![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 21 to 45 of 51. Go back in thread:
Posted by TeeJay on November 12, 2004, at 19:35:40
In reply to Re: Tryptophan and the UK » ed_uk, posted by Larry Hoover on November 12, 2004, at 11:59:58
Lar,
You have to live in the UK to believe the nannying we have to put up with by the state these days!!
Trying to obtain Geoxy132 (organic germanium) is like beating ones head against a brick wall too as its "highly toxic" even though the governments OWN sponsored tests show it is not (I'll dig out the website with the full test report if anyone wants it).
You'll like this one too.....some government body are currently discussing rules to have a maximum number of revolutions a roundabout can make to prevent accidents to children; I kid you not!!!
TJ (subject of Herr Blair)
Posted by Larry Hoover on November 12, 2004, at 20:49:07
In reply to Re: Tryptophan and the UK, posted by TeeJay on November 12, 2004, at 19:35:40
> Lar,
>
> You have to live in the UK to believe the nannying we have to put up with by the state these days!!Oh, but it's for your own good. Then you can wait 18 months for formal care under the NHS.
What I don't grasp is why e.g. selenium supplementation has not become an important public policy initiative. The soil of the British Isles is virtually devoid of selenium; one direct effect of selenium deficiency is depression of mood.
Near as I can tell, they won't do it because it might be toxic, even though the toxic threshold is many times the net food and supplement intake that ought to be had. They'd rather you used Paxil, I guess.
Lar
Posted by TeeJay on November 12, 2004, at 20:59:22
In reply to Re: Tryptophan and the UK » TeeJay, posted by Larry Hoover on November 12, 2004, at 20:49:07
The way we are going Lar, we'll have more drugs in our drinking water than nutrients soon :-(
I'm glad you brought up the subject of selenium. I've taken it on and off for a couple of years now to try and combat all the damage I caused by 20 years of smoking, and more importantly recently as I've discovered cancer in my family. Anyway, i've been feeling really rather rough lately (very depressed and MASSIVELY irritable and argumentative (not that Dr Bob would notice! LOL)) but since i've ceased the selenium I seem to have improved somewhat. Any clues as I can find nothing on the net which suggests such a contrary reaction (although I seem to react poorly to virtually anything I try these days).
TJ
Posted by tealady on November 13, 2004, at 3:54:48
In reply to Re: Tryptophan and the UK » Larry Hoover, posted by TeeJay on November 12, 2004, at 20:59:22
>
> The way we are going Lar, we'll have more drugs in our drinking water than nutrients soon :-(
>Well I started collecting my own drinking water and must admit that has improved me more than any other one thing I have taken..although I still get a lot of of the polluted govt water(maybe 3l a day instead of 6 + bath/shower water)
I figure drinking 6 litres of heavily fluoridated water a day put me way over the limit..(1.5*6= 9 )of whatever the units are...(ppb?) and more that likely it wasn't just physcological that I felt better whenever I was away from Sydney.>
> I'm glad you brought up the subject of selenium. I've taken it on and off for a couple of years now to try and combat all the damage I caused by 20 years of smoking, and more importantly recently as I've discovered cancer in my family. Anyway, i've been feeling really rather rough lately (very depressed and MASSIVELY irritable and argumentative (not that Dr Bob would notice! LOL)) but since i've ceased the selenium I seem to have improved somewhat. Any clues as I can find nothing on the net which suggests such a contrary reaction (although I seem to react poorly to virtually anything I try these days).
>
> TJ
>
>I know selenium in the soil has been discussed in the Brit Parliament (put the paper somewhere on here).. and it looked like your govt opted for the option of Prozac in the drinking water instead http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3545684.stm
(that's been discussed on here too)Well I guess I felt relaxed over there but then maybe tourists tend to get withdrawal symptoms when they get home..hmmmm maybe its a ploy to get tourist return and not merely a cheaper and easier implementation of citizen "calming".
I think your possible selenium reaction is worth noting..especially as I might have experienced the same thing.
Maybe it should be a new posting ..but I haven't heard of anyone else experiencing it?
I think it's probably a combo thing..like maybe high acetylcholine and selenium combined??..dreadful whatever the cause.
Glad the selenium reduction seems to be helping.
