Posted by stan_the_man70 on August 10, 2015, at 5:29:09
In reply to Bringing calm, breath support..., posted by stan_the_man70 on August 10, 2015, at 5:22:47
---------------quote reference
http://ask.metafilter.com/200029/Is-there-a-natural-substitute-for-the-benzodiazepines
---------------end quoteI've tried everything (and more) mentioned above and they all work to some degree, but the main problem is that most make me really drowsy - which I consider a non-solution for functioning during the day.
I was lucky enough to stumble upon Niacinamide - a non-flushing form of niacin (B3), that seems to have some affinity for GABA receptors that benzos act upon. You can find this at most health food / vitamin stores. 1000mg of this twice a day has dramatically reduced my anxiety. I combine this with taurine and theanine to potentiate the effect (both taurine and theanine act slightly differently in their anxiolytic effects, so their benefits combine well). My first time taking a large dose I almost felt drunk, and with chronic use that effect went away - leaving behind a calm stable feeling.
I've read about Niacinamide being used for benzo withdrawals, so the effect makes sense to me. Make sure to limit daily intake to 3g or less.
A few hours before bedtime I take a combination of calming supplements that also cause drowsiness - ashwaghanda, glycine, lysine, arginine, magnesium/calcium, and 5-HTP. Valerian is a good bedtime addition as well.
posted by pickingoutathermos at 12:31 PM on November 4, 2011 [3 favorites]
poster:stan_the_man70
thread:1081225
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20150806/msgs/1081230.html