Do you take Amino acids?....thinking about taking them.

I have taken 2 days of the amino acid glutamine. It is supposed to help with sugar cravings as well. From this book that I am reading...it says to open up the capsule and put it under my tongue and let it absorb that way, works faster. I did this yesterday and it worked....I came right home and did not stop nor have a snack before dinner. The cravings were gone.
I put 2 capsules in my noon pill box....no cravings today, able to follow my diet, only water and coffee to drink.
I am happy to have found something that helps me with cravings..
It is a miracle supplement. Maybe the lithium is finally working?
Hope it lasts!
Maybe it is just the right combination of things that I am taking.
It feels good to be in control.
bizi

Have you tried evening primrose oil for the hot flashes? I seem to remember that it is supposed to be helpful (you should look that up as I'm not an expert at all and could be remembering the wrong thing).

I am on an MAOI so no herbals for me; I was pretty fortunate with hot flashes not being terribly disruptive most of the time since I couldn't have taken anything anyway. Nonetheless I don't miss them. I had one the other night, the first in a long time, and was really annoyed to revisit the experience.

I used to take evening primrose a long time ago...for some reason. I just threw some away...that was very very old! I will have to look up doses. Thanks I will try it, can't hurt right? I take so many pills what is a few extra little tiny ones?
Looking forward to my new"hot flash" from amazon in a week. the black cohosh is not doing the job. having a hot flash right now...sigh I AM HOT!
bizi
our house was cold this am 66..I was cold under a down comforter at least this morning when the hot flash occurred it warmed me up!!!!

Glutamine worked tonight using the immediate method...open up capsule and put under tongue.
Worked like a charm!
Just drove home with out even thinking of stopping by nor snacking when I got home.
This is awesome!
bizi

I took taurine for a while. It didn't do a whole lot. Its supposed to be calming or something. I dunno about all that.

I've seen that Margot Kidder article on a number of orthomolecular websites. I don't take amino acids, but I do the kind of orthomolecular laid out in the Dr.Hoffer books. Thing about it is, I still need the prescription drugs. On the plus side, I tolerate my antipsychotic better, which is good because I need a lot of it, and I used to get twitches and such from all the antipsychotic drugs.

I think the supplements might do it for some people, but some of us need the chemicals. Doing both has helped me. I tolerate the antipsychotic better and I don't have TD or any kind of twitches, tics, etc. My anxiety has improved, and that's a miracle.

I hope you find something that helps. I did read that a higher dose of taurine (4 grams, I think) was used in one small study with first episode psychosis along with an antipsychotic, with good results.

Taurine might also prevent TD. Always a good thing.

I take prescription meds, Vitamins, minerals, supplements and herbs and amino acids almost 30 pills a day.
Other than hot flashes continuing, I think I am doing pretty good.
thanks
bizi

hi. wow. You're all about some supplements, lol.

I wish I could be one of those Orthomolecular success stories. I'm wondering if the old data was just made up, or if maybe a lot of those people who responded back in the day would have responded to anything (except for the standard "treatment" back in the day that just made people worse a lot of times).

On the plus side, no TD. No twitches or tremors, either. I think I get more mileage out of the medication. The Wellbutrin is working much, much better than any other antidepressant I've taken, and that's unexpected and awesome. Wellbutrin is more effective, and definitely has fewer adverse effects than the SSRI or TCAs, so maybe the vitamins are helping (?).

how does the lamictal @ 300 work for you? I take 100/lamictal and I don't know that it does much, except maybe keep the agitation from my depressive states from getting out of hand.

I started taking amino acids 2 months ago I think, to try to improve my sleep.
I take ,5mg of klonipin to sleep but was feeling like I could sleep better.
But since then menopause has started with hot flashes at night so my sleep is very much interrupted. When I doubled the gaba that seemed to help. but now....I had 3 hot flashes last night, I drank 8oz of soymilk to help prevent them. Maybe it triggered them?
Have only been taking the glutamine for a week...helps prevent alcohol cravings.
I take 300mg of lamictal...not really sure if it is doing anything.
my geodon is my savior. I would be psychotic with out it.
bizi

i hear ya. I take 4 medications. 2 are anti-epileptics now used as "mood stabilizers" (trileptal and lamictal). I think really I'm relying on the Abilify and the Wellbutrin. I'm not quite sure why the doctor insists on the 2 anti-epileptics. I guess that's what the text books say to do to treat "Bipolar I" ?

Have you ever tried soy isoflavones in a capsule?

my "hot flash" suppliment has 46mg of soy isoflavones

I got hyponatrimic(low sodium) from trileptal at a high dose.

I am taking hot flashes supplement with black cohosh among other things some soy then drank soy milk for the first time last night...had more hot flashes than usual.
sigh
will try the soy milk again tonight. the carton doesn't say how much soy though.
What do you take the soy for?
bizi

5-HTP is hydroxilated tryptophan (TP). Both are serotonin precursors, but TP needs two (enzymatic) steps, while 5-HTP only needs one, creating 5-H-tryptamine (T). These steps create different molecules, not just the 5-HT precursors. So basically, if you want to leave less of a mess and want to waste less energy, you may use 5-HTP.

Using both glutamine and GABA is pointless. Glutamate, which is derived from glutamine to be used as neurotransmitter, is easily converted into GABA and vice versa. More importantly, GABA won't reach your brain.

That it reduces alcohol cravings may be because you're also addicted to glutamate or GABA. At any rate, there shouldn't be a need for (much) more glutamate than you already have. So I'd suggest you only use it for a short time while your body/brain adapts to a consistently lower use of glutamate. Alcohol reduces the effectiveness of glutamate and your body compensates by using too much glutamate.