I'm feeling a lot better since keeping off it and the brazil nuts too..and dropping the soy lecithin.(I can't even remeber what ese i dropped now..and it was only a few days ago!)> You'll like this one too.....some government body are currently discussing rules to have a maximum number of revolutions a roundabout can make to prevent accidents to children; I kid you not!!!
>
> TJ (subject of Herr Blair)Does that mean you can't keep driving round and round on the roundabouts trying to figure out which exit to take..when 3 out of 7 exits are labelled with the same town and 2 have no labels? ..or does that mean they are actually going to restrict the no of roundabouts they build in a row. So when following directions like turn left at the roundabout.. which REALLY when decoded means turn left at the 6th roundabout and not the most left exit(everyone should KNOW that's not the one)..but the 2nd left one, sigh
yes I can see how children would be safer(and not only children:)...what are they planning on doing instead?
The govt over here was talking about declaring oestrogen illegal I thought I heard sometime a couple of years ago.. I was beginning to feel like I was illegal or something :) Then I didn't here any more about it..
Jan
Posted by tealady on November 13, 2004, at 4:20:00
In reply to Re: Tryptophan and the UK » Larry Hoover, posted by TeeJay on November 12, 2004, at 20:59:22
>
> The way we are going Lar, we'll have more drugs in our drinking water than nutrients soon :-(
>Well I started collecting my own drinking water and must admit that has improved me more than any other one thing I have taken..although I still get a lot of of the polluted govt water(maybe 3l a day instead of 6 + bath/shower water)
I figure drinking 6 litres of heavily fluoridated water a day put me way over the limit..(1.5*6= 9 )of whatever the units are...(ppb?) and more that likely it wasn't just physcological that I felt better whenever I was away from Sydney.>
> I'm glad you brought up the subject of selenium. I've taken it on and off for a couple of years now to try and combat all the damage I caused by 20 years of smoking, and more importantly recently as I've discovered cancer in my family. Anyway, i've been feeling really rather rough lately (very depressed and MASSIVELY irritable and argumentative (not that Dr Bob would notice! LOL)) but since i've ceased the selenium I seem to have improved somewhat. Any clues as I can find nothing on the net which suggests such a contrary reaction (although I seem to react poorly to virtually anything I try these days).
>
> TJ
>
>I know selenium in the soil has been discussed in the Brit Parliament (put the paper somewhere on here).. and it looked like your govt opted for the option of Prozac in the drinking water instead http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3545684.stm
(that's been discussed on here too)Well I guess I felt relaxed over there but then maybe tourists tend to get withdrawal symptoms when they get home..hmmmm maybe its a ploy to get tourist return and not merely a cheaper and easier implementation of citizen "calming".
I think your possible selenium reaction is worth noting..especially as I might have experienced the same thing.
Maybe it should be a new posting ..but I haven't heard of anyone else experiencing it?
I think it's probably a combo thing..like maybe high acetylcholine and selenium combined??..dreadful whatever the cause.
Glad the selenium reduction seems to be helping.
I'm feeling a lot better since keeping off it and the brazil nuts too..and dropping the soy lecithin.(I can't even remember what else I dropped now..and it was only a few days ago!)> You'll like this one too.....some government body are currently discussing rules to have a maximum number of revolutions a roundabout can make to prevent accidents to children; I kid you not!!!
>
> TJ (subject of Herr Blair)Does that mean you can't keep driving round and round on the roundabouts trying to figure out which exit to take..when 3 out of 7 exits are labelled with the same town and 2 have no labels? ..or does that mean they are actually going to restrict the no of roundabouts they build in a row. So when following directions like turn left at the roundabout.. which REALLY when decoded means turn left at the 6th roundabout and not the most left exit(everyone should KNOW that's not the one)..but the 2nd left one, sigh
yes I can see how children would be safer(and not only children:)...what are they planning on doing instead?
The govt over here was talking about declaring oestrogen illegal I thought I heard sometime a couple of years ago.. I was beginning to feel like I was illegal or something :) Then I didn't here any more about it..
