Guest guest Posted February 9, 2011 Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 Just because this source claims all these things doesn't make it fact. There is a lot of scare information about 5HTP out on the web. re: rash or flushing, it didn't say rash or flushing was a side effect. It says that people with rash or flushing should not take 5HTP. Again, this is a scare site about 5HTP, not factual. -- At 09:08 AM 2/8/2011, you wrote: >On Mon, 07 Feb 2011 17:45:26 -0500, Baker <vbaker@...> >wrote: > > > The only real side effect of 5-htp can be sleepiness for the first couple > > of weeks. That is why it is recommended to start by taking it at night > > to > > take advantage of the sleepiness. After a couple of weeks generally it > > goes away, but improved sleep is almost always achieved on a lasting > > basis. If you decide to increase your dose, that is best done in > > increments, at 2 week intervals, splitting the dose night and morning. > > > > -- > > >For Blue Light: please note the " rash or flushing " below (re: your >wondering in another post about the possible cause of these). > >__________________________________________ > > From " Advanced Health and Life Extension " website: > > >5 HTP Precautions & Side Effects > > 5 HTP is available without prescription and is generally considered >safe and may be beneficial for many individuals. Contraindications to 5 >HTP use or conditions under which 5 HTP use should only be under the >supervision of a physician are conditions in which increased serotonin >levels may be harmful. This list is generic and does not represent a >contraindication for all individuals. Obtaining professional advice is >advised, especially if prescription medications are also being used. >Cardiovascular Diseases (high blood pressure, post-stroke, post-heart >attack) >Extremely Elderly Persons >those with Parkinsons Disease, Cancer or Autoimmune Diseases (Scleroderma, >Rheumatoid Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis, Lupus) >Lung Diseases >Chronic Alcoholism >Liver diseases (hepatitis or cirrhosis) >Parasitic Infection >AIDS >Anorexia Nervosa >Low protein Diets >Allergies (severe) >Myalgia (persistent pain and weakness of the muscles) >Peripheral Neuropathy (pain weakness of the muscles) >Rash or Flushing >Edema >Nausea >Diarrhea >Sickle cell anemia >Hemophilia >Pregnancy > > Concurrent drug use: 5 HTP should not be used if taking: >Anti-depressant drugs >Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors >Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI's e.g., Prozac) >Tricyclic medications >Weight Loss medications (i.e., dextenfluramine) >Anti-parkinson medications (e.g., L-dopa) >Barbiturates and other tranquilizing drugs >Antihistamines and cold medications >Alcoholic beverages >Intravenous (illegal I.V.) drugs >Cancer Chemotherapy >Antibiotic Medications > > The principal reason for not combining 5-htp with these classes of >medications is that many of them may also increase serotonin levels or >affect other neurotransmitters, but by different biochemical mechanisms. >The combination, in some cases, has the potential of acting >synergistically to dramatically increase serotonin levels. This combined >action could have adverse effects. > > While tryptophan is less potent than 5htp, it may also be safer to >use. Its effectiveness is enhanced by the inclusion of synergestic factors >including lysine, niacin and synergistic herbal extracts. > > Alcohol and 5-HTP should not be taken together. Allow at least six >hours between use of alcohol and 5 HTP. > > >------------------------------------ > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 9, 2011 Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 The precautions and side effects that were supplied in the post sounds like none of us should be taking 5-HTP due to our auto-immune issues. I am taking it three times a day with benefit I believe.From: Baker <vbaker@...>low dose naltrexone Sent: Tue, February 8, 2011 7:51:34 PMSubject: Re: [low dose naltrexone] Side effects of 5-HTP Just because this source claims all these things doesn't make it fact. There is a lot of scare information about 5HTP out on the web. re: rash or flushing, it didn't say rash or flushing was a side effect. It says that people with rash or flushing should not take 5HTP. Again, this is a scare site about 5HTP, not factual. -- At 09:08 AM 2/8/2011, you wrote: >On Mon, 07 Feb 2011 17:45:26 -0500, Baker <vbaker@...