Amino Acids

Amino Acids and Neurotransmitters: Trudy Scott’s MINDD interview

September 18, 2015 By Trudy Scott 16 Comments

mindd-interview

This time last year folks from the MINDD Foundation interviewed me at the Integrative Medicine for Mental Health conference. The MINDD Foundation helps practitioners and patients discover and implement effective treatments for Metabolic, Immunologic, Neurologic, Digestive, Developmental conditions that often affect the mind.

In this video I share about the amino acids tryptophan and 5-HTP for raising low serotonin levels, and the amino acid GABA for raising low GABA levels.

Here is the Amino Acids Mood Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution so you can see if low serotonin or low GABA may be a factor. Be sure to check the Amino Acid Precautions and work with your doctor if you are taking an SSRI.

Here are some useful related blog posts on the topic of amino acids:

It’s very timely to be sharing this information. In the recent webinar I shared that we know benzodiazepines do patients more harm than good and a brand new study shows that the psychiatric drug called Paxil, claimed to be a safe and effective treatment for depression in adolescents, is actually ineffective and associated with serious side effects. It is a reanalysis of an influential study originally published in 2001.

While the amino acids and other nutrients are powerful, we must always remember to get the foundations in place – real whole traditional food, no sugar, no caffeine and no gluten. This paper published earlier this year says it perfectly: Nutritional medicine as mainstream in psychiatry

Evidence is steadily growing for the relation between dietary quality (and potential nutritional deficiencies) and mental health, and for the select use of nutrient-based supplements to address deficiencies, or as monotherapies or augmentation therapies.

We advocate recognition of diet and nutrition as central determinants of both physical and mental health.

I will add that many of the recent “real whole traditional food” papers are not yet mentioning the mental health effects of gluten. Many say to include “whole grains.” So I’d like to share this wonderful testimonial recently posted on this blog: Bipolar, disruptive mood or gluten and junk food?

Ever since childhood I could not concentrate and focus at school. This seriously affected my grades. This continued into my working career and caused me to loose several jobs. Whilst I had periods of wellness this condition always returned to plague me. In one job as a retail manager I became driven for a six month period and then I crashed into deep depression sleeping for 18 hours a day. Prior to this crash I was stuffing my face with bread and fats. I was stressed and anxious. Ten years later this happened again.

I was diagnosed with bipolar 2. Only now at the age of 58 I discovered that I have an intolerance to wheat (gluten) after an elimination diet I feel so much better – all my symptoms are gone. It is like a MIRACLE! MY diagnosis is nonsense.

If the information in this video and article sounds intriguing and you’d like guidance with using targeted individual amino acids like tryptophan, 5-HTP and GABA (as well as glutamine and DPA/endorphigen), together with making diet and lifestyle changes, stay tuned for the launch of The Amazing Aminos for Anxiety homestudy group program.

You can add your name in the comments if you’d like to be notified when it launches. You’re also welcome to sign up here to be notified when we have more details about the start date.

Feel free to ask additional questions in the comments.

Oral GABA supplementation allows better prioritizing of planned actions: new research

September 4, 2015 By Trudy Scott 43 Comments

gabaexamples — Prothera 500mg GABA and Source Naturals GABA Calm (with 125mg GABA) are examples of GABA products I use with my clients

A paper recently published in Scientific Reports: γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) administration improves action selection processes: a randomised controlled trial provide the first evidence for a possible causal role of the GABA-ergic system in modulating performance in action cascading:

In order to accomplish a task goal, real-life environments require us to develop different action control strategies in order to rapidly react to fast-moving visual and auditory stimuli. When engaging in complex scenarios, it is essential to prioritise and cascade different actions.

A good example of when we may do something like this is driving a car in busy traffic:

you are fast-moving
there are noises all around you – for example: wind, hooting horns, big trucks, rain and water, passengers talking etc.
you are seeing things all around you – for example: the steering wheel, the speedometer, the other cars, the road, road signs, billboards, the scenery, your passengers etc.

The findings of this study, which involved the administration of 800 mg of synthetic GABA (compared to placebo), found that study participants were better able to prioritize planned actions (for example: make safe driving decisions).

I’m really pleased the study addressed the GABA-blood brain barrier controversy:

In the literature, there are controversial findings about GABA entering the brain through the blood brain barrier (BBB). The BBB is a tightly sealed layer of cerebral endothelial cells that form continuous tight junctions and prevent most solutes from entering the brain on the basis of size, charge, and lipid solubility. However, as pointed out by Shyamaladevi and colleagues, recent studies have demonstrated that the BBB is much more dynamic than assumed in the past, and some passage of solutes can occur by transcytosis, carrier-mediated transport, or simple diffusion of hydrophobic substances

While there is some evidence in favor of only a limited penetration of GABA into the brain, a more recent study with rats has shown that the administration of GABA alone increased brain GABA concentration, when compared to untreated rats.