Loved your democrapic country,
Jan
Posted by TeeJay on November 13, 2004, at 6:53:48
In reply to Re: Tryptophan and the UK » TeeJay, posted by tealady on November 13, 2004, at 4:20:00
Does that mean you can't keep driving round and round on the roundabouts trying to figure out which exit to take..when 3 out of 7 exits are labelled with the same town and 2 have no labels? ..or does that mean they are actually going to restrict the no of roundabouts they build in a row. So when following directions like turn left at the roundabout.. which REALLY when decoded means turn left at the 6th roundabout and not the most left exit(everyone should KNOW that's not the one)..but the 2nd left one, sigh
yes I can see how children would be safer(and not only children:)...what are they planning on doing instead?
-------------------------------------
Errrr, they were'nt thinking about that type of roundabout, more the kiddies playground type ;-))
Apparently they considered extending this to traffic roundabouts but after seeing you drive they considered it would cause too much chaos :-P
TJ
Posted by JLx on November 13, 2004, at 9:47:20
In reply to Re: Tryptophan and the UK » tealady, posted by TeeJay on November 13, 2004, at 6:53:48
> Does that mean you can't keep driving round and round on the roundabouts trying to figure out which exit to take..when 3 out of 7 exits are labelled with the same town and 2 have no labels? ..or does that mean they are actually going to restrict the no of roundabouts they build in a row. So when following directions like turn left at the roundabout.. which REALLY when decoded means turn left at the 6th roundabout and not the most left exit(everyone should KNOW that's not the one)..but the 2nd left one, sigh
>
> yes I can see how children would be safer(and not only children:)...what are they planning on doing instead?
>
> -------------------------------------
>
> Errrr, they were'nt thinking about that type of roundabout, more the kiddies playground type ;-))
>
> Apparently they considered extending this to traffic roundabouts but after seeing you drive they considered it would cause too much chaos :-P
>
> TJI wonder what the mechanism might be for selenium causing more depression and irritability. I take it all the time for my mercury amalgam fillings and I would hate to think I'm making myself worse. Something with its oxidative function? Do you take other antioxidants with it? Ordinarily I would suggest magnesium for irritability, but I know you've said you've taken it in the past with little effect. (Have you tried other forms or brands?)
I thought you meant traffic roundabouts too, btw. :) If you mean merry-go-rounds, I think we've elminated them entirely here in the U.S. and "monkey bars" too, because of lawsuits either real or potential. Though you can proabably find them in some old playgrounds in small towns where people don't tend to sue as much.
JL
Posted by raybakes on November 13, 2004, at 12:47:13
In reply to Re: Selenium = more depressed? » TeeJay, posted by JLx on November 13, 2004, at 9:47:20
>
> I wonder what the mechanism might be for selenium causing more depression and irritability. I take it all the time for my mercury amalgam fillings and I would hate to think I'm making myself worse. Something with its oxidative function? Do you take other antioxidants with it? Ordinarily I would suggest magnesium for irritability, but I know you've said you've taken it in the past with little effect. (Have you tried other forms or brands?)
I wonder whether this might be something to do with it?"Methylation of selenium by both plants and animals serves to detoxify selenium by generating methylselenides"
could excess selenuim deplete the body of SAM?
Ray
Posted by jasmineneroli on November 13, 2004, at 19:14:09
In reply to Re: Selenium = more depressed? » JLx, posted by raybakes on November 13, 2004, at 12:47:13
Sorry to bring this back to me again (I feel like my posts are all about me lately!!! Usually, I try to help others)..........but,
I've been getting "brain Zaps" on the -Tryptophan. At first I thought that this was because I dropped my 10mg of Celexa (and started 1500mg of Tryptophan immediately) and it was some kind of discontinuation symptom.
However I've NEVER had brain zaps whilst taking ANY AD medication before (except Paxil). And I've never had ANY brain zaps when discontinuing any med. before. (Been on Celexa x 2, Paxil, Remeron, Effexor, Moclobemide, Buspar, Amitryptiline, Zopiclone, Mogodon & am still on Klonopin).SOOOOO, I'm thinking these "electical buzzes" are due to the Trypt. ???? They only occurred at night, about 30 mins after ingesting the 1500mg. They also occurred at 1250mg, but not at 1000mg (last night). I also got the vivid nightmares only at the 1500mg. Is this connected??
1000mg doesn't appear to be enough Trypt. for anti-anxiety/Ad effect, cuz today I feel crappy. Very agitated and combative. Had felt great ever since taking the Trypt. + Klon. otherwise.
