5-HTP?

[Guest guest]

Debi,

 

I have to second Frank's suggestion that you do look very seriously into Paxil

and getting your daughter off. I put my child on Effexor and will regret it to

the day I die. We are now two months off but not through healing. Withdrawal

ended up taking 6 months. I had to take him out of school to get through it.

Doing the two was totally incompatible. We're homeschooling on a program that

allows him to do work when he feels up to it and created no conflict when he had

to spend the day throwing up and was totally dysfunctional (withdrawal effects).

The FDA, as bad as it is, has recently published a warning against giving Paxil

to children following England doing the same. While the warning should say more,

it does say at least " don't do it " .

 

Everything I learned through our process is right in line with what Frank is

saying. SSRIs alter normal functioning of the seratonin system so dietary

supplements have to be put into that context if you are going to use them when

on an SSRI. I wouldn't use 5-HTP while on those drugs from what I learned

because of seratonin syndrome - getting too much seratonin trapped in cells can

be very seriously bad. We did use glutathione up until he was completely off,

then switched to Tyrosine. I'm going to change that to 5-HTP in a few more

weeks but again, we are off the drugs which is very different than being on

them.

 

I'm not a doctor - just a mother like you but from what I have learned, the best

natural source for trytophan and the other nutrients used in production of

seratonin is meat - memory right now is telling me they are B-6, B-12 and

magnesium (please anyone correct me). I don't think a gluten free diet will

cause seratonin deficiencies. Wheat actually is not that nutrient dense if you

remove the vitamins that are added to it. Wheat has carbohydrates which are

necessary for the uptake of seratonin. As I understand it, too many carbs and

not enough proteins is the more usual cause of seratonin deficiencies. SSRIs

actually reverse the effect of carbohydrates and such a diet.

 

Mary

 

-

califpacific

Saturday, August 02, 2003 2:34 PM

Re: 5-HTP?

 

 

Dear Debi,

 

I suggest that you really look into Paxil and the other SSRIs. These

drugs are very destructive. They do suppress the symptoms, but they

are addictive, have horrible withdrawal symtoms and damage the brain.

Paxil is reputed to be the worst one of the bunch. They raise the

leevl of seratonin in a very unnatural way that is not benefecial to

the body. Since it cannot be taken forever, when someone comes off it

ALL of the neorotransmitters go haywire. Then the problem is greatly

magnified.

 

Of course the choice is your's, but if you post here the choice to

respond.

 

You do not want to give 5-htp because it might cause too much

seratonin, which can cause seratonin syndrome, but are giving

tryptophan. Are you aware that 5-htp is the intermediate step between

tryptophan and seratonin so you are giving her basically the same

thing almost. Niacin will also affect the ratio in the body as the

tryptophan (or 5-htp)is converted into niacin if the body needs it

and if their is any left over it is then converted to seratonin and

melatonin. She may have an unusual need for niacin, so think about

reading up on niacin.

 

Chelation therapy is going to be very hard when someone is taking

paxil and any other drugs.

 

I am not an expert of autism. I have only read about it but,

as to the foods, A lot of the groups are using enzymes to digest

foods to balance out the problems absorbing nutrients. Did she

receive any medicine or chemical exposure at the 3 month mark when

she spiraled and became worse. I would suspect that firstly or the

builup in the diet of an imbalance due to not having the proper

enzymes to take in a balance of nutrients and it eventually is way

out of balance and causes more symptoms.

 

You state that you are going to wean her when she goes back to

school. When coming off Paxil or any SSRI expect severe changes in

the withdrawal. It would seem to me to take her off when she is not

in school would be more beneficial to her although maybe not for you,

as it could cause difficulties if done during school time.

 

There are many sources on the links page that describe SSRIs,

seratonin, etc. and some on autism.

 

I think that you are going to have to use either a natural means to

help your daughter or a chemical means as the two are not compatable

and do not work together. The chemo is almost assured to do

additional damage and then you will have two problems to deal with

instead of one.

 

Frank

 

 

 

 

, " Debi "

<fightingautism> wrote:

> I have considered this and given to my daughter for her autism, as

> she is on Paxil and I want to wean her off. The con, as Dr. Andrew

> Cutler (I think this is who I read it from), is a chance of too

much

> seratonin in the body tissues without adequate amounts reaching the

> brain. Also, stomach irritation can occur. The plus side is

obvious,

> feeling better and not having to take an SSRI.

>

> There are a variety of foods which contain this naturally. Poultry,

> grains, and dairy. Most of what I've read have come from people on

> my autism boards, but here is one link to a description about it.