In addition, the synthetic GABA-like agent gabapentin, which mimics the chemical structure of GABA, leads to an overall increase in central GABA levels and a recent study using 7-T MRS reported an increase in GABA concentration in the visual cortex of healthy participants after gabapentin administration.

Michael Jurgelewicz, DC, DACBN, DCBCN wrote this Designs for Health article about the study: GABA supplementation may help improve ability of prioritizing planned actions, mentioning two possible mechanisms of action as to how GABA supplementation may improve prioritizing planned actions as well as reducing anxiety:

Oral GABA supplementation can act directly on the CNS in a peripheral aspect through the gut. There is definitely a gut-brain relationship between nutrition and the gut microbiome and how they support brain health and function. The gut and brain communicate through the nervous system, immune system, and hormones.

In addition, the hypothalamus (emotional neuroendocrine control center of the brain) is outside and not protected by the blood brain barrier, so these two factors can explain how GABA affects the CNS. It is clear in the research that GABA is helpful with anxiety, and there are many case studies which demonstrate its effectiveness.

Here are some comments from 3 different people on facebook, demonstrating GABA’s effectiveness:

GABA was huge for super tight neck and shoulders! Within 5 min of taking I experienced tremendous relief of muscles and anxiety too

I like True Calm for clients that can’t wind down at night too, it has GABA in it.

GABA, definitely. It’s really helped my tight upper back and neck to feel better.

If you’re looking for more GABA info, during season 2 of The Anxiety Summit, I talked about the BBB, the GABA challenge (which I’m not in favor of) and GABA-receptors in peripheral tissues: Targeted individual amino acids for eliminating anxiety: practical applications.

I would like to add that 800mg of GABA is a much higher dose than I have my clients start with. I have them start on 125mg (as part of Source Naturals GABA Calm) and go up from there. Enzymatic Therapy has a nice 250mg GABA product and I really like the Nutritional Fundamentals for Health GABA-T SAP which has GABA 300 mg and 150 mg l-Theanine 150 mg. The Prothera 500mg GABA is a good choice if you can tolerate higher amounts. Here are links to these and other brands I like. I don’t typically use pharmaGABA but it does work for some individuals (so it may be worth doing a trial. Always consider possible histamine reactions to pharmaGABA if you have histamine intolerance or MCAS (mast cell activation syndrome).

I do not recommend phenibut under any circumstances. Even though the FDA warned companies to cease distribution in 2019 I am shocked to see it’s still available and is still recommended to children.

The promising results of this randomised controlled trial show that oral GABA intake makes a difference and does have an impact on behavior. This is big news!

Resources if you are new to using GABA as a supplement

If you are new to using GABA as a supplement, here is the Amino Acids Mood Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution (you can see all the low GABA symptoms). It has been updated with “Inability to prioritize planned actions”.

If you suspect low levels of GABA or any of the neurotransmitters and do not yet have my book, The Antianxiety Food Solution – How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood, and End Cravings, I highly recommend getting it and reading it before jumping in and using amino acids on your own so you are knowledgeable. And be sure to share it with the team you or your loved one is working with.

There is an entire chapter on the amino acids and they are discussed throughout the book in the sections on gut health, blood sugar control, sugar cravings, self-medicating with alcohol and more.

The book doesn’t include product names (per the publisher’s request) so this blog, The Antianxiety Food Solution Amino Acid and Pyroluria Supplements, lists the amino acids that I use with my individual clients and those in my group programs.

If, after reading this blog and my book, you don’t feel comfortable figuring things out on your own (i.e. doing the symptoms questionnaire and respective amino acids trials), a good place to get help is the GABA QuickStart Program. This is a paid online/virtual group program where you get my guidance and community support.

If you are a practitioner, join us in The Balancing Neurotransmitters: the Fundamentals program. This is also a paid online/virtual program with an opportunity to interact with me and other practitioners who are also using the amino acids.

Have you noticed that you can handle complex planned tasks and are better at prioritization when you are taking GABA (or have taken it in the past)?

And would you say that it’s the overwhelm factor that is being removed/lessened when taking GABA?

If you are a practitioner are you seeing results like this with your clients/patients?

If you have questions please share them here too.

Targeted individual amino acids: what do we really mean?

