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Non-Prescription Options You've Found Helpful

Fino

Fino

Alex
V.I.P Member
The only thing that has been improving my health (details mentioned in a previous thread) has been stopping all medication, which I've been slowly doing. Now I'm curious to know if you have any experience with non-prescription options that you've found helpful, preferably ones that you now or in the past found to be helpful over a considerable period of time--perhaps many months or longer. To give you a better idea of what I'm referring to, a few examples could be:

Vitamins
Amino Acids
Nootropics
Supplements of any kind
Certain foods or diets
Certain exercises, frequencies of exercise, intensity of exercise, etc.

I currently tend to struggle with anxiety, depression, irritability, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, memory deficits, insomnia, etc. but the majority of that is due to health issues and drug withdrawals. But, all my life I've struggled consistently with anxiety and intermittently with depression and irritability. After being treated with powerful psychotropics for about sixteen years, it seems my brain has been altered in a way so that I can no longer tolerate those. I will still have anxiety medication for extreme situations, but for day-to-day functioning, I'm wondering if there is anything out there that might be helpful. I've already changed my diet completely, adding more protein and vegetables and removing canned foods and reducing sugar intake. I also exercise (jogging) about thirty minutes a day.

One OTC option I was considering was lithium orotate, because I've been taking lithium carbonate for sixteen years so I thought perhaps a much milder form of the drug could be beneficial. I've also been utilizing various amino acids, as well as a multivitamin. And I've been taking about .3mg of melatonin every night for about fifteen years. I also drink various teas, such as green tea, herbal teas (valerian, chamomile, etc.), and ashwagandha.

Thank you!
 
Very proactive of you. I try to run and lift weights. I have to work on mindfulness, that helps me alot.
 
I'm 74, and on my very rare encounters with medical people, they are very surprised I don't have any prescriptions. I was not fit as a teenager, but soon discovered that a bicycle was the fastest, cheapest way to get around, and have had exercise built in to my daily routine as much as possible since. I also adopted a vegetarian diet, since, as a farm boy, I knew what was in the cheap packages. That led to a healthy diet with few processed foods. Drinking plenty of water and getting more than "just enough" sleep are essential to avoid lethargy and depression. I've also found meditation necessary to purge the jangle of stimuli in modern life. I limit social interaction so I'm mostly thinking of other things, and try to have some fun and laughs every day. I take very little caffeine. These days, even using a power tool can reduce my calm, which is better early in the day. If I can't get sun, I add vitamin D to my short list of supplements. I don't bother with any of the super-foods, which I consider expensive placebos in most cases. I've got some similarly healthy, tough old friends, and the two things we have in common are exercise and no junk food.
 
I've tried to keep myself to routines throughout the day, because I feel like if I dont I will derail and stress. Most important one for me is to have this routine for the evening where I power off my pc at a reasonable time, have some herbal tea and melatonin, good shower and read before I go to bed (mostly when I have to get up early for work). That seems to work for me so far. I try to only drink alcohol in the weekends or on evenings when I dont have anything important to do for the next day.
Im very bad at regular exercise and have quit the gym multiple times, but yoga seems to help me in a way to regulate my breathing and ground down and have a relaxing moment in which I only focus on myself and meditation.
Also a womens problem, but I suffer from pmdd and thats why I try to take extra iron and vit D supplements to cover that sometimes.
Its not like im 100% doing great all the time, but it has helped me in many moments I feel down and routine is the best way for me
 
Fino said:
The only thing that has been improving my health (details mentioned in a previous thread) has been stopping all medication, which I've been slowly doing. Now I'm curious to know if you have any experience with non-prescription options that you've found helpful, preferably ones that you now or in the past found to be helpful over a considerable period of time--perhaps many months or longer. To give you a better idea of what I'm referring to, a few examples could be:

Vitamins
Amino Acids
Nootropics
Supplements of any kind
Certain foods or diets
Certain exercises, frequencies of exercise, intensity of exercise, etc.

I currently tend to struggle with anxiety, depression, irritability, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, memory deficits, insomnia, etc. but the majority of that is due to health issues and drug withdrawals. But, all my life I've struggled consistently with anxiety and intermittently with depression and irritability. After being treated with powerful psychotropics for about sixteen years, it seems my brain has been altered in a way so that I can no longer tolerate those. I will still have anxiety medication for extreme situations, but for day-to-day functioning, I'm wondering if there is anything out there that might be helpful. I've already changed my diet completely, adding more protein and vegetables and removing canned foods and reducing sugar intake. I also exercise (jogging) about thirty minutes a day.