> >wrote: > > > The only real side effect of 5-htp can be sleepiness for the first couple > > of weeks. That is why it is recommended to start by taking it at night > > to > > take advantage of the sleepiness. After a couple of weeks generally it > > goes away, but improved sleep is almost always achieved on a lasting > > basis. If you decide to increase your dose, that is best done in > > increments, at 2 week intervals, splitting the dose night and morning. > > > > -- > > >For Blue Light: please note the "rash or flushing" below (re: your >wondering in another post about the possible cause of these). > >__________________________________________ > > From "Advanced Health and Life Extension" website: > > >5 HTP Precautions & Side Effects > > 5 HTP is available without prescription and is generally considered >safe and may be beneficial for many individuals. Contraindications to 5 >HTP use or conditions under which 5 HTP use should only be under the >supervision of a physician are conditions in which increased serotonin >levels may be harmful. This list is generic and does not represent a >contraindication for all individuals. Obtaining professional advice is >advised, especially if prescription medications are also being used. >Cardiovascular Diseases (high blood pressure, post-stroke, post-heart >attack) >Extremely Elderly Persons >those with Parkinsons Disease, Cancer or Autoimmune Diseases (Scleroderma, >Rheumatoid Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis, Lupus) >Lung Diseases >Chronic Alcoholism >Liver diseases (hepatitis or cirrhosis) >Parasitic Infection >AIDS >Anorexia Nervosa >Low protein Diets >Allergies (severe) >Myalgia (persistent pain and weakness of the muscles) >Peripheral Neuropathy (pain weakness of the muscles) >Rash or Flushing >Edema >Nausea >Diarrhea >Sickle cell anemia >Hemophilia >Pregnancy > > Concurrent drug use: 5 HTP should not be used if taking: >Anti-depressant drugs >Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors >Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI's e.g., Prozac) >Tricyclic medications >Weight Loss medications (i.e., dextenfluramine) >Anti-parkinson medications (e.g., L-dopa) >Barbiturates and other tranquilizing drugs >Antihistamines and cold medications >Alcoholic beverages >Intravenous (illegal I.V.) drugs >Cancer Chemotherapy >Antibiotic Medications > > The principal reason for not combining 5-htp with these classes of >medications is that many of them may also increase serotonin levels or >affect other neurotransmitters, but by different biochemical mechanisms. >The combination, in some cases, has the potential of acting >synergistically to dramatically increase serotonin levels. This combined >action could have adverse effects. > > While tryptophan is less potent than 5htp, it may also be safer to >use. Its effectiveness is enhanced by the inclusion of synergestic factors >including lysine, niacin and synergistic herbal extracts. > > Alcohol and 5-HTP should not be taken together. Allow at least six >hours between use of alcohol and 5 HTP. > > >------------------------------------ > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 9, 2011 Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 I've been taking it for 10 years for autoimmune issues with nothing but good effects. That information is not factual. It's now fairly difficult to get factual information about 5HTP on the web, as it's one of those nutritional supplements that have triggered a widespread desire to negate its reputation (meaning, it's a threat to Big Pharma). -- At 07:07 PM 2/8/2011, you wrote: >The precautions and side effects that were supplied in the post sounds >like none of us should be taking 5-HTP due to our auto-immune issues. I >am taking it three times a day with benefit I believe. > > > > >From: Baker <vbaker@...> >low dose naltrexone >Sent: Tue, February 8, 2011 7:51:34 PM >Subject: Re: [low dose naltrexone] Side effects of 5-HTP > > > >Just because this source claims all these things doesn't make it >fact. There is a lot of scare information about 5HTP out on the web. > >re: rash or flushing, it didn't say rash or flushing was a side effect. It >says that people with rash or flushing should not take 5HTP. Again, this >is a scare site about 5HTP, not factual. > >-- > >At 09:08 AM 2/8/2011, you wrote: > >On Mon, 07 Feb 2011 17:45:26 -0500, Baker > <<mailto:vbaker%40sstar.com>vbaker@...