BUT, I'm worried that 1500mg (0r 1250mg even), might be too much. Are these "brain zaps" a negative thing? What are they exactly? Will they go away after a while? I worry about mini-seizures.
They're not that bothersome, I only have a few at a time, before falling asleep. My husband, had them when first on Paxil, he said his doc just says it's brain stem activity??? I'm just concerned.
Thanks for your time.
Jas
Posted by MKB on November 13, 2004, at 20:21:38
In reply to Re: Tryptophan - Brain zaps???? HELP!, posted by jasmineneroli on November 13, 2004, at 19:14:09
I've had the "brain zaps" on L-Tryptophan. In fact, I had them when I first started taking it over 25 years ago. I guess I've gotten used to them. I always thought they were a sign my brain was doing something it needed to be doing. If it's a sign that something bad is going on, then I am in blissful ignorance. I've been back on the Tryptophan since 10/27/04, but I'm only taking 500 mg. as I stated before. I may go up to 1000 mg. if I started feeling down. I have been keeping a chart of my moods for about 4 weeks and I have to say they are more normal (even) since I've been on the Tryptophan. If I were you I would give the 1000 mg a chance to work before making any changes. The 1500 mg. seems like a lot to start off with. All of this I am telling you is only my opinion. I don't have any special knowledge other than what I've read online, especially at www.healthrecovery.com.
Posted by TeeJay on November 13, 2004, at 20:29:18
In reply to Re: Tryptophan - Brain zaps???? HELP! » jasmineneroli, posted by MKB on November 13, 2004, at 20:21:38
What exactly do you two mean by "brain zaps"??? One of my old symptoms used to be a kind of sound in my head.....a bit like the sound of a gentle wave on a shingle beach which got louder as I kind of had a "dizzy spell" but the duration of the who thing lasted barely 1 second and then it was gone. Does this describe a "brain zap"?
I don't get them anymore, and have no idea what, if anything I was taking when I had them but I did take 5htp a lot in the early days of feeling ill so perhaps it was those? I must stress I'm only guessing though.
Posted by TeeJay on November 13, 2004, at 21:04:21
In reply to Re: Selenium = more depressed? » JLx, posted by raybakes on November 13, 2004, at 12:47:13
ok Ray, lets give your hypothesis a work out.....apart from SAME which is expensive, what other supps could I take which give the brain its building blooks to boost its SAME levels?
I can give them a try and see if the findings tally with your theory.
TJ (Brit guinea pig!)
Posted by MKB on November 13, 2004, at 21:32:25
In reply to Re: Tryptophan - Brain zaps???? HELP!, posted by TeeJay on November 13, 2004, at 20:29:18
Brain zaps are like mild electrical jolts. They don't hurt; they just get your attention.
Posted by jasmineneroli on November 14, 2004, at 0:05:14
In reply to Re: Tryptophan - Brain zaps???? HELP!, posted by TeeJay on November 13, 2004, at 20:29:18
Well, my version of brain zaps are extremely difficult to describe. It's a sort of fuzzy electrical zap noise and a buzzy feeling. It's very short (less than a second, probably) and is repeated again within 5 minutes. Sometimes it is louder and more dramatic than others, with a kind of reverberation that sends a "ripple" through my head. A hint of a dizziness.
I think what you describe could be your own version of the same thing.
Posted by jasmineneroli on November 14, 2004, at 0:17:43
In reply to Re: Tryptophan - Brain zaps???? HELP! » jasmineneroli, posted by MKB on November 13, 2004, at 20:21:38
Thanks MKB.
I guess I'm just really surprised that the L-Tryptophan is having that much of an effect on me!
Tonight I'll try 1250mg and see if I feel better tomorrow. I'll probably stay at this dose for a while. I don't really mind the feeling of the zaps...I just worried a bit.
(I do take it with magnesium and P5P B6, so I'm not sure if they multiply the effect, or aid in the absorption, or the opposite).
I'm taking it for GAD (along with the Klonopin). Depression is only a small part of my condition usually, depending how successfully I've been handling my anxiety and what stress levels I'm being subjected to.
I'm interested to know about L-Tryptophan's success (or otherwise) for GAD.
Thanks for the link. I'll check there for info on GAD too! Good luck in your L-Trypt. trials.
