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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Maxime on April 28, 2005, at 23:37:22
Hi.
Well basically I am a mess. I just started strattera and I am deeply depressed and suicidal. My eating disorder is rearing it's ugly head .... everything comes at once.
So I am hypothyroid. Although my lab results come back normal I don't feel normal. I am going to be seeing a neuroendocrinologist who will hopefully be able to unveil some problems with my adrenals somehing. I say "hopefully" because I know I am not imagining how awful I feel and I don't believe it's all in my head.
So I just started Strattera. The first day I was so tired from it and nauseous. Today I tried L-tyrosine - 500 mg (that was the strength of one caplet). Well I was awake alright. Not hyper or anything I guess just normal. I still felt nauseous after my second dose of strattera and eventually threw up.
So how much L-tyrosine does one normally take. I am trying to optimize my thyroid function. Then I realised two things:
1. I should not have taken the L-tyrosine when starting a new med.
2. I am going to see the neuroendocrinologist (it may take several months) so I shouldn't take anything that might skew the result of any blood tests.So I won't be taking the L-tyrosine again. But I just want know if it's normal to feel energised by it and how much is the recommended dosage. In the book "Depression Free Naturally" it says 800 mg a day. Yet in the Thyroid diet book it say 180 mg. That's a big difference.
Anyhow it was nice to feel some life today. But I won't be taking anything extra until I see the specialist (if I can wait that long).
Was my reaction to L-tyrosine normal?
Maxime
Posted by LOOPS on April 29, 2005, at 8:41:05
In reply to L-tyrosine ... how much, posted by Maxime on April 28, 2005, at 23:37:22
Hi Maxime -
I also suffer from an eating disorder - off and on - thankfully more off than on these days but i totally sympathize.
My guess with the tyrosine is it's fine to take as it is just a precursor to dopamine and norepinephrine and not serotonin - but wait for other people's replies as they know more about this.
If you don't mind me asking, do you take any other vitamins/minerals? It's just that I found with the ED that I was getting very deficient in a few things (this was years ago now); for instance I had a zinc test done and I was woefully low in this mineral. These days I do take a multivitamin and especially a multimineral for when the ED gets bad/comes back. The multimineral I don't take all the time but seems to be very helpful to guard against zinc/cal/mag depletion etc.
Loops
Posted by Maxime on April 29, 2005, at 19:38:04
In reply to Re: L-tyrosine ... how much, posted by LOOPS on April 29, 2005, at 8:41:05
Thanks Loops. I guess I just don't want to screw up any lab tests I am going to have.
I do take vitamins and minerals. I take: zinc, selenium, iron (herbal), niacin, B6, B complex, magnesium, calcium, chromium, and fish old (yuck). I was difficient in zinc and magnesium as well. I have a bad immune system so the zinc is a mainstay. I would take a multivitamin if I could find one without iron because I can't take my Synthroid with iron and I have to take the Synthroid in the morning.
It is so expensive to buy all these things!
Thanks again.
Maxime
> Hi Maxime -
>
> I also suffer from an eating disorder - off and on - thankfully more off than on these days but i totally sympathize.
>
> My guess with the tyrosine is it's fine to take as it is just a precursor to dopamine and norepinephrine and not serotonin - but wait for other people's replies as they know more about this.
>
> If you don't mind me asking, do you take any other vitamins/minerals? It's just that I found with the ED that I was getting very deficient in a few things (this was years ago now); for instance I had a zinc test done and I was woefully low in this mineral. These days I do take a multivitamin and especially a multimineral for when the ED gets bad/comes back. The multimineral I don't take all the time but seems to be very helpful to guard against zinc/cal/mag depletion etc.
>
> Loops
Posted by JLxx on May 4, 2005, at 17:37:22
In reply to Re: L-tyrosine ... how much » LOOPS, posted by Maxime on April 29, 2005, at 19:38:04
> Thanks Loops. I guess I just don't want to screw up any lab tests I am going to have.
>
> I do take vitamins and minerals. I take: zinc, selenium, iron (herbal), niacin, B6, B complex, magnesium, calcium, chromium, and fish old (yuck). I was difficient in zinc and magnesium as well. I have a bad immune system so the zinc is a mainstay. I would take a multivitamin if I could find one without iron because I can't take my Synthroid with iron and I have to take the Synthroid in the morning.
>
> It is so expensive to buy all these things!
>
> Thanks again.
