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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 10 of 10. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by AdamCanada on January 11, 2008, at 3:33:11
Okay after a little miracle that I have had yesterday after trying Gabapentin again and getting a huge surge in social ability (wow finally i am able to talk to my friends again instead of being completely anti-social) and... a significant boost in my sex drive.... I took protein powder today after being off it for one day since i ran out...
This protein powder is some ''Whey'' stuff and has many amino acids and 35g sucralose in every scoop... does sucralose have aspartame?
I dunno what it is that is in these protein shakes/powders but I FELT WORSE for a good several hours after taking that protein powder plus a huge headache.
Yet if I dont take it it becomes very difficult for me to maintain my weight. Ritalin causes me to have an even faster metabolism than I already have and I have to eat like a pig to keep my weight of 130++++... I am 5'7, small frame but 130 is merely decent for someone like me.
At 135 I begin to look significantly better and I attract more women and i look more toned and defined after the gym etc... My goal is 140-145....
But... that goal is hard to reach and even 135 is hard to maintain without some sort of Weight Gain Solution...
And this stupid protein powder might be the reason why I crashed so hard around new years and stayed that way for so long. I still do not feel like myself again prior to that crash.
Anyone else have bad experiences with protein powder.
Perhaps I should try a brand that has nothing BUT protein in it and none of that fancy amino acid garbage...
Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated
Posted by cumulative on January 11, 2008, at 5:20:55
In reply to Protein Powder worsens mental health? wow..., posted by AdamCanada on January 11, 2008, at 3:33:11
Hi,
Whey protein without some source of soluble fiber (added, or eaten prior -- placed in the stomach) will very rapidly spike the blood sugar, followed by a crash. It's quite possible this is responsible for some of the negative symptoms you feel -- especially if for some other reason you're prone to these negative effects. I wouldn't necessarily go so far as to recommend blood tests for diabetes (which often goes hidden), but I wonder. I wonder if a glycation inhibitor like benfotiamine might help. Psychostimulants like methylphenidate could certainly in theory create a sensitivity here, as chronic stress/adrenergic stimulation/sleep loss that they can sometimes produce can worsen insulin sensitivity.
Secondly, yeah, I'm not a fan of the added-glutamine wheys, and it's possible that you could respond better to a different product. Whey can be very healthy under the right conditions. If not, there's always hemp.
Posted by Phillipa on January 11, 2008, at 11:30:10
In reply to Re: Protein Powder worsens mental health? wow..., posted by cumulative on January 11, 2008, at 5:20:55
Would soy be any better? Phillipa
Posted by bleauberry on January 11, 2008, at 16:42:12
In reply to Protein Powder worsens mental health? wow..., posted by AdamCanada on January 11, 2008, at 3:33:11
> Anyone else have bad experiences with protein powder.
>
> Perhaps I should try a brand that has nothing BUT protein in it and none of that fancy amino acid garbage...
>Yeah, me. Protein powders made me feel bad from second day onward, following a nice pleasant boost on the first day. I've tried whey, rice, soy, and hemp.
I am 6' tall and weigh 128lbs. I sought the help of a nutrition professional. I was told protein powders are for gaining muscle, not weight, and that it only works when accompanied by serious gym workouts once or twice a week. To put on weight requires an intake of calories greater than the calories you burn. With a fast metabolism you probably burn a lot. So you need a lot of calories. Even though you and I eat a lot we are probably only feeding the metabolism with nothing left over for weight gain. So, we have to eat even more than we eat. A nutritionist calculator determined if I want to gain one pound per week I have to eat 5000 calories a day. Wow. I tried one day to eat as much as I could and it came out to 3500 calories.
My doc said that contrary to American paranoia over fats, there are good fats and they include butter and dairy. He told me to eat tons of butter and since I had been avoiding sugar, add in modest amounts of sugar. Oh, and chocolate. Actually healthy stuff it is. So I'm back to eating chocolate ice cream and candy bars. I've gained 1.5lbs in the last month, which for me is a miracle. I love butter and chocolate and carbs, so it's fine with me.
For weight gain carbs are better than proteins. Lots of pastas, breads, pies, butter on everything, in addition to what you already eat.
Since this is a pharmaceutical forum, there is always the prescription route. Zyprexa even at a low dose of 1.25mg or 2.5mg would probably put about 5 to 10 pounds on you. I was on zyprexa for 8 years at 5mg. The first 3 months I went from 130lbs to 148lbs and later settled into about 142-145. That was with prozac, which usually causes weight loss.
Maybe even low doses of lithium would slow metabolism just enough to give you the edge.
When it gets right down to it, when a woman is given a chance to know your sensuality and confidence and caring and stuff like that, your looks will have nothing at all to do with anything. I've seen some real babes at times who had their arms all over a real ugly guy. Ugly on the outside, but a prince on the inside.
