Neurotransmitter Systems Priority

This post has to do with the optimal sequence we follow to help people get to their goals. In regards to neurotransmitter related disorders, there is a definite sequence that works best.

The serotonin and/or catecholamine system has a role, either directly or indirectly, in controlling most of the other systems and functions in the body. For example, cortisol synthesis is controlled in part by norepinephrine. Hormone synthesis is dependent on norepinephrine. The sympathetic nervous system is controlled by norepinephrine.

We have noted previously that neurotransmitters are chemical messengers in the body that control bodily functions. There are many other chemical messages as well, including hormones. With hormones in particular, we have found that if we balance the primary neurotransmitters as a first course of action (i.e., serotonin and dopamine), many symptoms associated with hormone imbalance (e.g., hot flashes, mood swings, irregular menses, etc.) often resolve. Therefore, it is our assertion that in most cases, the primary neurotransmitters need to be balanced first (or at the very least in concert with hormones) in order to properly manage symptoms of hormone imbalance.

In addition, other neurotransmitter systems are partially controlled by the serotonin and/or catecholamine systems. For example, the GABA neurotransmitter system is associated with control of anxiety and panic attacks. Yet when the serotonin and/or catecholamine neurotransmitter levels are brought to proper levels, as confirmed by lab testing, these diseases may be fully under control. This would indicate control of GABA by the serotonin / catecholamine system even though at this time we have been unable to identify a chemical pathway for such in the literature. Therefore, it is also are assertion that we need to rebalance the primary neurotransmitters first (i.e, serotonin and/or dopamine) before moving onto to secondary neurotransmitters (i.e., GABA, glutamate, etc.).

We have shared a lot of information in various posts on the science of amino acid therapy and we hope that it provides you a more thorough understanding about how and why amino acid therapy is a very viable and effective therapy to use with trichotillomania and why we have had such great success eliminating the urge to pull.

Amino Acid Therapy and Safety

The following is a side effect profile developed from approximately 50 patient-years of data based treatment in hand at NeuroResearch Clinics, Inc. The following results were obtained from patients taking only amino acids with no prescription drugs:

Dry mouth —- 34 (2.1%)
Insomnia —— 14 (0.9%)
Headache —– 12 (0.7%)
Nausea ——– 10 (0.6%)
Dizziness ——- 6 (0.4%)
Constipation — 6 (0.4%)

All other side effects were reported at a rate of less than 1 in 500 visits (0.02%). No irreversible side effects were noted.

Amino acid precursors are safe to administer with any prescription drug, but amino acid precursors can also cause the side effects of the prescription drugs to be displayed. Any side effect associated with the drug can be triggered.  When drug side effects occur, it is necessary to manage the situation by working with your prescribing physician to help reduce the unwanted side effects; this generally entails decreasing or stopping the drug not the amino acid.

With regards to pregnancy there is nothing in the literature indicating that the amino acid precursors are a problem. Nor is there anything in the literature indicating studies have been performed indicating they are safe. In this light it is recommended that amino acid precursors not be used in the first trimester of pregnancy, although no studies indicate this is harmful to the mother or the fetus.

Amino Acid Therapy: The What’s, How’s and Who Cares: Part 1

Neurotransmitter imbalances have been associated with many conditions, including food cravings, increased appetite, binging, addictions (food, alcohol, drugs, gambling, etc.), trichotillomania, obsessive-compulsive tendencies and disorders, depression, anxiety, insomnia, migraines, fibromyalgia and other chronic pain syndromes and obesity. Restoring proper neurotransmitter balance is essential to managing, eliminating and overcoming these conditions.

Amino acid therapy involves giving the body the nutrients it needs to rebalance neurotransmitters. This begins with using two formulas NeuroReplete or D5, and CysReplete (depending upon your condition). These formulas provide the necessary amino acids and cofactors the body needs to bring up the two primary neurotransmitter systems (serotonin and the catecholamines (which include dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine)) in a balanced manner.

