Calcium channel blockers for anxiety?

Many people with anxiety disorders don't respond well to standard treatments. The pace of drug discovery is slow when it comes to new treatments for anxiety.
Calcium channels are pore-like proteins that allow calcium to enter cells. Drugs that block the calcium channel are usually used to treat high blood pressure. They can also be useful to prevent migraine headaches. A handful of data suggests that some of them might be useful at reducing anxiety or preventing panic attacks.
This lecture examines the evidence for calcium channel blockers as possible tools in the treatment of anxiety.
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📘 Chapters 📘
0:00 Could calcium channel blockers be good for anxiety?
0:33 Lavender oil might include a calcium channel blocker
1:24 What are calcium channels
3:27 How does calcium affect cells?
5:06 Calcium affects neurotransmitter release
6:06 Calcium channels links to psychiatric symptoms
7:06 Calcium channel blockers and reduced depression risk
8:09 Calcium channel blockers may reduce bipolar mania
9:24 Neurontin and Lyrica are calcium channel blockers
10:24 Do calcium channel blockers for blood pressure work for anxiety?
10:42 Case reports of calcium channel blockers for anxiety or panic attacks
11:10 Placebo-controlled study of verapamil for anxiety or panic attacks
12:33 Calcium channel blockers and brain blood flow
13:34 Nimodipine reduced panic attacks in people with reduced brain blood flow
14:04 One-time dosing did not work
14:49 Case report of calcium channel blocker causing anxiety
14:58 Summary
16:52 The psychiatric value of calcium channel blockers is poorly understood
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[@markymark3075]

Im watching this as someone who has suffered anxiety for 30 years, treated with sertraline. After one month of Amlodipine my mental state has significantly improved, better than ever before. Maybe coincidence, maybe not?

[@sugansugan56]

I have borderline BP - used lisnoprol which gave me side effects so I stopped. I’m ranges is from 140/80 to 119/74. Average is about 130 83. Doctor still wants to take - so he switch me to this type of med and no side effects so far and I feel calmer.

[@nicebluejay]

which med specifically?

[@chrispeers4111]

I have just done a genetic test and found I have CACNA1C altered neuronal signalling. I suffer with types mental illness. Could I do anything to help this?

[@glorias4462]

What is CACNA1C ?? And what kind of genetic test you do? I was diagnosed with many mental illness im tired living please answer sorry im so desperate

[@doktorjones1979]

I have researched this extensively and I have some good information.. usual disclaimer, the following is NOT medical advice. - this is a very important genetic test (did you use Genomind?) it is quite likely the rs1006737 snp which is the most studied. it is one nucleotide! adenine instead of guanine! oops! your whole life thrown upside-down!.. dead-serious here. - if you are heterogenous (G / A) then that means you're half affected which is still serious, if you are (A / A) then you are very affected (probably quite sick since a younger age). - however, it doesn't necessarily point to a particular solution. many persons with serious psychiatric illness have this mutation, the mutation causes a variety of disorders, and some people with the mutation haven't expressed psychiatric illness - that said it is a good pointer to potential therapies - Dr. Robert Post (partially retired) and Chris Aiken have used Nimodipine successfully in cases of ultra rapid cycling and bipolar with anxiety. see www.thecarlatreport.com/blogs/2-the-carlat-psychiatry-podcast/post/3275-how-to-minimize-lithium-s-side-effects It is recommended to use Nimodipine and not Verapamil because Nimodipine crosses into the brain better, so you can use lower dosages and there is less risk of cardiac complications. Other drugs in the same class may apply, but recommend to use Nimodipine as it is the most studied and with best results. - Nimodipine treatment is more indicated for "atypical" bipolar, ultra rapid cycling or ultradian cycling (daily instability and cycling), and for lithium-resistant mania. or comorbid with anxiety. and it is indicated greater for anyone with the mutation obviously. - it's a rare anti-manic drug which is *not* sedating. used responsibly, it lowers blood pressure somewhat. it does not increase tremor, and may reduce tremor. - if it will work at all, the drug works fast (30 minutes) to control mania, cycling, anxiety, and its half-life is just a couple hours so you have to take several a day. there are short term effects and then possibly long term usage effects. - the presence may alter lithium levels and there may be other drug interactions, but in general it can be worked into a pharmacological regimen alongside other drugs - I'm not well apprised of major research for nimodipine for variants of psychosis disorders or autism. if someone has schizoaffective based on a bipolar with the above description, then it stands to reason the same benefit will be gotten. - if it's worth trying it, it's hard to get a provider who prescribes nimodipine this way. you'll have to get an ultra-specialist or get very lucky in your search. Chris Aiken has a multioffice clinic in North Carolina. - if a medicine like this treats the "root cause" of a disease (in this case at a very basic level of calcium ions and neuronal cells), then that is really great, as opposed to others which may only control symptoms - if unavailable, some of your best bets on this angle may be - lamotrigine at high dosage (200mg+) [maybe carbamazepine, not sur], amino acids such as taurine, acetyl L-carnitine [taken directly, an hour before meals, not in an energy drink], CoQ10 [helps mitochondrial health, but ubiquinol is expensive], resveratrol (hard to absorb & get working). and whatever works, to treat mania. - untreated, long term this mutation's result of calcium ion influx into the cells may also cause progressive damage to mitochondria as well as neurodegenerative diseases like parkinson's and alzheimers. not great news - compare with your family history. of course, these brain degenerative diseases also have many other genetic and environmental causes, some of which are inheritable and some not. - As the video suggests, the research here is spotty and has not been properly run large-scale, verified, collated, synthesized, and summarized. That doesn't mean there is nothing there. Therapies either work for you, or they won't. If your symptoms are terrible every day, then you won't respond to a placebo. Calcium channel blockers for psychiatry are a word-of-mouth, dig into the books kind of situation. Hopefully this is more useful than a ChatGPT response, which is also NOT medical advice. happy to share. please anyone reply if they can add more or if I have something wrong. Maybe @Ask a Psyciatrist has a take on the above comments. good luck all

[@seagreen9264]

Or you can just take magnesium. Don’t block the natural body processes.