August 21, 2015 By Trudy Scott 54 Comments

tryptophan — Lidtke Tryptophan 500mg is an example of an individual amino acid

You’ve heard me talking about using targeted individual amino acids with my clients but what do we really mean by targeted and individual?

“Targeted” means the amino acids are very specific for a person who may have anxiety, or low mood, or feelings of negativity or worry or overwhelm or experience emotional eating.

The big focus is that they’re targeted to a person’s “individual” needs. We each have our own unique biochemistry and therefore our needs are different. There is no one-size fits all.

There is another aspect to “individual” amino acids – it means they are not part of a combination product but are standalone amino acids such as tryptophan, 5-HTP, GABA, tyrosine, glutamine and DLPA. This allows them to be easily titrated up or down as needed based on your individual needs. There is one combination product I really like and use a lot and that is GABA Calm (it has GABA, tyrosine and glycine). Here are the brands I like.

These targeted individual amino acids work really well and are very powerful when you figure out the right amino acids you need. I have all my clients complete the Amino Acid Questionnaire and we start our trials based on this.

These targeted individual amino acids also work well when you take them in the correct amounts – doing a trial and starting low is the best way to do this. Most people can start with the typical starting amount. For example, 500mg tryptophan is typical to start with and I like to start my clients on 125mg GABA. However, if you’re very sensitive, you may be what we call a “pixie dust” person and may need a few dabs to start.

These targeted individual amino acids also work best when you take them at the right time. Different amino acids are more effective at certain times: like tryptophan/5-HTP later in the day; tyrosine earlier; and GABA, glutamine and DPA throughout the day.

You may have changed your diet to a real whole foods diet, you may be on medications for anxiety or depression, and maybe you’re not getting results or maybe you’re experiencing side-effects from the meds.

Even though you’ve quit coffee and sodas you still feel anxious and overwhelmed and you still stress-eat. You just know intuitively that you’ve got to get to the root cause of the problem.

Maybe you’ve removed gluten, sugar and other carbs but you still feel deprived. You still feel like you need that reward or treat. Maybe the addictive nature of gluten/sugar/carbs is getting the better of you still can’t quit and there’s something missing.

When there’s this “something that’s missing”, this is when you would consider targeted individual amino acids. We are figuring out if you’ve got this deficiency, and then we are supplementing short-term, for 3 to 12 months, to raise your levels so you can start to feel good, calm, happy and motivated again, with no more cravings.

Please be aware that not everyone benefits from individual amino acids. They only work if you have a deficiency and actually need them. If you don’t need them they won’t make any difference or they may even make you feel worse. For example, if you don’t need tryptophan and take it (or even if you take too much) you may feel more anxious and more emotional. This can happen even if you score high on the low serotonin section of the Amino Acid questionnaire. There are many other causes of anxiety: low blood sugar, not enough protein in the diet, food sensitivities, poor gut health/low levels of good bacteria, parasites, candida, caffeine and/or sugar consumption, high cortisol and many more. I share the 60+ causes here.

If you do have a deficiency and do find the correct combination of targeted individual amino acids you will amazed at the results and like me, you will soon be calling them the amazing amino acids.

Please do share if you’ve experienced benefits from the amazing amino acids (targeted and individual of course). If you’ve been using them for awhile you may find some answers to your common questions here: Amino acids for anxiety – which ones and for how long? And here is a blog called Troubleshooting when you are not getting results.

If this is all new to you please share how you score on the Amino Acid Questionnaire.

If this all sounds intriguing and also a little overwhelming, stay tuned for the launch of The Amazing Aminos for Anxiety homestudy group program that will be starting in September. This homestudy group program will provide guidance with using each of the targeted individual amino acids. You’re welcome to sign up here to be notified when we have details about the start date and more.

Amino acids for anxiety – which ones and for how long?

August 14, 2015 By Trudy Scott 221 Comments

amino-acids

The targeted use of individual amino acid supplements will balance brain chemistry to alleviate anxiety, fear, worry, panic attacks, and feeling stressed or overwhelmed. They can also be helpful in addressing other problems that contribute to or exacerbate anxiety, such as sugar cravings and addictions. In addition, they can help with depression and insomnia, which often co-occur with anxiety. When you balance your brain chemistry, not only will you alleviate symptoms of anxiety, you’ll also have a great mood, eliminate cravings, sleep well, and have good energy and mental focus.

The above is from an earlier blog post: Anxiety and targeted individual amino acid supplements: a summary

I recently shared this article on my facebook page TrudyScott AntianxietyFoodSolution and we had such a healthy productive discussion going I’ve decided to share some of the great questions here – and my responses to them – so you can benefit too.