> > >wrote: > > > > > The only real side effect of 5-htp can be sleepiness for the first couple > > > of weeks. That is why it is recommended to start by taking it at night > > > to > > > take advantage of the sleepiness. After a couple of weeks generally it > > > goes away, but improved sleep is almost always achieved on a lasting > > > basis. If you decide to increase your dose, that is best done in > > > increments, at 2 week intervals, splitting the dose night and morning. > > > > > > -- > > > > > >For Blue Light: please note the " rash or flushing " below (re: your > >wondering in another post about the possible cause of these). > > > >__________________________________________ > > > > From " Advanced Health and Life Extension " website: > > > > > >5 HTP Precautions & Side Effects > > > > 5 HTP is available without prescription and is generally considered > >safe and may be beneficial for many individuals. Contraindications to 5 > >HTP use or conditions under which 5 HTP use should only be under the > >supervision of a physician are conditions in which increased serotonin > >levels may be harmful. This list is generic and does not represent a > >contraindication for all individuals. Obtaining professional advice is > >advised, especially if prescription medications are also being used. > >Cardiovascular Diseases (high blood pressure, post-stroke, post-heart > >attack) > >Extremely Elderly Persons > >those with Parkinsons Disease, Cancer or Autoimmune Diseases (Scleroderma, > >Rheumatoid Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis, Lupus) > >Lung Diseases > >Chronic Alcoholism > >Liver diseases (hepatitis or cirrhosis) > >Parasitic Infection > >AIDS > >Anorexia Nervosa > >Low protein Diets > >Allergies (severe) > >Myalgia (persistent pain and weakness of the muscles) > >Peripheral Neuropathy (pain weakness of the muscles) > >Rash or Flushing > >Edema > >Nausea > >Diarrhea > >Sickle cell anemia > >Hemophilia > >Pregnancy > > > > Concurrent drug use: 5 HTP should not be used if taking: > >Anti-depressant drugs > >Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors > >Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI's e.g., Prozac) > >Tricyclic medications > >Weight Loss medications (i.e., dextenfluramine) > >Anti-parkinson medications (e.g., L-dopa) > >Barbiturates and other tranquilizing drugs > >Antihistamines and cold medications > >Alcoholic beverages > >Intravenous (illegal I.V.) drugs > >Cancer Chemotherapy > >Antibiotic Medications > > > > The principal reason for not combining 5-htp with these classes of > >medications is that many of them may also increase serotonin levels or > >affect other neurotransmitters, but by different biochemical mechanisms. > >The combination, in some cases, has the potential of acting > >synergistically to dramatically increase serotonin levels. This combined > >action could have adverse effects. > > > > While tryptophan is less potent than 5htp, it may also be safer to > >use. Its effectiveness is enhanced by the inclusion of synergestic factors > >including lysine, niacin and synergistic herbal extracts. > > > > Alcohol and 5-HTP should not be taken together. Allow at least six > >hours between use of alcohol and 5 HTP. > > > > > >------------------------------------ > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 9, 2011 Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 -One of the other problems with info on 5-htp is that it is confused with tryptophan, for which it is a precursor. There was a problem some years ago with a bad batch of tryptophan and consequently it's made people nervous ever since. Dr. Murphree, who works with FM/CFS patients says that taking 5-htp (and he recommends a fairly high dosage) with SSRIs is not a problem. I took it with Wellbutrin (not an SSRI but another anti-anxiety med) and had no problem. In fact, I reduced my dosage of the Wellbutrin. Jaye Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 9, 2011 Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 Yes, they can be taken together, but it is recommended to be medically supervised because the idea is to reduce the SSRI usage through substitution/enhancement with 5HTP. The brain lets 5HTP straight into itself (whereas tryptophan is a very slow uptake process), where it is metabolized into serotonin. An SSRI conserves whatever serotonin the person has. If a person has very little serotonin to start with, there isn't much to conserve, and the benefit is lower. Putting more serotonin in the brain can work alone or with SSRIs to improve outcomes. btw, tryptophan is an amino acid which is metabolized by the body into 5HTP and other waste metabolites. By taking 5HTP directly, the body does not have to do the work of changing the tryptophan into the useful form, and, the waste metabolites have actually been shown to cause bladder cancer. That doesn't mean we don't eat foods with tryptophan in them, but it does mean it might be a better idea to use 5htp directly. (Tryptophan is a relatively rare amino acid, but our need for serotonin has skyrocketed because of the stresses of modern