Amino Acid therapy

[melindakm]

I have read a lot lately about amino acid therapy for depression as an alternative to antidepressants. Has anyone tried this and what were the results. Also, which AA's were taken and what dosage? Are the results immediate? I've started taking 300 mg of 5-htp and gaba.
Thanks, Melindakm

[minsnotux]

I don't have the answer but all you have to do is a search on some of the antidepressants and the horrible withdrawals from those drugs to see that there must be a better way.  This is from someone that's been on antidressant drugs for 10 years and looking forward to a life without them!

[AnnieJac]

I want that to, i want off it all. any suggestions or websites? I need help like the first post. i want help bad. i have to get my body back

[Laura Gail]

Look for books by Dr. Peter Breggin, the best one (with a silly title) is Your Drugs May Be Your Problem, which talks about side effects and withdrawal, as well as how to come off safely.  I also went to both the library and Barnes and Noble and just went through all the books I could find about depression and alternatives to meds.  Most of the books I found were not helpful. I must have looked at a couple dozen books.  I found a few that had helpful information.

Also, my psychiatrist has said that if I want to come off the meds and stay off the meds I am going to have to have a solid and regular exercies program.

For the last year I have been talking to people who were not on meds, but who could easily have been put on them. I've been wanting to know how they do it. The one thing ALL of them did was regular solid/heavy exercise, no matter what. All of them talked about different kinds of meditation type practices. I say meditation type because one of them does not meditate, but is very active in martial arts (and she's in her late 50's!)  What also became clear to me was that life without meds requires a willingness to work for health. Meds are "easy", you take a pill. It's taken me a while to become willing to do whatever it takes to come off of the meds.

Good luck; I believe it is possible to get body, mind, and soul back. It's just not always easy.

laura gail

[plisken]

Usually causes of depression is suppressed anger. Are u angry inside that u cant let go? Alcohol is also a cause of depression. Forget what u see in Hollywood films how they make it look like drinking is a natural thing u can do anytime. If at all possible dont drink at all. Maybe at  parties  but it has to be not often. Never drink alone.

[ssw]

I used ammino acid to quit cold turkey off of zoloft, with great results, I bought the soyprotein made by spring valley @ walmart, I had one serving aday, and it worked great, the first time I tried to go off zolft, I wasn't suicidal when I started, but going off, was terrible, I went to the local pharamasist, complaining of the 35 pound weight gain, and the withdrawls. Im consistent with the daily servings of protein, and Im back to normal, no weight loss though!!!  good luck sww

[ILADVOCATE]

I'm not sure what amino acids people mean. I am on glycine which is an amino acid but that's under official FDA study for schizophrenia. It is among a class of medications called glutamate antagonists that in study as antipsychotics. They are developing new antidepressents as well. I understand that some current medications have severe side effects. Given that I have severe tardive dyskinesia, I am living proof of that. However, rather than abandon treatment I obtained treatment (no treatment should be given without the care of a psychiatrist) that is in study that is actually far more effective. They are developing new medications all the time that are more targeted and effective and have a better safety profile overall. You could learn more at this workshop:
http://www.narsad.org/help/campaign/publicannouncement.html

[rliz]

Despite some people's best efforts, medication and other treatments are sometimes required to treat major depression.

I exercise, eat a healthy diet, meditate and take every vitamin and supplement ever shown to help those suffering from depression.  I have never taken medication or had ECT because it was easy.  It was literally necessary to save my life at the time.

Yes, antidepressants DO have side effects.  So drugs used to treat cancer.

rliz

[rliz]

I like to think I'm openminded, but I just realized that some people believe that cancer is self-inflicted by negative thoughts, so that might not be a good example.

The power of positive thinking should not be underestimated.

Our minds are capable of incredible feats.  Hypnosis is used in place of anesthetics in some parts of the world, even for major surgery.

Antidepressants may well be overprescribed in North America.  Pharmaceutical companies spend enormous amounts of money marketing the latest "cure" for every possible illness.  Some of them work better than others.

Trying to keep an open mind,

rliz

[ILADVOCATE]

Yes but be aware that studies are showing that SSRI's can potentially create tardive dyskinesia. Depression is not in the same category as cancer. It will not end a person's life. I think of myself as having a psychiatric disability not an illness or sickness. But you are right to stay on medication if going off it gave you suicidal ideations or it helps you in general. But keep up with new treatments as they come out. For example trans cranial magnetic stimulation is being studied as replacement for ECT and is far safer and effective. I almost considered it. Often posts here talk about either "suffering" or "the power of positive thinking". Perhaps people should step outside of themselves and realize that they have a psychiatric disability and join the community of people with disabilities as a whole in advocating for better treatment and civil rights.

[Hensley258]

You know melindakm, I had tried adding Amino acid therapy to my medication, just to see if it mught help give my meds a bit of a boots and work better.

My depression seems to be mostly related to Neurephinepherine. So I found a particular amino "L-Tyrosine" and took it with 2000Mgs of vitamin C and 200Mgs of B-6 twice dailey for two months. (L-Tyrosine needs lots Vitamin C and B6 to work) I spared no expence and got the most soluable ones on the market.

For a while I thought it might have been helping a bit, but after a while I discovered that it really did help much if any. Maybe it was just wishful thinking.

For about the last 15 years I have tried (and for long periods of time) every natural suppliment for depression known to modern science. You name it and I have tried it for long periods. Everything from eastern medicine, herbs, aminos, Omega 3, vitamins, Sam-e, HTP, acupuncture, hypnosis, cardio exersise, accupressure, theraputic massage, yoga, and more. I can honestly say that none had any real effect negitive or positive on my symptoms of anxiety and depression.

The only thing that seems to work are specific antidepressant medications, and even some of them didn't work very well.

I have read story after story of "I was cured by taking aminos and SAMe or St Johns Wort!"

All poppycock if you ask me. I think maybe some people have found some of that Witch oil to actually work, but for those few people, I must question the actual severity of their Depression. Can some of this natural stuff work for a few very mildly depressed people, sure I think maybe it can.

As for these