Some of these have been paraphrased, typos have been corrected and I’ve added additional information. Here is the link to the facebook discussion.

The first question was related to how to know which amino acid to use:

But how do you know which one will help? I have heard of so many different options. I was told by my nutritionist to try one called l-theanine but I haven’t tried it due to the fact that she told me it could have a reverse effect on me. Any advice?

Here is my response:

I have my clients do the amino acid questionnaire and then a trial of the amino acids that show up as likely being low: tryptophan for low serotonin, GABA for low GABA, DPA for low endorphins, tyrosine for low catecholamines and glutamine for low blood sugar. You may need support in more than one area. And if you need the amino acids you can actually get results in 5 minutes!

I prefer GABA to theanine as it’s often more effective but you may do well on theanine. And yes too much can cause a reverse effect so start low and back down if you don’t feel an improvement or feel worse.

In case you have not heard me present on this topic I’ll be featured on the online Mental Wellness Summit that started this week. My interview airs Saturday August 15^th.

Another question was related to how long to take the amino acids:

When do you stop taking them? I have been taking GABA since January and it has helped tremendously. Is there ever a time you stop or do you take it indefinitely?

Here is my response:

I’m so pleased to hear the GABA has helped tremendously. Some people just forget to take them and then realize they feel good, have no more anxiety and don’t need the amino acids any more.

For other people we may say “let’s stop or cut back and see how you feel.” If you cut back and feel worse then you add them back again. If you feel fine on the lower amounts then you stay there and lower again a few weeks later.

With GABA, if you’re taking too much you may feel sluggish and tired.

There is no set length that works for everyone – it varies. For some it’s a month. I would say 6 months is pretty typical but a year is not unheard of.

If you find you are needing to keep taking the amino acids long term then I like to look at why. So we’d look at diet, stress and adrenal health, food sensitivities, malabsorption etc.

As someone kindly said in this same thread:

You can’t just “wing it.” You need dosage guidance on amino acid supplements, same as you would a prescription. I found reading Trudy’s blogs and book The Antianxiety Food Solution very helpful, plus the book The Mood Cure by Julia Ross give specific guidance on which ones to use and how.

I agree, of course, and would like to add that each person is different and has their own unique needs. And not everyone with anxiety or depression has a neurotransmitter deficiency and needs amino acids.

This question about adverse effects was also posted:

What’s the story with trying amino acid supplements and tyrosine gives you headaches and makes you feel unsettled, and GABA and 5-HTP makes you feel dopey. I’ve tried different dosing and I’m still not getting anywhere. Can you suggest what else may be going on?

Here is my response:

I would look at the quality of the amino acids being used (here are brands I use and like) and also consider if you’re possibly using too much. Some pixie dust clients need just a dab to start.

You may also have genetic SNPs that are affecting you or you may simply not need them. That’s when we dig deeper and look for other causes: here are the 60+ Nutritional & Biochemical Causes of Anxiety I covered in the last Anxiety Summit

If you enjoyed this and want to be part of future interactive discussions do come on over to facebook and join in.

If you’ve been using any of the amino acids, I hope this has been helpful for you. Please share how you’re doing in the comments and feel free to ask additional questions.

If you’re new to the amazing amino acids for anxiety and you’d like more detailed information, my book The Antianxiety Food Solution has a whole very detailed chapter on the topic, together with the other 8 steps I use with my clients to alleviate anxiety: real whole food, balance blood sugar, quit caffeine, quit gluten, address the gut, pyroluria, lifestyle and other factors.

If this sounds intriguing and you’d like guidance with using the amino acids, stay tuned for the launch of The Amazing Aminos for Anxiety homestudy group program that will be starting in September. You’re welcome to sign up here to be notified when we have details about the start date and more.

The Antianxiety Food Solution Amino Acid and Pyroluria Supplements

June 26, 2015 By Trudy Scott 666 Comments

antianxiety food solution and amino acids

Here are my amino acid and pyroluria supplement recommendations. These are the products I use with my one-one clients and those doing my online group programs.

You can find most of these products in my online store at Fullscript – you’ll find details here on how to set up and account (you just need to do this once) and make your purchase.

Purchase products through our Fullscript virtual dispensary.

Questionnaires and information

My publisher would not allow me to make specific product recommendations in my book so this list is a courtesy to those of you who have purchased the book.