It takes 3-5 days for the body to reestablish its new level of neurotransmitters. Therefore, after 7 days of taking your recommended supplements exactly as directed, if you are still experiencing symptoms, your amino acid dosing needs to be adjusted. Your new dosing level will be determined at your next appointment. If need be, a simple urine test can be run to help determine the proper amino acid dosage.

In order to eliminate your symptoms as quickly as possible, it is imperative that you take the amino acid products as recommended and follow up after being on a new dose for 7 days if you are not where you want to be. There is no point in waiting longer to see if they will ‘kick-in’; this just delays you reaching your goals.

There is only one known side effect when beginning amino acid therapy and that is nausea. This occurs when a person’s serotonin levels are exceptionally low. If this happens, it is a sign that a person needs the amino acids, but we must slow down the dosing schedule to allow the body to adapt to the increased neurotransmitter levels. When serotonin levels are very low, taking the amino acids cause nausea because the body converts the 5-HTP in the supplements into serotonin immediately in the gut, which you experience as nausea. The solution is to discontinue taking the amino acids during the daytime and follow a protocol (that we will provide to you) where you slowly introduce the amino acids, beginning with just one pill before bed.

It is very important that you take the recommended doses of each supplement every day. If you miss a dose, you need to take it as soon as possible to avoid fluctuations in neurotransmitter levels. Missing even a single dose of amino acids will cause your neurotransmitter levels to drop and it will take 3-5 days to get back to the level you were at before missing the dose. This means that you will have a higher probability of experiencing symptoms during that time.

You can quickly see that missing doses regularly will mean that you will never be able to rebalance your neurotransmitter levels, so establish a routine and stick to it. If you miss a dose, take it as soon as possible. One good trick is to always have a small bottle of whatever supplements you are taking with you at all times (or keep the bottles in your purse, at work, at home and/or where ever you regularly find yourself) so you are never in a situation where you miss a dose.

Better Sleep and No Compulsion to Pull!

I just got off the phone with another client that has had fantastic results using amino acid therapy to address her trichotillomania. This client’s experience provides a great illustration of the far reaching effects of neurotransmitter imbalances and how quickly a person can find relief once they are rebalanced.

First, some background. This is a woman in her mid-40s, we’ll call her Tracie; she had pulled off and on for many years, but started pulling uncontrollably in 2004 when she was finally diagnosed with trichotillomania. However, she had a number of prior imbalances that most likely led to, or at least exacerbated the neurotransmitter imbalances that led to the compulsive urge to pull.  Tracie was diagnosed with depression in the mid-80s and started medication to address it. About 10 years later, she was diagnosed with major depression and fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) and put on more medications. She was also experiencing extreme pain, diagnosed with arthritis and given heavy doses of pain killers. Finally, just last year, she was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. Just today Tracie confided in me that she has experienced gastrointestinal (GI) distress since she was a child. She also mentioned that she was a very restless sleeper and never slept through the night or felt rested.

The reason all this matters is that every one of these conditions and treatments has an adverse effect on neurotransmitter levels. Most people know that depression is thought to be due to imbalances with a neurotransmitter called serotonin. What most people don’t know is that the medications used to treat depression actually make the underlying neurotransmitter imbalances worse over time. This makes it nearly impossible for people taking these medications to get off of them and they may feel worse and worse – unless they begin a program using amino acid therapy to address the underlying neurotransmitter imbalances.

Once more, FMS and pain are also related to neurotransmission. In our clinic, we have seen remarkable remissions of FMS and dramatically increased pain tolerance and reductions in perceived pain with properly balanced amino acid therapy. It has been shown in the literature that chronic pain often induces depression; this is due, at least in part, to the neurotransmitter imbalances that occur due to chronic pain, which then lower the pain tolerance, exacerbating pain, thus creating a vicious cycle pain inducing more pain.

