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

bizi · Dec 18, 2016, 10:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RxQueen875

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.

Did you try the theanine?
bizi

Dec 19, 2016, 02:14 PM

not sure if I am saying what may have already been pointed out.

Talk to both your psychiatrist and family doctor before taking anything - even if it is a vitamin or natural remedy. It turned out the vitamin D and calcium I was taking were doing quite the number on my physical health.

Icare dixit · Dec 19, 2016, 04:17 PM

Just don't take too much of anything. At the very least it's a waste of money.

And supplements are called supplements for a reason: there has to be a deficiency. Every substance becomes more toxic than healthy at one point.

Icare dixit · Dec 19, 2016, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bizi

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

It seems to be just GABA, as you said.

And it's interesting because many people say it helps them (mentally). I guess it works indirectly by helping to relax the rest of your body, as it were, possibly.

It's an important reminder that it's not all about the brain.

I still wouldn't recommend you use it long-term. There should be plenty.

Dec 19, 2016, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Icare dixit

Just don't take too much of anything. At the very least it's a waste of money.

And supplements are called supplements for a reason: there has to be a deficiency. Every substance becomes more toxic than healthy at one point.

Exactly.

I reiterate what I said about talking to your healthcare providers prior to taking any supplements or holistic remedies.

Medications affect the body's ability to absorb and store nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. For example, lithium can raise your calcium to ultra high levels. Drinking excessive amounts of dairy or taking calcium can cause significant problems like brittle bones and teeth. Lithium also reduces vitamin D. But, taking vitamin D only increaes te absorbtion of calcium. See?

I implore you to get your blood tested and talk with your doctors about what supplements you can safely take.

ComfortablyNumb5 · Dec 19, 2016, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bizi

Did you try the theanine?
bizi

Yes. Waste of money lol. I guess when you're used to Benzos, supplements don't do much. I agree with those that said to consult a Dr first. To be honest I had to stop taking 5-htp and tyrosine because it was interfering with my meds and made me crazy angry. I should of known, seeing as I can't take ADs and these supplements do the same as far as serotonin and dopamine boosts. I did blow a lot of money too. However I am taking the lithium orotate and so far so good, at 20 elemental mg's a day. I decided to really stick with this as lithium has helped me in the past.

Wonderfalls · Dec 19, 2016, 06:52 PM

You can't go by anecdotal accounts. You don't know if their diagnosis was accurate and even if it was there are some rare people who just heal on their own. (Even with a diagnosis of melanoma 4 it's happened--very rarely). Here's the thing with supplements, they're not tested for safety or efficacy.

Here's from an article from the New York Times:

"The New York State attorney general’s office accused four major retailers on Monday of selling fraudulent and potentially dangerous herbal supplements and demanded that they remove the products from their shelves.

The authorities said they had conducted tests on top-selling store brands of herbal supplements at four national retailers — GNC, Target, Walgreens and Walmart — and found that four out of five of the products did not contain any of the herbs on their labels. The tests showed that pills labeled medicinal herbs often contained little more than cheap fillers like powdered rice, asparagus and houseplants, and in some cases substances that could be dangerous to those with allergies."

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/0...jor-retailers/

You may be out more than money.

bizi · Dec 19, 2016, 10:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RxQueen875

Yes. Waste of money lol. I guess when you're used to Benzos, supplements don't do much. I agree with those that said to consult a Dr first. To be honest I had to stop taking 5-htp and tyrosine because it was interfering with my meds and made me crazy angry. I should of known, seeing as I can't take ADs and these supplements do the same as far as serotonin and dopamine boosts. I did blow a lot of money too. However I am taking the lithium orotate and so far so good, at 20 elemental mg's a day. I decided to really stick with this as lithium has helped me in the past.

Yes it is my understanding that 5htp can make you go manic!
yikes!
bizi

Phoenix_1 · Dec 20, 2016, 01:48 AM

The best herbs for anxiety, relaxation, or sleep are valerian, hops, passionflower, and lemon balm. 10-20 drops of a tincture or pill form in 8 oz. of water will calm you down. (I live in Canada and buy A. Vogel brand). Another thing to try is Bach Rescue Remedy for emergencies.

bizi · Feb 17, 2017, 09:46 PM

I stopped taking all of the amino acids that I was taking...
I just did not feel that they helped me.
I also stopped taking lithium orotate as I felt it too was not helping me.
sigh
bizi

ComfortablyNumb5 · Feb 21, 2017, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bizi

I stopped taking all of the amino acids that I was taking...
I just did not feel that they helped me.
I also stopped taking lithium orotate as I felt it too was not helping me.
sigh
bizi

Same here. After all the money I spent on them too!

