u/DepartmentEcstatic

I have some catnip growing wild in my garden and I would like to harvest it and utilize it for tea or tincture.

I was wondering those of you who have experience with this herb how you like to use it/harvest it best?

Also how does it compare with other herbs like lemon balm and tulsi that are used for calming or anti-anxiety properties?

I recently read an unrelated post about LDN and everyone was talking about LDN hot flashes. Men and women, and these are not hormonal pre-menopausal hot flashes either.

Just wondering what your experiences are and if anything has helped like decreasing your dose or frequency?

The hot flashes are from my torso up to my head accompanied by light-headedness and dizziness. It would come out of nowhere and seem to to be triggered by normal stressors that never affected me physically or mentally before. I've had anxiety for the first time in my life since this started and significantly reduced my LDN dose. It helps me so much with my autoimmune that I have to find a way to make it work. I am still feeling anxious but the hot flashes/physical symptoms seem to have subsided a lot in the last 6 months.

Hi all, those who are on the island now and are managing to avoid mosquitoes, where for the love of all things are you?!

They are even inside my Airbnb, ocean view on a hill near Grand Case, eating me alive.

I will be on the island for over a week and would love to hear your recommendations for outdoor activities.

We are not interested in nightlife, casinos or shopping. Just want to be outside and do things like enjoy beautiful beaches, the less busy local spots prefer. We also enjoy good quality food/restaurants.

Hi All,

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A couple of interesting experiences I've had with LDN I would like to share just in case they might help someone else in their journey. It's been a lot of trial and error, and overall it's helped me so much.

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I took 4 mg daily for years, this was a miracle for my autoimmune condition. I did have some side effects like nervous system overactivating and anxiety/panic type symptoms I've never had before in my life. I stopped LDN a few times for several months and restarted over the years and it was never a gentle time.

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Fast forward to this year, after stopping for 4 months and my autoimmune flaring like crazy after not flaring for all the years I was on, I knew I had to find a way to make things work. I now take 0.25 mg every other day and it seems to work the same as the 4 mg daily did for my autoimmune and inflammation. And much gentler on my nervous system.

Also, I have not been ill with a cold/flu/infection of any kind since COVID in 2020. I used to get sick not a lot, but at least every couple years I would get a little cold or something, I have never gone this long without being ill my whole life. So that's been an interesting side effect! Has anyone else experienced this?

My thyroid has not been affected, my TSH has always been subclinically high, around 5. It fluctuates between about three and seven at most. That has stayed the same for the last 15 years in LDN has not changed it for the better or worse. None of my other thyroid hormones or antibodies are off. Maybe because I don't have the autoimmune type of thyroid it doesn't help?

I started fluoxetine 10 mg for 2 weeks, then 3 weeks of 20 mg, so 5 weeks total.

Taking for new anxiety/panic type symptoms that started this year. I started having physical symptoms out of nowhere, near panic attacks when I'm doing normal stuff that I wouldn't have thought twice about ever before.

I'm taking benzodiazepines about 3 days a week to get through my job. 0.75 mg of lorazepam a day usually. It's typical for me to then go 4 days without any benzo, and a week out of the month no benzo. This has been my routine for a few months now and then the SSRI for 5 weeks because I don't want to continue the benzos.

Anxiety felt like it ramped up with the SSRI and hasn't really gotten better. It's definitely the activation syndrome that I've read about, the whole feeling worse before you feel better thing...

I'm wondering how long did it take you to feel better? And if you are taking benzos to get you through this initial phase does that mess with things or make things more difficult? My goal is once I start feeling more normal to taper off the benzo. But I'm not sure if my days that I don't take it I just feel bad because I'm going through withdrawal. Mostly shaky and anxious and just avoiding wanting to do anything and everything. But sadly avoiding doesn't always make you feel any better either, lol. I'm new to this and just hoping others might be able to share their experience especially if it's a positive one. A journey!