You shouldn't interfere too much with glutamate and GABA. Benzodiazepines act like GABA and should not be used with alcohol, which affects glutamate. They're two opposing forces (though their effect on the mind can be quite similar).

But you may want to use a low dose of glutamine (for now) together with acetylcysteine/cysteine. Cysteine is used to derive glutathione from glutamate (using an enzyme/catalyst). Cysteine is something you may need more of. Glutathione is used to protect (brain) cells. Too much use of glutamate is bad for (brain) cells. More importantly, a lack of sufficient protection may (and is likely to be) the cause of (the) (functional) psychoses (including mania; I here consider depression as simply forced recovery, mental and/or biological) and psychoticism (anything like it to a lesser degree).

And cysteine also reduces homocysteine (not as well as methylfolate and methylcobalamin/-B12 might/does, depending on some enzyme activity), which is very toxic: it kills cells.

I don't understand you.
What kills cells?
bizi
I have been taking the gaba for 9 weeks and the glutamine for less than one week.
Having multiple areas of concern...I am finally getting some improvement.
Having fewer hot flashes, better nights sleep.

Glutamine is fine for now but your body should eventually have enough glutamine without the supplements. It's (almost) completely recycled.

Alcohol gives your body the impression that it doesn't produce enough glutamine, basically. That's why the recycling doesn't work as it should. So if you drink less alcohol, you (after some months, say) don't need the glutamine supplements anymore (you don't need them now but they help you with reducing your alcohol intake).

Glutamine can (and will if necessary) be converted to GABA. GABA as supplements don't work because they don't reach your brain (there's a barrier between your blood vessels (including the lingual vain when you place it under your tongue) and your brain it cannot pass).

So the glutamine is fine (but you don't need it always) but the GABA is useless. If your body needs it, it uses the glutamine.

Homocysteine kills cells (which may be elevated, but it may not be) and many other things kill cells as well. That's why everyone's brain degenerates (slowly, but ours (most probably) a little faster).

Cysteine (a good supplement is acetylcysteine) may react with glutamate (a glutamine derivative) to create glutathione, which protects cells, so that they die less quickly.

So I'd suggest you take acetylcysteine together with the glutamine. Glutamine if used excessively (as glutamate by the brain; actually used, not just stored or converted into GABA) is also toxic and kills cells (sooner) because it excites the brain.

Cysteine offers protection. So you may then continue taking glutamine with cysteine (though cysteine is always useful and after some time extra glutamine makes no difference, except in rare cases).

Has it been working for 9 weeks or the one week? If it's 9 weeks then it's either not really GABA or it's a placebo effect (which is fine, of course).

The gaba that I just bought supposedly crosses the brain better.
It is called Pharma GABA fast acting 100mg capsules. manufactured by natural factors in canada.
A forum poster recommended it.
The dose is 2, so 200mg sounds better than 1,500mg
bizi
Even though I am still taking .5mg of klonipin to sleep, my pdoc wanted me off of it. So I was trying these AA to see if they helped my sleep. The hot flashes came and I could not tell if they were helping or not.
I slept well last night...alcohol free times 2 nights.
You know way more about these AA than I know. Your first post was really intimidating. Where does glutamate come from?
bizi

I take 3,000 mg of NAC daily. It works amazingly well to help control my obsessive thoughts and worries. If I don't take it, I notice a big difference in my obsessive thoughts and anxiety.

The body and many things we eat (can) create it. So there are two ways. Amino acids are relatively simple and used throughout the body. Some however can't be created by our bodies. So we have to eat food with proteins or single amino acids (especially plants because they create many things we can't, easily or at all). Glutamate is then derived from glutamine in a chemical reaction (catalysed by an enzyme; enzymes catalyse chemical reactions). Of course we might need other nutrients as well like some vitamines.

I'm glad it works so far.

But taking acetylcysteine is probably a good idea. There's some evidence to suggest it also helps with addiction, but it is guaranteed to protect your cells (together with glutamine, through supplements or without).

I have to look into that supposed GABA, if I can find it. I'll let you know.

I take l-tyrosine to boost dopamine. It's compared to Wellbutrin where as 5-htp increases serotonin like a SSRI. I had to stop the 5-http because it made me cranky just like an AD.

Now I'm looking for something for anxiety. I was thinking GABA. Does that work well for relaxation? I've read it does but I'd like to hear from someone with experience

I'd like to add that if you're on a AP, some like seroquel actually blocks serotonin to control psychosis. And something like geodon actually balances out dopamine. I've done hours of research. So I hope you Guys are aware that something like 5-htp and l-tyrosine may be blocked by the AP or interact with it. These aren't supplements to take lightly if you're on an AP.

hhi queen
how do you know if they interact with an AA?
bizi

I read online about it. Not all amino acids. Just the ones that effect serotonin and dopamine. APs are made to regulate serotonin and dopamine so if you're talking aminos that effect those then your AP will either block it or won't work. However I still take l-tyrosine for the energy in the morning as it boost epinephrine as well.

I'm currently looking for an amino to help with anxiety. I have a supplement in my cart with a blend that has GABA in it and also Theanine as I read they both produce calmness. I hope I'm not wasting more money here as I've ordered many supplements in the past with no effect.

Also here's a snip of what I just read about kava for anxiety...

But due to the bad effects on liver I don't think I'll be trying this. I also just read an article in which a study showed that theanine had calming effects just like a benzo. So yea I will be buying this one.

I have heard of kava kava for anxiety before and valerian root for sleep.
but not long term...don't know why.
bizi