life combined with the demineralization of the soils and the toxic burden we all carry.) All sources of 5htp make statements of purity because of the erroneous belief that it might be related to the tryptophan issue. And do be aware that tryptophan was taken off the market when there were the manufacturing problems but it was since put back on the market because it was shown that it was an isolated instance with one manufacturer and the problem has been completely fixed. -- At 09:06 AM 2/9/2011, jprocure@... wrote: >-One of the other problems with info on 5-htp is that it is confused with >tryptophan, for which it is a precursor. > >There was a problem some years ago with a bad batch of tryptophan and >consequently it's made people nervous ever since. > >Dr. Murphree, who works with FM/CFS patients says that taking 5-htp (and >he recommends a fairly high dosage) with SSRIs is not a problem. > > I took it with Wellbutrin (not an SSRI but another anti-anxiety med) > and had no problem. In fact, I reduced my dosage of the Wellbutrin. > >Jaye > > > >------------------------------------ > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 9, 2011 Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 " Posted by: " Baker " vbaker@... vbaker555 Tue Feb 8, 2011 4:51 pm (PST) Just because this source claims all these things doesn't make it fact. There is a lot of scare information about 5HTP out on the web. re: rash or flushing, it didn't say rash or flushing was a side effect. It says that people with rash or flushing should not take 5HTP. Again, this is a scare site about 5HTP, not factual. " Not so fast there....sure, if you look at the possible side effects of darn near anything you can put into your body things will look scary, but trust me, they are NOT trying to scare you, they are actually trying to help you avoid potentially fatal medical complications like the one I have had a personal experience with (unfortunately). Over the last 5 years I've taken all kinds of scrip drugs and supplements in attempts to alleviate various symptoms and problems. I ALWAYS checked with my doctor first when I find a new supplement that I thought might be beneficial - he has a PDA with a database of every drug, herb, and mineral known to mankind that can instantly check for complications if I added it to my current regimen. Well.... Over a year ago I found this what appeared to be a wonderful herb that might help me with my constant " brain fog " issues called Bacopa monniera, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacopa_monnieri http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytoremediation,_Hyperaccumulators http://www.herbalextractsplus.com/bacopa-monnieri.cfm All sounds wonderful, right? I could boost my cognitive function and reduce my heavy metal load simultaneously - great! Oopsie....Bacopa increases the levels of serotonin in the brain. So do many other things, like L-trytpophan, NADH (I was also taking 5 mg of NADH/day, really helped with my short term memory), St. 's Wort, and yes, 5-HTP. Lots of other " Nutriceuticals " , which are natural foods, nutritional supplements and herbal products that are used to treat illness, can also have effects on the amount and activity of various neurotransmitters in your brain. A little backstory on why I'm writing this post (I'll keep it as short as I can): 1) I started having severe hive outbreaks after two cervical spine surgeries in 2004/2005, accompanied by lots of broad spectrum antibiotics, allowed an until-then dormant Lyme infection to roar to life, along with a systemic candida infection. The hives, decreasing health, and lack of an answer from any/all of the specialists I saw what was ailing me led to even worse conditions, including panic attacks (I'd never had one in my life until then). After 3 trips to the ER for IV benadryl and ativan to halt my convulsions, my adrenal glands failed, cortisol production dropped to zero, the hives disappeared - no problem, right? No, the adrenal exhaustion caused crippling CFS and other problems, forcing me to stop working, eventually landed on LTD. 2) After being on LTD for over a year, my insurance provider started their typical games of trying to change my medically proven Lyme disease cause of disability to " mental illness " so they could terminate my policy after 24 months instead of the lifetime coverage I paid for out of my own pocket. Of course my anxiety levels only INCREASED at this point, fearing bankruptcy, losing my house, everything I'd worked so hard for all those years. My panic attacks got worse - if you've never had one you literally think you're going to die right then and there - and