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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 11 of 11. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by MoparFan91 on May 23, 2005, at 8:54:01
Do you know if Taurine is best taken on an empty stomach (like 30min. before eating) or with a meal?
I'm currently taking 2g of Taurine 3xday for obsessive thinking, anxiety/bipolar, and it seems to be keeping anxiety down a bit and helping some with depression. I've been taking it with meals about half of the time.
I wonder if taking it before meals would make it work better.
Does anyone else have experiences with Taurine as far as using it to even out mood swings, anxiety, intrusive thoughts, etc.?
Posted by JLx on May 23, 2005, at 11:00:47
In reply to Taurine dosing, posted by MoparFan91 on May 23, 2005, at 8:54:01
It's my understanding that amino acids should be taken on an empty stomach 20-30 min before a meal. The reason is to minimize competition with other amino acids.
Regardless of other's experiences, you won't know if it works for you unless you experiment.
JL
> Do you know if Taurine is best taken on an empty stomach (like 30min. before eating) or with a meal?
>
> I'm currently taking 2g of Taurine 3xday for obsessive thinking, anxiety/bipolar, and it seems to be keeping anxiety down a bit and helping some with depression. I've been taking it with meals about half of the time.
>
> I wonder if taking it before meals would make it work better.
>
> Does anyone else have experiences with Taurine as far as using it to even out mood swings, anxiety, intrusive thoughts, etc.?
Posted by MoparFan91 on May 24, 2005, at 9:53:02
In reply to Re: Taurine dosing » MoparFan91, posted by JLx on May 23, 2005, at 11:00:47
I just started experimenting with taking it 20-30 minutes before a meal. In fact, I'm going to start taking all my meds/supplements half hour before each meal to prevent competition of the absorption of other nutrients.
Oh, and how long does it take to obtain the full therapeutic benefit from Taurine? Does it have to build up or something?
Posted by JLx on May 24, 2005, at 21:03:45
In reply to Re: Taurine dosing, posted by MoparFan91 on May 24, 2005, at 9:53:02
> I just started experimenting with taking it 20-30 minutes before a meal. In fact, I'm going to start taking all my meds/supplements half hour before each meal to prevent competition of the absorption of other nutrients.
I find the "when to take" question confusing sometimes. Most supplements are supposed to be taken with meals, I believe, to further their absorption. That makes sense to me. OTOH, I have heard that it's best to take magnesium on an empty stomach, or at least not with a high fat meal. I've read to take Vit C on an empty stomach AND also with meals. I usually check the directions on the bottle.
> Oh, and how long does it take to obtain the full therapeutic benefit from Taurine? Does it have to build up or something?
I don't know if there is an accumulative effect or not. In my experience, one advantage to experimenting with aminos is that they are fast acting.
JL
Posted by JLx on May 24, 2005, at 22:16:03
In reply to Re: Taurine dosing, posted by MoparFan91 on May 24, 2005, at 9:53:02
> I just started experimenting with taking it 20-30 minutes before a meal. In fact, I'm going to start taking all my meds/supplements half hour before each meal to prevent competition of the absorption of other nutrients.
>
> Oh, and how long does it take to obtain the full therapeutic benefit from Taurine? Does it have to build up or something?Just ran across this, from Dr. Walsh of the Pfeiffer Clinic, http://www.alternativementalhealth.com/articles/walshQZ.htm#Ta
"Yes, I've read a few articles and a book that talked about Taurine's slow metabolism and tendency to build up over time. Because of this, I've believed that high doses of Taurine (1,000 to 2,000 mg/day) are ok in the beginning..... but that the dosages need to be reduced within 2 weeks to about 400 to 500 mg/day..... to achieve the same effect.
I believe that Taurine is especially effective for (1) combating seizure tendency and (2) reducing liver stress in processing fats. There have been several reports of intolerances and side effects from use of Taurine, and I feel that indiscriminant high doses are unwise."
JL
Posted by MoparFan91 on May 25, 2005, at 0:07:45
In reply to Re: Taurine dosing » MoparFan91, posted by JLx on May 24, 2005, at 22:16:03
> > I just started experimenting with taking it 20-30 minutes before a meal. In fact, I'm going to start taking all my meds/supplements half hour before each meal to prevent competition of the absorption of other nutrients.
> >
> > Oh, and how long does it take to obtain the full therapeutic benefit from Taurine? Does it have to build up or something?
>
> Just ran across this, from Dr. Walsh of the Pfeiffer Clinic, http://www.alternativementalhealth.com/articles/walshQZ.htm#Ta
>
> "Yes, I've read a few articles and a book that talked about Taurine's slow metabolism and tendency to build up over time. Because of this, I've believed that high doses of Taurine (1,000 to 2,000 mg/day) are ok in the beginning..... but that the dosages need to be reduced within 2 weeks to about 400 to 500 mg/day..... to achieve the same effect.
>
> I believe that Taurine is especially effective for (1) combating seizure tendency and (2) reducing liver stress in processing fats. There have been several reports of intolerances and side effects from use of Taurine, and I feel that indiscriminant high doses are unwise."
>
> JL
>Dr. Stoll (the same one behind the fish oil) is currently doing a study on Taurine. He says that it works great for bipolar disorder, particularly the rapid cycling kind. Since Taurine combats seizure tendencies, it sounds like it would be very helpful for rapid cycling bipolar disorder. Many of the drugs for bipolar are anti-seizure meds.
