By Christine Cheng, R.Ph. and Fred Cheng, R.Ph.
How many times have you heard someone say, “it’s just his/her nerves”? Yes, physiologically the sensation of a racing heart, sweaty palms, shortness of breath, dry mouth, nausea, troubles sleeping, muscle tension and/or dizziness is mitigated by the nerves. But to anyone who has experienced these types of symptoms, just writing it off as “just nerves” does not do anything to take away the anxiety or panic that one is feeling.
There are several different types of anxiety disorders which can be diagnosed by your doctor…and it is never a bad idea to get checked out if there could be an underlying cause to the symptom you are experiencing. For example, if you have a personal or family history of heart issues, then please do not assume your heart palpitations are due only to anxiety! However, people who feel any combination of the symptoms above do not necessarily need a diagnosis to get some relief. Once it has been determined that there is no organic cause of the symptom, then the first things to try are the non-drug approaches.
Minimizing the use of caffeine and other stimulants and avoiding the use of alcohol are easy first steps. Exercise can be beneficial, especially if is the aerobic kind that gets your heart rate up a bit. If your anxiety is disturbing your sleep, then make sure you are practicing good sleep hygiene. Stress reduction is an important first step and can be as simple as implementing good time management. Practicing mindfulness or meditation can be very useful in managing anxiety.
Sometimes, a combination of non-drug measures and supplementation will produce the desired effect. For those whose anxiety causes them to lie in bed and not sleep because they just cannot seem to “turn off their minds”, the Bach Flower Remedy, WHITE CHESTNUT seems to work very well. Being homeopathic, this will not interfere with any other medication. A herbal preparation of passionflower by Pascoe called PASCOFLAIR ® has been shown to have a similar benefit. Passionflower has actually been proven to have similar effect as benzodiazepines, a class of prescription medications frequently prescribed for anxiety. This herb works by enhancing GABA, the anti-anxiety neurotransmitter (or signal) in the brain. This preparation has been found to work in as quickly as 30 minutes and can be effective for many types of anxiety in addition to its benefit as a sleep aid.
For general relaxation, magnesium supplementation can be considered because of magnesium’s role in regulating muscle function; specifically, it helps with muscle relaxation. To help release muscle tension, make sure you pay attention to what type of magnesium you take as its bioavailability (or ability to be absorbed and used in the body) is important. We suggest looking for MAGNESIUM GLYCINATE as this form is well-absorbed and has worked well for our patients to help with muscle relaxation.
For general anxiety, consider the time-honoured homeopathic preparation, RESCUE REMEDY. This works in humans of all ages as well as animals. Another natural preparation that is effective for general anxiety is ANXIOCALM®. Anxiocalm® (which used to be called Anz-Ease® ) contains a special species of Echinacea called Echinacea Angustifolia, which is the only species that has any action on the nervous system. Studies in Europe have revealed that this preparation has effects on cannabinoid receptors in the brain, which may be responsible for its anti-anxiety effects.
For those who are going through a stressful period and whose anxiety may be linked to high cortisol levels, then preparations containing adaptogenic herbs may be useful. In particular, a combination of l-theanine, magnolia and ashwagandha called, “Sleep Tonight” can produce marked effects in helping the body deal with stress as well as reducing anxiety. Although the name implies that it is simply a sleep-aid, we have found many patients find it useful during the day. However, since it may induce drowsiness in some, it is prudent to use this at night until you are familiar with its effects in your body. (This latter statement applies to any and all herbs that may cause one to be overly relaxed.)
Anxiety can be precipitated or elicited by many different situations or stimuli. It is important to identify these stimuli where possible and deal with them first. If you are thinking of trying a supplement to help you manage your anxiety, always consult with a healthcare practitioner first to ensure what you choose is safe for you to use.
Christine and Fred Cheng are a passionate, charismatic sister-brother pharmacist team at their unique, family-operated Pharmasave stores in Cloverdale and Steveston, B.C. They specialize in natural remedies and compounding for both human and veterinarian use. Find them on Instagram and Facebook! Everything mentioned in their article is available InStore.
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