Megan Ward Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 Hello all! I check Whole9's A to Z of testimonials first, but this was not there. I'm wondering: has anyone noticed relief from anxiety problems on the Whole30? I'm especially interested to know if anyone was able to stop taking medications? I've been on medication since I was 12. Now I'm 27. It was Zoloft for several years, then Effexor XR, which I'm on now. I tried others but I'm the least symptom free on Effexor, though I still have plenty of symptoms (crazy dreams, dizziness, weight gain, low libido, and, possibly, GI problems). Since I've begun working out five times a week and eating strict paleo, I'd like to try to go off my meds. Really I'm just looking to see people's experiences with this. I know depression has been helped by the Whole30, so I assume this has also. Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa Urban Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 Turtle, While we don't have a specific "A for "Anxiety", many of the folks reporting happier mental health status have commented that the program helped them reduce their anxiety. You won't know how these changes are working in your own body until you try. Of course, we always recommend working closely with your doctor when attempting to adjust medication doseages, or come off medication altogehter. This isn't something you should do on your own - coming off some of these meds can have their own set of side effects. Keep us posted, and best of luck to you! Melissa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megan Ward Posted April 9, 2012 Author Share Posted April 9, 2012 Yes. I've definitely been talking with my doctor about how to reduce dosage. Effexor, especially, has a host of bad effects if not stopped properly. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robconnelly Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 Hi TurtleKnitta, I replied to your post about GI distress, and I might have some experience here as well. The best thing for my anxiety was this lifestyle itself. I was once on, and off and on...and now off meds. I feel better than I have in ages. We anxiety prone people tend to over-analyze everything and thus we over-analyze our workouts, our diets as well as every other aspect of our lives. When I really got control of my health and began living this lifestyle, it helped with my anxiety in that I already knew what I was going to eat that day. I didn't have to analyze it. I knew the science behind it, I knew it was healthy and I knew I was doing myself a favor. So everytime I began to analyze it, I'd interrupt myself and trust. The same went for my workouts. I knew I was doing myself a huge favor and I literally was proud of myself. Sure you'll screw up, but who cares? EVERYONE does. I stopped analyzing this part of my life and let the science work for itself. Be patient. You'll feel better and more in control, if you stop analyzing. Just trust this part of your life to the science. Rely on those who've done it and succeeded. Trust them. Trust the science. I wish you the best on this journey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megan Ward Posted April 9, 2012 Author Share Posted April 9, 2012 Thank you so much. That's wonderful to hear. I've been contemplating going off meds for a while now and have a plan set with my doc. My life has evened out in ways it hasn't before. The last time I tried going off was right before grad school - which probably wasn't the best choice. I'm definitely hoping that with the summer coming (I'm a teacher, and though I still work in the summer, it's much lighter) that it will help me test it out. Already this winter was better than normal with working out. I had many fewer seasonal affective problems, even though we still were without sun for a long time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy Massucci Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 Hi TurtleKnitta. Being quite strict about avoiding sugar really seemed to help me with anxiety. I have been on and off daily anxiety meds over the years, but found that they were unnecessary when I took a hard line on the sugar intake. I had a low-anxiety Whole45 and once I added fruit and chocolate back in, it's been hard to hold the whole thing together. A treat here and there sets off restlessness and further indulgences and it has a crazy-long half-life--takes forEVER to get back out of my system. (This, hand in hand with a particularly stressy time at work, is why it's time for me to get right back on the wagon and do another Whole<as long as it takes>.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megan Ward Posted April 10, 2012 Author Share Posted April 10, 2012 I'm about to say something that every nutritionist will cringe at: I'm just not sure I can do it without any fruit or any chocolate. *laugh* What I'm hoping will happen is I just end up heavily moderating those. It's definitely something I've thought about, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules2012 Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 I quit taking my Zoloft about 2 weeks into my Whole 30. It's been 2 weeks since I finished and I'm doing great without it. I was on the lowest dose, 25 mg, so I can't say what it would be like for someone on a high dose. My mood has really stabilized. I've seen so many improvements in other endocrine related issues that I'm not surprised that my anxiety has diminished. