled diet. Read into that what you will.

My question is, have any of you been able to get NHS funded treatments or remedies such as these? The cost of the Shiatsu sessions is crippling ?45 a go and my chosen herbal/natural remedies are also not cheap... And if you have been successful in this, have you been able to choose your practitioner?

I will be asking these questions of my GP of course but I am still waiting for my paperwork to go through.

Thanks

___

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