Furthermore, chronic gastrointestinal disorders often cause neurotransmitter imbalance. This is thought to be for two reasons: 1) malabsorption of nutrients and 2) exaggerated loss of serotonin due to inflammation of the GI tract. The GI tract is where about 90-95% of the body’s serotonin is stored. Chronic GI distress can cause the body to ‘dump’ these stores, creating imbalance; GI imbalances can also be caused by neurotransmitter imbalances. In particular, recent research is suggesting that Crohn’s disease may be due to serotonin toxicity due to defects in neurotransmitter transporters in the gut. What’s exciting about this is that clinical experience also shows that reestablishing proper neurotransmitter imbalance using amino acid therapy can cause a complete remission of the symptoms of Crohn’s disease.

Lastly, one of the latter stages of neurotransmitter imbalance is sleep disturbance and insomnia. The sleep cycle is regulated by melatonin. This compound is created from serotonin, a process which is regulated by another neurotransmitter called norepinephrine. Again, you can see that imbalances in these neurotransmitters will lead to sleep issues over time.

So what did Tracie experience? Well, she had quite a bit of nausea when she first started on the amino acids. This is very common in people when their serotonin levels are very low. This is because the gut is so depleted of serotonin that it converts the amino acids into neurotransmitters right there in the gut rather than putting them into the circulation where they can reach the brain, which creates the experience of nausea. The solution – go slower. So, we adjusted her dosages to allow her body the time it needed to absorb and utilize the amino acids properly.

The result: as soon as Tracie got up to the original recommended starting dosage, she noticed she was much less restless while sleeping and that she actually slept through the night a few times. Her husband also noticed, as he too was now able to sleep through the nightJ. And what about the trich? Tracie stated that after about 2-3 days on the recommended dosage she had absolutely no compulsion to pull, although she did catch herself pulling a few times out of habit. However, unlike before, she could now catch herself and stop pulling and not think about it (or obsess over it) again.

What can we learn from Tracie’s story – lots of bodily and mental functions are impacted by neurotransmitter balance. However, the solution is quite simple: reestablish proper balance. Tracie did it and has eliminated the compulsion to pull with the ‘side benefit’ of better sleep. She’s so happy that we are now going to work on her other health imbalances to reestablish optimal health and function.

Tracie’s story is not uncommon – reestablishing proper neurotransmitter balance can cause dramatic positive changes in your life, and quick. We have helped 1000s of people regain their health and their lives using amino acid therapy and we’d love the opportunity to help you.

Reuptake Inhibitors Don’t Work

At least, not most of the time.

Reuptake inhibitors represent a $20+ billion dollar industry. The first reuptake inhibitors were known as ‘nonspecific reuptake inhibitors’ or ‘tricyclic antidepressants’ and were introduced in 1958. The first selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) was introduced in the US in 1989. In order to receive approval, a drug must demonstrate that it is safe and effective. One would assume that this means the drug demonstrates significantly better results than the placebo. However, the data for reuptake inhibitors in the treatment of depression shows a completely different story.

There is a great summary of 20 double blind, placebo controlled studies on www.neuroassist.com. In summary, these studies indicate that only 7% of people showed relief of symptoms greater than placebo (sugar pills); the placebo effect in these studies alone is 30-40%. The moral of the story is that less than 1 in 10 people are helped by reuptake inhibitors – a staggering fact in light of how often they are prescribed.

However, the problems don’t stop there. Reuptake inhibitors actually make neurotransmitter imbalance worse in everyone that takes them. That is the reason why some people have immediate significant side effects, while others develop side effects over time. It is also why often the drugs seem to quit working over time (prompting a stronger prescription or other drug recommendations) and why almost everyone that tries to come off these drugs after a period of time feels worse than they did before going on them.

The National Institute of Drug Abuse web site contains a discussion on how reuptake inhibitors deplete neurotransmitters. In essence, what happens is that by blocking the reuptake of neurotransmitters (i.e., serotonin, dopamine or norepinephrine), these drugs cause more neurotransmitters to be exposed to conditions that increase their metabolism and destruction. The long-term effect is neurotransmitter depletion. This means that these drugs are actually making the cause of the problem worse.