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa Urban Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 Megan, we don't really WANT you to have to live life without the things you find pleasurable, especially nutrient-dense foods like chocolate. What you might discover along this journey is that some is okay, more is not okay. Or, 75% cocoa is not okay, but 90% cocoa is better. It's all a big experimentation, but there is no definitive "right" or "wrong" - only you, in the end, making your won judgments about what is worth it or not worth it. Rob's right - relax, trust the process, and be patient and kind to yourself along the way. You're doing great. Rob, really nice to see you here. Melissa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megan Ward Posted April 11, 2012 Author Share Posted April 11, 2012 It's true - moderation is the key. Which lack of moderation is a lot of what has gotten me to a bad place. It's something I'm learning slowly. And I've also discovered that when I used to scoff at giving up many things, feeling better is enough of a reason for me to give it up. Things aren't so hard when there is the right reason behind them. That said, I'm definitely keeping that chocolate for now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dboothsummers Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 So glad you posted this topic. I have had GAD all my life but was just diagnosed in 2009, plus OCD & panic disorder. I haven't had a panic attack since I started meds, but I've been on them for two years. I thought if I quit drinking it would help. I'm two years without booze and still anxious. I recently stepped down from 60mg prozac to 40 (i've been on zoloft, buspar, klonopin (i recommend benzos to NO ONE... talk about crazy withdrawals), celexa and now prozac). i have more energy but am more anxious. i have been feeling great since starting my whole 30 and am hoping controlling my diet will help me come down even more on the drugs because i'd like to be off/on a lower dose while we're trying to conceive. i agree.. just having restrictions helps with the anxiety. too many choices freak me out. BUT alcohol was just as much a part of my life as sugar was and i thought when i quit the anxiety and mood stuff would magically go away. i was told it might by doctors and therapists. for some people it does. for me it didn't. it was better in that i didn't have rebound anxiety, but man i really missed my go to relaxer... i'm pretty much unable to relax on my own. i gained a bunch of weight because i turned to 800 calorie brownies instead of 3 100 calorie light beers for comfort. all that to say... some of us are just anxious. food can help and maybe even totally allieviate for some. some of us will still need the meds or CBT or whatever. crossfitting helps a TON. it makes my body tired in a good "i don't have tons of pent up energy" way. i'm going to see how things go for the rest of the whole 30 and then maybe attempt to go down to 20 on th emeds. i can always scale back up if i need to... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RevKT Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 I found if I stick to strict Whole30, I do not need my meds for bipolar or anxiety. My struggle is sticking to the program when I am over stressed and can't find Whole30 foods fast enough. Like if I have been working and have not eaten in four hours, because I can't. Then, I have no food with me because I would need a cooler in the car with food in it which is hard to plan for if I expect an hour long meeting and it turn into three hours. Also, my premenstural week is really hard because the illness gets worse so it's harder to make rational food choices. It just takes a lot of planning and as soon as I get hungry and or tired and my mind starts to act irrationally, sugar and wheat is the first thing I will crave. Crave like I think I won't survive without it. I guess this is common with bipolar though because the sugar increases serotonin and your body wants to self medicate. Now one of the ways doctors diagnose bipolar is to ask if you binge on sugar and can't control it. I am doing all of this under the supervision of my doctors who both say Paleo can help with anxiety and such, but the main problem is it is so hard to stick with when you have an ill brain. Even if you can get off meds completely, always maintain a regular relationship with your doctors. We all know mental illness ebbs and flows so you always need to be supervised. You can read about my journey with this at my blog in the signature if it might help anyone. It is a struggle, but it works so I will keep at it until I find a way to stick with it. Since medications make me very sick, it's Whole30 or the hospital. I prefer Whole30 :-) Oh, and I agree with the other poster that CrossFit helps too. It tires me out enough to calm my anxious mind and puts me in a better mod instantly. I look forward to hearing how the diet works for everyone! Tips and tricks for sticking with it would also be helpful. I think sticking with lifestyle changes is different for those of us with mental illness because logical thinking that works for others does not always work for us. Good luck all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KJT Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 I've had a pretty severe anxiety/panic disorder most of my life and have been on and off medications several times. Currently I am medicated, because the panic is touched off by interactions with other people and I found it nearly impossible to share an office without some sort of help. I'm fine with this; the meds are doing what they're supposed to, and I'm getting along reasonably well. The Celexa I take had some side effects when I first started on it; nothing major, just annoyances, really (other than a tendency to disrupt my sleep), and they went away after the first 6 to 8 weeks, since when I've been quite happy with it. The thing is, I'm on Day 13 of my Whole30, and I've found that the side effects seem to have come back. I'm wondering if one or more of the foods I've given up was interfering with my body's ability to process the medication. It feels like my dosage has been increased, even though it's the same it's always been. Even the low-level background anxiety I have constantly seems to have decreased. I'm suspecting the change in diet is helping in unexpected ways. I'm not planning to take the leap to unmedicated life again any time soon, but I'd like to think that maybe I could at some point in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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