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

. Sorry they didn't work for us!

bioChE · Feb 21, 2017, 08:57 AM

I take Taurine. It helps relax me and takes the edge off my day; kinda like a mild benzo.

luvyrself · 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LucyG

Yes, I use amino acids to control my bipolar 2. I'm 60 years old, and started experiencing depression as a teen, and hypomania as in my early 20s. I was diagnosed almost 23 years ago, and went on meds for 13+ years. The depression was almost constant, and I had a host of horrific side-effects that made me so sick I was almost bedridden. I finally ended up with such severe anxiety that I was afraid to close my eyes, and I developed a receding hairline so I went off the meds.

I didn't know what I was going to do, but suprisingly enough, I actually felt 90% better! Even without meds, my mood was more stable and I was happy for the first time in years. Within a few months I came across info on amino acids, and since I knew that ADs work on serotonin and norepinephrine, I decided to take 5-htp, tyrosine and DLPA as they are used by the body to produce those neurotransmitters. I took GABA as it's used in the body to calm the brain. Later I added the mineral supplement lithium orotate to my regime to control hypomania. I don't take tyrosine these days unless I'm super stressed out as it impacts my sleep. If my mood starts to shift, I just go take another supplement to bring it back in line. Assuming I catch the shift soon enough, and the issue is just a mood shift, not an issue I need to deal with that is upsetting me, my mood is usually stable again within a couple of days. The GABA and lithium seem to prevent the racing thoughts I always had when I became hypomanic before. Now I'm just wound up and can't sleep. Lots of times I'll have to say to myself 'maybe I'm hypomanic' and take more lithium, and usually get some sleep after that. When I was on meds, I was doing good to get 1 hour of light sleep, and that could last for 6 to 10 days to the point I was physically exhausted.

My husband is amazed at how stable my moods are using the amino acids and lithium. I'm not saying I don't have some ups and downs, but they're nothing, and I do mean NOTHING like it was before I started using the amino acids.

The other thing I love about them is that I'm not tied to a Pdoc who runs my life.

I buy plain amino acids from Vitacost.com who does private labeling of major brands. I pay $28 for 120 200 mg capsules of 5-hpt, $20 for 300 capsule of 500 mg of DLPA, $15 for 200 capsules of 500 mg of GABA, and around $18 for lithium orotate 200 caplets of 5 mg through Amazon.com. Assuming my mood is stable, my cost is about $1.75 a day. I started on the lithium about 4 years ago, and it's made a huge difference in controlling the hypomania--knocks it right out.

The only side-effect I've experienced is a slight increase in my blood pressure from the DLPA. I have low blood pressure so it isn't an issue. DLPA and tyrosine are both excitatory amino acids meaning they stimulate the brain so they need to be taken early in the day. When I first started using amino acids I didn't know this so I was taking them at night. I couldn't sleep, but I was in a fabulous mood! A lot of people have stomach upset from 5-htp, but it's never bothered me. My husband took some once and it bothered him.

Here's a great book on the general uses of amino acids.
Heal with Amino Acids and Nutrients book | Dr. Billie Sahley-painstress

Here's a brain function questionnaire that I came across in a book I had that helped me figure out what to take when I was getting started.

http://drjolee.com/Brain-Function-Questionnaire.pdf

---response. sORRY. Im so glad you have found what works for you. However, i think it is very dangerous to promote this without qualfication like this. Of couse this sounds wonderful, but not everyone is capable of fine tuning this like you have. Perhaps they are too ill, or the demands of their lifestyle (work, kids, fractured families, eg support systems)) would make that very difficult. It is not until my retirement (former single parent) that i have had time or money to fine tune my program, hire a private doctor (eg no ins), give the proper thought to changing to the new meds, and research using supplements. Luckily my move to a new town forced me to find a private phd meds specialist who gives more than the 15 mins psychiatrists now use. Hers is a practice which includes a son who specialzes in alternative treatments like supplements, and a talk therapist.
Giving any implication that everyone is currently capable of abandoning their meds (a horrible temptation for many of us anyway) is irresponsible.

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