>
> Maxime
>
> > Hi Maxime -
> >
> > I also suffer from an eating disorder - off and on - thankfully more off than on these days but i totally sympathize.
> >
> > My guess with the tyrosine is it's fine to take as it is just a precursor to dopamine and norepinephrine and not serotonin - but wait for other people's replies as they know more about this.
> >
> > If you don't mind me asking, do you take any other vitamins/minerals? It's just that I found with the ED that I was getting very deficient in a few things (this was years ago now); for instance I had a zinc test done and I was woefully low in this mineral. These days I do take a multivitamin and especially a multimineral for when the ED gets bad/comes back. The multimineral I don't take all the time but seems to be very helpful to guard against zinc/cal/mag depletion etc.
> >
> > LoopsNOW brand and Natrol without iron are both brands I've tried. I'm sure there are others.
Incidentally, I used to have thyroid probs per my symptoms such as low body temp including in the doc's office an hour after I'd been up in the AM and had to first walk 20 mins to get the bus to get there. My doc didn't care because my lab tests were within normal.
Anyway, after tyrosine and magnesium, and perhaps selenium too, I'm not sure, I no longer have feel I have thyroid problems.
JL
Posted by tealady on May 6, 2005, at 4:46:09
In reply to Re: Multis without iron » Maxime, posted by JLxx on May 4, 2005, at 17:37:22
> Incidentally, I used to have thyroid probs per my symptoms such as low body temp including in the doc's office an hour after I'd been up in the AM and had to first walk 20 mins to get the bus to get there. My doc didn't care because my lab tests were within normal.
>
> Anyway, after tyrosine and magnesium, and perhaps selenium too, I'm not sure, I no longer have feel I have thyroid problems.
>
> JLTerrific JL! (if you need extra help and especially if you see any white specks in your fingernails..add some zinc, that's about the only other main thing that may help)
I'll get around to answering the other post tomorrow. ..weekend. I was wiped this week. Slept all yesterday,Throat stiff & sore down one side..like I've slept wrong or something :-) Doing Uni at present..just one subject..first year Chemistry ..and sitting in on Physiology. It's just 1/4 FullTime load..but that really taxes me :-)
Great to hear from you again, and thanks for the support, help.
Jan
Posted by JLx on May 6, 2005, at 11:12:45
In reply to welcome back JL » JLxx, posted by tealady on May 6, 2005, at 4:46:09
> > Incidentally, I used to have thyroid probs per my symptoms such as low body temp including in the doc's office an hour after I'd been up in the AM and had to first walk 20 mins to get the bus to get there. My doc didn't care because my lab tests were within normal.
> >
> > Anyway, after tyrosine and magnesium, and perhaps selenium too, I'm not sure, I no longer have feel I have thyroid problems.
> >
> > JL
>
> Terrific JL! (if you need extra help and especially if you see any white specks in your fingernails..add some zinc, that's about the only other main thing that may help)
> I'll get around to answering the other post tomorrow. ..weekend. I was wiped this week. Slept all yesterday,Throat stiff & sore down one side..like I've slept wrong or something :-) Doing Uni at present..just one subject..first year Chemistry ..and sitting in on Physiology. It's just 1/4 FullTime load..but that really taxes me :-)
> Great to hear from you again, and thanks for the support, help.
> JanI don't always take the tyrosine either -- didn't take it at all this winter -- so I think it was primarily the magnesium that straightened me out. Or maybe it was the combo that was necessary at first. I've never had white spots on my fingernails, but I do take zinc quite regularly.
Thanks for the welcome. I wish I would never quit posting/lurking here. Sometimes I don't because I'm too depressed, it takes too much time or I just get sick of it all, but it DOES help both with information, motivation and "community" so I wish I would hang around more consistently.
I hope that I have my registration back to what it was before since I've now heard back from Dr. Bob.
JL
Posted by FredPotter on May 25, 2005, at 20:01:53
In reply to L-tyrosine ... how much, posted by Maxime on April 28, 2005, at 23:37:22
Hi Maxime I'm sorry to hear you're feeling bad. I hope it doesn't make you worse if I say that too much tyrosine supplementation over a long period can increase the risk of melanoma. Also I believe supplementation is unnecessary if you're on a mixed diet and you're an adequate weight. Obviously you're not and I know it's not easy. BTW I suppose you know that tyrosine should be taken between meals (did you say "what meals"?). All the best honey
Fred
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