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 these products in my online store at Fullscript. Click on the Fullscript image below and you can set up an online account (you just need to do this once) and then make your purchase.
Here are some tips on how to find products when you log in to Fullscript (after setting up an account):
- Click on “Catalogue” and scroll down to the heading “Practitioner’s Categories” and click on “View all 26 categories” on the far right.
- Since you are doing the online group program Amazing Amino Acids for Eliminating Anxiety look under Class 1, Class 2, Class 3, Class 4 and Class 5 for the recommended products for each of the five classes
- If you’re interested in purchasing other products you’ll also see categories such as Adrenal Support, Amino Acids, Anxiety, Basics, Candida, Cognition, Liquid and Powder Options, Pyroluria and so on
- You can also simply use the search feature to find the product/s by name or brand (sometimes you have to go to the brand and then search for the product name)
Class 1: Introduction to the Amino Acids and Low Blood Sugar
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.
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.
Class 2: Stiff and tense, anxious, panic attacks, crave to relax and low GABA + pyroluria
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. This is a pleasant-tasting sublingual product that is my most popular and most effective form of GABA I use with my clients. You can also buy this at your local health-store and some online stores.
- 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 it used opened on to the tongue.
- Enzymatic Therapy GABA: gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) 250 mg. This is also pleasant-tasting when opened on to the tongue and works very well when GABA Calm can’t be used. As with all GABA products, I find best results when it is used opened on to the tongue.
- ProThera 500mg GABA: GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) 500 mg. You will likely need to open this up and start with less than a full capsule during the day (a full capsule may be fine at night for some individuals)
- 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. I don’t use this doing a trial but some of my clients “graduate” to this after doing the trial.
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. A good copper-free multi is also ideal:
- 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. As mentioned above, the zinc in this form seems to be well absorbed by many of my clients. This product 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 and other 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).
Class 3: Worry, rumination, negativity, afternoon and evening cravings and low serotonin
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.
Class 4: Comfort and reward eating and low endorphins
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.
Class 5: Tired, coffee-drinking, blahs and the catecholamines
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).
The above statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.