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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 3 of 3. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by jflange on September 12, 2003, at 22:32:05
Hi!
I know that a number of people here swear by vitamin B supplementation with their psych meds, so I wondered if there was anyone who has clues about or has shared my unorthodox reaction.
I take Zoloft (75 mgs) and Buspar (10 mgs) for anxiety/PD and I have been pretty stable on these doses for about a year and doing fairly well. However, whenever I take any B vitamin supplementation (I have tried B-50, Lecithin, Biotin, and Brewer's Yeast), this is the reaction I get. Initially, I feel very good, VERY relaxed, happy, ebullient, not manic but clear and focused and oddly calmer. By the following day or so (day 2 of B supplementation), I start to feel a bit racy, anxious, symptomatic, even paranoid, like it is interfering with my meds. If I stop here, I go through a type of day-long withdrawal with continued anxious/sad feelings and enormous headache.
I thought, perhaps, the B was increasing the efficacy of my psych meds and that I should hold out for a week until everything stabilized so the s/e's could clear. But there was not much improvement and after 2 weeks, I had my very first brain zaps, which I have never had before, even when withdrawing from other meds.
So here's the question: what is the mechanism of these B's which is causing this reaction? I have read that Lecithin in particular increases dopamine receptivity and given the (mild) dopaminergic action of my Z + B combo, maybe this is the problem. (?)
Any thoughts? I would love to take vitamin B and get some benefits!
Many thanks,
jflange
Posted by Larry Hoover on September 13, 2003, at 8:24:04
In reply to A Vitamin B Riddle, posted by jflange on September 12, 2003, at 22:32:05
> Hi!
>
> I know that a number of people here swear by vitamin B supplementation with their psych meds, so I wondered if there was anyone who has clues about or has shared my unorthodox reaction.
>
> I take Zoloft (75 mgs) and Buspar (10 mgs) for anxiety/PD and I have been pretty stable on these doses for about a year and doing fairly well. However, whenever I take any B vitamin supplementation (I have tried B-50, Lecithin, Biotin, and Brewer's Yeast), this is the reaction I get.Do you take these at the same time, or are you talking about separate trials? Biotin and lecithin aren't B-vitamins, and Brewer's Yeast doesn't have the same proportions as a B-50.
> Initially, I feel very good, VERY relaxed, happy, ebullient, not manic but clear and focused and oddly calmer. By the following day or so (day 2 of B supplementation), I start to feel a bit racy, anxious, symptomatic, even paranoid, like it is interfering with my meds. If I stop here, I go through a type of day-long withdrawal with continued anxious/sad feelings and enormous headache.
What if you don't do Day 2? In other words, space out your Day 1's more.
> I thought, perhaps, the B was increasing the efficacy of my psych meds and that I should hold out for a week until everything stabilized so the s/e's could clear. But there was not much improvement and after 2 weeks, I had my very first brain zaps, which I have never had before, even when withdrawing from other meds.
2 weeks after a two-day trial of B-50?
> So here's the question: what is the mechanism of these B's which is causing this reaction? I have read that Lecithin in particular increases dopamine receptivity and given the (mild) dopaminergic action of my Z + B combo, maybe this is the problem. (?)That's a stretch, IMHO. A little bit of lecithin is not going to substantially affect the phospholipid balance.
> Any thoughts? I would love to take vitamin B and get some benefits!
>
> Many thanks,
> jflangeI think we can get to the bottom of this. I need more info.
Lar
Posted by Darwin on September 25, 2003, at 21:33:09
In reply to A Vitamin B Riddle, posted by jflange on September 12, 2003, at 22:32:05
For many years, I noticed that B-complex vitamins had a similar effect on me. Finally, I deduced that it was probably the choline in the B-complex which was causing the problem. Now, I continue to take B-complex but I'm careful to avoid formulations with high amounts of choline. I would recommend that you try a B-complex formulation with little or no choline (it's difficult to find formulations with no choline). If you do try this experiment, please let us know the result.
Darwin
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