If you do not have my book I highly recommend getting it and reading it before jumping in to taking supplements: The Antianxiety Food Solution – How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood, and End Cravings

There is a complete chapter on the amino acids and one for pyroluria, plus information on real whole food, sugar and blood sugar, gluten, digestion and much more.

Once you have read it you can use these blogs as summaries (they do contain some information that is not in my book).

Here is the Amino Acids Mood Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution and additional information on Anxiety and targeted individual amino acid supplements: a summary

Please read and follow these Amino Acid Precautions

Here is the Pyroluria Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution and additional information on Pyroluria, social anxiety, introversion: a summary

Here is a useful post: Pyroluria/social anxiety protocol: why aren’t I getting results? (trouble-shooting checklist)

Supplements for Low Blood Sugar (anxious, shaky between meals and intense sugar cravings)

Glutamine helps with low blood sugar, may help eliminate the strong desire for something sweet when opened on to the tongue, and is very healing for the digestive system

Pure Encapsulations L-Glutamine 500mg: L-glutamine (free-form) 500 mg, vitamin C (as ascorbyl palmitate) 5 mg. The capsules can be swallowed or the capsule can be opened on to the tongue
Designs for Health Glutamine Powder: This is a powdered glutamine that you can use right on your tongue or even mixed in water. The taste is quite pleasant.

Supplements for low GABA (stiff and tense muscles, anxious, panic attacks, use sugar/wine to relax)

GABA helps to raise GABA levels. I find GABA to be most effective when taken sublingually or opened on to the tongue. I find GABA to be more effective than pharmaGABA for most of my clients. I don’t ever use Phenibut (which the FDA recently removed from non-prescription use). Here are some GABA products that I like and use with clients.

Source Naturals GABA Calm (lozenges): This is a pleasant-tasting sublingual product that is my most popular and the most effective form of GABA I use with my clients. It is a lozenge that contains 125mg GABA, 5mg magnesium, 50mg glycine, 25mg tyrosine and 20 mg taurine. [AS OF NOV 24, 2021 THIS PRODUCT IS IN SHORT SUPPLY AGAIN]

[Note: this product is a lozenge with 125mg GABA and is not to be confused with the Source Naturals, GABA Calm Mind, 750 mg tablets]

Nutritional Fundamentals for Health GABA-T SAP: gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) 300 mg, l-Theanine 150 mg. This is pleasant-tasting when opened on to the tongue and works very well when GABA Calm can’t be used. I find best results when it is used opened on to the tongue.

Thorne PharmaGABA-100: the label says Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) 100 mg but it also states that the product uses Pharma Foods International’s Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (PharmaGABA®). This is also pleasant-tasting when opened on to the tongue and is most effective when used this way. [AS OF NOV 24, 2021 THIS MAY BE UNAVAILABLE]

Thorne PharmaGABA-250: as above but contains 250mg of PharmaGABA®. This is also pleasant-tasting when opened on to the tongue and is most effective when used this way. [AS OF NOV 24, 2021 THIS MAY BE UNAVAILABLE]

Designs for Health PharmaGABA Chewables: gamma-amino butyric acid (pharmaGABA) 200 mg in 2 chewable tablets. It’s quick-acting and convenient like GABA-Calm because it’s chewable. This does contain xylitol, natural flavors, stevia and some other ingredients so taste may be a factor and xylitol can cause gas, bloating and diarrhea when too much is consumed.

Natural Factors PharmaGABA: gamma-amino butyric acid (pharmaGABA) 200 mg in 2 chewable tablets. It’s quick-acting and convenient like GABA-Calm because it’s chewable. However it also contains organic cane sugar and natural fruit flavors so it’s a little too candy-like for my preference, especially if you have low GABA-related sugar cravings. Also 2 chewable tablets – 4g of carbs which is almost 1 teaspoon of sugar!

[January 22, 2021/November 24, 2021: I’ve included this as a stand-by option for occasional use when Source Naturals GABA Calm is in short supply or if Designs for Health PharmaGABA Chewables are not available.]

Now Foods GABA Powder: 1/4 Level Teaspoon (500mg). This is pleasant-tasting when opened on to the tongue and is most effective when used this way. The only challenge with powder like this is making sure you don’t use too much by mistake. And it’s especially challenging when you only need 100mg. A mini measuring spoon set like this one (my Amazon link) is so easy and convenient to use and allows for accurate dosing.

Quicksilver Scientific Liposomal GABA with L-Theanine: 2ml (4 Pumps) provides (Gamma Amino Butyric Acid) 240mg, L-Theanine 100mg and Phosphatidylcholine 120mg (from purified sunflower seed lecithin). Spray and hold 30 seconds before swallowing. It does contain ethanol so would not be suitable for alcoholics or young children.