My diagnosis is Bipolar II ultra-ultra rapid cycling. One thing I do currently notice right now is that my moods have been pretty even, and they haven't been all over the place since last weekend. My anxiety seems more tamed as well. Usually, I cycle as much as 4-5 times a day.
I've been taking Taurine for 3 weeks (started at 1500mg/day) and have been up to 6,000mg for 10 days. I have no side effects from the Taurine.
Posted by Larry Hoover on May 25, 2005, at 8:18:15
In reply to Re: Taurine dosing » JLx, posted by MoparFan91 on May 25, 2005, at 0:07:45
> Dr. Stoll (the same one behind the fish oil) is currently doing a study on Taurine. He says that it works great for bipolar disorder, particularly the rapid cycling kind. Since Taurine combats seizure tendencies, it sounds like it would be very helpful for rapid cycling bipolar disorder. Many of the drugs for bipolar are anti-seizure meds.
Do you know what got me interested in using nutrients for treatment of mood? A guy I met on the net about a decade ago, who stabilized his mood with taurine. I didn't really understand anything about what he was trying to tell me, except that he had been about to kill himself after being a treatment-resistant ultra-rapid cycler for a decade. The guy was a decade ahead of his time. And I owe him a great deal for the impetus that got me studying this subject.
> My diagnosis is Bipolar II ultra-ultra rapid cycling. One thing I do currently notice right now is that my moods have been pretty even, and they haven't been all over the place since last weekend. My anxiety seems more tamed as well. Usually, I cycle as much as 4-5 times a day.
>
> I've been taking Taurine for 3 weeks (started at 1500mg/day) and have been up to 6,000mg for 10 days. I have no side effects from the Taurine.I'm thrilled for you!
You may reach a saturation point with the taurine. In other words, you may not need that high of a dose in the long term. I'm not suggesting that you modify the dose. I'm suggesting that you try and get an intuitive feel for your taurine intake requirement. That would be the optimal outcome of your taurine trial.
Best,
Lar
Posted by tealady on May 27, 2005, at 6:55:34
In reply to Re: Taurine dosing » JLx, posted by MoparFan91 on May 25, 2005, at 0:07:45
I think I may have felt more stable on taurine as well. I felt slightly improved I think, but couldn't put my finger on what exactly so stopped taking it.
Did you notice any diuretic effect?..like more urine from the taurine at all? I'm very interested in the possibility it may work this way...like B6?
Interested to hear feedback from anyone if they noticed /didn't notice any mild diuretic effect from taurine... not saying it works this way, just unsure how to interpret a couple of studies on taurine.
Jan
Posted by MoparFan91 on May 30, 2005, at 17:01:40
In reply to Re: Taurine dosing » MoparFan91, posted by Larry Hoover on May 25, 2005, at 8:18:15
> Do you know what got me interested in using nutrients for treatment of mood? A guy I met on the net about a decade ago, who stabilized his mood with taurine. I didn't really understand anything about what he was trying to tell me, except that he had been about to kill himself after being a treatment-resistant ultra-rapid cycler for a decade. The guy was a decade ahead of his time. And I owe him a great deal for the impetus that got me studying this subject.
>That's good news there. I seem to have about the same profile as the person you mentioned above. I have about attempted suicide several times in the past year. So far, I think the Taurine is working. It's helping (indirectly) with depression and is also making me less hyper and decreasing hypomanic symptoms. I'm more calm and a little more slowed down on it. I notice now that if my mood drops, I don't have the accompanying anxiety/agitation with it. And I can function better and move on because of this.
One site said that Taurine can be a good substitute for Lithium as it has a Lithium-like effect on the brain. According to research, both Lithium and Taurine have similar functions. Both decrease glutamate. Taurine also stabilizes brain cell firing just like Lithium.
I'm surprised that noboby else hardly knows about the effects of Taurine on anxiety/mood. I believe it may catch on sometime.
And do you know the news on Dr. Stoll's study on Taurine? What doses is he using in the study?> You may reach a saturation point with the taurine. In other words, you may not need that high of a dose in the long term. I'm not suggesting that you modify the dose. I'm suggesting that you try and get an intuitive feel for your taurine intake requirement. That would be the optimal outcome of your taurine trial.
>How can you tell in terms of how you feel when you reach a saturation point of Taurine? How long does it usually take for it to saturate the cells?
> Best,
> Lar
>
>
Posted by gromit on May 31, 2005, at 1:29:16
In reply to Re: Taurine dosing » MoparFan91, posted by Larry Hoover on May 25, 2005, at 8:18:15
> Do you know what got me interested in using nutrients for treatment of mood? A guy I met on the net about a decade ago, who stabilized his mood with taurine. I didn't really understand anything about what he was trying to tell me, except that he had been about to kill himself after being a treatment-resistant ultra-rapid cycler for a decade. The guy was a decade ahead of his time. And I owe him a great deal for the impetus that got me studying this subject.
I'd say he was more than a decade ahead of his time, I know my doctor has never mentioned taurine or any other alternative treatment. Whatever the reason I'm glad you're here.
Rick
Posted by MoparFan91 on June 7, 2005, at 10:54:28
In reply to Re: Taurine dosing » Larry Hoover, posted by gromit on May 31, 2005, at 1:29:16
I'm planning to switch to the powder form of Taurine so I can get it more el cheapo overall. I currently have 500g of L-Taurine coming in the mail. This should give me about 2 months worth of Taurine. 1/4 teaspoon equals around 1g. To get 6g, I would need to take 1 1/2 teaspoons.
Do you think the powder form of Taurine works as well as the capsules. Does the powder form get absorbed better?
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