Herbal Remedies to Help with the Stress of Ulcerative Colitis

When I'm really especially stressed out, and experience aggravated symptoms, and experience even further stress, I go out for a hamburger, fries, a magnum shake, the whole works. No just kidding, but many of my friends (who are not surprisingly pushing obesity) claim that they turn to this "classic" when in the headlights of stress. I used to envy them, wishing I too could just monster-chow my stress away, until I began learning other ways to do so. I had always turned to food for comfort, and since my ulcerative colitis symptoms flared up, I could no longer gorge without feeling as if I were about to crumble, erupt or be terminated in some other awful way. So, I guess by necessity, I had to learn other methods.

One of the best relaxers I have found is GABA (gamma-aminobutric acid). This is an amino acid that you can take which acts as a neurotransmitter in the brain. It's very relaxing and consistently helps me sleep. Apparently it's an inhibitor, meaning when your mind is overactive and overstressed, this activity is inhibited, bringing you back to equilibrium. Think about it, a lot of abused substances act upon the GABA receptors, such as alcohol, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, etc. When we reach for these substances, we are most likely looking to nourish a deficiency. With prolonged stress, our GABA levels become depleted. Ever since I started GABA therapy (just two months ago), I've been feeling quite level-headed and chill.

I've also tried some herbs to help me cope with stress, such as kava kava, valerian, passionflower, hops, etc. I think my favorite is kava kava, but too much breaks me out in a rash and is supposedly taxing on your liver. I like how it kicks in quickly, and even enjoy the tongue-numbing that ensues. Yet of course, it's easy to overdo it. Therefore, I take it no more than three times a week. Passionflower is also great; it's mild, but the sedative effects are noticeable.

I also focus on my B vitamins during times of continuous high stress; I make sure to take a B-complex. In addition, I take 500 mg of pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), which is great for stressed out individuals. Also, if I find that my mind is racing too much for me to be able to fall asleep, then I take magnesium and calcium half an hour before I sleep, and I really feel that this combination relaxes me. It's incredible. I have also experimented with melatonin and 5-HTP (the precursor to tryptophan), but it's still too early to tell if these are effective.