My psycologist like to try herbal remidies.. he is in the same group as the psyciatrist I see who works with my perscribed meds.
Has anyone tried D-L Phenylalanine? It stimulates dopimine in the brain. I react to all antidepressants. How about HGH.

hi Pam. i'm sorry you can't take antidepressants.

i would DEFINITELY consult with your pdoc as well, before taking any 'supplements' on tdoc's (or anyone's) suggestion. some supplements interact with meds or can be contraindicated for certain conditions. your pdoc is a medical doctor who can fully evaluate the pharmacological implications with respect to your medical situation. tdoc is not qualified to do this.

HGH (Human Growth Hormone) sounded suspicious to me on principle - i found an article you might find intersesting:

http://www.quackwatch.org/01Quackery...opics/hgh.html

phenylalanine is contraindicated if you have phenylketonuria, but your doc would know that. note that phenylalanine level increase is associated with regular use of aspartame. it is also associated with seizure risk - again, a concern if you have seizures - many medications increase risk of seizures but for most people they do not present a problem. i have migraines so i personally would not want to try phenylalanine. (there is conflicting information, but some sources suggest it can trigger migraines.)

there are always risks as with many prescribed meds. if you are not in a specific risk group, i.e. have phenylketonuria, epilepsy, migraines, and pdoc agrees it is ok to take the supplements, i would simply suggest caution and moderation - as with anything really.

~ waves ~

Phenylketonuria and Aspartame

This sugar substitute, sold commercially as Equal and NutraSweet, was hailed as the savior for dieters who for decades had put up with saccharine's unpleasant after taste. There are quite a few problems with aspartame. The first is phenylketonuria (PKU). One out of 20,000 babies is born without the ability to metabolize phenylalanine, one of the two amino acids in aspartame. Toxic levels of this substance in the blood can result in mental retardation. Beyond PKU, several scientists believe that aspartame might cause altered brain function and behavior changes in consumers. And many people have reported the following side effects from aspartame:

• Fibromyalgia Syndrome and symptoms of Fibromyalgia
• Multiple Sclerosis symptoms
• Dizziness
• Headaches
• Menstrual problems

Hi,

It's good to check with the pdoc, but the pdoc might now know enough about it to discuss it. At least let the pdoc know.

I found abstracts of articles about this.
It has been studied.


>> http://www.springerlink.com/content/q6r166283135401h/
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>> http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/...ct/137/12/1611
This article mentions slight heartburn.
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>> http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1173765
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I'll look for more later.
It is nice that your psychologist is looking out for you.

M.

d-phenylalanine can raise blood pressure, so this should be monitored.

I'd suggest l-typtophan instead.

Also if you feel depressed, I'd get your Vitamin D tested.
Low D is connected to depression. I haven't needed my SAD light visor since upping mine to 5000IU daily this winter. (I don't take it on days I am outside alot).

Also useful for depression is methylfolate (folic acid). There is even an RX version called Deplin:
http://www.deplin.com/HealthcareProfessionals,Trials

Folate may be too energizing however, for some people.

Another thing that works well for depression is DHA (part of the oil in fish oil). There are vegetarian versions of DHA too.
One is called Expecta, and can be found in most vitamin sections in larger stores.

SAMe is the most commonly used supplement for mood improvement. However, it may be too energizing for bipolar patients, so if you try it, start low at 200mg a day and increase very slowly.

I'd try the tried and true proven interventions before considering the weird ones like HGH or d-phenylalanine!

Dear Pam,

My vit D was very low when my mdoc checked. So was my hubby's.
When mdocs test for it, they find it.

Get the vit D checked. Also B12.


Mari

Thanks all. I have been taking high doses of perscription Vit D for the last 18 months. I get my blood work repeated next month. I also take 5000 mg
B-12. So I hope I am good there. I tried Sam-E once.. right into hypomania..
All antidepresants send me manic.
I have in the last month added 1 mg of abilify, small doses increase seritonin, I also did add the DL-phenylalanine. (to produce more dopamine) It actually seems to be working. I went 4 1/2 weeks feeling pretty good. Scale 1- 10 I stayed a 7-9 each day and just a little wired. My drop to a 4 only lasted a day.. I stay in a mixed state/ rapid cycle most of the time so this little bit of relief is welcomed.

Hi,
Thanks for the update. It's good to hear from you.
THat's good about the DL-phenylalanine helping.

M.

Prescription D2 is not very effective. It is an antiquated treatment.

I'd suggest you switch to D3. It is over the counter and the active form of D. I suspect your levels will not be ideal with the D2.

Your target is 50-80ng/ml.

Hello there Pam it's nice to hear from you, and that your treatments are helping.

do check what type of vitamin D you are taking... i can't remember where you are... where i live the prescription kind is in fact D3 (cholecalciferol) but in the US i do believe D2 (ergocalciferol) is the usual prescribed form.

~ waves ~