Posted by Melanie-00 on December 13, 2010, at 13:58:55
In reply to Re: NAC for OCD. Cellulose + Silicon Dioxide! :(, posted by mogger on December 13, 2010, at 12:01:33
Hi Joseph,
So nice of you to get back to me. I actually did try 5-HTP briefly, although I did not give it much of a chance. I was having trouble figuring out optimal dosage and timing. What I found was that if I took 50 mg, it didn't seem to have much of an effect at all. 75-100 mg right before bedtime helped me sleep. But if I took 50 mg during the day, and then later 100 mg right before bed, my sleep seemed to be worse. And it didn't seem to help with my anxiety, no matter what combo of doses I used.
When I did the research, I found that it was more indicated for depression than for anxiety. So I quit.
I could try again, but having done more research, I think the promise of 5-HTP is more for insomnia/depression (vs anxiety), and I really feel my problem is anxiety. (Insomnia is a part of that, but it follows the anxiety.)
Rhodiola is supposed to help with feeling energized. It's also supposed to help with something called "stress exhaustion" and "fatigue syndrome" (apparently, it's a real clinical diagnosis in Sweden, but I don't think it appears in our DSM-IV). And it's supposedly good for depression and all-around mood/motivation. Or maybe it's just all hype!
When I've search on these boards, I find that people who have taken it have had mixed results, but that's always so hard to interpret because it could be very much brand-dependent, or depend on the particular combo of meds they take with it, or the dosage, or how long they took it, etc. Or a placebo effect, or maybe they have a financial stake in selling rhodiola. Who knows!
For now, I'm trying to go with non-prescription remedies for anxiety that have some clinical research to back them up. Unfortunately, most herbs/supplements get very much ignored when it comes to research. I hope to read a book called The Rhodiola Revolution soon, which is written by two American psychiatrists who have their own experience with this herb but also claim to summarize the research on Rhodiola from the former Soviet Union. Maybe after I take a look at the book, I'll have a better handle on whether it really does look to be the right option.
I have a list of other things to try, but obviously, I'd like to find something effective as quickly as possible. I figure the clearer the research is, the better the odds.
Other possibilities for anxiety that have at least some (minimal) research indicating effectiveness are:
* passionflower (see Akhondzadeh et al. 2001 in J Clin Pharm Ther - study did not include a placebo branch)
* chamomile extract (standardized) (see Amsterdam et al. 2009 in Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology, chamomile has small but statistically significant effect compared to placebo)
* Kava (but, unfortunately, some believe it has the potential for causing severe liver damage)
* B vitamins
* lysine
* magnesium
* Brahmi
* gotu kola
* scullcap
* and now, my newest addition to the list, NAC (especially for anxiety in the anxiety-OCD-trichotillomania spectrum)
(That may not be a complete list, but it's a start.)
poster:Melanie-00
thread:972938
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20101202/msgs/973434.html