[Arty]

If so did it work out for you?

[Mark in Idaho]

Don't mess with St John's Wort. Try or keep on with the L-Tryptophan and L-Theanine. They support your brain's neurotransmitter system in a way you brain understands. St John's Wort bypasses the brain's system. You can overdose on S J W.

What is your current daily vitamin and supplement regimen ? Please list it all so we can help you tweak it if needed.

[Arty]

I'm currently l-theanine and b complex to help with the anxiety.

St. John's wort behaves as SSRI except without the side effects and withdrawals. At the moment I'm experiencing high anxiety and I want to take the remedy route and therapy before the meds.

[Mark in Idaho]

St John's Wort increases serotonin without regard for how much you need. L-Tryptophan helps your brain properly produce and regulate serotonin. L-Tryptophan is better and safer than St John's Wort. Plus, it is impossible to properly measure the dosage of St John's Wort .

Stay away from St John's Wort.

Get started with a B-12 (methycobalamin) two or three times a day. How about the rest of the regimen ? You need the D3 and anti-oxidants. B-Complex is just for the minor amounts of B's other than the B-12 and B-6. There is not enough B-12 in a B-Complex to make a difference.

[EsthersDoll]

I agree with Mark that St. John's Wort should be avoided completely.

There are other methods of decreasing anxiety that are much better than St. John's Wort.

The latest concussion research has indicated that a great number of people who don't recover within the first year after a concussion are suffering from pituitary gland or stalk damage or dysfunction that was caused by the concussion. Some experts even think that hormonal imbalances are what cause PCS altogether - but that they resolve themselves in most people within the first year after the trauma.

The pituitary gland secretes hormones that humans need in order to function physically and cognitively.

St. John's Wort has proven to interrupt the hormone or endocrine processes which effects the hormones that humans need for cognitive and physical functioning in addition to it affecting other brain systems that should not be messed with, especially not after a brain injury.

[Arty]

Point taken.

Mark and everyone else what's your thoughts on passionflower supplement?

[Mark in Idaho]

Arty,

What do you have against L-Tryptophan ? Try it for a week before trying something else. Your body knows what to do with L-Tryptophan. Passion flower is foreign to your body.

L-Tryptophan is not a drug. Your body is already using it to make serotonin. It is in milk, turkey and many other foods.

[EsthersDoll]

It's funny that you should ask about that... I almost included it in my post...

I did try using a Passionflower tincture and that worked pretty well for me. But then I had to abandon it because I started having reactions to wheat that were finally determined to be a wheat allergy (that I am convinced was caused by the concussion) and the tincture used a grain alcohol as a base.

I also tried to use 5HTP and that didn't work well for me... but I know that it's worked wonders for many others.

I should have probably tried the L-Tryptophan "Straight Up", but at the time, my acupuncturist recommended the 5 HTP apparently because many of his other patients raved about it.

You know what's worked the best, though? Xanax. I got it from my Dr. and when I get very seriously anxious I take one and I'm all better VERY soon. Much sooner than the Passionflower worked.

I think everyone is different and what works for me might not work for you.

Whatever you decide to use though, make sure your Dr. knows about it. And not all Dr.'s know every little details about every little supplement and I'm not even sure enough research has been done about Passionflower to be able to know you're really safe taking it. So keep that in mind when you're experimenting with different things. Maybe keep a log or journal so you can keep track of what works and what doesn't.

[Mark in Idaho]

L-Tryptophan is a precursor to 5-HTP. L-Tryptophan is better used by the body as it is used to produce the needed neurotransmitter serotonin, melatonin and various other needed compounds. 5-HTP is only used to produce serotonin. Plus, L-Tryptophan is only converted to serotonin and others as the body needs them. 5-HTP can cause an excess level of serotonin, which can be problematic.

L-Theanine is used to produce GABA, a needed neurotrasnmitter

The third important neurotransmitter is Dopamine. Food sources of dopamine increasing tyrosine include almonds, avocados, bananas, dairy products, lima beans, pumpkin seeds, and sesame seeds. Caffeine provides a short term increase of dopamine but the effect ends quickly. Dopamine levels can be decreased by an anti-oxidant deficient diet, so vit C, vit E and the other anti-oxidants are needed.

[RAllen82]

Arty,
I fell and hit my head on 07/26/14. I am interested to see your progress as we have all the same symptoms. You haven't posted in here in a while so I hope to hear from you and see how you are fairing with the anxiety and if you ever decided to take medications for it. Thanks.