Glycine Recovery Identified to Provider Agency/My Recovery Can Be Yours

My provider approved this post. He did ask that I not post the specifics of the provider agency involved though of course when they make a public statement it will be posted here. They confirmed that I had recovered with glycine as a novel antipsychotic agent. They stated that it would be incorporated on their list of adjunct antipsychotic agents (in the official study its being given with a conventional antipsychotic, I am the first recovery with glycine as a stand alone antipsychotic). What does that mean to you?
  It means that you could speak to your psychiatrist about glycine. It does NOT mean to take it on your own but no medication or natural remedy should be taken without the supervision of a psychiatrist or doctor. In the official controlled study it was taken all at once but for myself it is titrated throughout the day. In the official study 20 grams was the starting effective dose and it went up to 40 grams. I take 24 grams depending. Yes that's grams. Its in powdered format and must be mixed with water. I will not post information on where to buy it but I can tell you that the pills you see in health food stores are useless. The pure powdered compound must be used.
  The standard side effect profile did include a drop in creatinine levels. I find that with the evening dose that taking something that boosts electrolytes such as orange juice or a banana is helpful or I feel weak. There is some muscle weakness (although with my tardive dyskinesia that's helpful) so if you have falling episodes from this, it can happen at first. Also there might be some disorientation or ringing in the ears at first but that goes away in time. If you feel disoriented or delerious the dose is too high. Glycine is activating so it may keep you up at night. Try taking it earlier in the day. Titrate it slowly. And regardless of the fact that I take it as a stand alone don't go off the antipsychotic you are on. If your provider thinks the dosage of it can be titrated downwards after the glycine has built up to a full level speak to them then and let it be their decision. And I repeat, do not self medicate. This is to be taken with a psychiatrist's consent only, although soon publicly more psychiatrists will be aware of this. They may not be aware of some specific coping tips so you can print this out for them (not for yourself).
    The study will be published but there is the complicating factor of an underlying neuropsychiatric disorder, that they are tentatively identifying as tardive psychosis. That is being treated with the anti-Parkinsonian agents, Zofran, Tenex and the natural remedy rhodiola. That will be in the study as well. Glycine and the glutamate antagonists do not cause tardive dyskinesia (and that would of course rule out tardive psychosis as a long term side effect which if confirmed is similar in origin) or diabetes. Glycine does not cause you to feel "medicated", cause heavy sedation or cognitive blunting. In studies it mitigates negative symptoms (trouble relating to people) and cognitive symptoms (difficulty understanding things and writing and communicating). In myself it did this but as well provided a close to full mitigation of psychosis (with Zofran as an adjunct and because I have schizoaffective I need a mood stabilizer, the Tenex serves in that capacity). However, it is not FDA approved. It is a compound. Its still in Phase II controlled studies. However, if you want to know when an anti-psychotic will come out that is a glutamate antagonist that will be a primary antipsychotic and work in a more targeted fashion and be available in standard pill form LY2140023 which is in Phase II studies will likely be the one and others and in earlier stages of testing (with hopefully more to follow after the publicity).
   You can read easily how conventional antipsychotics work but in depleting dopamine, they risk causing tardive dyskinesia which is medication induced Parkinsonism. Abilify is clinically different from Thorazine by a fair amount but the difference between glycine (and the glutamate antagonists) and Abilify is day and night. People with schizophrenia were shown to be lacking in glutamate tramsmission which only confirms that glycine is restoring something the brain of a person with schizophrenia needs. Thorazine was helpful. But it wasn't a "magic bullet". And Clozaril with its blood dyscreias and other heavy side effects wasn't a "miracle drug". That's not to detract from current treatment. People should stay on what is working.
   But for effectiveness and side effect profile, there is a huge difference. Around 1910 people with syphillis had no treatment whatsoever and turned to desperate "cures" like mercury (which sometimes killed them along with the virus) and Salvarsan "Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet" was developed. But it wasn't a "magic bullet". In being derived from arsenic, it had its own set of hazards and was not totally effective. But it saved lives. Then in 1945 came Penicillin. Is the comparison valid? Well glycine and the glutamate antagonists are not a "cure". But read through this. Do I sound psychotic? I was before the glycine. I know exactly how and why. My writings on myself will be incorporated into the case study in fact. Is it a wonder drug? A miracle drug? A magic bullet? No and I don't make those kind of claims. Nor does psychiatry. But is it a "shot heard 'round the world"? Well for over 50 years, all antipsychotics worked on the same pathways, leading to a partial remmission of symptoms and Parkinsonian movement disorders. Now we have a totally new form of recovery.
   Is it for you? Wait until more information comes out and once again speak to your psychiatrist first. Will this group of medications revolutionize treatment. It depends on whether my results can be duplicated but the studies are panning out. And how did I get to this point? I do feel that confidentiality as it is part of the agreement must not be broached. The only thing I can say is I learned as an advocate to avoid the pitfall of the old joke "How do you get to Carnegie Hall?". Answer. Join the musicians, play in tune and you'll be part of their performance. And now as I always say perhaps you too can have the mental recovery I did without the neurological disabilties. But don't take it from me. Take it from the conductor. And virtuosos. Those are the researchers who are hardworking at understanding these new medications. And the psychiatrists who will use them. They deserve the credit and the appreciation. But as for music, there is nothing more beautiful than the silence of not hearing voices. Of understanding who people are. Of being able to express yourself. Join the chorus....