However, when people that have been taking these drugs try to stop, the full effects of depleted neurotransmitters are observed (which have been made significantly worse by the drug), and the person feels worse. The drug has effectively created a condition where people do not want to stop the drug because of the way they feel due to neurotransmitter depletion caused by the drugs.

Neurotransmitters do not cross the blood brain barrier. The only way to increase neurotransmitter levels in the brain is by administering the nutrients the brain needs in the right proportions to allow the brain to make the necessary neurotransmitters. The amino acid nutrients needed for synthesis of serotonin and the catecholamines (dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine) need to be provided in proper balance to be effective. In some people, this means laboratory testing may be needed to determine the correct balance. This is true whether a person wishes to remain on reuptake inhibitors or not (if someone chooses to remain on reuptake inhibitors long term, a foundation of the appropriate amino acids and cofactors can be taken to stop further neurotransmitter depletion due to the medications).

At this point, a larger question often comes to mind – something along the lines of ‘how can a drug that only works 7% of the time be prescribed so often?’ I believe the answer is that people demand it – they know they don’t like how they feel and they want to feel better. The medical doctors they go to see have few tools in this regard that provide lasting relief, but they do have tools. So they use the tools they have at hand (reuptake inhibitors and other drugs).

However, there is a better, more effective, and safer long term solution. Amino acid therapy can help rebalance the underlying imbalances responsible for these conditions in most cases, without the side effects and long term depletion of reuptake inhibitors.

Amino Acid Therapy Safety Profile

We often are asked about the safety profile of amino acids, especially in conjunction with medications. In our clinic, we have seen almost no negative interactions. Marty Hinz, MD, who has an immense collection of data around the use of amino acid therapy in practice, goes even further. He states that “With over 1,000,000 patient days of treatment data based since 1995 from over 500 clinics, I can firmly state that amino acid precursors are safe when used with all drugs, including MAO inhibitors.”

The reasons for this are many, but the simple fact is that all we are doing is supplying the body the building blocks it needs to make the necessary neurotransmitters in a very fundamental form – single amino acids, vitamins and minerals – the same forms that would be found in foods. The difference is that we are supplying them in the right proportions and at the right times to optimize the formation and utilization of the necessary neurotransmitters. There are no herbs, no special concoctions and no unknowns – just basic nutritional components supplied at the appropriate dosages to optimize neurotransmitter function. This makes this an incredibly safe, as well as incredibly effective, therapy.

Image courtesy of jscreationzs / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Dramatic pictures of how M. is beating trichotillomania

This guest post to stop pulling hair out is one of the most powerful testimonials we’ve ever received.  It’s from “M.”, who asked us not use her real name.

When M. first came to us, she didn’t have any hair.

This is her after 1.5 months on the program.

This is her today, after 6 months on amino acid therapy:

Here is M.’s story:

Life with Trich started for me around age 8.

My family was not very understanding and thought I was misbehaving and used to spank me, restrict me, and punish me for pulling my hair. They even went so far as to cut off all my hair and made me wear it really short stating if I didn’t want hair and would not stop pulling than I would not have hair. (see old pictures from school particularly 5th grade)

I was often mistaken for a boy and that was very painful to me.

My childhood was not the happiest because I was an outcast in my own family and really had no support or understanding. I felt alone and different enough without this added burden and thus created a very high anxiety level that I feel I maintain to this day.

I can not sit and enjoy a movie I HAVE to keep moving often times getting up from dinner to switch the clothes over in the washer or to load the dishwasher…really anything I can find to do.

I think if ADHD had been a diagnosable condition when I was in school they would have had me drugged. It might have happened anyway if my parents had understood that I could not stop pulling my hair, as it was I was responsible and something was wrong with me.

Being a survivor (had to or I would have never made it through life) I overcame by hiding my problem with hair styles and being careful where I “picked” so socially I was accepted in school. It helped that I was very athletic and friendly. I moved to Georgia the middle of my Junior year and by the time I started my Senior year was wearing a full wig.

