Posted by McPac on September 4, 2003, at 19:00:34
Lar,
As I told you previously, I'm taking SJW (I also take 30 mg of Remeron a day).
I take the SJW 450mg/2x a day (total 900 mg/day).
Since I'm already taking the SJW, but still don't feel too good, I guess I'll stay w/ that and raise the dose to 3 a day (1350 mg/day).
However, I was talking with Ame and I was telling him how the ssri's work GREAT for my problems---depression/ocd/anxiety/insomnia (but they also cause terrible anger/irritability! Doc Amen says that is usually a temporal lobe issue...I checked out his book's checklist and I DO have many of the temporal lobe symptoms...I really believe that that is the problem w/ the ssri's). Anyway, I'm OFF all ssri's right now (the terrible anger/irrit problem, right on cue, has also left...THAT is good!....but I don't feel too good just on this weak Remeron....the serotonergic meds always worked.....meds that have weak serotonergic effects work only somewhat......meds with no serotonergic effect do nothing for my depression/ocd......I've always responded extremely well to the serotonergic meds......so my dilemma is this: trying to find SOMETHING that, when combined w/ the weak Remeron (it's weak compared to the ssri's), will give me the serotonergic boost that I need. Now, the Amester mentioned that since the ssri's worked so well for me, that he would recommend tryptophan or 5htp. I have read so much contradictory crap about tryptophan and 5htp that I don't know what to think. They would SEEM to be the perfect recommendations since Tryptophan>>>>5HTP>>>>>>>>Serotonin. But all the contradictory crap that I read....question: Do they convert well; when you put a tryptophan or 5htp supp in your mouth, does enough of that get converted to serotonin in the brain? Does one of them, the tryptophan or the 5htp, work better than the other, either because of conversion reasons or for other reasons? What's funny is that these supps have been around for plenty long enough that the info. should be clear and easily understandable rather than vague and contradictory. (Just like w/ SJW---has been used forever by tons of people yet because some drug company doesn't own it, all you find are contradictory articles, as if it's only been used for 2 weeks, lol. If it were Pfizer's brand new drug, you'd see commercials tonight stating how it definitely would help!) Now I realize that tryptophan or 5htp may not help many folks...that may not be what they need. But don't they seem like logical choices for me to try? But....is it okay to combine SJW with either of these two supps? I read that SJW has MAOI-like properties....is that true? Well, for now I'll probably just stick with the SJW and titrate that upwards and see how that goes. But I did want your opinion of the tryptophan and 5htp (or any other supps that would boost serotonergic activity). Thank you so much Lar....as always, MUCH appreciated! Didn't have a chance to proofread this Lar, gotta run, take care!
poster:McPac
thread:257053
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030902/msgs/257053.html