> Allie was but on the gluten/casein free diet and began to talk for

> the first time since she had regressed, along with wonderful other

> positive behavioral changes. However, about 3 months into the diet

> her behavior spiraled horribly. She didn't improve until we began

> Paxil, about 5 months after her second regression. I believe that

> she probably depleted her seratonin levels because of the

> restrictive foods. She has MAJOR oral issues.

>

> BTW, I am not currently giving the tryptophan to Allie, as we are

> going through too much with school being out, dietary issues and

> chelation therapy. I have begun to wean her from the Paxil slightly

> and will get more aggressive once her routine of school is

> established. I'll be happy to report the affects, once it's done!

>

> http://www.biochemicals.com/

>

> Debi

>

> , Zipamour@a...

> wrote:

> > Does anyone have experience with a supplement called 5-HTP? As

an

> > alternative to SSRIs, my doc recommended it as a method to boost

> seratonin

> > because my amino acids salivary test showed that I have almost no

> tryptophan.

> > Thanks for all ideas. Ziporah

 

 

[Guest guest]

-

" Debi " <fightingautism

 

Sunday, August 03, 2003 1:29 AM

Re: 5-HTP?

 

 

>

> I am not giving either 5-htp OR tryptophan, I cannot find plain

> tryptophan at all, everything I've found that says " tryptophan " on

> the label says " 5-htp " in the ingredients label.

 

I just did a web search. Plain tryptophan is available,

albeit at a much higher price than I remember paying prior to the FDA

ban some years ago.

 

Alobar

[Guest guest]

Oh Deb,

 

Don't give her a choice. This is exactly what got me into trouble with my son.

My dad breeds cattle and when they were young, it was a thing to take the little

kids up to experience the ranch and feeding cows and all. My son put a

psychological block to eating those sweet little creatures. I tried forcing him

to eat meat until he threw it up at dinner one night - all across the table and

everyone else's food. I even took him to the family doctor thinking this was

bad and I should at least supplement with vitamins. Well good old allopathic

medicine said I was being an overly fanatic mother and he would be just fine

eating whatever. So I let him win and gave up - emotional and behavorial

problems got really bad and we ended up on Effexor and Trazadone as the doctor

diagnosed a sleep problem - genetic. Yea right. They seemed to help for the

short term but then we had even more problems. Came a point our doctor said " I

don't know " . I was having troubles myself, had gotten on Remeron and Xanax and

finally called an old childhood friend that is a research scientist. He strongly

advised against the drugs and directed me to purchase Atkins book and take my

son back to the doctor and quote him as saying that the boy was hypoglycemic.

The doctor then asked my son what he ate and I will never ever forget the

expression on that doctors face. Yea he goofed big time. Chips, potatoes,

fruit juices are now major NOs in my house. They are all way too high in

carbohydrates, bad fats, preservatives - everything you want to avoid in even

the healthiest of kids. Juices are so loaded with sugar, you just as well drink

coke and take vitamin C. They will not only satiate her appetite, what they do

to insulin levels make her crave them even more. If she doesn't have them,

she'll get hungary enough to the point she WILL eat anything. Without them,

she'll lose the cravings for them pretty quick. It was when I put my foot down

and said NO that mine started eating meat because I just didn't give him a

choice. Once he started it and had no junk available, he started feeling so

much better - he now pours it and vegatables down. If he eats junk (he's gotten

with buddies and tried), it makes him feel bad and he has lost desire for it.

 

This really is an issue for all kids today - junk predominates their diet. ADD,

violence, depression, propensities to drug use, bipolar problems, suicides,

emotional problems, use of Ritalin and SSRIs, etc. have been increasing, right

in line with the occurences of diabetes type II and cancer in kids. They eat

what they shouldn't and don't eat what they should. I don't know how much of it

is related to autism but I know such a diet is bad and will cause problems in

and of itself.

 

Mary

-

Debi

Sunday, August 03, 2003 1:34 AM

Re: 5-HTP?

 

 

She won't eat meat. She will essentially only eat potato chips,

french fries, and fruit juice. Occasionally she'll bite something

different, but few and far between.

 

Debi

>

> I'm not a doctor - just a mother like you but from what I have

learned, the best natural source for trytophan and the other

nutrients used in production of seratonin is meat - memory right now

is telling me they are B-6, B-12 and magnesium (please anyone

correct me). I don't think a gluten free diet will cause seratonin

deficiencies. Wheat actually is not that nutrient dense if you

remove the vitamins that are added to it. Wheat has carbohydrates

which are necessary for the uptake of seratonin. As I understand

it, too many carbs and not enough proteins is the more usual cause

of seratonin deficiencies. SSRIs actually reverse the effect of

carbohydrates and such a diet.