I was forced to seek psychiatric help by my LTD provider under the threat of canceling my policy. I'll skip the next few futile months of seeking help for brevity (almost done here, keep reading! :-) 3) Next I had a series of spinal and cranial MRI's done to see if I had MS - negative. However, the wonderful neurologist I saw for the review of the films was horrified by the drug combo that the psychiatrist I had seen (just once, she wrote me scrips and shooed me out of her office like I was a bothersome pest, we literally exchanged about 2-3 sentences apiece, never went back, what a jerk!). The neurologist spent almost 1/2 hour talking, and more importantly, LISTENING to me and what I'd been through. She switched me to 100 mg Zoloft and gave me Xanax for the still occurring occasional panic attacks. 4) My LTD provider was still pushing for their mental illness claim, repeated their threat to cancel my policy unless I got regular mental health care, so I found a terrific ex-psychiatrist who practiced something called " somatic therapy " , and he actually helped me work through all of the anger and fear I had developed by that point - long buried psychological trauma I'd buried inside for decades came out later. Working with him, we eventually dropped the Zoloft from 100 mg to 50 mg, but decided to keep me there for a while to see how I did. My panic attacks were completely gone at this point as a sense of peace settled over me. 5) Fast forward to mid 2009, when I started IV chelation therapy for heavy metal poisoning. It was really hard on my body, and my sleep suffered drastically (I've always been a good sleeper). After trying both Ambien and Lunesta with no results, I started taking two natural sleep aids, " Light's Out " and " Relax-All " . See: http://www.vitacost.com/Roex-Lights-Out-A-Sleep-Formula http://www.vitacost.com/MRM-Relax-ALL-trade-with-Phenibut for their ingredient list (seemingly harmless at the time). Okay, here's the end folks - my brain function and CFS got even worse as the heavy metals were mobilized in my body during the IV treatments. That's when I started taking the Bacopa, without my doctor's approval first, it was " the straw that broke the camel's back " . The result was something called Serotonin Syndrome (SS) - the combination of the Selective Serotonin Re-Uptake Inhibitor (SSRI) Zoloft and all of the supplements I was taking that increased serotonin levels in my brain almost killed me. I started having bouts of severe tachycardia (pulse went as high as 210 once, I have a home BP machine and take readings daily), accompanied by extremely high BP levels and hyperthermia - when an attack hit I'd sit on my couch and sweat so much my clothes would be soaked, and so would the couch cushions. See this page for SS details: http://www.antidepressantsfacts.com/toxicity-brain-damage.htm Luckily, when I started the Bacopa I bookmarked a link warning of of the potential for SS, so after a month or so a light bulb went off in my dim head I finally put 2 and 2 together and realized what the problem was - I started rapidly tapering off the Zoloft that night (phone call to my doc to tell him what was going on could wait until the morning), and of course put any serotonin-related products in a " things I used to take " box in my spare bedroom. I finally took my last quarter dose of that damned SSRI the day we buried my dear grandmother in early November of 2010, but the levels of serotonin in my body and brain were still so high that I couldn't eat a single piece of that delicious turkey my Dad cooked for Thanksgiving later that month, a single serving of turkey (L-Tryptophan) was still capable of sending my pulse skyrocketing, albeit without the hyperthermia. It's now been what, 4 months since I stopped all the serotonin-related stuff, and surprise surprise, my levels are finally normal and I'm still sane! I still say I never needed psychoactive drugs in the first place (well, except for the Xanax/panic attack problems), just someone to stick by me side and talk me through my trials and tribulations with an outside viewpoint and a kind word. Whew! That was more than I intended to write, hope you're all still with me :-) I hope I got my point across - that individually " safe " products, when mixed together, can have some very unintended consequences....and those " warnings " are there for YOUR knowledge and protection, do NOT ignore them! Peace out folks....damn, now I'm too tired to write the post I REALLY wanted to write, the results of my first two nights on LDN....let's just say " gut it out " is now my catch-phrase until things get better, cuz they sure as hell can't get any worse