One OTC option I was considering was lithium orotate, because I've been taking lithium carbonate for sixteen years so I thought perhaps a much milder form of the drug could be beneficial. I've also been utilizing various amino acids, as well as a multivitamin. And I've been taking about .3mg of melatonin every night for about fifteen years. I also drink various teas, such as green tea, herbal teas (valerian, chamomile, etc.), and ashwagandha.

Thank you!
Click to expand...
I'm using jiaogulang but I'm not sure if it improves your health. I should probably brew tea from it on a more regular basis to determine its effect.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gynostemma_pentaphyllum
 
You can do a Google Scholar and PubMed literature search on:
"autism and _______"
1. N-acetyl cysteine (NAC)
2. Creatine
3. Magnesium (I use chelated Mg)
4. Melatonin
5. L-Theanine

As of late, I am trying a "stack" of:
1. Creatine....brain energy, anti-depressant, and gut function....afternoon
2. NAC...antioxidant (glutathione) support, brain energy, anti-depressant, and general health....afternoon
3. D3/K2....general health, and anti Ca plaques in blood vessels and brain....afternoon
4. Mg....blood pressure and muscle relaxant....afternoon
5. Melatonin....sleep support....before bed
6. L-Theanine....concentration, cognition, relaxation....AM/PM
7. Hyperzine....nootropic, cognition....AM
8. Liposomal NAD+....energy, cognition, and general health for "old farts". Young people generally don't need it....AM
9. Omega-3 (seaweed sourced)....general health....afternoon
10. B-hydroxybuterate (BHB)....ketones,....cognition and energy....AM
11. Probiotic....gut and brain health....AM
 
I would suggest researching the topics of supplements on this website.
Supplements for Depression: 12 Top Herbal & Vitamin Remedies

When checking out the website look for things related to serotonin and dopamine.
Personally I have found GABA to help me a lot.

A word of caution. Always check with a doctor before trying any health supplements particularly if you are already on medication. Good luck.
 
I take vitamin B complex. Actually, initially, due to reading that it helps with carpal tunnel symptoms, but it was not long after starting the vitamin that I discovered my mood swings leveled out and stupid me, not reading more, found that the vitamin is a mood aid.

I take D12 as I read that it wards off covid and also because I am not an outdoor person, my levels were too low and controls bones.

I take super enzymes and probotics due to no longer having a gall bladder and other digestive issues.

I, sadly, also suffer from insufficient venous and my legs are not pretty to look at. But, found that exercises is far more productive that stockings and a recent test, showed that the exercises are working.

I would like to stop all chemical meds, but have no choice but take omeprazel for acid issues, but amazingly found out that it controls; regulates blood sugars and so, despite having diabetes, I do not need medicine for it.
 
Learning body relaxation techniques is something that I have found useful, and sometimes very useful. Been using it now and then for almost 4 decades. I use a mix of things I learned and some of my own bits. Its not a silver bullet. There probably is no silver bullet. Its just one of the tools in the tool kit to try. I find it helps more in certain applications then others.

I think there are probably a lot of relaxation methodologies out there to consider. Myself I avoid any that add in any spiritual or pseudoscience elements, I prefer to keep it basic human physiology, though psychology can be involved. Something like picturing a beach with gentle waves crashing can be an effective brain hack to get where you want to get physically.
 
@Fino Although I have no license, I have been studying and working with herbs, supplements, and nutrition for about twenty years. I would need to know a little more about your situation, but I think that I could help in a very whole-person way, if you messaged me privately.
 
As you mentioned in another post, sleep is a huge factor in your life and many problems come from lack of sleep.

A routine for sleep is important, Try to go to sleep at the same time every night, even if you don't feel tired, try to form a habit. Part of that should include about 30 minutes of doing nothing before you go to bed, turn the computer off, stop using social media, etc. Do something mundane and mind numbing like watching TV instead.

I had a great sleep routine for 40 years but that got broken a couple of years back and it's very difficult to reestablish it again. For the first time in my life I've just started taking over the counter sleeping pills (3 days ago) to try and reset the habit. I'm not sure how successful that's going to be, I'll have to give you an update in a couple of weeks.
 
Kratom. It’s a natural painkiller used in Asia for centuries. I absolutely swear by the stuff and the people I have given it to all said they took it at night and slept like a baby.

They sell it everywhere in the USA, but mostly at places that sell tobacco products. I buy online in bulk and it literally costs me maybe $0.50 per day. The average person needs about 3-5 grams, once per day.

I have become an accidental expert on the best way to use it. If it sounds like you want to try it just let me know. I’ll pass you more info than any Dr would have.
 
Outdated said:
As you mentioned in another post, sleep is a huge factor in your life and many problems come from lack of sleep.