I could not hide it with hair styles anymore. I am not sure if it was the stress of the move or that I had accepted that I was weird and trying to change was not going to help, either way most of my hair was gone.

This was also around the time I found out there was a word for my behavior “Trich”. I brought the article to my mom (dad had left by then) and she took me to a physiatrist with the articles.

I took IQ tests, personality test, etc and became his Guinea pig. He did not know anything about this condition and wanted to learn and I was his source. He put me on Prozac which I took for about 2 weeks. It made me nuts…I could not keep a thought in my head for more than a second and could not shut down my mind and rest at night.

I lied to everyone and told them I had cancer and guess what I eventually did. Then I felt like God was punishing me for lying and gave me cancer because I was using that as my excuse.

When I was undergoing treatments for the cancer I still picked. I just started picking other areas because I no longer had hair on my head. I continued using cancer as an excuse though my adult life saying that my hair never came back because the pores were closed due to the wigs I wore.

I was married for over a year before my husband ever saw me without my hair. He and everyone but one person still believes that my hair never came back after Chemo. I avoid having my family around my friends, kids and ex-husbands family as much as possible because I never want them to slip and spill the beans about why I really have no hair. It is extremely stressful maintaining the lie and lifestyle.

My life has always been and lie and I have always felt alone. I have a hard time making myself vulnerable and keep walls up, so no one can hurt me. I think my control issues, sanity issues stem from the Trich.

Once I know that there was a name for what I did, I researched and learned all I could about the illness. I used that information as my crutch whenever I felt all alone and weird. I really think learning that others have this issue helped me accept myself to a degree. This was my coping mechanism. I tried everything that came out, enrolled in all types of therapy and in secret have been looking for help since age 17.

I have finally found help in Dr. Chad and the Natural Path Health Center. I am doing well under the Amino Acid therapy. I sometimes feel anxious about when the shoe will drop and the treatment will no longer work. What will I tell everyone then, when my new found hair disappears. As time progresses I worry less and less about that. I am a worrier either by nature of as a mental side effect of all of this.

This is all so new to me and I am not sure how it will affect the rest of my life. What issues will lessen, what traits are mine and which ones are situational?

If I seek help for some of my issues will I find they are my issues or can therapy help reduce them now that the “trich” is managed.

All I know for sure is I am having the time of my life riding roller coasters, learning to scuba dive, swimming, riding with the windows down. I am going to try skydiving, a motorcycle ride, and more.  All things I never allowed myself to do before because of my wig. I might even be able to open myself up to have a true relationship where I can be completely honest and not push him away because he was getting to close and might find out my secret.

Supplement may not make you able to stop pulling hair out

In a post on her Alternative Medicine Blog, Cathy Wong noted that the supplement N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) could help tame trichotillomania.

She cited a study in which 50 people with trichotillomania took either a NAC supplement or a placebo pill daily.  According to the study’s author, NAC appeared to moderate levels of glutamate, which is a brain chemical known to trigger excitement.

The study’s authors believe this may lead to a decreased desire to pull.

Secondary therapy to help stop pulling hair

We believe NAC can be beneficial for trichotillomania, but we use it mainly as a secondary therapy, and only if needed.

There are two reasons for this approach. more »

Trichotillomania article doesn’t include natural therapy

eHow article on trichotillomania

A recent article entitled “Trichotillomania & Treatment” appeared on eHow.  The article provides a cursory look at both the condition and the treatments for trichotillomania.  We bring it to your attention because it neglects to mention a therapy that gets at the root cause of the problem – balancing neurotransmitters. more »

She found a way to stop pulling hair out

photo credit: Handolio

The “stop pulling hair out” testimonials we receive are encouraging for anyone who has suffered through trichotillomania.  This particularly case was extremely uplifting, particularly because of the severity of the client’s affliction, and her inability to stop pulling hair out. more »