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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 gqllc on August 21, 2004, at 8:45:35
I have been on Dalmane (benzo)30 mg for sleep for over 25 years!! 8 months ago a Dr. tried to wean me off in 3 weeks, Total disaster with withdrawal, I am back on Dalmane 30 mg but would like to try SAM-e, B-complex, and Fish oils. I have mild depression after trying to withdraw. It took a toll on my moods! Any suggestions? I tried St Johns but it did not help. Thanks
Posted by Chris O on August 21, 2004, at 14:30:36
In reply to New to board, SAM-e thoughts???, posted by gqllc on August 21, 2004, at 8:45:35
> I have been on Dalmane (benzo)30 mg for sleep for over 25 years!! 8 months ago a Dr. tried to wean me off in 3 weeks, Total disaster with withdrawal, I am back on Dalmane 30 mg but would like to try SAM-e, B-complex, and Fish oils. I have mild depression after trying to withdraw. It took a toll on my moods! Any suggestions? I tried St Johns but it did not help. Thanks
Gqllc:
I've given SAM-e, fish oil, and St. John's all a good go. Here's my experience:
* SAM-e: I took it very consistently for almost a year. I varied the dose between 400mg to 1600mg per day. It had very mild anti-depressant and stimulating effects. Kind of Wellbutrin-like, but very very mild. The effects tended to wear off over a period of months and I would have to stop and start to notice any effect after a while. Conclusion: It worked, but not very powerfully, nothing compared to SSRIs.
* Fish oil: I took Dr. Stoll's (of The Omega-3 Connection/Harvard fame) fish oil product for 4 to 6 months. I took 2 to 4 grams per day. I didn't notice anything. I tried a really high dose for a month (like 7 grams per day) and also noticed nothing. Conclusion: Fish oil did nothing for my mood, but hopefully it had some health benefits!
* St. John's: Like you, the effects were mild. I do notice something, but...St. John's makes me fatigued and wears after a period of months too, like SAM-e.
* L-theanine, the amino acid made from green tea, did work for me. It helps me sleep, if I take enough of it (500mg-1 gram). It's widely available.
* Inositol: Tried this for a bit...think it has real anti-anxiety effects, but do not like taking the 12grams to 18 grams per day necessary to get effect. It just freaks me out taking that much of any supplement.
I'm on Lexapro now. It's like, eh, it works, but get the same old annoying side-effects as all the SSRIs (fatigue, weight gain, bad sleep, etc.). Anyway, I hope that helps.
Chris
Posted by Larry Hoover on August 22, 2004, at 10:36:04
In reply to New to board, SAM-e thoughts???, posted by gqllc on August 21, 2004, at 8:45:35
> I have been on Dalmane (benzo)30 mg for sleep for over 25 years!! 8 months ago a Dr. tried to wean me off in 3 weeks, Total disaster with withdrawal, I am back on Dalmane 30 mg but would like to try SAM-e, B-complex, and Fish oils. I have mild depression after trying to withdraw. It took a toll on my moods! Any suggestions? I tried St Johns but it did not help. Thanks
Rather than SAMe specifically, I'd recommend a good and broad nutrient supplement program. It may be all you need.
A B-complex (B-100), with multi-minerals, if available that way, or a separate multi on top, if not. Vitamin D, 1,000 IU/day.
Extra: zinc (25-40 mg/day), selenium (200 mcg/day), chromium (100-200 mcg/day), magnesium 500 mg/day (you might have to work up to that dose, as some people get diarrhea if they just start there). Plus antioxidants, vitamin C (2,000 mg/day), vitamin E (800-1600 IU/day), and alphalipoic acid (200 mg/day).
It is impossible, simply not possible, to get all the nutrients you need from the diet alone. I don't care what they say about the food pyramid, I went to the USDA nutrient database, and did the math, and it is not possible to meet the 18 RDAs they target, from diet alone, without vastly exceeding caloric targets. Moreover, there are more than 18 nutrients with established RDAs.....so the food pyramid is a hoax. It is actually based on a grain-marketing tool developed by administrators of the surplus grain produced by federal policies supplementing farming.....oh I digress....
I'd start with basic supplements. Your age (inferred) is also a factor which leads me to those recommendations.
Lar
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