34 replies to this topic

[mandible]

Hi,

I am worried and dont really know what to do about it.

I had a brain MRI 3 years ago, all normal back then.

But I suffer from long term depression and anxiety and adhd.

I'm over 30 and I can't really tell what's normal.

I notice a lot of symptoms which worry me.

For example I have always sucked at math. I simply cannot wrap my brain around math stuff.

Even back in school when I had finally understood something it was quickly gone and then I had to think it all thru again!

It's as if my brain is totally slow and like glue when it comes to things like math or even calculating stuff.

 

For example today I read an article about antidepressants and it said that a certain side effect happens in 1 out of 5000 people.

Then I asked myself what's 1 in 5000 in digits? I literally sat there for 20 minutes and simply couldn't figure it out. I needed to get

a paper and then write it down and I had to do it like:

10% = 0.1

1% = 0.01

1 in thousand = 0.001

 

But even then I didn't really know how to get to 1 in 5000.

I basically had to get a calculator and then type in 1:5000 to see what it would look like in digits.

I simply couldn't figure it out that the answer is 0.0002.

Is this normal?

Somehow this all seems totally abstract to me. I cannot really grasp it. It has always been this way with everything mathematical.

 

Stuff like that totally scares me.

I mean since I already worry about congitive decline whenever I am under stress and feel like I dont understand something then I become

even more afraid and tensed and then it's like my brain completely shuts down!

When I try to read an instruction manual then often times my brain shuts down cause of stress and fear of not understanding it.

 

Or recently I played some chess on the computer. Usually I never play chess at all.

And then I noticed that I was completely unable to think strategically and try to plan what move to do next.

I mean when I had like 5 figures which I could use for the next move then I simply couldn't focus and think every possible move through and then

decide what move to take. I simply moved without really knowing if this is a good move or not.

This also scared me cause it made me feel totally dumb.

 

I also notice that I am really slow at calculating things in my mind especially substracting and multiplying.

I know that there are neurological tests where you're told for example to count backwards in steps of 9 starting at 173 for example.

At stuff like that I would also totally suck. I know that!

And if these tests are used to find out if a person is neurological healthy or not and I know that I suck at such tests then this really worries me.

 

What shall I do now?

I mean how shall I know if this is normal or decline? How can you measure decline? Most likely not with a brain MRI or EEG.

 

[VerdeGo]

I'm in my 30s as well, and I can relate to a lot of what you say. I also suck at math, and I have been known to be a hypochondriac. But that's besides the point. There's a plethora of possible causes to your malaise. I'd take it one step at a time. I've recently read that ibuprofen and other NSAIDs are nearly as effective as antidepressants when it comes to depression being caused by brain inflammation (the two seem to go hand-in-hand at times, or so I've read). Some people report by simply taking an anti-inflammatory, their brain fog and depression dissipates (NOTE: I do NOT advise this for a long-term therapy, but to test the waters to see what helps you. This is also not my first suggestion, as I'd suggest amino acids over any NSAID). If you don't want to try NSAIDs because of the strain they can put on your organs, there are also a host of natural anti-inflammatories out there, some of them being spices in your cabinet (turmeric, ginger, rosemary, etc.). Or you can try adaptogenic herbs like ashwagandha, rhodiola, or the fungus cordyceps. These substances tend to regulate body functions, helping you to deal with stress and worry, and bringing you into a homeostasis. Have you tried vitamins B6 and/or B9 to boost dopamine levels? Green tea or theanine to boost dopamine and GABA levels? What is your diet like? 

 

In all the mental deficits I've encountered over the years, including debilitating obsessive worry and rationalizations, adaptogens and amino acids have helped me the most, far more than any prescription drug could, and you're probably safer going the natural route. I can't stress diet enough, as you want a natural way at obtaining these nutrients. Your problem probably isn't what you're worrying about, but what chemical imbalance/deficiency is causing you to worry obsessively. 

 

“I've had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened.” - Mark Twain

 

[fairy]

You shouldn't benchmark yourself with a full game if you never play chess. Consider also that unless you set the difficulty is basically impossible to play a modern chess engine. It will not blunt and you won't have any obvious move. Check apps like Chess Tactics Pro and try to solve the easy puzzles. Have a look at these three problems without setting up a board. The third is a little bit harder.
 
prbl1
prbl2
prbl3

[fairy]

Edit: blunt -> blunder.

[qube]

Most important thing is to get your depression/anxiety and ADD under control.

Don’t analyse these little things. When I was a child I could easily do maths, subtract, do additions in my head etc with ease and clarity. Then I started getting depressed and ADD in school and had difficulty doing basic things like 8x6.

 

My thinking was impaired and it was so difficult to remember things throughout my school and college life.

Even now I struggle with maths, but it doesn’t bother me. Don’t try to force yourself to think and do calculations.

 

Focus on the things that matter – your health and happiness. You need to experiment and find what works for you. This is the information and bio-tech age and if you put in the time and effort to improve your health, it will be so worth it.

 

You worried about cognitive decline but that’s a bit besides the point. Don’t try to put stress on your brain, thinking this is the way to be more smart – that will just lead to more stress and hippocampus atrophy. You said you suffer from long term depression and you had concentration difficulties in school.

So what have you tried so far? What do you think it is the cause of your mental issues? Gut dysbiosys?

There’s many things to try out that’s suggested on this forum, but I would also recommend looking at http://freetheanimal...er-newbies.html and http://www.reddit.co.../wiki/beginners.

 

Keep experimenting, meditate, dual-n-back, nootropics, probiotics etc and see what works for you.

What helped me a lot is Bacopa. Makes thinking less stressful and a lot easier.

I enjoy reading and thinking a lot more after I started taking it.

 

Last thing,

Don’t worry about sucking at chess. I think that since this is relatively new skill, it’s a good benchmark to see how well you improve. After you improve your mental health, go back to playing chess and see how you feel. But don’t over analyse these little things and focus more on improving your overall quality of life.

Edited by qube, 12 April 2015 - 03:54 PM.

[mandible]

Hi!

 

I have been depressed as long as I can think. I think it's genetic. Also had ocd since childhood.

Getting depression under control seems impossible. I have been on various antidepressants since 2012 without success.

Also fixing ADD is difficult cause ritalin,wellbutrin and strattera don't help me. They either do nothing at all or ritalin makes me more irritated

but doesn't give me more peace and clarity and amphetamines aren't allowed for adults where I live.

 

I don't know if inflammation or gut issues could contribute to my depression. It's possible. Unfortunately I have no really good doctor who could help me

try to eliminate reasons. My pdoc doesn't know anything about this he only prescribes drugs.

But since I have always been depressed and anxious I assume it's genetic and not something aquired.

 

Is taking ibuprofen safe? I think I read that stuff like ibu can cause heart attacks and that it's not really safe to take pain meds that is why I dont take them.

 

My diet isn't good. I eat a lot of sweets and drink much coffee. I take many supplements. High dosed B complex, multi, D3, spirulina, 100mg Q10, 1gr vitamin C,

1gr fish oil, whey protein, probiotic pills.

 

I really want to eat healthier but I dont know how. I feel pretty damn helpless. Cooking stuff is often too straining cause of my depression.

