Is Anxiety Disorder Always Caused by Inflammation in the Brain?

[Hip]

I experienced dramatic improvements from my very severe generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) by taking a number of drugs and supplements that reduce inflammation in the brain.

I would strongly suggest to anyone struggling with anxiety disorder to try the anti-inflammatory approach I followed, which significantly reduced, and eventually eliminated, my severe anxiety symptoms.

I went to hell and back with my anxiety disorder. I had severe constant generalized anxiety for many years. My anxiety symptoms were so severe, that on some of the worse days, I started to experience some psychosis symptoms — and then became frightened over my sanity. It is not unusual to experience some mild psychosis when the levels of anxiety in your brain get super-high.

None of my anxiety symptoms were due to stresses in my personal or working life (my anxiety was too severe for me to go to work anyway, so I had stopped working). There were no problems or stresses in my life at all. My domestic situation was absolutely fine. So I am completely sure that all my anxiety symptoms were caused by abnormal conditions in my brain. That is to say, my anxiety disorder was do to malfunction of my brain, not due to any stressors from my life.


I believe generalized anxiety disorder is often caused by inflammation in the brain. Brain inflammation can create the abnormal conditions that precipitate anxiety symptoms. Inflammation in the brain has been linked to a number of mental health conditions, in fact, as a quick Google search will reveal. By reducing inflammation levels in my brain, by taking anti-inflammatory medications, I found that there was a dramatic and rapid lowering of anxiety symptoms.

I have posted two threads on how I used anti-inflammatory drugs and supplements to significantly improve my generalized anxiety disorder.

These threads can be found here:

• Non-Standard Anti-Anxiety Treatment

• Completely eliminated my severe anxiety symptoms with three supplements!

If you have generalized anxiety disorder, please do try the anti-inflammatory approach outlined in my above two threads. I know what total hell anxiety disorder is; it is one of the worse mental conditions you can suffer with, and the really is a desperate need for better treatments for anxiety symptoms. In my view, this anti-inflammatory approach to treating anxiety is a much better treatment; it does not just palliate the symptoms, but helps eliminate anxiety at is roots.

If you are looking for a better approach to treating anxiety than benzodiazepines like Xanax, Klonopin, then please try the anti-inflammatory approach I have described in these two above-linked threads. Benzodiazepines may be a good short term solution for anxiety disorder, but they can have problems of addiction, tolerance and withdrawal in the long term. Plus benzodiazepines do not eliminate anxiety at its root cause. The root cause of anxiety disorder is likely brain inflammation in many cases, so you need to treat this underlying condition of brain inflammation.

Note: that anti-inflammatories such as aspirin and acetaminophen (paracetamol) will not really work to reduce brain inflammation. You need to use the anti-inflammatories detailed in my two threads given above.

Note: I also suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), so sometimes I talk about ME/CFS in the above two threads. But I believe the anti-anxiety treatments described in my two threads are valid for anyone with generalized anxiety disorder.

[newgrass]

Thanks for posting. I did a mostly paleo like diet for about a week and noticed great improvements in my mood. Il be looking into those anti inflammation supplements.

[Hip]

Thanks for posting. I did a mostly paleo like diet for about a week and noticed great improvements in my mood. Il be looking into those anti inflammation supplements.

Yes, paleo diet is anti-inflammatory.

What works pretty well as an anti-anxiety strategy is taking high dose probiotics (friendly bacteria), and also lots of prebiotics, like inulin powder or psyllium husks. Prebiotics are the all-important food for the friendly bacteria. Prebiotics help the friendly bacteria outgrow the more pathogenic bad bacteria in your gut, because friendly bacteria can nourish on prebiotics, but bad bacteria cannot.

A great deal of systemic inflammation in the body can arise from overgrowth of bad bacteria in the gut, and studies have shown that this systemic inflammation can then affect the brain, causing inflammation in the brain, leading to anxiety and other mental symptoms like depression. Prebiotics and probiotics help grow more good bacteria in your gut, which significantly reduces inflammation.

[Hip]

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[coeus]

A kind and responsible reminder to all - please ensure you do extensive research on any anecdotal claims that are made. I don't doubt that the OP's suggestions have worked personally for him/her. Simply be wary and be well.

[Hip]

A kind and responsible reminder to all - please ensure you do extensive research on any anecdotal claims that are made. I don't doubt that the OP's suggestions have worked personally for him/her. Simply be wary and be well.

I received a bit of feedback from a handful of people who tried these drugs and supplement suggestions and strategies. Some of this feedback you can read on the above-linked threads. Some people found considerable benefit from one or more of the medications; but about the same amount of people found no benefit.

