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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Lao Tzu on February 27, 2011, at 15:02:34
High dose Vitamin B6 and zinc picolinate have been useful for me as far as anxiety, in some cases with social anxiety. Perhaps in some people, there is a deficiency in these two substances that would lead to depression and anxiety, maybe especially in social situations. I've been using Vitamin B6 capsules (50mg each), Vitamin Shoppe brand and they have proven very effective for anxiety. The zinc picolinate I use is Solgar's zinc picolinate (22mg), and that too has proven very effective. In the morning, I take 50mg of B6 and 44mg of the zinc (two tablets). In the afternoon, or before social occasions, I take 150mg of B6 and 1 tablet of zinc (22mg). So far my anxiety has decreased quite a bit, and my depression is also better. The quality of the B6 must be high and preferably capsules rather than tablets. The Vitamin Shoppe brand B6 has worked very well, better than the generic B6 tablets I was using. For me, I need about 200mg of B6 per day total. This is variable, however. Some may need less or more. There is a condition where the blood produces an excess of pyrroles in some people, causing a deficiency of B6 and zinc. By correcting this and using the vitamins in proper proportions, you may be able to lessen anxiety quite a bit. However, Pyrroluria doesn't happen to everybody, so this may or may not work for some people with social anxiety.
I also take some Zoloft each day, and this can be a calming drug to use for social anxiety, but I don't necessarily think it is always the answer to use SSRIs when you could potentially correct the imbalance with B6 and zinc. I'm not saying don't use medication. Sometimes it can be very effective if your anxiety is severe, but I don't believe the antidepressants work for everybody when the real problem may be the pyroluria. Antidepressants won't help pyroluria. You need to supplement with high quality B6 and zinc picolinate in the right proportions. This is sometimes difficult to figure out, exactly how much you need to fix the problem. I've used trial-and-error, or you could speak with a doctor trained in orthomolecular medicine. There are also some good books on Orthomolecular Medicine, which may give you some good ideas. I think that there might be other issues involved in social anxiety than purely using vitamins and/or medication to treat it. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy might be useful in addition, and also an exercise program. In pyroluria, there may also be a need for manganese and Omega-6 fatty acids. Personally, I don't tend to tolerate the manganese well in my regimen, but I do take Borage oil, which is a good source of Omega-6 fatty acids. I'm just trying to put my own experiences out there for anyone who is curious about possible solutions to lessening the symptoms of anxiety as related to a condition called pyroluria. You can actually get tested for pyroluria if you are curious about it. It's done with a special urine test. You actually have to send your urine (at a specific temperature) to certain labs. Just a word of caution: You can actually take too much B6, but 200-250mg per day is usually safe and recommended for people with pyroluria.Lao
Posted by Lao Tzu on February 28, 2011, at 15:36:46
In reply to Social anxiety--Possible Pyroluria?, posted by Lao Tzu on February 27, 2011, at 15:02:34
I say all this in my first post because SSRIs alone don't do a whole lot for my social anxiety, whereas B6 and zinc help to lessen it somewhat. Taking B6 might help produce sufficient levels of many neurotransmitters in the brain, not just serotonin. The key is to find the dosage that makes the anxiety easier to handle. This could take some time, maybe 1-2 months maximum. I've found that if you have pyroluria, zinc in the right proportions is absolutely essential. For me, I've stabilized on 66mg of zinc picolinate per day. I think the recommended dosage is around 50mg per day from some sources. I have received different results depending on the type of zinc you use. Perhaps zinc gluconate would work, but for me I prefer zinc picolinate, Solgar Brand. With other forms and brands of zinc, I have not had the same results as with the Solgar brand. Why is that? I really don't know. Anyway, use a high quality B6 supplement, something better than what you would buy in the drug or grocery stores.
Lao
Posted by Hombre on February 28, 2011, at 18:33:23
In reply to Re: Social anxiety--Possible Pyroluria?, posted by Lao Tzu on February 28, 2011, at 15:36:46
I would not place too much emphasis on pyroluria or supplements for relief from anxiety. Not to say that this idea can't guide your supplement regimen, but there just doesn't seem to be enough evidence or consensus that this condition is at the heart of such conditions. Just my opinion. Supplements just provide the building blocks. They don't necessarily cause changes to happen.
Have you tried high quality valerian root extract? There are also several other herbal nervines that may help, i.e. chamomile, passion flower, st. john's wort (tried Kira, that was super relaxing on top of antidepressants), ashwagandha, several of the Chinese herbs indicated for "calming the spirit"...?
Also, exercise is near tops for taking nervous energy and turning it into calmness and also confidence. Sometimes anxiety is a sign of good energy, but without physical release it can cause discomfort. Which is good, we should feel uncomfortable if we aren't exercising regularly.
Posted by former poster on March 17, 2011, at 12:37:45
In reply to Re: Social anxiety--Possible Pyroluria?, posted by Hombre on February 28, 2011, at 18:33:23
>>Sometimes anxiety is a sign of good energy, but without physical release it can cause discomfort. Which is good, we should feel uncomfortable if we aren't exercising regularly.<<
Well said! Unfortunately, in my experience this can be mis-diagnosed as ADHD or hypomania .
Posted by Lao Tzu on April 19, 2011, at 12:22:17
In reply to Re: Social anxiety--Possible Pyroluria? » Hombre, posted by former poster on March 17, 2011, at 12:37:45
High dose B6 helps not only my depression but my social phobia as well, which is why I alluded to the theory that the pyroluric may be more socially anxious without enough B6 daily. Antidepressants are not going to work as well for the socially anxious pyroluric without adequate B6 dosing. That's just my theory. I have no scientific evidence, however.
Lao
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