I also do not like to eat veggies and fruits cause I worry about pesticides. I mean how shall I know if for example eating an unpeeled apple is healthy or more damaging

cause of pesticides? I have a big issues with this. Nutrition and eating have become a compulsion for me. When I go to the supermarket I dont know what healthy stuff

I could buy which isn't risky because of pesticides or xenoestrogens. I dont even like to buy cheese anymore cause it all comes in plastic.

I really wonder how "healthy" the stuff is which you can buy in the supermarket even the veggies and fruits. They are harvested totally early and probably dont even contain

many nutrients at all.

 

I have no experience with nootropics, also dont know anything about them.

The problem is since I am still looking for an antidepressant or mood stabilizer which works for me I cannot take other stuff like nootropics where I dont know if it

would mix with the prescription drugs. My doc wont be able to tell me if a certain nootropic is safe or not.

 

I really have no idea where my problems lie. Besides depression,brain fog,add,GAD,ocd I also have MANY other physical issues it's terrible.

I have been to sooo many doctors and nobody could help me. I feel like an old fragile man most of the times. Since no doctor can help me I also feel

really hopeless. I have learned that medicine really isn't that progressed. We can fly to the moon but there are so many sick people out there which strange symptoms

and nobody can figure out what it is.

I also found out that most doctors only do the standard stuff and dont really put much thinking into it. They do their tests and if they find nothing then they're done.

 

some of the things which I have:

low testosterone, low LH, (getting T shots for that but they dont make me feel any better)

hypothyrodisim, thyroid antibodies (taking thyroid hormones for that, also not feeling any difference from it even though my ft3 and ft4 levels are pretty good)

pain in multiple joints (shoulders,knee, often the pain comes without having done anything to provoke it, have been having pain in the knee for many months now! did a MRI which showed nothing but still the pain is there I cant even bend my knee without pain)

visual disorders (flickering,visual snow, blue field entoptic phenomenon, floaters / been to neurologists and eye doctors and they couldnt help me or tell me what causes these things)

cellulite on legs (also not normal for a man)

painful lipomas in the fat tissue on the whole body (doctors simply say they're harmless but why do I have this shit and others in my family dont?)

 

Last year I went to an anti aging doc. He ran a few blood tests which showed that I have elevated nitrosative & oxidative stress. I then read a bit about nitrosative stress

and according to a chemistry professor who wrote a book about it it's something really huge which causes all kinds of issues. Unfortunately the "anti aging" doc knew nothing

about nitrosative stress and how to treat it he simply recommended that I use more antioxidants. ...

 

Bottom line is:

I have ridiculously many different ailments and symptoms and I am sure that some things must be wrong in my body cause this isn't normal but I have no clue what it is and

how to find out what it is since doctors are no help at all. They rather tell me it's psychosomatic.

 

 

[VerdeGo]

How long has this been going on? Was there a trigger, or have the symptoms you described been with you your entire life? I know OCD can begin in childhood, and I first experienced it then as well. Why exactly you had an MRI three years ago? I can relate to your frustration of doctors. Instead of believing my symptoms (many of which you describe), I was given the "anxious" label, even though my symptoms were triggered by a supplement I was taking, and they persisted for five weeks. During this time I became convinced I had hyperthyroidism, STDs and other diseases, but everything came back normal. I also experienced rashes and other possibly stress-triggered physical reactions. I later did my own research and attributed the symptoms to low GABA/high acetylcholine, though I have no proof of that, nor do I know for sure what exactly caused it or went wrong in my brain. I'm honestly scared of taking or doing anything to trigger that experience again, but at least now I know what to take to help the symptoms I had (which may not help yours). These substances were ibuprofen and cordyceps (both anti inflammatories). If the same madness occurs again, I know to turn to l-theanine, other adaptogens, benadryl (or anti cholinergics), l-glycine and calming amino acids, and pretty much anything that reduces inflammation and/or boosts inhibitory neurotransmitters like GABA and glycine. 

 

The body and brain are a very complex organism. One tiny imbalance can manifest itself in a host of unusual symptoms. Anxiety itself can manifest in many strange physical symptoms. I can't tell you what will work or not. I can only tell you what helped me. If you want my advice, I'd cut out the sugars and eat more fruits and veggies. Simple diet changes can help, not hurt, your predicament. If you hate cooking, get some canned black beans and some instant brown rice. Put spinach on your sandwiches if you like. There's many healthy options out there that don't require hours of cooking and preparation. If you're worried about pesticides (which you really shouldn't be in the short term), buy or grow organic veggies. Starting a raised bed garden is not only healthy, but very fun, because you're bringing life into this world that will provide you with a bountiful harvest. I'd also suggest experimenting with amino acids, one by one, to see if anything temporarily stops your symptoms or negative thinking (amino acids like lysine, glycine, theanine, phenylalanine, taurine, etc.). Without many these amino acids, the body can't function in a normal way, and most if not all are generally recognized as safe in the suggested doses, as they are already present in your body. Have you tested for nutritional deficiencies? 

 

I'm not a doctor, and I must emphasize that. You know your body more than anyone else. But if you're at your wit's end, and doctors are no longer beneficial, then I'd take matters into my own hands and experiment a little to see what helps and what doesn't. I hope you find something safe and natural that helps alleviate your symptoms and negative, worrisome thoughts. When you find that magical nutrient, do some research and see what exactly how it affects the brain and body, and go from there. You may, just may, find a possible reason for what's going on.

[qube]

Diet should have a big effect for you. I know it's difficult to do research and cook food when you cognitively impaired, but you have to make changes.

Start doing research on elimination diets and the autoimmune protocol. This may help a lot, or get you to the point to function well enough to do more research and get to the cause.

If it's too complex, go to a good dietician to help you.

 

Unfortunately doctors did not help me either. They're trained to look at the symptoms and not the source of your pain and inflammation.

Keep researching, meditating and figuring out what's wrong from both a physcological and health perspective.

 

Drop the sweets, coffee and spirulina. Try the autoimmune protocol and the gut resource I gave you. 

 

The standard anti-depressants doctors handed out to me did not work. SSRI's are a joke.

Have you tried Tianeptine? This does wonders for the majority of people that do not respond to SSRI's. It is much more superior.

 

Doctor's didn't care about me, and I felt more depressed and sick every time I visited them.

I found relief once I started doing my own research and experimentation every day.

 

Elimination diet, chronic infections, gut dysbiosys etc are things you can start looking at to drastically improve your health or atleast

get you to the point where you can do more research, cook food etc more easily : )

Edited by qube, 13 April 2015 - 07:46 AM.

[mandible]

Hi guys,

 

I dont know if I have nutritional deficiencies. Such tests are usually never done by doctors. I had vitamins measured a few times. Vitamin D was low so I started taking D3.

Vitamin A is in the middle of the range. Since I started taking a multi daily it has gotten a bit higher. Vitamin B6 is way above the normal range according to the lab. But I dont know if

high B6 is bad. I have been taking a high dosed B complex for months I assume this is why B6 is high.

B12 was also measured a few times it's also medicore but rising due to me taking the B complex which contains 400mcg B12. I also use B12 lozenges.

 

Why should I drop spirulina? Is this stuff not good? I thought it's a super food.