Jas
Posted by jasmineneroli on November 14, 2004, at 0:29:19
In reply to Re: Can I mix selegiline, with L-tryptophan safely? » jasmineneroli, posted by Larry Hoover on November 12, 2004, at 7:17:31
I can relate to the GERD problems, both my husband and daughter suffer. My husband quite miserably from time to time.
A simple, but effective remedy for any night time reflux, that has helped him, is a "mechanical" one. You might like to try this if it's still giving you trouble. He elevates the head of his bed by six inches. He sleeps on slope that isn't enough to slide down! But physically prevents reflux during sleep.
Best wishes,
Jas
Posted by MKB on November 14, 2004, at 0:42:17
In reply to Re: Tryptophan - Brain zaps???? HELP! » MKB, posted by jasmineneroli on November 14, 2004, at 0:17:43
Hello Jasmine,
L-Tryptophan is supposed to work for anxiety, as well as depression. I have found that to be so. Before I started taking it, I would recycle the same worries throughout the day. Now I am able to dismiss these thoughts. Like you, I would have to say that anxiety has been a bigger problem for me than depression. I am not taking any other prescriptions for psychiatric-related problems. It's too bad you are unable to separate what the Tryptophan is doing from what your other meds are doing. Please keep posting as you learn more about it.
Posted by MKB on November 14, 2004, at 13:27:42
In reply to Re: Tryptophan - Brain zaps???? HELP! » MKB, posted by jasmineneroli on November 14, 2004, at 0:17:43
I moved up to 1000 mg L-Tryptophan last night and will stay there for awhile. Slept well after the fireworks stopped going off in my head. Feel great this a.m.
Posted by JLx on November 14, 2004, at 15:40:40
In reply to Re: Tryptophan - Brain zaps???? HELP! » jasmineneroli, posted by MKB on November 14, 2004, at 13:27:42
> I moved up to 1000 mg L-Tryptophan last night and will stay there for awhile. Slept well after the fireworks stopped going off in my head. Feel great this a.m.
I've been experimenting with tryptophan too for a couple weeks now. First I felt really good, slept good, less appetite the next day (a good sign for me). Then I noticed I was feeling much more anxious, especially when I woke up in the morning. And it became harder to actually get out of bed. Then my stomach really started to hurt, especially first thing in the morning. (I am taking the tryptophan at night before bed with magnesium, a little calcium, glycine, niacinamide.) One day when I thought I surely had stomach cancer or something, it hurt so bad, I took some probiotics and that helped some. (I'd been taking them each day with food, but this was a different kind you take without food.) What's going on with the stomach there from the tryptophan to cause pain like that?
So, I've tried decreased amount, and then stopped outright for a few days. Yes, less anxious, less stomach ache...and more depressed.
SSRIs also caused much anxiety for me. But depression with anxiety is supposed to be the kind of depression that tryptophan helps, so why so much more anxiety?
Not sure what to do. I'm using the horse version and wonder if the stomach ache could be due to whatever is in that other percent of the "ultra pure, 87.3% tryptophan". Maybe something that in such a small quanitity as would be to a horse is not so small for a human?
I've also experimented with tyrosine or DLPA during the days with mixed results.
JL
Posted by MKB on November 14, 2004, at 16:17:34
In reply to Tryptophan and anxiety, stomach pain » MKB, posted by JLx on November 14, 2004, at 15:40:40
I don't think Tryptophan would cause the stomach problems. Maybe it's all the other stuff you're putting in your stomach before you go to bed. Tryptophan should be taken on an empty stomach or with fruit juice, but maybe all those other pills are not agreeing with your stomach. Maybe you could take the other things at a different time of day. I've not used the veterninary version. I got mine from www.healthrecovery.com. It is pharmaceutical grade. You can read a lot more about it if you go to that website. I've spent a lot of time and money on other antidepressants with less than satisfactory results. It's going to be a long time yet before I give up on the Tryptophan.