than they are right now! Maybe tomorrow I'll get around to it, if I manage to get any sleep tonite.... ________________________________________________________________________________\ ____ Looking for earth-friendly autos? Browse Top Cars by " Green Rating " at Autos' Green Center. http://autos./green_center/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 I already said, very clearly, that if you're taking SSRIs you should be medically supervised if you take 5HTP at the same time. I wish you good healing. -- At 05:29 PM 2/9/2011, you wrote: > " Posted by: " Baker " vbaker@... vbaker555 >Tue Feb 8, 2011 4:51 pm (PST) > > >Just because this source claims all these things doesn't make it >fact. There is a lot of scare information about 5HTP out on the web. > >re: rash or flushing, it didn't say rash or flushing was a side effect. It >says that people with rash or flushing should not take 5HTP. Again, this >is a scare site about 5HTP, not factual. " > >Not so fast there....sure, if you look at the possible side effects of >darn near anything you can put into your body things will look scary, but >trust me, they are NOT trying to scare you, they are actually trying to >help you avoid potentially fatal medical complications like the one I have >had a personal experience with (unfortunately). > >Over the last 5 years I've taken all kinds of scrip drugs and supplements >in attempts to alleviate various symptoms and problems. I ALWAYS checked >with my doctor first when I find a new supplement that I thought might be >beneficial - he has a PDA with a database of every drug, herb, and mineral >known to mankind that can instantly check for complications if I added it >to my current regimen. Well.... > >Over a year ago I found this what appeared to be a wonderful herb that >might help me with my constant " brain fog " issues called Bacopa monniera, see: > >http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacopa_monnieri >http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytoremediation,_Hyperaccumulators >http://www.herbalextractsplus.com/bacopa-monnieri.cfm > >All sounds wonderful, right? I could boost my cognitive function and >reduce my heavy metal load simultaneously - great! Oopsie....Bacopa >increases the levels of serotonin in the brain. So do many other things, >like L-trytpophan, NADH (I was also taking 5 mg of NADH/day, really helped >with my short term memory), St. 's Wort, and yes, 5-HTP. Lots of other > " Nutriceuticals " , which are natural foods, nutritional supplements and >herbal products that are used to treat illness, can also have effects on >the amount and activity of various neurotransmitters in your brain. > >A little backstory on why I'm writing this post (I'll keep it as short as >I can): > >1) I started having severe hive outbreaks after two cervical spine >surgeries in 2004/2005, accompanied by lots of broad spectrum antibiotics, >allowed an until-then dormant Lyme infection to roar to life, along with a >systemic candida infection. The hives, decreasing health, and lack of an >answer from any/all of the specialists I saw what was ailing me led to >even worse conditions, including panic attacks (I'd never had one in my >life until then). After 3 trips to the ER for IV benadryl and ativan to >halt my convulsions, my adrenal glands failed, cortisol production dropped >to zero, the hives disappeared - no problem, right? No, the adrenal >exhaustion caused crippling CFS and other problems, forcing me to stop >working, eventually landed on LTD. > >2) After being on LTD for over a year, my insurance provider started their >typical games of trying to change my medically proven Lyme disease cause >of disability to " mental illness " so they could terminate my policy after >24 months instead of the lifetime coverage I paid for out of my own >pocket. Of course my anxiety levels only INCREASED at this point, fearing >bankruptcy, losing my house, everything I'd worked so hard for all those >years. My panic attacks got worse - if you've never had one you literally >think you're going to die right then and there - and I was forced to seek >psychiatric help by my LTD provider under the threat of canceling my >policy. I'll skip the next few futile months of seeking help for brevity >(almost done here, keep reading! :-) > >3) Next I had a series of spinal and cranial MRI's done to see if I had MS >- negative. However, the wonderful neurologist I saw for the review of the >films was horrified by the drug combo that the psychiatrist I had seen >(just once, she wrote me scrips and shooed me out of her office like I was >a bothersome pest, we literally exchanged about 2-3 sentences