 

What I also noticed is that during the time where I trialed evening primrose oil which is high in GLA my joint issues got worse. I dont get this cause actually GLA is supposed to be anti inflammatory.

 

I tried Tianeptine. Didnt do anything for me. I felt even worse during that time, could be coincidence or not but definitely did not help me!

 

I also tried L-Theanine even though only a few days. I took 200mg L-Theanine and didn't feel better. I might have felt more irritable but I'm not sure but definitely not any better,

 

I take magnesium-glycinate from pure encapsulations. I'm not sure how much glycine every capsule contains. But I can't say that I feel any different when I take it.

I also tried NAC 600mg/d and memantine 20mg/d for a few weeks. None of it made any difference either.

 

I really dont know if any drugs/supplements/herbs can really make a difference in my depression and hopelessness at all.

I'm really sick. There is no way around it. And being so sick drags me down I cannot defend myself against it. Every time when I think about my many health issues

or look in the mirror and then see visible symptoms of being sick it simply hurts and I think why is this shit happening to me why do I have so many things wrong with me?

I simply cant deal with it. It always makes me feel totally miserable and drains all my strength. Most of the time I am totally depressed and not functionable.

I was told by a therapist I just have to accept being sick but I cant. It drags me down every time I think about it or when I discover new symptoms.

Also having so many things all at the same time is much harder to accept than having just 1 thing. If i only had 1 thing wrong with me it would be easier but since I have soo many

different things I feel like I'm cursed. It's terrible. :(

It drains all my strength and I think why even bother with all the daily shit in life which I hate anyway when my health is gone? What sense does it make to simply go on when life only

persists of suffering?

 

For me it's simply too much to deal with. All my health issues and also my many other issues simply totally overwhelm me and then I take days or longer to "recover" and gain some strength back. This way you simply can't live and function.

Edited by mandible, 13 April 2015 - 11:20 PM.

[VerdeGo]

The glycine content in your magnesium capsules is probably too low for any therapeutic benefit. Glycine should be taken in supplement form, from 500 mg up to 3 g for sleep and anxiety issues. It's present in the fluids in your spinal column and brain stem, and it's the only other inhibitory neurotransmitter besides GABA. You did try theanine, which raises GABA, but it didn't really help, so this is the only other thing I can think of. I also read glycine is a novel anti-inflammatory, and it has many other benefits as well. 

 

I pulled this from a website regarding l-glycine. I'm keeping it simple for now, abstaining from lengthy abstracts and confusing studies:

 

http://www.higher-fa...ointhealth.html

 

A couple of years ago I was turned onto a fairly new joint health supplement, glycine. Glycine is definitely not new but its benefits for joint related conditions are not all that well known. Glycine is a non-essential amino acid that is a precursor to collagen production. Collagen is an essential component to connective tissue such as cartilage, tendons, and skin. Being an amino acid it's naturally present in the diet. I don't remember how I first heard about it but a few yrs back I read some feedback from a person saying he had taken it for a couple of months and actually had MRI evidence of a cartilage lesion healing. I then saw a couple of positive studies on it for arthritis, so I decided to try it.

I was pleasantly surprised. I'd used glucosamine for years and can't say I ever noticed anything positive or negative from it. That's ok because the research on glucosamines ability to rebuild cartilage is sketchy - the positive science on it shows that at best it helps maintain existing cartilage. Yet, within a few days of supplementing with 10 grams of glycine per day I could "feel" a difference. My stiff joints weren't so stiff and the difference was quite noticeable. In addition to being a precursor for collagen (and thus cartilage), glycine also has direct positive benefits on inflammation present in joint related conditions. 

 

 

It seems worth the try since everything else has failed you up to this point, and it has a good safety profile. Even if it only improves your joints and helps you sleep soundly through the night. And even if it doesn't help you, please don't lose hope. You should never have been told you're just going to have to live with your illness. Just remember, it's a physical illness, not a spiritual one. There is obviously a chemical imbalance going on inside your body, and this must be caused by something definitive. You just haven't found out why or how to fix it yet. You're on the right track in your search for answers, and you've got to continue to safely experiment to see what can better your life at the moment since the doctors appear to have given up. Maybe you're lacking an important enzyme. It could be a host of issues, but please never lose hope. The members on this forum will do what they can to help you through this, and to help you find answers. I'll be praying for you that you can find those answers. Just don't give up!

[mandible]

Hello,

yes I think the magnesium glycinate really does not contain much glycine at all. The label doesn't say how much though but it must be little.

 

1 cap contains magnesium (as magnesium glycinate)120 mg. And most of it will be magnesium and not glycine.

 

But can you even buy pure glycine from supplements companies or only as bulk powders? For me it would be important to buy something from reputable companies which are trustworthy.
 

 

You should never have been told you're just going to have to live with your illness. Just remember, it's a physical illness, not a spiritual one. There is obviously a chemical imbalance going on inside your body, and this must be caused by something definitive. You just haven't found out why or how to fix it yet.

 

 

The problem is when you face multiple symptoms then finding out the causes is almost impossible. I mean I only have to go online at health forums and search for some of my symptoms and I easily find stuff like Leaky Gut, Lyme disease, other viral infections and it goes on and on and on.

I mean even something like Lyme would be totally complicated to really diagnose and treat. Chronic Lyme seems very hard to kill off.

But I don't even have a doctor who could help me ruling out possible explanations systematically.

When I go to a rheumatologist and he runs his lab tests and finds nothing then that's it and I'm on my own again.

Or when I go to a neurologist cause of my visual disorders and he measured by visual nerve and it's okay then the thing is settled for him.

I don't know about doctors in the USA and how well they are trained and how much effort they put into it but where I live it's really pretty sad. I have never come across a doctor who really seemed to

look at a person holistically and connect symptoms and search for explanations. This would also take WAY too much time. Doctors usually do not have much time for patients.

I'm really discouraged and hopeless. It's like a fight which simply cannot be won and I have been into this for years. Even years ago when I started noticing first abnormalities I have been totally freaked out

because of this and then spent nights online looking for explanations and cures and it only harmed me more cause it creates so much stress which is also unhealthy for me.

I simply have way too much crap to deal with.

 

I've also been in psychiatric care for over 2 years, also without success. No stupid antidepressant they tried on me helped me. Psychiatrists also do not really try to analyze symptoms and then find the most

promising drugs. They simply prescribe a certain set of drugs and if none of them works then they simply dismiss you and you're on your own. Nobody put any thinking into my case. I sit at home and think about all kinds of possible neurotransmitters and drugs which I might try to tackle my symptoms but the doctor didn't care about this. He told me to stop reading about this.

It makes me angry and sad when I think about this. Doctors should have a heart and will to really help people but I think many of them are only in for the fame and the money.

[VerdeGo]

The general doctor's I've come across in the USA have very little knowledge about complex disorders, nootropics, and other holistic/novel therapies, besides how to treat common symptoms of common disorders. I have not been to any neurologists, etc., so I'm not sure if their knowledge level is above the area of the world you live in. I have learned that there are two types of general doctors. MD's, which tend to treat symptoms, patch you up, and send you home. And then there are DO's, which treat the body as a whole, and seem to take a more holistic approach. Please correct me if I'm wrong in this summation. Unfortunately all the DO's in my area are not accepting new patients. 