GABA-Pro Calming Effect Chewable: This is a chewable that contains 100 mg of pharmaGABA in 1 tablet. It is pharmaGABA even though the product says GABA-Pro on the front and the label states Gamma Amino Butyric Acid (GABA). It does contain natural flavors and xylitol. [This product is a reasonable replacement for Source Naturals GABA Calm when it’s not available (Nov 24, 2021)]

GABA-Pro Calming Effect: This contains 100 mg of pharmaGABA in 1 tablet. It is pharmaGABA even though the product says GABA-Pro on the front and the label states Gamma Amino Butyric Acid (GABA). This capsule can be opened onto the tongue. It does contain rice flour which can be an issue if you have a rice allergy/sensitivity and/or SIBO.

Designs for Health Stress Arrest: Niacin (niacinamide) 100 mg, Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine HCL) 10 mg, Pantothenic acid (d-calcium pantothenate) 100 mg, GABA 300 mg, Glycine 200 mg

Supplements for low serotonin (worry, rumination, negativity, afternoon and evening cravings and insomnia)

Tryptophan and/or 5-HTP can help to raise low serotonin. I typically recommend starting with tryptophan and don’t recommend 5-HTP if you have high cortisol as it can raise cortisol. Some people do better on tryptophan and some do better on 5-HTP.

Lidtke l-tryptophan 500mg: I only recommend the Lidtke brand for tryptophan as quality is a big consideration when it comes to this amino acid. This can be opened and/or chewed but doesn’t taste good. It can be mixed with inositol powder to make it more pleasant (see below) or with mashed banana. NOTE: This is not the same as the Lidtke Tryptophan Complete which has ingredients other than tryptophan making it more difficult to titrate up.

Lidtke l-Tryptophan Chewable: tablets contain 200mg L-Tryptophan per 2 tablets. This chewable form is both good and bad. It’s good because it’s a nice 100mg of tryptophan per tablet, is chewable, tastes good and is suitable for kids and “pixie dust” individuals (who need a very small amount). The bad aspect is that it does contain sugar and is quite sweet. Because you are continually consuming something sweet you may end up over-consuming them if sugar addiction is your issue.

Pure Encapsulations 5-HTP 50mg: Some of my clients do better on 5-HTP and some find taking this during the day and tryptophan at night works well for them.

Designs for Health Inositol: is fabulous for obsessive thoughts/behaviors that the tryptophan isn’t quite enough for. It’s also been shown to be very helpful for OCD itself. The powder has a slightly sweet taste and I recommend taking it in the powdered form. You can take up to 18g a day but I suggest starting with 2g a day and building up as needed. I think it makes a great addition for mixing into the nasty tasting tryptophan – I suggest starting with 2g inositol per 500mg tryptophan.

Douglas Labs 1mg melatonin sublingual: If the tryptophan isn’t enough for sleep issues, adding this often helps if you can’t fall asleep (and if it’s a low serotonin/low melatonin issue). Start with one and increase to 3 as needed

Douglas Labs 3mg melatonin prolonged release: If the tryptophan isn’t enough for sleep, adding this often helps if you wake in the night and if it’s a low serotonin/low melatonin issue. Start with one and increase to 2 as needed.

Supplement for low endorphins (comfort and reward eating, weepy, pain issues)

DPA or D-Phenylalanine is the amino acid that helps to raise endorphins and eliminates the comfort/reward eating and the feelings of “I deserve this” and LOVING certain foods

Lidtke Endorphigen 500mg: Riboflavin 5mg, Pyridoxal 5-phosphate 5mg (enzymatic form of vitamin B6), D-Phenylalanine 500mg. This is also one of my top products that I recommend. I used to recommend simply chewing the capsule to get the quickest and best effects and this worked well when it was produced in a gelatin capsule. Now it’s made with a cellulose capsule and chewing doesn’t work at all well so opening the capsule (or just biting off the top) and tipping the powder into your mouth works well. It does taste quite pleasant – some of my clients think it has a dark chocolate-like taste. A few people don’t like the taste at all but even then, it can be very effective when low endorphins are an issue.

Supplement for low catecholamines (tired, coffee-drinking, blahs, poor focus, low motivation)

Tyrosine is the amino acid that helps to raise low catecholamines and can often help you quit coffee if you “self-medicate” due to low catecholamines.

Progressive Labs tyrosine 500mg: 500mg l-tyrosine. This is the last amino acid I trial with my anxious clients because it can make you more anxious (although with one client it reduced her anxiety because she was able to focus better at work).