>

> Mary

>

> -

> califpacific

>

> Saturday, August 02, 2003 2:34 PM

> Re: 5-HTP?

>

>

> Dear Debi,

>

> I suggest that you really look into Paxil and the other SSRIs.

These

> drugs are very destructive. They do suppress the symptoms, but

they

> are addictive, have horrible withdrawal symtoms and damage the

brain.

> Paxil is reputed to be the worst one of the bunch. They raise

the

> leevl of seratonin in a very unnatural way that is not

benefecial to

> the body. Since it cannot be taken forever, when someone comes

off it

> ALL of the neorotransmitters go haywire. Then the problem is

greatly

> magnified.

>

> Of course the choice is your's, but if you post here the choice

to

> respond.

>

> You do not want to give 5-htp because it might cause too much

> seratonin, which can cause seratonin syndrome, but are giving

> tryptophan. Are you aware that 5-htp is the intermediate step

between

> tryptophan and seratonin so you are giving her basically the

same

> thing almost. Niacin will also affect the ratio in the body as

the

> tryptophan (or 5-htp)is converted into niacin if the body needs

it

> and if their is any left over it is then converted to seratonin

and

> melatonin. She may have an unusual need for niacin, so think

about

> reading up on niacin.

>

> Chelation therapy is going to be very hard when someone is

taking

> paxil and any other drugs.

>

> I am not an expert of autism. I have only read about it but,

> as to the foods, A lot of the groups are using enzymes to digest

> foods to balance out the problems absorbing nutrients. Did she

> receive any medicine or chemical exposure at the 3 month mark

when

> she spiraled and became worse. I would suspect that firstly or

the

> builup in the diet of an imbalance due to not having the proper

> enzymes to take in a balance of nutrients and it eventually is

way

> out of balance and causes more symptoms.

>

> You state that you are going to wean her when she goes back to

> school. When coming off Paxil or any SSRI expect severe changes

in

> the withdrawal. It would seem to me to take her off when she is

not

> in school would be more beneficial to her although maybe not for

you,

> as it could cause difficulties if done during school time.

>

> There are many sources on the links page that describe SSRIs,

> seratonin, etc. and some on autism.

>

> I think that you are going to have to use either a natural means

to

> help your daughter or a chemical means as the two are not

compatable

> and do not work together. The chemo is almost assured to do

> additional damage and then you will have two problems to deal

with

> instead of one.

>

> Frank

>

>

>

>

> , " Debi "

> <fightingautism> wrote:

> > I have considered this and given to my daughter for her

autism, as

> > she is on Paxil and I want to wean her off. The con, as Dr.

Andrew

> > Cutler (I think this is who I read it from), is a chance of

too

> much

> > seratonin in the body tissues without adequate amounts

reaching the

> > brain. Also, stomach irritation can occur. The plus side is

> obvious,

> > feeling better and not having to take an SSRI.

> >

> > There are a variety of foods which contain this naturally.

Poultry,

> > grains, and dairy. Most of what I've read have come from

people on

> > my autism boards, but here is one link to a description about

it.

> > Allie was but on the gluten/casein free diet and began to talk

for

> > the first time since she had regressed, along with wonderful

other

> > positive behavioral changes. However, about 3 months into the

diet

> > her behavior spiraled horribly. She didn't improve until we

began

> > Paxil, about 5 months after her second regression. I believe

that

> > she probably depleted her seratonin levels because of the

> > restrictive foods. She has MAJOR oral issues.

> >

> > BTW, I am not currently giving the tryptophan to Allie, as we

are

> > going through too much with school being out, dietary issues

and

> > chelation therapy. I have begun to wean her from the Paxil

slightly

> > and will get more aggressive once her routine of school is

> > established. I'll be happy to report the affects, once it's

done!

> >

> > http://www.biochemicals.com/

> >

> > Debi

> >

> > ,

Zipamour@a...

> > wrote:

> > > Does anyone have experience with a supplement called 5-HTP?

As

> an

> > > alternative to SSRIs, my doc recommended it as a method to

boost

> > seratonin

> > > because my amino acids salivary test showed that I have

almost no

> > tryptophan.

> > > Thanks for all ideas. Ziporah

>

>

>