 

And no, the glycine in your magnesium capsules isn't there for any therapeutic effects regarding glycine. It's just the type of magnesium. And yes, you can find glycine capsules and/or powder from reputable companies. I simply walked into my local Vitamin Shoppe and picked some up, though you may have to order yours online. Go with trusted sites with trusted reviews, and do your homework. Either way it's worth a try, and seems to have no alarming studies or bad experiences related to its use. If you can't find glycine, try bone broth or gelatin. Both are cooked forms of collagen, and convert to glycine in the body. Those are probably your best sources if you can't find glycine. 

 

Trying to self-diagnose yourself always leads to more paranoia, but that's the risk you take to hopefully find an answer that can lead you in the right direction. When I was experiencing my own still-unexplained neurological symptoms, it eventually progressed into full blown paranoia and general anxiety disorder (which in turn caused rashes to occur in peculiar parts of my body, leading to the belief I had an STD, which was false and only paranoia). It's like a snowball effect. You need to clear your mind of all these excessive thoughts to ground yourself and take a fresh perspective on your symptoms. These worrisome, obsessive thoughts are only making your symptoms worse than if your mind was in a calm, quiet state. I honestly can't dispense medical advice, because I don't want to suggest you do something to aggravate your symptoms. Glycine is my best recommendation, along with maybe a handful of other safe aminos/vitamins/minerals out there. If anything does help you, at least temporarily, then you may be closer at finding the cause. Changing your diet around completely (possibly eliminating everything in your diet you're used to, and going for only healthy stuff for a few weeks) should help you and get some different nutrients in your body you're probably lacking.

 

Was there a trigger when your more bothersome symptoms first occurred? What exactly changed in your life around that time? Or has it been a slow, gradual progression since early childhood? You probably won't find the cause until you find out what makes you feel normal again, but keep getting tested and keep safely experimenting with healthy foods, lifestyle changes, and nutrients, along with anti-inflammatories. I heard L-taurine is a life extender and commonly used in Japan. Even L-carnosine (not to be confused with L-carnitine) is used to treat a host of neurological and other symptoms because it's a powerful antioxidant and alleged life extender. It could be something as simple as your body not metabolizing or utilizing an essential nutrient, causing a cascading effect and affecting multiple organs and body systems in the process. Please do your research, as most nutrients can aggravate certain conditions. I'm really sorry I can't give better advice at the moment. The body and brain are far too complex to figure anything out over the Internet. But there has to be something out there, somewhere, that can help you function better, provide you some relief, and possibly address the problem at hand. I hope you never give up looking. If you have any more questions or concerns, I'll be floating around the forum or you can PM me.

[AlmostEasy]

Alright, let's organize this mess!  Being short, concise, and to the point will get you more attention.  I find people don't like to sift through walls of text

 

Your confirmed ailments:

• Low Testosterone - (1) We would benefit from seeing your levels with lab ranges.  Do you have your documentation?  (2) Also, what is your current regimen (Frequency / Dose / Other augmenting substances (HCG / AI))?  I had joint pain when my Estradiol dropped too low from an Aromatase Inhibitor (Anastrazole)
• Low LH - This is indicative of "Secondary Hypogonadism".  (3) Is your pituitary gland free of adenoma's?  Did the MRI clear this up?
• Thyroid Antibodies - Again, it would be good to see the documentation.  Indicative of Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. (4) What are you taking for your thyroid? (5) Synthroid or Armour / how long have you been on this?  HERE is a very good resource on thyroid issues.
• Join Pain (Unprovoked) - This goes hand in hand with Lyme Disease if you have declining cognitive issues / fatigue.  I suggest looking HERE and HERE for Lyme information.  I'd highly suggest getting tested for Lyme.  Preferably at IGeneX.  Many other labs produce consistent false positives, you'll find this in the reading.  Look for an LLMD in your area (Lyme Literate MD).
• Depression/Anxiety - Unaffected by SSRI's - This is a tricky one.  Getting your diet in check should be priority #1.  Your fear of pesticides on vegetables and then instead eating junk food is extremely counter-productive.  Diet is the #1 thing YOU control and if you aren't handling it, you're choosing junk food over your mental/emotional health.  There's WAY too much fear mongering over the contaminants in healthy food.  I'm having a hard time understanding how you think junk food intentionally filled with chemical preservatives could ever be better for you than HEALTH food with minute and probably negligible contaminants.  This is something you really need to get over, as soon as you can, it is only holding your recovery back.  (6) Are you exercising?
• Visual disorders / cellulite / painful lipomas - don't know what to tell you here.  Lyme disease can interrupt visual perception though.
• Low Vitamin D3 - Keep supplementing this, (7) how much are you taking?

We're also going to need a basic health history and lifestyle information.  (8) Drug use (which/how long.  Any benzo's?), drinking (how often), conditions (any others you can think of), family history of disease, STD's? When did this start? How did it progress?, etc.  Anything and everything.  Try to stay organized.  (9) Try to list out (neatly) everything you've ever tried (supplements/medications) that has helped/hasn't helped.  That will help us recommend you things.

 

We really need this information to be able to fully comprehend what's going on.

 

I've been through and am going through this same process myself.  Doctors are not useful in these situations.  In my experience I've just used their access to lab tests to confirm or deny my own theories.  Find one that wants to work WITH you, not against, it will make alllll the difference.  My current doctor wants to write my almost too many investigative lab orders.

 

It's a life altering situation for sure and I wouldn't wish this kind of thing on my worst enemy, the general population has NO IDEA that these kind of things are even possible.  If I hadn't experienced it, I wouldn't have fathomed it either.  These were the kinds of things that happened to OTHER people, not me.  Stay strong man.  Once you find a few good ailments to alleviate the suffering even just a little bit, things get better.  That then accelerates your ability to recover since you can be much more proactive.  Small increases in quality of life are exponential for sure.

 

Once I see your list of everything you've tried I'll try to recommend a few things that I feel could help, that have helped me, or try to point you people that might know.  Please try to answer everything here as well, in detail and organized if you can.

Edited by AlmostEasy, 17 April 2015 - 05:24 AM.

[Flex]

I would look into Prefrontal cortex functions.

 

For example, I have some problems with my working memory

like when I´m playing chess I cant "calculate" the possible moves which the computer may do because its too much informations.

 

You could check whether Your attention is low as well whether Youre able to control Your temper

both could predict Your PFC functioning but I´m not sure whether those functions are 100% related to the PFC

 

As far as I know, You could try something that increases the PFC functioning like nelumbo nucifera via 5-ht1a that increases Dopamine in the PFC

and see how it affects You i.e. whether see it works

 

Nelumbinis Semen reverses a decrease in 5-HT1A receptor binding induced by chronic mild stress, a depression-like symptom.