A routine for sleep is important, Try to go to sleep at the same time every night, even if you don't feel tired, try to form a habit. Part of that should include about 30 minutes of doing nothing before you go to bed, turn the computer off, stop using social media, etc. Do something mundane and mind numbing like watching TV instead.

I had a great sleep routine for 40 years but that got broken a couple of years back and it's very difficult to reestablish it again. For the first time in my life I've just started taking over the counter sleeping pills (3 days ago) to try and reset the habit. I'm not sure how successful that's going to be, I'll have to give you an update in a couple of weeks.
Click to expand...
We are all different of course, but any new routine can be established (for me anyway) in 3 days. Doesn’t matter if it’s bedtime or when to eat. It needs to be absolutely strict for 72 hours or it won’t help me change.

Weekends are miserable because I almost establish that new routine of NOT going to work, so Mondays hurt every week. And it’s 10x worse if I’m off work on a Friday or a Monday. 3 days at home and I have a new routine that’s going to get changed whether I’m ready or not!
 
I was on anti-psychotics, anti-depressants, and anti-anxiety meds for a short while (at separate times). Also on prescription pain killers for several years. I’d like to offer a bit of advice regarding withdrawals:

The physical withdrawals last a short time, usually a week or a month. The psychological withdrawals much longer, even years. The hardest part (in my opinion) is just pondering the situation. The absolute best thing is to avoid social interactions and just stay as busy as possible. The best medicine is letting the sun hit your skin and getting exercise. Riding a bike, going to the beach (or pool), walking with a place to walk to (like the grocery store or school). Anything that will use some muscles and take your mind off the situation for a while.

The worst thing I did to myself while in withdrawals was Googling remedies. Spending all of that time thinking about it only made me lay awake at night thinking about it. It was 100x better going to bed thinking about how many miles I walked today.
 
AspieChris said:
Kratom. It’s a natural painkiller used in Asia for centuries. I absolutely swear by the stuff and the people I have given it to all said they took it at night and slept like a baby.

They sell it everywhere in the USA, but mostly at places that sell tobacco products. I buy online in bulk and it literally costs me maybe $0.50 per day. The average person needs about 3-5 grams, once per day.

I have become an accidental expert on the best way to use it. If it sounds like you want to try it just let me know. I’ll pass you more info than any Dr would have.
Click to expand...

I've used and abused Kratom rather extensively in the past. Unfortunately, I'm highly prone to hallucinations and Kratom, along with many other drugs, triggers disturbing auditory hallucinations.
 
AspieChris said:
I was on anti-psychotics, anti-depressants, and anti-anxiety meds for a short while (at separate times). Also on prescription pain killers for several years. I’d like to offer a bit of advice regarding withdrawals:

The physical withdrawals last a short time, usually a week or a month. The psychological withdrawals much longer, even years. The hardest part (in my opinion) is just pondering the situation. The absolute best thing is to avoid social interactions and just stay as busy as possible. The best medicine is letting the sun hit your skin and getting exercise. Riding a bike, going to the beach (or pool), walking with a place to walk to (like the grocery store or school). Anything that will use some muscles and take your mind off the situation for a while.

The worst thing I did to myself while in withdrawals was Googling remedies. Spending all of that time thinking about it only made me lay awake at night thinking about it. It was 100x better going to bed thinking about how many miles I walked today.
Click to expand...

This sound likes it could be some life-changing advice for me. I've been obsessed all my life with trying to "fix" my brain. Of course, all I've accomplished is making it worse.
 
Diet. Experiment with different kinds of diets. For me what has worked:
- addressing celiac disease - I recommend getting your antibodies for gluten checked first before you exclude gluten, but the difference is like night and day for me
- low carb, low glycemic index, also recommended to look into by doctors because of symptoms of hypoglycemia
- low FODMAP (for IBS), although I don't have as much of a need any more after half a year gluten free
- having regular meals

There are lots and lots of diets out there and no ideal one. There is intermittent fasting and eating 5 meals a day, keto, low carb and low cholesterol, vegetarianism. You could look out for potential allergies too. They can have really wierd non-obvious health consequences.

Supplements I take recommended by a doctor:
- follic acid
- vitamin K
- iron
Others that I've found to work and take as needed:
- magnesium for cramps after sports
- B-complex, improves mood
- vitamin D especially in the winter, improves mood
- omega-3, probably memory

Regarding what others have said about sleep and exercise, I agree, getting exercise, at least half an hour of walking everyday, calming down before going to sleep. It makes me feel a lot better.

Edit: I wanted to add probiotics and a natural replacement for the more common ones. Yogurt (with bacteria cultures) + vegetables or another source of fiber. Not neccesarily in the same meal.
 
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