New member with severe anxiety

[Tamika]

Hi I thought I'd introduce myself to the forum. I welcome any input or sharing of stories from any members who have used kava for severe anxiety issues. I gather it helps a lot of people.
I haven't used kava before. I'm waiting for my kava order to arrive in a couple of days. I'm in Australia so its tough trying to find someone to bring some back from o'seas (2kg limit).
My story is I went to an indoor small concert over 2 years ago (2 hours front row seat). Not something I normally do so unaware of the danger. Next day I noticed a major hearing loss and shortly afterwards a severe case of tinnitus set in. A nice shreiking noise I hear above everything - not just in quiet places. So that primitive part of the brain the amygdala 'fight or flight' kicked in and hasn't shut down since - despite therapy and drugs (none of which worked). Benzos help, but as we know are not a safe solution. I only take one a week for a little relief as don't want to end up with more problems and worse anxiety. I self medicate with too much alcohol and I can feel my health going downhill. My anxiety is 24/7 and is debilitating, and insomnia (I only sleep 3 hours - 4 if I'm lucky) I used to sleep 8 before tinnitus and anxiety. So I'm in a pretty bad way.
I have only been in touch with one person so far on this forum - and he has been awesome. A big thank you to @Krunkie McKrunkface who has been very kind in answering my questions in pm's.
I look forward to hearing other members stories - thank you.

 

[Deleted User01]

Welcome. I can attest to the fact that I have cut back on alcohol thanks to kava. Also, kava sleep is sweet. Hope you get the same results.
FYI, I'm sure Krunkie told you that you can't do kava and alcohol on the same day. It's not helpful.

 

[Tamika]

Welcome. I can attest to the fact that I have cut back on alcohol thanks to kava. Also, kava sleep is sweet. Hope you get the same results.
FYI, I'm sure Krunkie told you that you can't do kava and alcohol on the same day. It's not helpful.

Thanks Deleted User01. Great to hear it has worked for you. Yes I did pick up from reading this forum about not using alcohol within 24 hours of kava. I'm trying to get my alcohol down but I'm worried about stopping abruptly in case I get withdrawal as I've been drinking a while.

 

[Noname]

Too much Alcohol turns people into bitter souls.toxic bs. Kava is way better. And about your anxiety alcohol can cause anxiety. Turn off your adrenaline response with meditation. Things like coffee cigarettes bad diet activate fight mode. Coffee is one of the most underestimated things out there you should stop coffee if you are drinking it.

 

[Summer]

Hi @Tamika
I have bouts of horrible anxiety that comes in waves, but even on a good day am generally anxious or worried about something. I have used kava for over two years after a horrible withdrawal from Klonopin. I have had fits of insomnia ever since, but the kava has helped tremendously. It's not perfect, but along with other techniques I think it can really enhance one's quality of daily living as they overcome their addictions/over-usages/anxieties/etc.

There is a lot of good information on this forum about kava and the people are very well informed and offer great opinions.

Be gentle with yourself and embrace each day.

 

[muddywaters]

I have major stress/anxiety problems that get out of control sometimes when winter comes. It's mostly fight or flight trauma centered though, so many weird things and body sensations can accidentally send my mind and body into a literally nauseating survival mode where I turn into a jumpy dysfunctional wreck till it decides it calm down and there was no threat. It's also extremely humiliating so how sensitive it is and if anyone knew what could set it off at just the right times then they would probably laugh. I try to keep my mind as uncluttered as possible because just one stupid thing in there that's important to me at the time with not enough of anything else bigger and better going for me and my body reacts every day like it's being hunted by bears. I'm not too big and when the bitter cold comes and makes life slower and harder I have to find little islands of comfort every week and things to look forward to out of the house while I try to beat down any other daily stresses from and work and all as fast as I can. Sleeping becomes like a game, sometimes you get it if your somehow comfortable enough and sometimes you lose and get nothing. Also on foot constantly (no car), so I otherwise have to be extremely healthy physically and ready to move in a heart beat whenever going somewhere calls. My fight or flight does some horrible things to my mind and body when it hits that point where I'm extremely achy and feel every negative emotion anyone could ever feel all at once. I've gotten pretty good at taming it over the years so it rarely gets that far now but it's still an issue.

If you don't drink coffee, don't start because now I can't stop or at least it'll be a battle if I decide to. And alcohol is one of the most evil drugs on the planet. I used to drink a bit years ago and nothing good ever came out of any of it. Even a couple beers later at night made me feel so dark and lifeless the next day. Kava does for me what I wished I knew it did before I even put my mouth to a bottle of liquor for the first time. Watched it ruin too many good things in my life everyone and turn some family and friends into monsters.

 

[Zac Imiola (Herbalist)]

@muddywaters

Do you take vitamin D ?

 

[muddywaters]

@muddywaters

Do you take vitamin D ?