apiece, >never went back, what a jerk!). The neurologist spent almost 1/2 hour >talking, and more importantly, LISTENING to me and what I'd been through. >She switched me to 100 mg Zoloft and gave me Xanax for the still occurring >occasional panic attacks. > >4) My LTD provider was still pushing for their mental illness claim, >repeated their threat to cancel my policy unless I got regular mental >health care, so I found a terrific ex-psychiatrist who practiced something >called " somatic therapy " , and he actually helped me work through all of >the anger and fear I had developed by that point - long buried >psychological trauma I'd buried inside for decades came out later. Working >with him, we eventually dropped the Zoloft from 100 mg to 50 mg, but >decided to keep me there for a while to see how I did. My panic attacks >were completely gone at this point as a sense of peace settled over me. > >5) Fast forward to mid 2009, when I started IV chelation therapy for heavy >metal poisoning. It was really hard on my body, and my sleep suffered >drastically (I've always been a good sleeper). After trying both Ambien >and Lunesta with no results, I started taking two natural sleep aids, > " Light's Out " and " Relax-All " . See: > >http://www.vitacost.com/Roex-Lights-Out-A-Sleep-Formula >http://www.vitacost.com/MRM-Relax-ALL-trade-with-Phenibut > >for their ingredient list (seemingly harmless at the time). > >Okay, here's the end folks - my brain function and CFS got even worse as >the heavy metals were mobilized in my body during the IV treatments. >That's when I started taking the Bacopa, without my doctor's approval >first, it was " the straw that broke the camel's back " . The result was >something called Serotonin Syndrome (SS) - the combination of the >Selective Serotonin Re-Uptake Inhibitor (SSRI) Zoloft and all of the >supplements I was taking that increased serotonin levels in my brain >almost killed me. > >I started having bouts of severe tachycardia (pulse went as high as 210 >once, I have a home BP machine and take readings daily), accompanied by >extremely high BP levels and hyperthermia - when an attack hit I'd sit on >my couch and sweat so much my clothes would be soaked, and so would the >couch cushions. See this page for SS details: > >http://www.antidepressantsfacts.com/toxicity-brain-damage.htm > >Luckily, when I started the Bacopa I bookmarked a link warning of of the >potential for SS, so after a month or so a light bulb went off in my dim >head I finally put 2 and 2 together and realized what the problem was - I >started rapidly tapering off the Zoloft that night (phone call to my doc >to tell him what was going on could wait until the morning), and of course >put any serotonin-related products in a " things I used to take " box in my >spare bedroom. > >I finally took my last quarter dose of that damned SSRI the day we buried >my dear grandmother in early November of 2010, but the levels of serotonin >in my body and brain were still so high that I couldn't eat a single piece >of that delicious turkey my Dad cooked for Thanksgiving later that month, >a single serving of turkey (L-Tryptophan) was still capable of sending my >pulse skyrocketing, albeit without the hyperthermia. > >It's now been what, 4 months since I stopped all the serotonin-related >stuff, and surprise surprise, my levels are finally normal and I'm still >sane! I still say I never needed psychoactive drugs in the first place >(well, except for the Xanax/panic attack problems), just someone to stick >by me side and talk me through my trials and tribulations with an outside >viewpoint and a kind word. > >Whew! That was more than I intended to write, hope you're all still with >me :-) I hope I got my point across - that individually " safe " products, >when mixed together, can have some very unintended consequences....and >those " warnings " are there for YOUR knowledge and protection, do NOT >ignore them! > >Peace out folks....damn, now I'm too tired to write the post I REALLY >wanted to write, the results of my first two nights on LDN....let's just >say " gut it out " is now my catch-phrase until things get better, cuz they >sure as hell can't get any worse than they are right now! Maybe tomorrow >I'll get around to it, if I manage to get any sleep tonite.... > > > >_______________________________________________________________________________\ _____ >Looking for earth-friendly autos? >Browse Top Cars by " Green Rating " at Autos' Green Center. >http://autos./green_center/ > > >------------------------------------ > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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