Posted by Ktemene on June 18, 2005, at 22:00:38
In reply to Re: SAM-e good UK source? Good option for me?, posted by honey on June 18, 2005, at 10:54:17
Hi Honey,
I'm sorry to hear you have been ill. I am not one of the smarter people around here, but since a lot of them are not available, I am going to try to answer some of your questions, mostly by quoting the smarter people.
You say that anxiety and trouble sleeping are among your problems. First of all, in the U.S. there is a new medication called Lunesta. Many people find it very effective in countering insomnia (I am one of them). I understand that a very similar drug has been available in the U. K. for some time, called zopiclone. You might look into this possibility. The following are among the supplements that posters on Psycho-Babble have recommended for countering anxiety or insomnia.
For insomnia:
Tryptophanmagnesium - see JLx's post on magnesium beginning a very good thread on it: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030329/msgs/214008.html
Also, Ron uses magnesium as a sleep aid: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030514/msgs/226551.htmlA low dose of the antidepressant Remeron is very effective for sleep; some other medicines that are used off-label for insomnia are Abilify and Doxepin and Neurontin and Trazodone.
For Anxiety:
Taurine - Larry Hoover strongly recommends taurine: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20050323/msgs/482060.htmlTryptophan - Larry also recommends tryptophan.
Niacinamide- this is another favorite of Larry's : http://forums.psychcentral.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=153792&page=1&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1
Some other anti-anxiety supplements that posters have recommended are: L-Theanine, Holy Basil, Ashwagandha, Gotu Kola.
For Depression:
Fish Oil - see Larry on fish oil: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20021025/msgs/125809.html
Loops has had success in finding the right balance of fatty acids: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20050510/msgs/508519.htmlMagnesium - see JLx's thread on magnesium above.
Vitamin D - if you are house-bound you may not have enough Vitamin D - see this thread on Vitamin D and depression: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050202/msgs/451941.html
Tryptophan – Larry’s recommendation for dosage: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20050510/msgs/503419.html
SAM-e/TMG+folate+B12+B6 I don't think there are any studies showing that TMG+folate+B12+B6 works as well as SAM-e, but there is an argument from the biochemistry that it should would as well. See the following posts:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20050414/msgs/493523.html
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20031104/msgs/278173.htmlOf course there are lots of other suggestions that posters have made. If you continue to search the archives of Psycho-Babble, you will find lots of helpful information. Another forum you might check out is Psych Central. http://forums.psychcentral.com/ Larry Hoover often posts there, and you could address questions to him there, which I am sure he would be happy to answer, if he is feeling well enough.
Good luck, and let us know how you are doing!
Ktemene
> River,
>
> Thanks so much for your reply - I've been quite ill in the meantime - I have a chronic bowel parasite infection on top of everything else - and desperate for good advice.
>
> > Sorry, but I don't know what ME is? It probably isn't relevant to my answer.
>
> That's ok - ME is more or less the same as CFS/CFIDS/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in the US (although people argue over criteria).
>
> Thanks for your comments on SAMe - I guess I'll just have to try it and see. I had no adverse reaction (in fact no reaction) to St John's Wort... but it's worth being prepared - thanks.
>
> I'm desperately depressed at times, and mixed up with chronic anxiety and this deathly illness, and my seeming lack of reaction to every antidepressant out there, am just looking for advice on what might be best to try first, from the list in my original mail - all good suggestions I gleaned from this board.
>
> Thanks also for your references to hypnogogia etc.
> It may be time to request a sleep study, but being bedbound more or less, this would be a massive feat for me.
>
> I'm sorry to read (I think?) that Larry's not around - I was so looking forward to a reply. Can anyone else make any suggestions on my original mail, what's helped them, etc.? Anything anecdotal will do. I'm just rather desperate, and the orthodox/SSRI/etc route got me nowhere.
>
> Honey
>
>
poster:Ktemene
thread:509747
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20050612/msgs/515233.html