So there are no a priori guarantees; if you want the benefits of a treatment, you just have to try it, to see if it works for you. You may need to try a number of supplements before you find the ones that work well for you. I literally spent $1000s on testing hundreds of different supplements, and I have only listed in my threads the ones that actually worked well in reducing my anxiety symptoms. If you can't afford to lose money on a supplement that may turn out to be a dud (for you), then I wouldn't follow this approach.

However, nearly all of the drugs and supplements listed are known for either their anti-anxiety, anti-inflammatory or immunomodulatory effects; you check this on PubMed.

Also, this is a kind "holistic" approach to treating the root inflammatory causes of anxiety, and you have to be experimental. You should consider trying a number of different approaches, and precisely observing what benefits accrue from each approach.

I also suggest that anyone here with a scientific background may want read into the very interesting connection between brain inflammation and mental symptoms such as depression and anxiety. There are a lot of good published studies in this new(ish) area of research.
 

[coeus]

Cool - I can tell that you've done your homework.

Just suggesting broadly that anyone who's interested in strategies and exercises posted on the site (or any other site for that matter) to be vigilant. Also to be vigilant about the credibility of the original poster of the treatment advice and their general activity on the site. Lastly - no, a priori knowledge cannot guarantee anything but is a necessary safety in acquiring a posteriori proof.

Again, be wary and be scientific in regarding others' anecdotal experiences with treatment(s) for anxiety.

[Hip]

Again, be wary and be scientific in regarding others' anecdotal experiences with treatment(s) for anxiety.

Suggesting that people should be wary about taking over the counter dietary supplements is not really appropriate. Or at least the word wary (= showing caution about possible dangers or problems) that you used was the wrong word.

Being wary is far more necessary when trying drugs such as SSRIs or benzodiazepines, the former being linked to precipitating suicidal ideation and actual suicides (such that SSRIs now carry a black box warning), and the latter being known to cause serious long term addition and withdrawal symptoms in a subset of people. You need to very wary when trying either of these drugs. I am not saying SSRIs and benzodiazepines are bad; but they do have very serious and very real dangers associated with them. I personally know people that have experienced the severe suicidal ideation mental states that can arise immediately on taking an SSRI.

By contrast, I challenge you to find any such dangers linked to the supplements listed in my threads. The greatest danger that you face when you try such an over the counter supplement is that it does not work for you, and you wasted some dollars. 

But since advocating wariness an interest of yours, Coeus, I hope that you have liberally punctuated the threads on this forum which refer to SSRI and benzodiazepine use with copious warnings about the dangers of these two RCT tested drugs, and on necessity of being very wary when you try these drugs. Can you confirm that this is the case, and that you have always raised awareness on this forum of these very serious risks linked to SSRIs and benzodiazepines? Or do you think these drugs are safe just because they have passed through RCTs.



 

[Hip]

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[coeus]

I don't really have much to say here except if we're talking about universality, yes - I will happily apply the same 'wariness', general suspicion and scepticism if I happen to stumble upon another user who has arbitrarily signed up to an anxiety forum, accummulated a total of 29 posts and all of which appear to be a polemic about the defensible promise of SSRIs, benzodiazepines and other prescribed medications. Sorry, haven't found anyone meeting that criteria.

Anyway, I wish you the very best with your Saffron and anti-inflammatory drugs. A safe and sustainable recovery from anxiety for you. Good luck.

[Hip]

I don't really have much to say here except if we're talking about universality, yes - I will happily apply the same 'wariness', general suspicion and scepticism if I happen to stumble upon another user who has arbitrarily signed up to an anxiety forum, accummulated a total of 29 posts and all of which appear to be a polemic about the defensible promise of SSRIs, benzodiazepines and other prescribed medications. Sorry, haven't found anyone meeting that criteria.

Anyway, I wish you the very best with your Saffron and anti-inflammatory drugs. A safe and sustainable recovery from anxiety for you. Good luck.

I did not ask will you apply the same wariness, I asked did you apply it. Past tense. Thus if you did not apply the same wariness, then you appear to lack the very rationality that you pretend to enshrine, since even though you suggest that much circumspection should be applied to over the counter dietary supplements, you have not expressed one iota of concern in this forum about the use of drugs such as SSRIs that have directly caused many suicides. It is irrational to completely ignore a major danger like SSRIs, and yet to express concerns over dietary supplements, whose health risks are virtually non-existent by comparison. You clearly have no sense of proportion.

And this is not the first time that you asked others to be wary of my posts about the use of over the counter dietary supplements for the treatment of anxiety and depression. So you seem consistent in your irrationality.


 

[coeus]

Like I said, good luck with the Saffron and homeopathy.

[Hip]

Like I said, good luck with the Saffron and homeopathy.

Don't mention homeopathy: there is no evidence for its efficacy at all.

If you cannot distinguish between herbs and supplements, which demonstrate various effects on metabolism that are well-described in biochemical journals; and homeopathy, for which there is no evidence base at all, then once again, your ability to think rationally, and to discriminate fact from fiction is once again called in question. 