I take 5000 IU vegan D3 every other day and 1000 mcg methyl-B12 every morning. I keep a solid breakfast too which is a couple white corn tortillas with home made plain peanut butter, chia seeds, cilantro, and rosemary. So I get most of my fuel all day from what I have in morning that doubles up as a quick detox too over with cilantro. Rosemary helps keep some of the edge off my day too. Plus I'm pretty sure if you have a high fat diet kava also more potent for you and possibly why I get more duration for my consumption, so there's that benefit for you too.

 

[kilakila]

I take 5000 IU vegan D3 every other day and 1000 mcg methyl-B12 every morning. I keep a solid breakfast too which is a couple white corn tortillas with home made plain peanut butter, chia seeds, cilantro, and rosemary. So I get most of my fuel all day from what I have in morning that doubles up as a quick detox too over with cilantro. Rosemary helps keep some of the edge off my day too. Plus I'm pretty sure if you have a high fat diet kava also more potent for you and possibly why I get more duration for my consumption, so there's that benefit for you too.

Can I suggest you try cutting down on the methyl-B12? Even though I'm homozygous A1298C and supposedly should take methyl B12 (and folate) I find it makes my anxiety much worse. I've had my B12 levels checked via urinary MMA testing and they are perfectly normal. So the genetic mutation is probably not expressing itself. Ive given up on all supplements (apart from curcumin and Vitamin D3) and eating a healthy diet. Also severely restricting sugar, corn, dairy, gluten, and high histamine foods as much as possible. I think its helping.

 

[The Kap'n]

Thank you all for being open about your anxiety issues. It helps me, so I know it helps countless lurkers.

 

[Tamika]

@Noname, @muddywaters, @Summer, @kilakila, @Kapmcrunk
Thank you everyone for replying and your input and being so open in sharing your own experiences. It means a lot, as I'm in a pretty lonely, isolated place with this problem. I'm sure there may be lurkers reading that will also be helped.
Update: I received my kava a few days ago - medium grind. I did traditional prep 2 tbsps day one and 4 tbsps next three days, doing 2 washes. I just sipped a bit at a time to guage my reaction. I definitely felt a relaxing sensation and lowering of anxiety. Rather than drinking a lot at once I'd just go back and drink a little more during the day as I felt the anxiety rising again.
However by the evening of day 4 I was starting to feel very nauseous and anxiety still high. I don't think this is anything to do with the kava, but is more likely alcohol withdrawal.
I've been having heart palpitations as well as sweating and now the nausea - all classic alcohol withdrawal symptoms. So I've stopped kava for a couple of days and have resorted to taking some valium which I've read is a standard treatment for alcohol withdrawal. I'm at day 6 without drinking now. I might try switching back to trying kava again tomorrow.

Too much Alcohol turns people into bitter souls.toxic bs. Kava is way better. And about your anxiety alcohol can cause anxiety. Turn off your adrenaline response with meditation. Things like coffee cigarettes bad diet activate fight mode. Coffee is one of the most underestimated things out there you should stop coffee if you are drinking it.

@Noname thank you for your suggestions. I've never been a coffee drinker and don't smoke. I was very health conscious and athletic. Then I got the acoustic trauma resulting in tinnitus and hyperacusis and my world fell apart - it has resulted in my getting this anxiety condition. I started drinking heavily in the evenings to self medicate to get relief from the anxiety - and sometimes it even seemed to make the tinnitus quieter if I drank enough. I have tried meditation before and after getting tinnitus. However its not now an easy solution to relax and focus when you have a noisy car alarm going off in your head i.e. tinnitus. I try to focus outside of myself to get relief.

 

[muddywaters]

Can I suggest you try cutting down on the methyl-B12? Even though I'm homozygous A1298C and supposedly should take methyl B12 (and folate) I find it makes my anxiety much worse. I've had my B12 levels checked via urinary MMA testing and they are perfectly normal. So the genetic mutation is probably not expressing itself. Ive given up on all supplements (apart from curcumin and Vitamin D3) and eating a healthy diet. Also severely restricting sugar, corn, dairy, gluten, and high histamine foods as much as possible. I think its helping.

I could try, would be a bit less expensive too. Me taking what seems like so much was what remained from a year back when I completely cut all meat and dairy out of my diet. I just never changed it and my body was and is used to the amount I take so it may make me feel a bit of it altering something I've been doing for so long like that. I don't have corn much at all. But I'm a carboholic otherwise and it just comes from the fact that it's what fills my belly and keeps me happy when I'm so active all the time. Other than that I feel I get what I need and now I'm just looking to fine tune some things.

 

[violet]

Hi and welcome @Tamika . Sorry you're having this program, I've had different types of tinnitus as long as I can remember, along with hyperacusis most of the time too. Kava does help me, sometimes the heady "ringing" it can cause is a nice distraction from the usual din.

Have you tried melatonin? I didn't realize how much it had been helping my tinnitus until I stopped taking it. Then by chance I came across this study:

Melatonin: can it stop the ringing?

Gingko is said to be helpful as well. We'll help you here as much as we can