Lyrica, a common sight in pharmacies across America, can actually be a pretty dangerous drug. Although, yes, it can help with pain and anxiety, it can also cause you to become dizzy at the worst of times, make you gain weight, lead you feeling confused throughout life, lead to you waking up at night, and in even worse cases, cause you to hallucinate. Many people also report losing their words. That is, they feel like every word they search for is always on the tip of their tongue.
Now, Lyrica does have some very legitimate medical uses, and if a health care professional has asked you to take the drug, you should always talk to them before coming off of it. That said the natural alternatives below are a great way to get the same benefits others can get from the drug in a very natural and healthy way.
Magnesium as an Alternative to Lyrica
Many of the common things that Lyrica is prescribed for can actually be treated naturally just by improving your diet.
Lyrica works by targeting the nerves all around your body, and often the pain of the nerves is actually just them crying out for magnesium. Unfortunately, this is something that is lacking in the diet of many people.
You don’t need to buy supplements either. Natural spinach actually has a high level of magnesium, and is easy to add to salads and sandwiches.
If you are the kind of person who likes snacking through the day, one of your choices can be to put away the chocolate and instead eat more seeds. Your best choice here are pumpkin seeds, which as well as being naturally rich in nerve healing magnesium, also help to release a chemical called tryptophan. This promotes a natural, healthy sleep, which can also help if the cause of your Lyrica taking is to help to cure your anxiety.
The best friend of magnesium is calcium. To help your new additional sources of magnesium take effect, you really need to also add more calcium as well. Even if you are a vegan, it is easy to get natural sources. White beans, found in the isle of any Whole Foods store, will provide you with all the calcium you need to start feeling better without Lyrica.
Get more Vitamin D instead of Lyrica
It may also be that you simply need to add more eggs and fish to your diet. Vitamin D is another ingredient missing in diets around the world.
By adding some fish to your meals, or some scrambled eggs to your breakfasts, you can naturally boost your levels of Vitamin D.
There have been loads of studies that have linked a lack in Vitamin D to a high increase of Chronic pain, the very symptom that Lyrica claims to treat.Â
Exercise for Anxiety
This might sound counter-intuitive if the reason you are taking Lyrica is to soothe pain in your body, but a bit of light exercise can help to naturally encourage your body to heal without the help of any drugs.
You can start off with some light stretches, or even some swimming. What happens when you exercise is that you encourage your muscles to create new, healthier fibers, eventually getting rid of the unhealthy ones and leaving your body feeling as good as new (especially as most of your muscles will now be new!)
If you are anxious about going to the pool, or to the gym, you can do some very light exercises at home with the aid of a yoga mat or an exercise ball. But, if you can, getting to the gym isn’t a bad idea either, as the company of people will provide pleasant chemicals which will help you feel much better very quickly.
Use Acupuncture for Chronic Pain
If you are reading this article because you are already on Lyrica, and want a natural way of getting off of it, then Acupuncture is something that can really help you out. A acupuncture practitioner will ask you about your problems and help work your body into getting rid of the problems itself. Acupuncture also helps naturally remove pain by encouraging endorphins, the chemicals in the brain that cause you to become happy.
If you are worrying about the cost of Acupuncture, don’t! Many practitioners offer a discounted first session, allowing you to see if this treatment is for you. Furthermore, even without the discounted trial, many acupuncture sessions are actually quite cheap, especially when you consider the alternative might be either being in pain or becoming dependent on Lyrica for the rest of your life. Simply talking to your Acupuncture practitioner can also help you with your anxiety, giving you someone to talk to in a structured way.
Massage
If your body is aching, this simple effective treatment might just be for you.
Whenever you have a massage, what actually happens is, as well as your muscles getting a good workout, your body releases a large amount of serotonin and endorphins. Serotonin helps to regulate your body’s moods as well as reduce pain.
For extra added effect, have your massager use a natural lavender oil on your skin. This chemical helps to promote relaxation, and has been shown to help reduce stress.
Capsaicin as a Cure Instead of Lyrica
This wonderful herbal ingredient is a great substitute to any pain relief drug such as Lyrica.
Stocked in many herbal shops, a bit of Capsaicin oil or ointment on your skin can help to activate the nerves in your muscle. Although this may sting at first, this is simply because your nerves are reactivating. After this initial bit of discomfort, the nerves will actually start slowing down, decreasing the amount of pain that your body feels.
All you have to do after applying any Capsaicin treatment to your skin is to make sure to wash your hands afterwards, especially if you are about to drink or eat, because you certainly do not want to have a surprising hot taste in your mouth!
Ginger
The humble ginger herb is another great way to reduce symptoms of pain and anxiety, and is a great Lyrica alternative.
To use this treatment, all you need to do is find some Ginger tea, stocked in almost every good supermarket, and brew yourself at least two cups a day. This is best taken at morning and at night.
Ginger contains a naturally occurring series of chemicals called Phytochemicals. These chemicals help to reduce swelling and inflammation in all of the muscles of your body. The scent of Ginger has been said to take people’s minds away from the current problems they are having in life.
Heat as a Holistic Alternative to Lyrica
One shocking, and yet natural, alternative for Lyrica is simply giving your body more heat!
By either using a heat pack, going out on a hot day, or entering a sauna, you can help your body naturally work through it’s muscle and nerve tensions. Also, by going somewhere new and different, you give yourself a chance to relax, allowing you to take your mind off both the pain and any anxiety you have.
If you want to avoid the prices of saunas, and don’t have any heat packs lying around, you can also have a hot bath as a substitute. Adding some essential oils to the mix, such as Tree Tree Oil or lavender, will also help to make your body feel healthy again, all without the aid of Lyrica.
Oil Balms
Scientists at the University of Farateb have discovered a great, herbal mixture that can help relieve pain. And it uses ingredients you either have lying at home or can grab by going to the supermarket.
All you need to do is, in a pot, insert some sesame oil, cinnamon, mastic powder, and ginger. Stir the mixture on a low heat, and after everything has dissolved, take off and leave to cool.
Take the pot to the bathroom, and start washing yourself with the liquid.
You will find that, if you do this once a day for a week, your body will instantly start feeling better, reducing the reason for Lyrica. For an even more powerful, natural, effective alternative to Lyrica, simply add a few cloves of garlic to the pot. The natural antioxidants and pain-relief in this herb will also activate in the oil balm, giving you further pain relief for cheap.
Living a full life
With these natural replacements for Lyrica, you may just find that your reasons for taking the drug, or thinking about taking it, are solved easily and quickly.
And this will be a great thing. People who have been using Lyrica and have decided to stop can suffer from a range of withdrawal affects, including even more pain than before they started taking the drug, painful migraines, and even clinical depression.
Yet, simply by looking after yourself, eating right, and treating yourself, you can enjoy a natural drug free life.