This reversal effect of N.s. on the decrease in 5-HT1A receptor binding in the frontal cortex, hippocampus and hypothalamus of rat brains was very similar to that of H.p, but different from that of F. It is concluded that N.s. presents an anti-depression effect through enhancing 5-HT1A receptor binding.

http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/15554266

 

Or something Noradrenergic like Mianserin could help via adrenergic a2 and perhaps via 5-ht6, 5-ht2 blockade and indirect 5-ht1a activation

Mianserin markedly and selectively increases extracellular dopamine in the prefrontal cortex as compared to the nucleus accumbens of the rat.

http://www.ncbi.nlm..../pubmed/8741935

 

However Guanfacine (a2 activator) does the also improve the PFC functioning:

 

The alpha-2A adrenoceptor agonist guanfacine improves sustained attention and reduces overactivity and impulsiveness in an animal model of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

The results indicate that guanfacine improved poor noradrenergic modulation of neuronal circuits that involve the frontal lobes in an animal model of ADHD. The present results support the beneficial effects of guanfacine on ADHD behavior reported clinically and experimentally in primate models of frontal function. It is likely that guanfacine improved prefrontal functions in the SHR. It cannot be concluded, however, that the effects of the drug are mediated solely by norepinephrine.

http://www.behaviora.../content/2/1/41

 

This seems to me to be even superior than Cerebrolysin, given that You do suffer from PFC related issues:

An Herbal Nasal Drop Enhanced Frontal and Anterior Cingulate Cortex Activity

http://www.ncbi.nlm....les/PMC3140066/

Edited by Flex, 18 April 2015 - 10:49 AM.

[mandible]

Hi guys!

 

Wow, that's a lot to address. My head's already starting to spin again.

 

@ Flex

 

I have been tested for ADHD and it turned out that on those test on the computer where they test attention,impulsivity,short term memory I all sucked.

I either made too many mistakes compared to others in my age or I was too slow.

I do believe that I have ADD without hyperactivity. I read a lot of stuff about ADD and also posted stuff on ADD forums where I simply summed up ALL my symptoms which

I notice about myself and many people were like "I have exactly the same". Unfortunately ritalin and wellbutrin don't help me. They don't help me get a clear mind which is most important

to me. And amphetamines aren't allowed for adults where I live. This is a huge problem. I'm not sure if my insurance would cover amphetamines. Another issue would be mixing amphetamines

with antidepressants. This can also be risky cause amphetamine releases serotonin and when you mix then with serotonergic antidepressant you can get a serotonin syndrome. This seems rare

but it's frightening.

I am impatient and also can get really angry when I argue with people. In such situation I also often say things which I later regret and then wonder why I couldnt just contain myself.

 

@ VerdeGo

 

I'll look if I can buy glycine via ebay. Do you know how much of this could safely be taken and if there are any interactions with prescription drugs like antidepressants?

I already tried stuff like NAC but I dont notice any benefit. I also tried Memantine. I was hoping it might help with feeling irritable and restless but I dont think it did and then I stopped after a while.

I also wasnt sure if it affected my memory or not and this worried me. I have been suffering from feeling overwhelmed whenever I am exposed to things which worry me or simply stress me out

for years. I also tried to describe this to my pdocs but they didn't really seem to care much. I don't know what this is and what causes it but it's totally disabling. There are days where I feel at unrest

the whole time and this also affects how I'm able to function. On such days I feel totally passive and cant really make decision or focus on studying. I just made a thread about this in mental health.

It totally upsets me that doctors don't really seem to care about symptoms it's like every depressed patient gets the same drug suggestions no matter what the symptoms are.

 

@ AlmostEasy

 

Low Testosterone:

 

My current regime is testosterone depot 250 mg injections every 2,5 weeks which I get from my intern.

In Europe HCG and AIs are not used for men and not for TRT. I already argued with my endo there is NO way to get it from him.

He also has no clue about this. I noticed it by what he told me. He said if I wanted to use HCG I would need to inject it daily which isn't true.

The only choices I have when it comes to TRT is: 1) Topicals [tried various gels didnt like them also got skin itching and rashes] 

2) Testosterone depot 250 mg every 2-3 weeks [also a bad option cause of fluctuations]

3) Nebido [supposedly gives you stable levels for 10-12 weeks but Nebido is available as Aveed in the US and it comes with tons of warnings about side effects and pulmonary embolism,

I am afraid of this stuff I don't think I could get it cause I also read many reviews from patients who said that even though their doctor injected slowly and carefully they still got embolisms!]

 

Basically my hands are bound unless I buy HCG or Arimidex on the black market.

I am very unhappy with TRT. It doesn't make me feel better and my testicles are tiny now.

I thought if I went on TRT I would gain some muscle mass and strength cause I'm skinny/fat but not so.

I also do not notice any changes libido wise but depression could also play a role.

 

I have been getting the depot injections since December and they do not produce stable and reliable results.

For example I had my "peak levels" measured various times. They usually occur 7 days after an injection but at different tests, which all were done 7 days after an injection,

my serum T also varied quite a bit. And also my E2 levels are problematic. In December I had E2 tested after 7 days to see how high E2 gets during a Testosterone peak and back

then I had 25pg/ml which was good. But now in March suddenly I had much higher E2 levels of 42pg/ml!

This is a problem cause now I cannot even tell why I dont feel better under the injections.

It could be because of 1) too strong testosterone fluctuations 2) too high E2 levels.

But since I cannot get an AI it doesn't even make sense to contact my endo because of this. He would simply say that E2 is still in the normal range and that it's all fine.

 

I had a pituitary MRI which showed nothing.

I simply know that already at age 20 my serum T was borderline low. Since I have always been skinny and weak and had little facial hair I always assumed something isn't right

and this confirmed it.

Have also been tested for klinefelter syndrome which was negative.

I also have female fat distribution.

Over the years I kept track of my T levels and usually it was always the same. Low serum T, low LH.

I had 2 different LHRH tests which were normal this means that LH release could be stimulated by the injected agent but this doesn't change the fact that I simply have low LH.

My testicles are not the issue.

I think the best result I had in all the years was that my serum T was in the middle of the normal range. I never had it that I had high T levels.

But the endocrinologists I have been to all told me I'm fine and T is still in the normal range and so on.

 

Thyroid Antibodies:

 

I started taking T4 in 2012 when my intern said I'm latent hypo. Back then my free thyroid hormones (t3,t4) were okay but my TSH was high a few times. Sometimes above 3 or 4.

I thought maybe getting on T4 could help with depression but it didn't. But I kept taking 100 mcg T4 since then.

Last autumn I saw another doc and he told me to move to 125 mcg T4 and add 10 mcg T3 because my ft3 levels were rather low around 50% of the range. I asked if this could mean that

I don't convert enough T4 into T3 and he said yes. But I cannot say I feel better or less fatigued since I moved to 125 mcg T4 + 10 mcg T3.

 

Over the years when I went to endos I never had any antibodies, also not in 2012 when my TSH kept getting higher.

But then in 2014 suddenly I had elevated TR antibodies in one test which was done by the endo.

When I found out about this I had TR antibodies measured again at my intern 3 weeks later and they were normal again.

Then I went to the other doc and he measured TG antibodies and they were also elevated. He said that I might have Hashimoto

and told me to avoid iodine. He said when somebody is hypothyroid then the reason for this is often an autoimmune disorder.

 

Join Pain (Unprovoked)

 

I have been noticing changes in my body since 2003.