Eat more. Forget the protein stuff. Eat more carbs.
Posted by jrbecker76 on January 11, 2008, at 22:24:58
In reply to Re: Protein Powder worsens mental health? wow..., posted by bleauberry on January 11, 2008, at 16:42:12
I've have had similar experiences with both all natural, non-additive whey protein mixes as well as creatine. As I am an athlete, I occassionally use them to help maintain muscle balance and strength, however, I do find that they both have deleterious effects on mood (Creatine more than Whey though).
Posted by Cecilia on January 11, 2008, at 23:58:19
In reply to Re: Whey Protein Powder and Creatine, posted by jrbecker76 on January 11, 2008, at 22:24:58
Interesting. I take protein powder because I'm trying to lose weight, not gain- I use a whey powder sweetened with stevia, won't touch aspartame. I take it in order to get enough protein in my diet, don't like most protein foods. I supposed if someone used huge amounts trying to gain muscle it'd be bad for your kidneys, seems like too much protein of any kind would be. Is whey really any different than most other protein sources? Cecilia
Posted by johnj on January 12, 2008, at 12:38:01
In reply to Re: Whey Protein Powder and Creatine, posted by jrbecker76 on January 11, 2008, at 22:24:58
Last x-mas I did about two weeks of whey and just felt worse and worse, don't know why.
I bought some hemp protein the other day and woke up anxious the other morning. I used about two scoops and a little applesauce and after some time I was able to relax and get back to sleep for about 45 minutes and awoke feeling much better. I have had some hypoglycemia so it could be just that. I was impressed with the hemp.
Posted by yxibow on January 14, 2008, at 23:51:59
In reply to Re: Whey Protein Powder and Creatine, posted by Cecilia on January 11, 2008, at 23:58:19
> Interesting. I take protein powder because I'm trying to lose weight, not gain- I use a whey powder sweetened with stevia, won't touch aspartame. I take it in order to get enough protein in my diet, don't like most protein foods. I supposed if someone used huge amounts trying to gain muscle it'd be bad for your kidneys, seems like too much protein of any kind would be. Is whey really any different than most other protein sources? Cecilia
The whole mystique surrounding the shuddering of potassium/sodium aspartate pales in comparison to getting diabetes II (unless one has been born with PKU, that is an entirely different story and incredibly rare and unfortunate), or for that matter acesulfame K (potassium), sucralose (which is a very good substitute for sugar in my opinion [Splenda] by taste), or saccharin (which never has been proven to actually kill rats despite its warnings). They were even going to bring cyclamates back.
Every non diet soda downed is 160 calories of water, and caffeine, which of course does affect mental health in large consumption
But, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I grew stevia once or twice for fun, never got much of a plant and it is extremely bitter. They have to debitterize it to be palatable.
But back to the point, Soy protein powder both exists for vegans like myself and for those who are fairly to rather lactose intolerant. Whey otherwise, well its just another source of protein.
As for its effect on mental health, its just a food source -- I suppose we could argue about genistein and soy till the cows (laugh) come home, but I haven't grown breasts that I'm aware of. Whey, you get it in milk and milk derivatives anyhow -- its just a byproduct of the dairy industry.
As for adulterants in protein powder, that's different -- I can't vouch for the effects of creatine other than it is used for body building. It has had some adverse effects. Weight gain for one, and a slew of other things, because of course, it like Stevia, is unregulated by the FDA and largely untested.
Now in moderation, is Stevia harmful -- who knows? There are other natural carbohydrates that are used to bulk or replace sugar, such as chicory, inositol, mannitol, xylol, sorbitol (the sugar alcohols -- which can cause diarrhea in excesss consumption).
-- tidings
Posted by Cecilia on January 15, 2008, at 3:19:24
In reply to Re: Protein Powder worsens mental health? wow..., posted by cumulative on January 11, 2008, at 5:20:55
I don't understand why whey protein would cause a spike in blood sugar. It has almost no carbs-only the carbs in the skim milk I mix it with. Cecilia
Posted by Cecilia on January 15, 2008, at 3:34:35
In reply to Re: Whey Protein Powder and Creatine, posted by yxibow on January 14, 2008, at 23:51:59
I don't drink any soda, diet or non-diet. But I'd rather not eat anything with aspartane after reading the study about how it increased depression in those with a history of it. They had to stop the study part way through because the aspartane group got so much worse. Granted, it was only one small study, but I'm depressed enough. I doubt that whey has anything to do with it, I was depressed long before I started drinking it. Mine doesn't have any creatine in it. Who knows if the stevia is safe, but it's probably better for me than sugar. Cecilia
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