does anyone use herbal supplements for stress?

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I get stressed really easily and then take a long time to wind down from stress. Lately I've had some factors in my life that would cause anyone a reasonable amount of stress but for me its been extreme. I've had days where I felt sure I would have a heart attack because everything in my body (my blood, heart, nervous system) was racing so hard it hurt badly. I've had a lot of sleepless nights and then nights where I couldn't sleep at all and without a break from it all every muscle in my body felt like it was going to just snap at some point.

I've talked to doctors about my stress but they just don't believe me how bad it gets. One doctor prescribed diazapam for permanently spasmed muscles (I believe caused by stress) but it made me feel zonked out and after a while made me constipated which made me feel ultra cranky. Overall in my life I haven't had much luck with prescribed meds as they usually have some sort of horrible side effect.

I know about things like meditation and yoga but when I'm stressed I can't slow down enough to do them. I've had someone recently recommend that I look into herbal formulas for relieving stress. I've found a little info on a traditional chinese one called Xiao Yao Wan (translates to "free and easy wanderer") and on amazon and iherb saw a lot of good reviews for StressCare by Himalaya Herbal Healthcare.

I really want to know if anyone has used these or other herbs and found it helpful to relieve their stress? My brain seems too active and I'd like to take the edge off but don't want to be a zombie. I'd be interested in other recommendations too. I just really need to find some way to get this under control...

i like tulsi bramhi. i think meditation,yoga etc all help if you can fit them into your life

A good resource for learning about Chinese herbs, is a book called Asian Health Secrets, by Letha Hadady. She also has a website where she talks about Chinese herbs and what to use them for: www.asianhealthsecrets.com. I have followed a lot of her suggestions with excellent results for stress like you describe.

Herbal supplements haven't worked for me - I've tried stuff like Kalms and Rescue Remedy, also Vitex. Dietary changes and a good supplement (I believe B vitamins especially) can help, otherwise for me the only thing that's helped so far are antidepressants to ease my anxiety and learning to RECOGNISE when stressed as often I don't realise I'm stressed until it's gotten to a point of making me ill.

Magnesium deficiency can be a contributor towards stress and depression so try taking 400mg to 800mg of magnesium per day.

Other herbal supplements for stress and anxiety are things like 5-htp and L-theanine, I have tried Valerian in the past and I can't say that it is very effective.

Here's a good video on magnesium deficiency.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wtUn1gWgaw[/youtube]

What do you want so badly that you will put yourself through all this to get it?

It sounds to me that the OP wants badly to feel better without forming an independence upon drugs.

I agree. Allow me to rephrase my point.
If the OP is working at a demanding job such as one that requires 60+ hours per week or requires interacting with abusive coworkers, then effective herbal medicine will more likely increase his or her productivity rather than reduce the stress. IMO, the OP should consider who is pushing him to the limits of his abilities.

Like so many of us, I suffer from chronic depression. By-and-large I've gotten used to it, but sometimes it gets bad enough to motivate me to take something. St John's Wort works for me.

As for stress. The worst I felt was in a past job in which one of my work colleagues was enjoying aggravating me. I found myself unable to communicate, because I didn't want to be confrontational. He was directly 'above' me. The stress of this over several weeks was having physiological effects. Shoulders and neck were becoming WAY stiff.

Did valerian. Took the tension out of my body. Great relief.

Always keep some of those herbs in my cupboard.

That's a good point. In the meantime, the herbs will help him to think more clearly about how he wants to address the other issues. I have been heavily stressed in work situations, so I know where he is coming from.

To the OP Some good herbs for relaxing are Valerian, Passionflower, and Lemon Balm. There are teas with the last two mentioned, but don't buy Valerian tea because it really stinks. It has a very unpleasant odor which is why I use capsules. There are patent Chinese teapills that do wonders, but it is best to work with a practitioner. The Xiao Yao Wan is an excellent start, though. If you are feeling a lot of anger, there is another preparation called Lung Dan, which helps with hot dry eyes and feeling tense and easily irritated. It is safe to take along with Xiao Yao Wan.