Posted by JLx on November 14, 2004, at 17:34:52
In reply to Re: Tryptophan and anxiety, stomach pain » JLx, posted by MKB on November 14, 2004, at 16:17:34
> I don't think Tryptophan would cause the stomach problems. Maybe it's all the other stuff you're putting in your stomach before you go to bed. Tryptophan should be taken on an empty stomach or with fruit juice, but maybe all those other pills are not agreeing with your stomach. Maybe you could take the other things at a different time of day. I've not used the veterninary version. I got mine from www.healthrecovery.com. It is pharmaceutical grade. You can read a lot more about it if you go to that website. I've spent a lot of time and money on other antidepressants with less than satisfactory results. It's going to be a long time yet before I give up on the Tryptophan.
Oh, I'm not ready to give up yet, just kind of discouraged right now as it felt so great the first few days.
Magnesium, calcium, glycine and niacinamide are all things I've taken before and at night. It was when I added the tryptophan that I got the stomach ache. It's possible that they are doing something together though that they didn't alone.
And yes, I do take them on an empty stomach or with a little applesauce. The horse kind of tryptophan doesn't mix in water and tastes just terrible so I mix it with a teaspoon of applesauce and then quick run and brush my teeth! :)I've read the healthrecovery site and recommend Joan Mathews Larson's "Depression Free Naturally". One nice thing about that book is her checklists for the various conditions.
JL
Posted by jasmineneroli on November 14, 2004, at 20:15:56
In reply to Re: Tryptophan and anxiety, stomach pain » MKB, posted by JLx on November 14, 2004, at 17:34:52
Hey there JLX:
Well, I'm now on day 13 of Tryptophan. Have no stomach problems at all (which I ALWAYS get with SSRI's on start-up and for an age after). I noticed today and yesterday that I can actually TASTE again!! I hadn't realized my taste ability had diminished. Earlier, I simply ate beause I was supposed to..I had no appetite and never knew I was hungry until I started eating! No pleasure from food. Yay, that's back!
Did you have stomach problems with SSRI's (if you ever took them)?? You take the Trypt. with similar suppl. to me, so maybe it IS the form you are using.HOWEVER, I too am suffering from anxiety the past 2 days. I'm also puzzled by this, because, as you say, anxious depression is s'posed to be helped by Trypt. I think it could be because I dropped my dose from 1500mg to 1000mg on Thurs. night and last night took 1250mg. Maybe I have to be on at least 1500mg????
My symptoms have been more along the line of agitation and irritable/anger. But this often is a precursor to full blown anxiety/panic attacks in the past. I'm tempted to up my Klonopin dose...just in case...since I have to work tomorrow.
Feeling a bit disappointed...hopefully this mini "crash" is to do with lowering the dose.
Sleep wise, I had a bit of improvement at first (just a few night time wakenings), but at the lower dose I awoke more and couldn't get up this am. I've got a feeling, I really need a higher dose than 1500mg to achieve optimum sleep. I'm going to take 1500mg tonight. This maybe my required minimum dose.
I liked the Health Recovery site too. The diff. types of depression/anxiety lists are helpful, and I'm trying to follow the suppl. combo's they suggest for anxious depr. (I already take most). It's interesting to note that they suggest it might be necessary to take up to 3 grams of Trypt.
Good luck!
Jas
Posted by jasmineneroli on November 14, 2004, at 20:21:32
In reply to Re: Tryptophan - Brain zaps???? HELP! » jasmineneroli, posted by MKB on November 14, 2004, at 0:42:17
> Hello Jasmine,
> L-Tryptophan is supposed to work for anxiety, as well as depression. I have found that to be so. Before I started taking it, I would recycle the same worries throughout the day. Now I am able to dismiss these thoughts. Like you, I would have to say that anxiety has been a bigger problem for me than depression. I am not taking any other prescriptions for psychiatric-related problems. It's too bad you are unable to separate what the Tryptophan is doing from what your other meds are doing. Please keep posting as you learn more about it.** Yes, It's a little problematic, when there are other things involved. I think the Celexa will have completely cleared my body though, now. I know how I react to Klonopin, because I was using that as monotherapy for at least 5-6 months. What is unknown of course, is how the two (Klon. & Trypt) react together.
Because of this, I've decided not to add any segeline for now. It's too soon. I'm hoping to stablize my anxiety and sleep on Trypt. (finding the right dose) before my next Pdoc app't on Dec. 1st.
I will keep posting. Thanks for your interest.
