Posted by Larry Hoover on November 2, 2004, at 10:34:13
In reply to Re: Bowel toxins,enzyme.Help, questions ?, posted by Jasmineneroli on October 31, 2004, at 18:21:57
> Thanks Lar, for the link on biological transmutations. It was both interesting and amusing :). I agree with the alchemy comment! I had a feeling after reading the company's stuff, that I was in either a cheap sci-fi movie, or being deliberately confused (or both)! And it doesn't take much to confuse me nowadays (more about that later).
The thing that makes sci-fi what it is is the blend of science and fiction. There's enough science to make the fiction plausible.
> * The bowel health/detox thing I'm leaving alone.
Good, IMHO.
> * The "electric herb cocktails" ditto.
Well, the poor rationale does not invalidate any potential effect of the herbs. The herbs don't know they're being lied about.
> Questions:
> My dx is severe GAD, with mild-mod. depression, (which varies with the stressors, I usually get a depression "fall-out" after a prolonged stressful time). Quite often I have an absence of depression. There's a seasonal aspect to it. I ALWAYS have depression/suicide ideation in Feb./March and MUCH worse insomnia then too.Have you tried a light box? You might be vitamin D deficient, too.
> RLS, night time excessive leg movement and a lot of twitching, "like electric shocks" according to my husband. Have lots of headaches too, but they have reduced since I dropped supplemental calcium & started mag. citrate. (I get headaches from Celexa as well).
RLS is associated with low iron. How is your ferritin level?
> Sleeping has been an issue with me for 5+ years. Can't fall asleep, then wake every 2-3 hours, with racing thoughts. Fall into a DEEP sleep around 4-5am and find it VERY hard to wake-up at 6:30am. Takes me an hour to "come-to" and another hour to get ready for work.
There are disorders of sleep structure that involve failure to permit the release of consciousness, to move into sleep. This is involuntary. You can't make yourself give up consciousness. Sleep hygiene practises only go so far in relieving this problem. One of the most effective meds for this problem is temazepam (Restoril).
> Possible OCD traits...have rituals about getting ready to go out, and always add too many tasks (for e.g.: I MUST put laundry in before I leave today).
Exaggerated coping response? You don't want to be a f*** up?
> Otherwise I alternate between high energy, outgoing, creative, scattered thinking, lack of focus (and up into anxiety) and grouchy, irritable, sound-sensitive, "slow" moving and thinking (but my mood isn't necessarily "down").
How long is the period between high and low? Is there any possibility that you might have PTSD?
> I'm apparently not bipolar (but have energy mood swings that my pdoc thinks are hormonal in origin). I think I might be "soft-bipolar IV" on Akiskal's scale - depressive hyperthymic. I dunno about that one.
Diagnoses are only useful in so far as they guide treatment, apart from the obvious value of "saving a lot of words to describe what I'm like".
Have you tried omega-3 supplementation, e.g. fish oil?
> I currently take .5mg Klonopin daily (divided into 2 doses) and 10mg Celexa. Klonopin has been the ONLY thing to help my anxiety and RLS. I think Celexa helps "even" me out, mood-wise, but I have a host of side-effects to it. Sleep WAS better, until the Celexa was added.
Did you notice an anxiolytic effect of magnesium? Have you tried niacinamide? Taurine?
> I didn't have such severe difficulty getting aroused in the am before these drugs, but it still was a bit of an issue.
Do you take the Celexa only in the a.m.?
> ANYWAY, back to questions:
> 1)Do you think a "hormonal balancing" product might help me ( and I mean ALL hormones, including adrenal/cortisol). If so, what ingredients should I look for in such a product. (I'm menopausal, on daily 1mg estradiol mono-hormone replacement <can't tolerate progesterone in any form>)?There is simply too much variation in the formulation of "hormone balancers" to even consider a response, let alone the fact that some people have paradoxical responses (the opposite reaction to what you'd expect).
I wonder if the adaptogen herbs might be a better choice. Those would be St. John's wort, Rhodiola, Siberian ginseng, Ashwagandha....and others. One at a time, of course. Not all together.
> 2)Re: enzymes. Will taking an enzyme formula improve absorption and use of all other supplements and foods, including the whey protein powder I take everyday. Will such a product help also with more efficient synthesis of my psychiatric drugs, and protect my liver?
Enzymes fall into the "can't hurt, might help" category. They also aren't the kind of thing that you can take for a day, and decide whether they work, or not. If you take them daily for six weeks, and that corresponds with a general feeling of stabilization and resiliency, then they may be the cause of that trend.
Whey powder varies substantially. Some is hydrolyzed (pre-digested). Some says it is hydrolyzed, but isn't. Some just isn't. If your enzymes aren't working right, you will get a reduced benefit from whey powder.
Some people who have poor protein digestion benefit from bromelain (proeolytic enzyme but also anti-inflammatory), B-12 (It's an essential part of protein digestion, but indirectly. Poor protein digestion, though, leads to B-12 deficiency, so this can be a vicious circle.), and betaine.
There are some fairly inexpensive multi-enzyme formulas available (check iherb, for example). They pretty much can't hurt you in any way.
> 3) I want to add selegiline to my mix, to help combat Celexa side effects & get me going in the am. What do you think?
Mixing an SSRI with an MAOI is not recommended. It's not excluded, but it has risks. If you can get your doctor to agree to that, fine. The absolute maximum dose would be 5 mg, and I'd say 2.5 might be a prudent limit.
> I want to eventually get off all my pharmaceuticals ( or find alternatives) because I'm losing my faculties!! My short term memory is completely shot (even prior to taking Klon.). I cannot learn like I could even last year..cognitive functioning is SO reduced. I have trouble understanding the stuff I read here and the research I do sometimes and I NEVER remember it (which makes it difficult to put up a debate with my pdoc).Anticipate the questions/challenges, and write things down. The very fact that you struggle with this is evidence for the struggle itself.
>I make a lot of silly mistakes.
You're aging, too.
> It sucks, because I'm used to having a quick and creative mind! I have an IQ of 145 (or used to :)).
You don't mention much about supplements. If you did before, I forget. What are you taking, supplement wise?
> SORRY, Lar, for going on so. I'm very grateful that you are even reading this!! I'd love to hear your recommendations, and anyone else's too!
> Thanks a million
> JasWe'll get to a solution. It takes patience. And, as long as I'm hanging out here, I'm happy to help.
Lar
poster:Larry Hoover
thread:407758
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20041022/msgs/410568.html