This is a really good description of the type of extra stress I've had lately. Unfortunately when it comes down to other people's behaviours you just get no say. The only way I could avoid these type of stressors is to become a complete hermit and never have a job again or even go out to do shopping or anything. It's simply not an option. I must make an income - I'm an adult and its no one else's job to pay my way in this world. I've had many different jobs in many different industries but there's always something stressful about all of them - whether its other people making things difficult, deadlines to meet, social problems etc. Ever since I was a child I've stressed out easily - always wished an adult would step in and help but they never did. Now I'm a really maladjusted adult just trying to survive day to day.

Under guidance of a nutritionist I'm already on a multitude of dietary supplements, some in higher than usual doses, and it really helps but not enough to feel relaxed outside of my own house. I've done heaps of research since my original post and am realising that sleep is a big issue for me even when I'm not peaking out from stress. I'm up all night because I don't get sleepy then after I get up I have really low energy for the first half of the day. Looking through the archives here it seems I'm not alone in this problem. My father who I suspect is aspie also barely sleeps at night so feel like my problems with this might be hereditary especially as I've had them all my life. I'm going to lean towards trying things like Valerian and Passionflower to get to sleep at a reasonable time of night and hopefully stay asleep all night. I'm hoping this will level out cortisol/melatonin cycles as that might help my ability to cope. Then I'll re-evaluate my stress and see how I'm going. Am also interested in herbs considered adaptogens in terms of their possible ability to balance out my adrenal function.

In the archives here I saw one poster Jellybean made a lot of posts around 2008 about really good success with Phosphatidyl Serine (a non essential amino acid) to lower stress levels. I then looked it up and there seems to be a lot of pages with info for parents of children with autism strongly recommending it. As I understand it the idea is that even though its an amino acid our body can make we burn through a lot of it when we are stressed so may not make enough for good neurotransmitter activity if we suffer prolonged stress. I'm cautiously wondering about this - it sounds like the missing ingredient in my life but if that was it surely everyone here would be taking it? Does anyone here have direct experience with it?

I am this way too, even when I have had a good night of sleep. If I rise before 11:00 am I am lucky. And I don't really feel awake until around 2:30.

One adaptogen I have tried is another Chinese herb, called Tienchi. It is a form of ginseng, yet you can take it in the evening and it won't keep you up. There are two forms; one is considered warming to the body and the other has a cooling effect. You can try mixing one half teaspoon of each if you are not sure which is good for you. It can be added to tea, coffee or food if you don't like the taste. To be on the safe side, take it in the mornings at first. BTW, have you tried Melatonin? I have Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome and Melatonin really helps.

Also try to avoid caffeine, sugar and alcohol, they can contribute a great deal when it comes to stress and cutting them out of your diet will most likely alleviate a percentage of what you feel.

Thanks Hartzofspace - I'll look into Tienchi. I did try melatonin once for a short while but didn't perceive any difference. Not sure if I should have tried a stronger dose? I had someone warn me that if you take melatonin supplements your body produces less so that scared me off.

Wolfheart - I know all your suggestions are helpful because I've done them all (including the magnesium you suggested earlier). I haven't had sugar or caffeine in a couple of years and alcohol even longer. I know not having these things helps but I must be a really bad case because I've still got problems.

You could do a little research to see how long you can safely take Melatonin, before it gets to be affecting your body that way. I find that with me, sometimes a mere one milligram tablet can make me sleep but I find that I am really hung over the next day. Other times I have taken up to two milligrams and not been able to sleep. You could also buy tablets in one and two milligram strengths, and break them into four parts. There are some tablets that are extended release but this can be tricky because you don't want it staying in your system to long when you have to work the next day. Start with the lowest dose and work your way up. It is also safe to take Valerian capsules along with Melatonin. I'm glad you found some things helpful!

I tried Adaptogen herbs, which support adrenal function, are also effective for dealing with common symptoms of stress, such as fatigue and weakness. I think Ginseng is the most popular adaptogen..