Jas
Posted by jasmineneroli on November 14, 2004, at 20:25:43
In reply to Re: Tryptophan - Brain zaps???? HELP! » jasmineneroli, posted by MKB on November 14, 2004, at 13:27:42
> I moved up to 1000 mg L-Tryptophan last night and will stay there for awhile. Slept well after the fireworks stopped going off in my head. Feel great this a.m.
** That's great MKB!
I wish 1000mg would be enough for me, but if you read my response to JXL below, you'll see that even 1250mg doesn't appear to be enough. So I'm going back up 1500mg, and will ignore any brain zaps!! Keeping careful notes about my reactions.
Jas
Posted by JLx on November 14, 2004, at 21:39:43
In reply to Re: Tryptophan and anxiety, stomach pain » JLx, posted by jasmineneroli on November 14, 2004, at 20:15:56
> Hey there JLX:
> Well, I'm now on day 13 of Tryptophan. Have no stomach problems at all (which I ALWAYS get with SSRI's on start-up and for an age after). I noticed today and yesterday that I can actually TASTE again!! I hadn't realized my taste ability had diminished. Earlier, I simply ate beause I was supposed to..I had no appetite and never knew I was hungry until I started eating! No pleasure from food. Yay, that's back!
> Did you have stomach problems with SSRI's (if you ever took them)?? You take the Trypt. with similar suppl. to me, so maybe it IS the form you are using.Funny, I had just the opposite reaction -- less appetite. I never had stomach probs with SSRIs except for that feeling that food stays in your stomach forever.
Yes, it could be the horse version. ;)
> HOWEVER, I too am suffering from anxiety the past 2 days. I'm also puzzled by this, because, as you say, anxious depression is s'posed to be helped by Trypt. I think it could be because I dropped my dose from 1500mg to 1000mg on Thurs. night and last night took 1250mg. Maybe I have to be on at least 1500mg????
> My symptoms have been more along the line of agitation and irritable/anger. But this often is a precursor to full blown anxiety/panic attacks in the past. I'm tempted to up my Klonopin dose...just in case...since I have to work tomorrow.I just noticed I was waking up right into an anxious mood as opposed to a feeling of well being first thing in the morning when I first started taking it. I was always more anxious on SSRIs than I was without them.
> Feeling a bit disappointed...hopefully this mini "crash" is to do with lowering the dose.
> Sleep wise, I had a bit of improvement at first (just a few night time wakenings), but at the lower dose I awoke more and couldn't get up this am. I've got a feeling, I really need a higher dose than 1500mg to achieve optimum sleep. I'm going to take 1500mg tonight. This maybe my required minimum dose.Holistic Online says, "Recommended dosage: For depressive symptoms, take 2 grams (2,000 mg) of tryptophan two or three times daily. It should be taken between meals, with fruit or juice (simple sugars) to improve its utilization. It should not be taken with a protein meal, because tryptophan competes poorly with other amino acids for absorption. To convert tryptophan to serotonin, the body must have adequate levels of folic acid, vitamin B-6, magnesium, niacin, and glutamine." http://www.holistic-online.com/Remedies/Depression/dep_nutrition2.htm#
Hmm...that's interesting about the glutamine since glutamine is supposed to be soothing to the stomach. Maybe I will try taking some of that with tryptophan.
Patrick Holford, in ""Optimum Nutrition of the Mind" says about tryptophan, "You need 1 gram for low mood and up to 3 g a day for actual depression....As well as supplementing tryptophan, make sure your diet gives you at least 1 g a day by eating any two of the following meals, each giving 500 mg of tryptophan.
*Oatmeal, soy milk and two scrambled eggs.
*Baked potato with cottage cheese and tuna salad
*Chicken breast with potatoes au gratin and green beans.
*Whole wheat spaghetti with beans, tofu or meat sauce.
*Salmon fillet, quinoa and lentil pilaf and green salad with yogurt dressing."Sounds like 1500 mg is not an excessive dose. Perhaps your brain zaps are not related to trypt.
> I liked the Health Recovery site too. The diff. types of depression/anxiety lists are helpful, and I'm trying to follow the suppl. combo's they suggest for anxious depr. (I already take most). It's interesting to note that they suggest it might be necessary to take up to 3 grams of Trypt.
> Good luck!
> JasGood luck to you too. :)
JL
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