Posted by KaraS on August 10, 2004, at 23:51:11
In reply to Re: Supplements for brain fog? Phenylalanine, posted by robot on August 10, 2004, at 21:41:18
> I would like to know your opinions about phenylalanine. My doctor said its not good to take, and Ive read that it promotes nerve cell death (and some say cancer, but that actually worries me less).
> I have taken the supplements before, without much result. ONe time, however, I took 500 mg (without having taken it for quite awhile) and I had a weird anxiety that lasted through the next day. I felt very irritable and confused.
> Since then I have tried Spirulina powder. It seemed to stimulate me a little, but I discovered that it makes me even more mentally fuzzy than normal. Could this be the phenylalanine content? If not, what could it be? (Ive been on Lexapro 20 mg during this time.)
> I would like to try phenyl again sometime but I want to know Im not risking something that could make my problems worse.
> thanks guys
I have never heard any of that about phenylalanine. I'd be interested in seeing some articles backing up those claims. I'm planning on taking it myself (the DLPA version along with a small amount of selegiline) soon. It's just an amino acid, a component of the protein we eat every day. A lot of the natural health gurus recommend it for depression including Dr. Andrew Weill, Dr. Michael Murray, ND and Dr. Priscilla Slagle.http://www.drweil.com/app/cda/drw_cda.php?command=TodayQA&pt=Question&questionId=3499
(Within this article linked below on Parkinsons Dr. Murray mentions phenylalanine to help with mood.)
http://www.doctormurray.com/Qarchive/parkinsons.htm
You can also read about it on Dr. Slagle's website.
The wired feeling you got when you tried it may have been from the PEA (phenylethylamine). l-phenylalanine metabolizes into l-tyrosine and PEA. PEA is very stimulating. You could take d-phenylalanine to prevent that wired feeling or you could just take l-tyrosine. These amino acids don't work for everyone so I can't guarantee anything. I didn't have any success with l-tyrosine myself and I haven't tried phenylalanine at a high enough dosage yet to judge it. I personally feel that they're very safe though.
I don't know anything about the actual content of Spirulina so I couldn't comment on that.
poster:KaraS
thread:359642
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20040718/msgs/376241.html