Ask Larry:
Your Question: I have been on Lansoprazole (Prevacid) for over a year and my doctor is trying to wean me off of the drug. The reason I am on the drug is because of nausea. It seems for the last several years that anxiety and stress center in my stomach. I was on Lansoprazole 30mg and am now on 15mg. I am also on a “Fodmap diet” which recommends that I avoid garlic and apples. A friend suggested I try the product named Stops Acid Reflex (foul smelling but good), but among the ingredients are garlic juice and apple vinegar.
Can you recommend another product that may alleviate nausea due to anxiety?
Larry’s Response: There are several supplements and herbs that are known to ease anxiety; Chamomile, Ashwagandha, Passionflower, Magnesium, Green and Black Teas, Lavender, and Kava. While they’re available individually, they are usually most effective against anxiety when used in combination, which are available from several supplement companies.
There are also many combinations of herbs that help reduce nausea; Black Pepper, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Clove, Gentian, Ginger Root, Holy Basil, Lavender, Lemon Balm, Lemon Verbena, Marsh Mallow Root, Peppermint, Prickly Ash, and Rhodiola.
The key to selecting and trying a combination is to look for a quality company that supports their claims with studies and guarantees their products.
I am not well versed about the Fodmap Diet, but I see from the information online that following it could severely limit the foods you can consume. While you may not be able to use many foods, you might find relief from herbal products that contain the items listed above, but none of the forbidden elements of the diet.
Ortho Molecular offers three products designed to relieve stress and we off more information on our website;
- Siberian ginseng has been approved by the Commission E as a tonic to help with fatigue and concentration. Compounds of Siberian ginseng known as eleutherosides, have been shown to be the primary compounds responsible for its adaptogenic activity.
- Rhodiola rosea has been used in Russia as an agent to support fatigue, mental clarity, and memory. In Sweden Rhodiola rosea has been recognized as an anti-fatigue agent, in Denmark Rhodiola rosea is registered as a medical product in the category of botanical drugs.
- Schizandra chinensis has been used for centuries in China and Russia as an adaptogen. Schizandra has been used to enhance mental clarity, alleviate stress, and promote emotional wellness.
- Licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra) contains compounds known as glycyrrhizin. These compounds have a structure very similar to corticosteroids and have been shown to block the enzyme responsible for converting cortisol to the inactive cortisone.
- Ashwagandha is an adaptogenic herb traditionally used in Ayurvedic medicine and has also been found to have a number of health promoting properties attributed to its use.
- Vitamin C is needed for steroid biosynthesis and is depleted from the adrenal cortex upon high cortisol secretion. Niacin derivatives are also necessary cofactors for steroid biosynthesis.
- Pantothenic acid is vital to maintain steroid secretion from the adrenal cortex.
- Siberian ginseng, Rhodiola rosea, Glycyrrhiza glabra, and Schizandra chinensis are all considered to be adaptogenic herbs. Adaptogens are substances that nonspecifically increase the resistance of stress and exerts a balancing effect on various systems in the body (immune, central nervous, etc).
- Siberian ginseng has been approved by the Commission E as a tonic to help with fatigue and concentration. Compounds of Siberian ginseng known as eleutherosides, have been shown to be the primary compounds responsible for its adaptogenic activity. Rhodiola rosea has been used in Russia as an agent to support fatigue, mental clarity, and memory.
- In Sweden, Rhodiola rosea has been recognized as an anti-fatigue agent.
- In Denmark, Rhodiola rosea is registered as a medical product in the category of botanical drugs.
- Schizandra chinensis has been used for centuries in China and Russia as an adaptogen.
- Schizandra has been used to enhance mental clarity, alleviate stress, and promote emotional wellness.
- Licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra) contains compounds known as glycyrrhizin. These compounds have a structure very similar to corticosteroids and have been shown to block the enzyme responsible for converting cortisol to the inactive cortisone.
Adrene Vive is Siberian Ginseng, Rhodiola and Ashwaganda
Instead of selecting one, the manufacturer suggests rotating all three – use a bottle of one and switch to another when the bottle’s gone.
I commend you on your desire to stop using drugs and find alternatives. I wish you luck in your search.