yeah...that's why I opted for the mega-dose vitamins (mostly water soluble vitamins, such as C, B3, b-complex) instead of herbals and/or amino acids.

I see where you're coming from. For a while there, I was taking astaxanthin w/ the Orthomolecular line up, basically just to boost the antioxidant action (did I mention that I'm afraid of TD?!?). Then, I read that high(er) doses of astaxanthin do something to liver enzymes and can alter the metabolism of Rx psych drugs. oops. I now take a relatively high(ish) dose of natural form beta carotene. They're both in the carotenoid family, both are antioxidants. On the plus side, the natural form beta carotene is a whole lot cheaper than the astaxanthin, and the body uses it as needed to form vitamin A.

I"m not trying to force the Orthomolecular on to anyone, but I do find it interesting, at a number of levels. I seem to tolerate the tranquilizer (Abilify, in my case) a -whole- lot better w/ the vitamins on board. My mood is better. I don't need gabapentin now. I was able to drop my antidepressant (Wellbutrin SR, in my case) a while back with no major difficulties.

There's a bit of research that -seems- to suggest that antioxidants -might- play a role in preventing TD. So..basically, the massive vitamins seem to make it possible for me to take as much tranquilizer as I need, tolerate it well, and -not- develop TD. Always a good thing. The deal there is...in some large(r) studies, it seems that people w/ TD have some cognitive decline, on average (compared to similarly treated people w/o TD). So...if the Orthomolecular can prevent TD, its probably reducing the brain damage from the tranquilizers and other psych drugs.

I also find that my allergies are vastly improved (no need for an antihistamine!), my skin quality is awesome, my energy levels are good, I can concentrate better, I don't get colds and such as often (and they tend to be of shorter duration, these days), and...this is going to sound vain, especially coming from a dude...even my hair is better, LOL.

Since I'm on the Lamictal, I should probably reintroduce a good bit of D3. Long-term, some studies suggest that those who take anti-seizure drugs develop osteoporosis and fractures more often than those who do not take such drugs. Ugh. Its always something...