It first started with cracking knees or even cracking bones in my toes when walking.

When to orthopaedists and told them my concerns and they didn't really do much or found nothing.

I exercised in the gym from 2005-2007 but then had to quit cause I had too many aches and pains.

I got knee pains and shoulder pains and also muscles and tendons started to hurt. I felt like I am simply too fragile

to work out it was totally depressing and I really didnt lift heavy cause I have not much strength.

Already in 2007 I had a knee MRI cause of knee pain which showed nothing. I couldnt even squat down without pain and still cannot.

Also been to rheumatologists in 2007,2011,2013. They all found nothing.

I have now been having pain in my knee since December. I cannot even bend the leg without using any force or pressure without pain.

I got another knee MRI in December which also showed nothing and yet the pain is there!

It's totally frustrating.

I also can easily can pain my other parts of the body without much effort. For example wringing out a wet shirt causes pain in the wrists and forearms. It's simply absurd.

Sometimes something hurts and I have no idea why cause I did nothing to provoke it. One time I used my hand to support myself, the same posture when you do pushups only that I didn't

do any pushups I only supported my body when I was sitting on the ground with one hand. And on the next day I suddenly couldn't even move my fingers anymore because of this! I had pain in the hand and thought I must have seriously injured myself and then got a X-Ray but it was normal. The pain then went away after a few days.

But my point is simply that this isn't normal. My orthopaedist probably doesn't even take me seriously anymore cause of my frequent problems.

I also have pain in both shoulders and they hurt at night, something which I also did not have until 2 years ago.

My orthopaedist told me that I should get physiotherapy for the shoulders cause I have a bad posture. This is true but I still dont understand why I have the pain now

and not in the past. Overall it simply gets worse.

 

The rheumatologists did a few Lyme tests and results were a bit confusing. I also read that Lyme tests are not reliable.

I had 2 Elisa tests. In 2008 it was negative.

Then in 2013 I had another Elisa test and a Western Blot. Now the Elisa was suddenly "borderline" while the Western Blot was negative.

The rheumatologist said that the Western Blot is better and that since it's negative there is nothing to worry about.

I also do not know any doctor where I live who specializes in Lyme disease. I already contacted a Lyme organization and asked for contacts but they couldn't really

help me. There is only 1 doctor who claims to be a Lyme expert but when I googled him I read some bad reviews from patients who felt let down by him. I don't know if

he's good or not. When a doctor already has bad rewiews then I dont really want to check him out.

 

Depression/Anxiety

 

I don't really know what a better diet would look like. I feel pretty helpless.

For example in the morning I wouldn't know what to eat other than the stuff which I always eat which is a shake which consists of oats and whey protein.

I depend on routines. Doing different things all the time requires too much thinking and planning on my part.

That's why I needed foods which are healthy and can be eaten daily. But the problem is there are healthy foods which still cannot be eaten daily. For example

beets are healthy but eating them too often might also not be good.

Or what if for example foods which I buy, I also frequently by frozen veggies cause they are easy to prepare, contain pesticides and then I rely on the same foods

all the time then this would also be unhealthy. Things like these simply worry me and since I have OCD I obsess with it.

Often times when I was in the supermarket I simply did not know what to buy anymore cause I saw possible risks everywhere. Even if the foods are good then what about

xenoestrogens in the plastic or BPA in cans? It's simply totally overwhelming.

I really would like to somehow change things and try something different but as I said I'm clueless somehow. On my own I have a totally hard time implementing change.

I also thought about getting a juicer or getting into sprouting but then I'm always reluctant and don't really know how to do it and then I dismiss these ideas.

 

Low Vitamin D3

 

I usually take 20.000 IU every 7-14 days whenever I think of it. My levels are also better now but could still be a bit higher that's why my doc said I should take it every 7 days.

 

Drug use

Benzos only rarely before medical exams or scary situations

I take no prescription drugs regularly except the antidepressants I tried so far which were:

Wellbutrin

Anafranil

Remeron

Lexapro

Tianeptine

Cymbalta

Agomelatine

Ritalin (for ADD, doesn't really work)

Memantine (prescribed off lable for brain fog/irritability)

 

I can't say that any drug made a noticable difference.

 

drinking

I've been using alc as sleep aid since 2008 daily, trying to get off it now cause it's not healthy and also bothers me.

I usually drank like 1 beer or 1-2 glasses of wine before bed to fall asleep faster. Without alc I have a hard time falling alseep

cause then I think about depressing things.

 

conditions

I know that I have hyperstretchy skin. Been to a few dermatologists. One scared me and told me it could be a genetic collagen defect like EDS

but another one said it's still in the "norm". Not sure though. But I'm not hypermobile. Also went to an angiologist and got ultrasound of the major

blood vessels and they were normal so I thought I leave it at that.

 

I also have pretty visible vertical lines on the fingernails and also white spots. Asked a dermatologist what this meant and he didn't know.

 

I also have been noticing for years now that I am getting really sick looking kinky hairs on my head. My hair is usually straight and these hairs look abnormal. They

actually have a look and texture to them which is like pubic hair!

Been to a few dermatologists cause I worried that this could be something more serious but they didn't take it seriously or simply said that's normal or age related

which is BS. If this was age related every senior would have a full head of kinky hair.

 

I also have keratosis pilaris on the upper arms and also on other areas of the body.

I also have been noticing a tendency towards dry skin and ingrown hairs especially on the forearms since 2011. I don't know why I suddenly have this

cause I don't expose myself to much water and yet I have dry,wrinkly skin.

 

I also have issues with receeding gumline. I also gnash with my teeth at night which is why I have to wear such a plastic thing to bite on.

 

I also frequently have problems with burning eyes and my vision also gets worse especially when I have to do work on the computer or read something.

I have eye drops against burning eyes but they don't help. When I apply them before going to bed I feel like my eyes are even dryer the next morning.

 

I know from lab tests in 2009 and 2014 that supposedly I have too high oxidative stress.

When I found out about this in 2009 I started using more supplements. Before that I only took 1 gram fish oil per day and nothing else.

In 2014 I had the same test repeated and even though I was already taking a daily multi, 100 IU vitamin E, 500 gr Vitamin C and spirulina the result

was still that my oxidative stress is too high and antioxidant capacity too low. The doc I went to does these tests in his own lab and I dont know how reliable

this is.

 

I also ran 2 other tests done by a different lab. One was for "nitrosative stress" which was positive. Turns out that I obviously have elevated nitrosative stress.

This seems to be something rather extraordinary cause my intern didn't know what this is.

The doctor who ran this test also didn't know much about it or what to do about it. He simply told me to use more vitamin C and add ALA to the mix.

I googled nitrosative stress and found some concerning material obviously this is something which can cause a lot of different issues in the body.

 

I was also tested for a condition called Kryptopyrroluria. This was a urine test. And according to the results I also have this stuff.

But again the doctor couldn't really tell me much about it. He said people who have this have low B6 and zinc levels cause they excreet too much.

But I had zinc and B6 measured in the past and it was not low. So I really don't know what to think about this.

http://www.aonm.org/kpu

 

family history of disease, STD's?

 

My father also has many pains in joints especially fingers,knees,hip. He also went to rheumatologists and they found nothing but he's also 40 years older than me

and in my age he was doing much better!

