My Supplements Treat My Anxiety Better Than My Lexapro Does
Disclaimer: Always take your meds as prescribed — but don’t rule out nature’s way.
De-stigmatizing mental health issues has always been a passion of mine. Post-Covid, I experienced vast loneliness as relationships had diminished and I gradually separated myself from more than a handful of “lifelong friends,” aka temporary, fake “friends.”
Anxiety has always waned in my life. Raised in an Italian household, yelling through cusses and upbeat drama were the norm, and my upbringing has me wired to be a quick reactor and catastrophizer — to get defensive and react instead of respond. It was always survival mode. And it’s kind of hard to “undo it.”
It’s nothing to be proud of — and therapy helps.
I was on the lowest dose of Lexapro for 10+ years. 5mg. That’s not even a therapeutic dose — and doctors have agreed with me that it may all be the placebo effect, even with me being aware of it.
I’ve tried to come off it a number of times, and did once successfully last summer, but was forced back on due to invasive thoughts reflecting self-worth that are better left unsaid.
Last December, I landed a writing gig with a holistic pharmacist and started getting educated on the world of supplements. I always hated taking pills and did not follow a supplement regimen or schedule. I needed a whole glass of water just to get down a single Advil. It was always a “when I remember” type thing — which, by the way, doesn’t work and I never remembered.
I learned about supplements I’d never heard of, so like the curious cat I am, began to experiment. A big motivator being lifestyle overwhelm-induced anxiety, brain fog from stress, and short term memory loss as a coping mechanism for hardships and grieving in my life.
It was a challenge to function, no matter how hard I tried to eat, exercise, sleep, socialize, and do all the things that I know should keep me healthy.
So I started taking supplements — a lot of them. All made in a GMP-compliant facility (good manufacturing practices) — that’s crucial.
I got strict with my existing ones and added more to the list.
Omega 3 from algae
Vitamin D3
Liquid Multivitamin
Liquid Iron
Probiotic
Maca Powder
B12 + Bacopa Monnieri
Turmeric
Ashwagandha
Panax Ginseng + Ginkgo Biloba
Juice Plus
Flo (for menstruation) HIGHLY recommend
I know — it seems crazy. But I got into a routine where the second I wake up I head downstairs with a big glass of water, take out all my bottles, and chug them down to quench my morning thirst.
I know that some supplements are best taken with food, and I know that some should be taken at a certain time of day. But my supplement strategy is a work in progress, and this is the best I can do right now.
Well, the first day, I was sharp — like sharp af. Could it be a placebo? They are just herbs. Well, what’s the harm in trying? I got most of the supplements for free anyway. (You can ask me how privately and I’ll show you — it wasn’t from the guy I worked for.)
I kept going — I felt better and better. No anxiety, depression, brain fog. I could focus, complete one task at a time. I woke up energized and refreshed. Practically jumped out of bed each day. I didn’t feel inclined to waste time scrolling on my phone. I was impressed with my ability to complete so many miscellaneous tasks in one day without losing focus. Seriously — all it took were some vitamins? No doctor of mine ever told me… yeah — no comment (we know how that one goes.)
Then, I missed a few days. When you get Botox, you can’t take certain supplements for a few days before and a few days after. Omega 3, bacopa, and who knows what else. To be safe, I took a break from all my herbs, and then kind of fell off for a few days…
Mind you, I had been taking Lexapro 5mg yet again for over a month because a chemical imbalance had been induced by years of reliance against my own volition.
But the anxiety returned — and with vengeance. Even though I exercise around 4 times per week, intensely, get outside, don’t eat like shit, and do all the things. The f-ing anxiety was back. WTF?
It was paralyzing.
Placebo? Anything is possible — but this is purely a recount of how I feel with and without the use of supplemental herbs. I’m no doctor.
So today, I reached for writing to push through ADHD symptoms which are uncommon for me when completing a task. A foreign feeling that put me out of my element, left me with a handful of incomplete tasks, a messy house, and a palpitating chest.
As I suspected, it lessened the burden of angst and feeling like I’d like to jump out of my skin — that uneasy unrest that can be impossible to shake once you’re in the crux of it…
So I’ll return to my supplement routine and keep honing in on what works based on what my body tells me. At such a low dose with Lexapro, it doesn’t even take the edge off — it feels like, well, nothing. All I can say it does is taper off my firey temper and hellish attitude when rubbed the wrong way.
If anything, its symptoms are worse — that of apathy (another foreign and unwelcome feeling), sexual dysfunction, and sudden fatigue.
While alternatively, the only consequences of my supplements have been seemingly helpful…go figure.
Have you ever tried supplements to treat some mental issues you’re having? I’d love to hear about it.
Toodaloo,
Suz