Vitamin C for negating the effects of any amino acid

Vitamin C 1000mg is used to negate the effects of any amino acid. I used to use EmergenC but this still contains folic acid, so here are some good alternate vitamin C recommendations:

Designs for Health C + Biofizz: Vitamin C 2569 mg (as Ascorbic Acid, Calcium Ascorbate, Magnesium Ascorbate) Quercetin 20 mg Hesperidin 20 mg Rutin 10 mg. This one mixes nicely in water and can also be added to a smoothie but tastes quite sweet for many people. I personally prefer less of a sweet taste.

Designs for Health Buffered Vitamin C: Vitamin C (as ascorbic acid) 2000 mg, Calcium (as calcium ascorbate) 80 mg, Magnesium (as magnesium ascorbate) 160 mg, Potassium (as potassium bicarbonate) 200 mg. This one doesn’t mix very well in water and can also be added to a smoothie. The taste is not very pleasant.

The supplements for pyroluria

Zinc, vitamin B6, evening primrose oil and a good copper-free multivitamin are what I use for my clients with pyroluria or for those who score above 15 on the questionnaire:

Solaray OptiZinc 30mg. Zinc (as Zinc Monomethionine [OptiZinc®] 30 mg, Vitamin B6 (as Pyridoxine HCl) 20 mg. The zinc in this form seems to be well absorbed by many of my clients and is available over the counter. This also does not contain copper. Be aware as there are other OptiZinc products on the market that do contain copper (Source Naturals is one example)

Douglas Labs Opti-Zinc: Zinc (from 150 mg Zinc Monomethionine) 30 mg. The zinc in this form seems to be well absorbed by many of my clients. This also does not contain copper.

Metagenics Zinc Drink: Zinc sulphate monohydrate in a base of distilled water. Each 2 tsp provides Zinc sulfate monohydrate 8 mg. Use this for testing your zinc status as described here: Zinc deficiency is common: using liquid zinc status test as an assessment tool

Here are a selection of 100 mg Vitamin B6/pyridoxine products. Use dream recall as a way to monitor if it’s working, plus social anxiety and mood improvements. If this doesn’t work you may need to use the activated form in conjunction with or instead of this one (see below)

Progressive Labs 100mg Vitamin B6 (contains rice flour)

NOW 100mg Vitamin B6 (contains rice flour)

Vital Nutrients 100mg Vitamin B6 (Only B6 and glycine)

Klaire Labs 250mg Vitamin B6 (Use this one if you find you do better with more i.e. 250mg)

Pure Encapsulations P5P 50 (activated B-6): pyridoxal 5 phosphate (activated B6) 50 mg, vitamin C (as ascorbyl palmitate) 3 mg. This activated form of B6 may be needed if the 100-500 mg B6/pyridoxine doesn’t work or may be needed in addition to vitamin B6/pyridoxine. Use dream recall as a way to monitor if it’s working, plus social anxiety and mood improvements.

Designs For Health P5P 50mg: another good product with pyridoxal 5 phosphate (activated B6) 50 mg

Now Foods Super Primrose 1300mg: Evening Primrose Oil (Oenothera blennis) (Seed) 1.3 g (1300 mg) – 120 count. GLA is often low in pyroluria and EPO helps with zinc absorption and PMS symptoms.

Designs for Health Twice Daily Multi: This is a good copper-free multi. It also contains Folates (NatureFolate™ blend) 400 mcg instead of folic acid (no DFH products contain folic acid).

Free form amino acids and magnesium

Pure Encapsulations Amino Replete: A free form amino acid powder blend that does contain tryptophan. It does contain fructose, flavors and luo han guo

Allergy Research Free Aminos: A free form amino acid blend in capsules. It contains 5-HTP and not tryptophan. I’d prefer it if it had tryptophan.

Designs for Health Amino Acid Supreme: A free form amino acid blend powder that does contain tryptophan. It is sweetened with stevia and contains natural flavors.

Designs for Health Magnesium Malate 360mg

Liquid and powder options for children

Here are some liquid and powder options for children (or for adults, if you have a hard time swallowing pills):

Carlson 100mg B6: Use dream recall (and no more nightmares) as a way to monitor if it’s working, plus improvements in social anxiety and mood.

Designs for Health 50mg P5P (with a little zinc and magnesium): This is the activated form of B6. Use dream recall (and no more nightmares) as a way to monitor if it’s working, plus improvements in social anxiety and mood.

Pure Encapsulations 15mg Zinc gluconate: A liquid zinc option.

