Forums Herb-Talk | Archive Botanical Medicine Medicinal Herbs Holy Basil increased anxiety

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    • #37018
      Phillyjoe

        Hi!

        First post here 🙂

        I’ve a long history of psychic illness, major depressions, anxiety, muscle tensions, fatigue. Two years ago I began eating more healthy. Anti inflammatory diet, lots of greens, healthy fats, green smoothies, spices, turmeric, omega 3, vit D every day. My mood was lifted immediately and gave me a lot of energy, so much I had to lower my anti depressive medicine (cymbalta, works on both serotonin and norepinephrine). When lowered it and together with the diet I got to feel an inner peace I hadn’t felt for years. After a while the energy increased to the point I felt stressed, I lowered the medicine again, got calmer and after a while more energy and so on.

        The high energy and stressed feeling came quicker and quicker for every down tapering I made, and in point it started to give me more anxiety, muscle tensions etc.. Then I raised it slowly and the anxiety, headache got more and more severe for every raise. Now one year after I raised it, I sufffer from high anxiety I’ve never ever had before, body is in constant fight/flight mode. I keep eating healthy but has removed all supplements etc.

        I’ve read a little about herbs and thought I would give it a try to see if I can lower the stress so I bought Holy Basil from organic India capsules. I’ve taken them for a few days now. First day I felt difference pretty much 30 min after taken. I got calmer and had more resistance to stress, also it had an anti depressive effect. But the last days of taking it, I got small panic attack after taking it, very fast heartbeating but after a while the heart goes back to normal. And yesterday I woke up in middle of the night feeling something is wrong, my heart pounding fast. I’m not sure if this could be an effect in the beginning when adrenals and body start to calibrate?!? Also scarred if I got to much serotonin from eating so healthy and taking antidepressant, maybe herbs could raise it to dangerous levels and outbreak in a serotonin syndrome?!?

        Understand that Tulsi are supposed to strengthen the adrenals and on the same time be energizing without stimulate, is it correct? Are there any other herbs you would recommend instead? It feels I have to much energy all the time, the last thing I need is more energy boost. I also bought, hops, chamomile, skullcap, Schisandra, lemon balm.

      • #37044
        Michelle Koch
        Student

          Have you been continuing to consult with your physician/therapist on this journey? Never adjust, taper, replace, or discontinue psychoactive medications without consulting a qualified professional. If said professional is not supportive of herbal therapy, find a naturopathic physician to work with your regular doctor, and insist they collaborate. Don’t get me wrong- I believe mental illness and neurochemical imbalances are best treated naturally, but once pharmaceuticals are involved, we need a little help changing course.

        • #37056
          Martha Stanley
          Student

            FWIW,

            When I have a cup of Tulsi tea, I get a kinda low-level stress-thing like high-blood pressure for a few minutes. It reminds me of your description.

            I’m replying because I’d never heard of anyone else having a reaction like this to tulsi. I’d like to see Doc’s response.

            Martha

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