Posted by viridis on February 1, 2003, at 6:36:09
In reply to how much help from dl-phenylalanine or l-tyrosine?, posted by hok on January 31, 2003, at 14:55:36
I tried phenylalanine (and all sorts of other supplements) before I got back onto prescription meds that finally worked for my anxiety and depression. Phenylalanine seemed to have a definite effect (I can't remember how much I took; it was a pretty "standard" dose, if there is such a thing), but I didn't like it. It was activating, but in an irritating way -- not terrible, but also not pleasant for someone with severe anxiety problems. But I could see how it might be useful for someone without such a strong anxiety component.
BTW, of the many over-the-counter supplements I've tried, the ones that actually seem to benefit me are fish oil and hempseed oil (subtle but seem to help with overall stability; I take 8 g of fish oil/day for a total of about 1.2 g EPA, plus a couple of teaspoons of hempseed oil -- very good in salad dressings); SAM-e (some mild antidepressant action at 800 mg/day); trimethylglycine (TMG, = anhydrous betaine; similar in effects to SAM-e but much cheaper; 1500 mg/day); and L-theanine (an amino acid found in tea; has a definite focusing effect and is worth trying at 100- 200 mg two or three times a day).
With any of these supplements, I'd start at a low dose and see how you react -- the amounts I've listed are just what seem to work for me, and I started each at much lower doses. And, I think I'll try Rhodiola rosea next (cautiously), since some here seem to benefit.
Overall though, the greatest benefits have definitely come from prescription drugs for me; the supplements are just extras now to help smooth things out and (I hope) improve my general health.
poster:viridis
thread:138568
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030130/msgs/138705.html