Metagenics 15mg Zinc (as zinc sulfate): A liquid zinc option.

Designs for Health Zinc Challenge: Zinc sulphate monohydrate in a base of distilled water. Each 2 tsp provides Zinc sulfate monohydrate 8 mg. I use this for testing zinc status but it could be used as a supplement too.

BodyBio evening primrose oil: Gamma Linolenic Acid/GLA (omega-6) 473 mg. GLA is often low in pyroluria and EPO helps with zinc absorption, eczema and PMS symptoms.

Klaire Labs Vitaspectrum multivitamin/mineral: This is a great copper-free, iron-free powdered multi for kids. You can mix the powder directly into room temperature or cold foods or beverages just before serving.

Pure Encapsulations Amino Replete: A free form amino acid powder blend that does contain tryptophan. It does contain fructose, flavors and luo han guo.

Pure Encapsulations Magnesium Citrate 250mg powder

Designs for Health Magnesium Bisglycinate Chelate 300 mg powder: This one does have stevia and natural flavors

Also see chewable tryptophan, GABA Calm and inositol powder, plus powdered Vitamin C (all listed above).

What about international orders?

Unfortunately, Fullscript does not ship internationally.

So we suggest folks try an intermediary shipping service like www.shipito.com (we haven’t used them as of yet, so do your own research, and if they or someone else does work out please let us know in the comments below).

An alternative is to use iHerb to get similar products, as they ship worldwide and may even have a branch in your country for free shipping.

Here is the link for iHerb and to get 5% off, and if you are interested in iHerb’s exclusive brands to get 10% off here.

How to figure out what’s causing your depression with Dr. Kharrazian

June 11, 2015 By Trudy Scott 12 Comments

The Depression Sessions officially starts on Sunday June 14th.

To give you a taste of what is to come, this week is a pre-summit kick-off with some great interviews airing RIGHT NOW!

TODAY (and the next few days), you can watch Sean Croxton’s excellent interview with Dr. Datis Kharrazian, author of Why Isn’t My Brain Working.

Dr. Kharrazian’s full-length session is available for EARLY BIRD viewing and downloading (video, mp3 and transcript).

Dr. Datis Kharrazian: How to Figure Out What’s Causing Your Depression

Why there is more to correcting mood disorders than only boosting neurotransmitter levels. A lot more!
Why traumatic brain injuries often show up as depression … years down the road.
How chronic gut inflammation can cause brain inflammation, leading to depression.
How the “other” symptoms presenting with depression — anxiety, insomnia, brain fog –can help determine its cause.

This free EARLY BIRD viewing will be available until Sunday morning June 14th at 8am PST/11am EST when the Depression Sessions online event officially kicks off.

Here are a few gems from this interview:

Depression is decreased frequency of firing of areas the frontal cortex, pre-frontal, orbitofrontal, and the cingulate gyrus. At the end of the day, someone’s clinical depression is that part of their brain not firing. Then our goal as a clinical workup is why? What’s not making that area of the brain fire?
Every single case of depression is uniquely different
If you have depression and you notice it and you want to change it, that’s a really positive sign. If you have depression and you don’t even care anymore, you don’t even recognize it, that’s when things get really scary for us. That’s where all the neurodegenerative diseases have to be ruled out.

I’m so pleased to hear that Dr Kharrazian is not in favor of urinary neurotransmitter testing and do agree that depression (and anxiety) is often a lot more than only neurotransmitter deficiencies.

I see such incredible results with amino acids that I must say I do disagree with him on this one: “If you take an amino acid, like 5-HTP or tyrosine you do get a boost of brain function that doesn’t last.”

It may just be that he is working with people who have very complex issues like a history of brain injuries and neurodegenerative diseases. The whole discussion on head injuries is so interesting! And the wonderful thing is that there are certain nutrients that can help so much (fish oil, turmeric and others)!

The GABA blood-brain-barrier discussion comes up later (and I get a mention!) so be sure to listen out for that section. I’m still not convinced about the leaky brain GABA information but I am planning to have to look into the Cyrex blood-brain-barrier test Dr. Kharrazian mentions. I’m also going to look into the Cyrex GAD autoimmunity test he talks about.

My interview on the amino acids (GABA and tryptophan) and pyroluria/social anxiety/introversion airs on Day 1 so be sure to tune in for this one too. You can see a preview snippet on this blog called: Can Social Anxiety Be Reversed with Nutrition?

If you haven’t yet registered you can simply register here:
https://at105.isrefer.com/go/depreg/trudyscott/

I do hope you enjoy this one and all the others in the Depression Sessions!