My brother smokes and lives rather unhealthy and I know of no major health issues which he has.

 

When did this start?

 

I remember at 18 I noticed that I was sensitive to light. But I cannot say if this is normal or not. I only know that I noticed I cannot even look at the sky on a cloudy day with eyes open.

 

Til age 20 I was relatively okay. I already suspected hormonal issues because of being weak and having little facial hair but that was all.

 

Then at age 20 I noticed the first lipomas and also got seborrheic dermatitis which I have been having since then.

 

At age 21 I first became aware of the visual disorders, back then I only had visual snow. No blue field entoptic phenomenon, this started at age 26.

 

At age 22 I noticed the first cracking joints.

 

Around age 26 I had to quit working out because of being too fragile and having too much pain.

 

Around age 27 I noticed that the floaters had gotten a lot worse.

 

I'm 33 now.

I would say it's progressive. Over all the years I simply noticed more and more health problems.

 

 

Try to list out (neatly) everything you've ever tried (supplements/medications) that has helped/hasn't helped.

 

I cannot really name many things which clearly worked or helped. It's the same as with drugs. Usually I notice no difference

which is disappointing.

 

Stuff I tried in the past:

 

Astaxanthin 8 mg: couldn't really tell a difference or felt less fatigued

 

Evening Primrose Oil with GLA: not sure but I have the impression that during the short times where I tried EPO my joint issues got worse which I don't understand cause officially

GLA is supposed to be antiinflammatory, but due to this I always stopped taking it after a while

 

Flaxseed oil: tried this one time a few years ago and the next day I felt really bad and then I stopped. I felt totally fragile and my body was hurting. Dont know if this was a coincidence

but I didnt dare to keep taking it.

 

Ritalin for ADD: at best it gives me a little boost but it doesn't make me calmer or more concentrated, at higher doses above 20mg it also creates too many side effects

 

---

 

Stuff which I take now or have been taking for a longer time without noticing any benefits either

 

Fish Oil 1 gram daily, have been taking this for many years

 

High dosed B complex

 

Multi Vitamin

 

P5P 50 mg

 

Metafolate 400 mg (thought this might help with depression but does not, maybe also required higher doses)

 

Spirulina (only take it cause supposedly it's a super food but don't notice any benefits)

 

----

 

 

That's all I can say for now.

If you want lab reports with numbers and all that then I'd have to search them and type them into the computer. This will take quite a lot of time.

Tell me what exactly you need to know in more detail. I don't know what kind of stuff would make sense to type down and what not.

I mean typing down 8 different labs reports from the past few years where I all had low T and low LH is probably not that helpful.

 

 

 

 

Edited by mandible, 19 April 2015 - 12:01 AM.

[VerdeGo]

Thank you for your informative response. This should help fellow readers try to narrow down a few likely solutions. And I'd also like to give my hats off to Flex and AlmostEasy for their informative, sincere posts to help address your issues. They've taken valuable time out of their schedules to try to get a grip on what's going on with you. Hopefully they succeed where your local doctors have failed. 

 

Glycine is found in cartilage and skin, along with spinal fluid, and it seems to be an effective sleep aid and joint supplement. Many people take 3 grams a night for sleep, though it's not supposed to make you sedated. To my knowledge there's been no safety issues, as I wouldn't give something to my fiancee without doing my own extensive research. However I'm having trouble finding any interactions between glycine and SSRIs. That's not to say they don't exist, but remember, glycine is an inhibitory neurotransmitter. It should calm you down and help you relax and sleep. I'm not suggesting this is a cure-all, but it may improve some of your conditions in your mind and your joints. I did find an abstract (see below) on glycine and serotonin, even though the research was performed regarding schizophrenia. I'd consult with a doctor to check a more extensive database on interactions between the amino acid and SSRIs, though there's been no red flags I've come across while briefly perusing online.

 

I also checked WebMD, and the only known interaction to glycine is clozapine, a medication for schizophrenia. That's not to say an interaction isn't likely, but there's been no clinical or subjective reports I've come across, and quite a few people use this stuff. Also from their site:

 

Glycine seems to be safe for most people when taken by mouth or applied to the skin. Most people do not experience side effects, although there have been a few reports of nausea, vomiting, stomach upset, and drowsiness.

---

Oral administration of glycine increases extracellular serotonin but not dopamine in the prefrontal cortex of rats.

Bannai M1, Kawai N, Nagao K, Nakano S, Matsuzawa D, Shimizu E.

Author information

 

Abstract

AIM:

Glycine, one of the non-essential amino acids, has been reported to be effective in reducing negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Recently, we found that glycine improves subjective sleep quality in humans. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of oral glycine administration on endogenous 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and dopamine in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of living rats.

METHODS:

Microdialysis probes were inserted stereotaxically into the rat prefrontal cortex. Cortical levels of 5-HT and dopamine were measured following oral administration of 1 or 2 g/kg glycine, 2 g/kg d-serine, or 2 g/kg L-serine.

RESULTS:

Both glycine and d-serine significantly increased extracellular 5-HT levels for 10 min, whereas dopamine levels remained unchanged. L-serine, in contrast, had no significant effects on 5-HT levels.

CONCLUSIONS:

It is possible that the increase in 5-HT in response to glycine and d-serine was mediated by N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors. The transient increase in 5-HT in the PFC might be associated with the alleviation of negative symptoms in patients with schizophrenia and the amelioration of sleep quality in patients with insomnia.

© 2011 The Authors. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences © 2011 Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology.

 

[qube]

I'll try help create an anti-inflammatory gut regen guide for you.

Note that most of these things you only need to do initially. Once your gut is healed, a diet is, mostly all that is needed to maintain good gut health.

 

Start with these every day:

Prescript assist once per day.

AOR-3 x3 a day.

Primal Defense Ultra x3 a day.

Potato starch. 1/4 tablespoon a day and work your way up to 4 tablespoons. (increase dose by a 1/4 each day.)

Take these together, on an empty stomach at least an hour between meals.

 

Diet

Eliminate: Gluten. (bread,cereal, pasta..)

Eliminate: Dairy. (milk, yoghurt, cheese..)

Eliminate: Legumes and grains. (beans, lentils, peas, rice, oats, cereal..)

Eliminate: eggs and nightshades(White potatoes, tomatoes.)

Eliminate: Caffeine, alcohol.

Eliminate: Sugar. Sweets, artificial flavourings/sweeteners. Processed/junk food. Vegetable oils.

 

What to eat?

Low inflammatory foods 

Organic if possible, grass-fed meat.

Limit your carbs initially, less than 100g.

 

Starchy vegetables: Sweet potatoes. About one large sweet potato a day.

Fruit: Raw Honey(~50g) and 1/2 cup blueberries.

Meats and Fats: Chicken, beef. Chicken livers.

Coconut oil, olive oil.

Nonstarchy vegetables: Broccoli, lettuce, cabbage, celery, cucumber, garlic, mushrooms,

Fermented vegetables: Sauerkraut, beet kvass. 

 

Supplements:

For 1 month: DGL.

Homemade bone broth. 1-2 cups per day. I simply put 2 chicken carcasses in a slow cooker with water for 24 hours. .

