Posted by andrewb on July 25, 1999, at 11:58:39
In reply to ADD & Depr.: 5-HTP + Piracetam + SJW + Serzone?, posted by Roman on July 25, 1999, at 8:12:25
> I have ADD and suffer from depression and anxiety.
> (I am in intense psycho-therapy.) I am trying to avoid
> strong medication as much as possible. I am wanting to
> try the following combination, and need advice on
> possible adverse side effects.
>
> Here is the list: 5-HTP with St. Johns Wort for
> depression, 800mg twice daily Piracetam plus Choline
> for cognitive stimulation (works for ADD), Kava Kava
> for anxiety, and 50-100mg Serzone twice daily for
> added boost - eventually I want to stop taking the
> Serzone.
>
> I will also taking amino acid supplements such as
> phenylalanine, tyrosine, glutamine, and omega-3 fatty
> acids.
>
> Anything I should be aware of?> I have ADD and suffer from depression and anxiety.
> (I am in intense psycho-therapy.) I am trying to avoid
> strong medication as much as possible. I am wanting to
> try the following combination, and need advice on
> possible adverse side effects.
>
> Anything I should be aware of?Yes, l-glutamine can cause nueronal death. I've read that a person should take no more than 2 grams a day. I wonder if that amount is not still too high. Antioxidants may protect against l-gluatamine toxicity. For more information do a Medline search.
You might might expect that l-glutamine, being a precursor to GABA, to have a calming, anxiolytic effect on the mind. Instead it has an excitatory effect, making a person feel like they have more mental energy and even feeling over-amped.
Back to your question, you also may find it problematic taking that many psycho-active substances. It will be hard keeping track of what is doing what to you. My personal experience is that it is hard keeping an even keel with that many different substances ebbing and flowing in the body. After a while I got tired of feeling like a yo-yo and a pill repository and decided to put all those supplements, smart drugs, and what-nots in a box. You want my box? I've found it more effective to concentrate on finding one or two med.s that really work and to take them in doses where the side effects are minimal.
As an aside, I think some people have the expectation that prescription anti-depressants must have a strong, kind of mind warping effect on a person, analogous to taking morphine for pain. Isn't a more reasonble standard for an antidepressant that it be able to make a person feel better as a whole and more like themselves rather than some biochemical pinball machine. My point is that there are anti-depressants out there that don't feel 'strong’. You may not feel like your taking a drug at all, all you feel is better. I am currently enjoying such a response to an antidepressant (amisulpride). I hope that my positive experience may persuade you to not be overly wary of prescription med.s and that if you do take them to not settle for anything less than great results.
poster:andrewb
thread:9187
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/19990814/msgs/9191.html