[coeus]

Oh, I apologise for that. Here we go:

Edited:

"Like I said, good luck with the Saffron and anti-inflammatory approach.*"

[Hip]

Coeus, do you have some type of timidly or shyness problem? You skirt around what you want to say, but don't quite have the guts to say it.

So in this thread, it doesn't take much to guess that you have some type of reservations against the use of supplements as medical or psychiatric interventions, but rather than stating this, and stating why you hold this view, you instead shyly couch your opinions in little comments about being "wary".

Why don't you just explicitly state what you believe, and explain the rationale and evidence behind your belief. If your argument is scientifically and logically sound, it will stand on its own strengths. I'd have far more respect for your views if you were upfront and explicit.

[coeus]

Coeus, do you have some type of timidly or shyness problem? You skirt around what you want to say, but don't quite have the guts to say it.

There's no need to aggravate other people in this manner in order for them to express their perspective on a topic. If you want me to clarify something, simply ask me.

So in this thread, it doesn't take much to guess that you have some type of reservations against the use of supplements as medical or psychiatric interventions, but rather than stating this, and stating why you hold this view, you instead shyly couch your opinions in little comments about being "wary".

Nope, it doesn't take much guess at all. You're right that I do have some type of reservation against the use of supplements for the treatment of anxiety. Let me try to piece this logically together for you as possible with any deliberate disdain or aversion.

Firstly, here is one point I'll make clearly - I have my reservations in trusting a user's anecdotal experience especially when that user has only made two threads that are in relation to supplements and their potential positive impact on anxiety. This is, thus, a contextual point. I haven't seen a single post made by yourself about the positive interactions between an anxiety sufferer with respect to other innumerable strategies in helping alleviate anxiety nor have I seen any other posts that focused only on Saffron and your anti-inflammatory approach on anxiety. This partly forms a basis for my skepticism and suspicion towards your posts.

Why don't you just explicitly state what you believe, and explain the rationale and evidence behind your belief. If your argument is scientifically and logically sound, it will stand on its own strengths. I'd have far more respect for your views if you were upfront and explicit.

Sure. My belief is that while a priori knowledge is not sufficient for understanding the efficacy of a supplement - whether it be Saffron or an anti-inflammatory substance - your a posteriori approach on anxiety treatment which (I feel) is broadly characterised more or less by a 'try it yourself' mentality ignores both an empirical problem and epistemological problem from a clinical perspective. Let me preface that by saying that obviously I try to see the merit of any potential treatment for anxiety from a scientific perspective.

A quick search of brain inflammation and the relationship with anxiety (amongst many other mental symptoms) does yield results. However, you do note that this area of research is "newish" in your previous post. Relative to that evidence base for long-term benefits by using anti-inflammatory medication, the evidence base for long-term sustainable benefits for anxiety management such as psychotherapy and other prescribed medications is clinically stronger than that of the off-label indications of anti-inflammatory medication being used as a means for either relieving or reducing anxiety symptoms. Unconventional (and natural) third-wave psychotherapies such as mindfulness-based therapies are similarly "newish" as well, however, its efficacy for treating anxiety is strengthened by its extensive evidence base, of which I supposed as a line of treatment for anxiety but do note that it can bring to mind unpleasant experiences. This is to prove to you that (1) I do support natural therapies in one form or another (that can be backed up by a 'new' but wide evidence base for its efficacy for anxiety treatment and; (2) I do note the shortcomings of these therapies when need be, including prescribed medications.

The impetus for emphasising users to be 'wary' originates from exactly this commitment to selecting the appropriate treatment with the appropriate evidence base, in quality and quantity. Thus, given the comparative size of clinical and academic evidence base of Saffron and anti-inflammatory medications as a means for anxiety reduction to other reputable prescriptions and therapies, I advise to be cautious of those suggested natural supplements and approaches. As for the comment about being wary about 0119 and being consistent with elaborating on potential dangers of prescribed medications, in most occasions I will note the risk of experiencing side effects and the need of consulting a physician/doctor before using/increasing them. Thus, I acknowledge the dangers and risks associated with prescribed medication.

Lastly, the epistemological problem is that we have 'what we know' vs. 'what we don't know' and also the length of what we do know - my belief resonates the former - I can only potentially support those lines of treatment for anxiety where there is an adequate breadth and quality of knowledge and evidence base for. Again, due to this, I tell users to be wary. I hope this clarifies things for you.

[Hip]

I have my reservations in trusting a user's anecdotal experience especially when that user has only made two threads that are in relation to supplements and their potential positive impact on anxiety. This is, thus, a contextual point. I haven't seen a single post made by yourself about the positive interactions between an anxiety sufferer with respect to other innumerable strategies in helping alleviate anxiety nor have I seen any other posts that focused only on Saffron and your anti-inflammatory approach on anxiety. This partly forms a basis for my skepticism and suspicion towards your posts.

So to summarize: you don't trust strangers. That may be a sign of lack of empathic skills, ie, the inability or reduced ability to decipher to minds and intentions of others.

Myself, I don't trust people who say they are scientific, but then like you, blatantly lie or dramatically exaggerate the dangers of OTC supplements, when these dangers are virtually non-existent. You are not the only skeptic I have come across that lies like this. This is a common lie among skeptics, for some reason.

How can call you even call yourself rational, when you blatantly give false information about the dangers of OTC supplements, and yet completely fail to mention the very real dangers of certain pharmaceuticals. Have you ever questioned yourself over your own honesty and consistency?

Sure. My belief is that while a priori knowledge is not sufficient for understanding the efficacy of a supplement - whether it be Saffron or an anti-inflammatory substance - your a posteriori approach on anxiety treatment which (I feel) is broadly characterised more or less by a 'try it yourself' mentality ignores both an empirical problem and epistemological problem from a clinical perspective. Let me preface that by saying that obviously I try to see the merit of any potential treatment for anxiety from a scientific perspective.

My approach, like any good scientific approach, is both theoretical and empirical. I have provided a theoretical framework to explain the cause of generalized anxiety disorder. If you look at the scientific literature, there are no theoretical frameworks that can explain anxiety disorder biochemically. There is a huge gap in our knowledge here. Thus I came up with my own theory of the biochemistry of anxiety, which of course may be totally wrong, but it guided me in my experimental (and successful) choice of treatments. This theory is outlined in my threads, in case you ever feel curious enough to read about it. The empirical side of my approach comes from testing various drugs and supplements, to find out by experiment the ones that work.

And all you polemic about anecdotal, personal experience counting for nothing: that is bullshit. Go tell Alexander Fleming that anecdotal experience counts for nothing, when he just happened to observe the dead bacteria in his petri dish. Or Barry Marshall, when he proved by a single experiment on himself that Helicobacter pylori was the cause of gastric ulcers. You do know about these pivotal point in medical science, don't you? Thus contrary to you assertion, anecdotal experience can be absolutely fundamental to scientific progress.
 

Lastly, the epistemological problem is that we have 'what we know' vs. 'what we don't know' and also the length of what we do know - my belief resonates the former - I can only potentially support those lines of treatment for anxiety where there is an adequate breadth and quality of knowledge and evidence base for. Again, due to this, I tell users to be wary.

So to summarize: you are too wary to generate your own knowledge by trying medications, and noting the effect. Not even OTC supplements, that for the large part, are extraordinarily safe. Unfortunate for you, because this type of knowledge derived from personal testing can often be more pertinent that that gained from large averaged out studies, because it is tailor made for your metabolism. That is the major point you seem to miss with your almost religious adherence to the gospel truth of RCTs. Until you understand the shortcomings of that statistical approach, as well as its great powers, you will never grasp the ethos of "alternative health". I also don't like pseudoscience, and I don't really like the side of "alternative health" that embraces pseudoscience; but I do know that without some personal experimentation — the ethos of "alternative health" — you get nowhere fast. This is also the case with trying standard drugs. Sometimes certain antidepressant or anti-anxiety drugs just suit you, and others don't, and the only way to find which drug work best for you is just by trying them experimentally. Good doctors do this all the time with their patients, trying various drugs by trial and error until they hit the right one.



Anyway, I am going ask a moderator to remove all these off-topic posts from this thread, and put them elsewhere, because is has messed up the normal flow of the topic I started. This also happened to my last thread that examined the studies on saffron.

Or I might just start a new thread, and just dump this one. In any case, I kindly ask you not to hijack the flow of my threads in future.

 

[coeus]

Go ahead. I have no problem with that - it is your thread after all.

[Hip]

On a different note, Coeus, what I may do soon is post a new thread describing my mental symptoms that I am trying to address — symptoms which include generalized anxiety disorder mixed in with significant ADHD, as well as some anhedonia and blunted affect (emotional flatness), and see what the experts on this forum such as yourself have to say or suggest in terms of pharmacological and other treatments. On that new thread, I would be most grateful for your input, Coeus.

Though my generalized anxiety disorder has been almost eliminated by the medications I am currently taking, it is always good to hear about other angles on anti-anxiety treatments. And I will be particularly interested in ADHD treatments, as this is a pretty large problem for me. My few experiments years ago with amphetamine street drugs indicated that I get severe depression the next following the use of amphetamines, so I am not sure if the use of stimulants like Ritalin might help my ADHD without causing these depression side effects, though I guess I ought to give Ritalin a try.

[coeus]

Would be happy to help in regards to that.