Digestive enzhymes. Take one before meals.

HCL. For digestive support and anti-microbial effects. I recommend doctors brand 1-2 capsules just before or halfway during meals. If you have a burning sensation in your stomache when you test this supplement, stop taking it.

 

Where to buy supplements?

Search amazon and buy the qood quality brands. Also the reviews have valuable info that are worth going through. VitaCost and Iherb are alternative suppliers if Amazon does not ship to you.

 

Reintroduction:

After 2-5 months you can reintroduce milk, eggs, white potatoes, and legumes to see if you feel worse on these foods. Test each food twice, eat the food once on the first day, and once on the second day. May take 30 min - 8 hours to feel worse depending on the food and your response.

 

After your gut bacteria is mostly good, you can start slowly increasing your prebiotics:

~150-300g carbs.

~30-60g fiber.

~10-20g Resistant starch 3 (cooked and cooled potatoes, legumes)

 

 

Motivation:

 

I'm reading a lot of "because of that, but this, I can't, not sure what to eat, i'm hopeless, it's impossible, I don't know how..."

 

Get serious. Especially if you still haven't gotten your diet right.

 

YOU need to get your mindset right and take your health into your own hands.

I know it's difficult, but keep going. You will get answers and it IS possible.

 

Even if you could take a few man-made anti-inflammatories, antiobitcs, SSRI's etc that makes you feel better, do you not take it.

Get to the cause of your suffering.

 

There is nothing in this world that is more satisfying than improving your own life. 

Don't give up and keep going. Your life will be more amazing than you ever thought is possible.

This is YOUR journey that will shape you into a better person. 

 

You can do it.

 

[Flex]

5-ht6 antagonism via e.g Mianserin could be worth a try:

 

5-HT6 receptor antagonists as potential therapeutics for cognitive impairment.

..The 5-HT(6) receptor is an attractive target for the development of cognitive enhancers due to its unique localization and pharmacology.

5-HT(6) receptor antagonists have been shown to modulate multiple neurotransmitter systems and therefore enhance cognition in preclinical studies...

http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/20166958

 

Why does antagonism of 5-HT6 receptors increase dopamine/norepinephrine transmission in the prefrontal cortex?

http://www.quora.com...efrontal-cortex

 

Some general informations about Serotonine receptors

Serotonin modulation of cortical neurons and networks

http://www.ncbi.nlm....les/PMC3630391/

 

5-ht2B inhibition could be also worth a try:

Metadoxine Extended Release (MDX) for Adult ADHD

http://www.alcobra-p...roductID=142236

Edited by Flex, 19 April 2015 - 12:00 PM.

[mandible]

@ VerdeGo

 

If glycine can raise serotonin in the PFC then I'm not sure if when taken with a ssri or another serotonergic antidepressant it might not cause serotonin toxicity.

The problem is if I ask my pdoc if I can take supplemental glycine he will simply say better not take it. Docs are no help when it comes to supps.

Maybe I can check a few medical interaction databases if they have something on glycine.

 

@ Flex

 

Thanks for the links. But I'm not sure if I should pick an antidepressant only because of possible cognitive improvement. Vortioxetine supposedly also helps with cognition but

I dont know if it really does.

I googled Mianserin and read that it's not first choice because it can cause some lifethreatening complications which sound scary. I don't know if I'd want to take this and if it would even be

fit for me. Like I said I cannot only focus on possible cognitive benefits of a drug.

 

@ qube

 

I have a few questions.

1) I'm not sure if I could even get all these supplements here in Europe. Ordering supps from the US isn't possible they will not make it through the customs. That's already a problem.

2) Switching to such a super strict diet in my situation where I already have a lot of stress and stuff going on would create even more mental stress and I'd feel even more overextended.

I mean basically everything I eat and drink is forbidden. I couldnt even stop drinking coffee. I dont see how I'm supposed to do this. Cutting out the alc is already a problem but coffee would

be an even bigger problem.

Or what happens if I try to follow such a diet but not entirely or what if I have days where I eat something forbidden? What would happen then? Would it ruin all the benefits?

When I'm confronted with such super strict diets I simply become afraid cause it's so overwhelming and then I have no motivation.

 

What about fruits are they forbidden too? Bananas and stuff like that?

 

I wouldnt even know what to eat in the morning! I mean not even eggs are allowed. Where shall I get my protein? Shall I eat steak in the morning?

I really wouldn't even know what to eat all day. Especially in the morning I cannot eat something like meat or stuff which you usually have for dinner or lunch.

In the morning I usually need something sweet but I don't want to eat cake so I settled for oats and whey protein. I guess whey protein is also forbidden.

Honestly I don't see how I'm supposed to pull this off especially in my current situation where I have so many things on my mind that I really can't think about food all day cause that would be too much.

Then I'd be even closer to a mental breakdown.

 

Small changes in diet would be possible but not something like this. But if small changes don't work or will not have any benefit then I dont know what to do.

 

My mom also cooks stuff like meat and potatoes frequently. If not even normal potatoes are allowed then she wouldn't know what to cook anymore. I mean I cant expect her to cook

something special for me. I'm sure my parents wouldn't have much understanding for this and it would lead to conflicts.

I have tried sweet potatoes in the past and they're very expensive here and I also don't really like them. One time I even puked after eating one cause of the sweet taste.

 

I also cannot afford buying organic veggies. WAY too expensive. And I dont have an organic butcher. I dont know what the pigs and cows eat I assume it's not grass fed.

And stuff like celery is very high in pesticides from what I heard so I dont even eat it. I mean why eat something which I know is high in pesticides? Then eating is probably

worse than not eating.

 

I like sauerkraut but the problem is that it damages my teeth. Recently I eat unpasteurized sauerkraut and my teeth totally started to hurt. I am afraid that the acid is bad for the teeth. And since I gnash with my teeth at night they are already damaged. I dont know if I can even eat sauerkraut anymore which really sucks cause this would have been a good

probiotic.

 

I also wouldn't know what to do with those veggies. What do I do with lettuce? How do I prepare it? I'd have no idea.

I mean I'd needed something like a cooking course in order to even get ideas what to do with this stuff.

 

Or what if I'm actually allergic to certain foods? For example what if my body doesn't tolerate certain veggies and I heavily rely on them every day would this

not be bad? But how shall I know if I tolerate a food or not?

 

I have tried eating pure garlic and it instantly creates a strong burning in the stomach. I now mic crushed garlic into tomatoe soups this way it's more diluted but I also don't know

how much garlic one can safely eat. I read that it can actually burn holes into the stomach when you use it too much or undiluted.

But tomatoe soup would also not be allowed anylonger.

 

 

Edited by mandible, 19 April 2015 - 04:34 PM.

[Tianeptine236]

Tianeptine will reverse cognitive deficits caused by chronic stress, depression and anxiety, just take it at the normal dose - 12.5 - 3 times a day. Don't exceed that dose, it is unexplored territory and might cause paradoxical effects after a while.

 

 

Edited by Tianeptine236, 19 April 2015 - 04:35 PM.

[mandible]

Tianeptine will cure cognitive impairment caused by chronic stress, depression and anxiety, just take it at the normal dose - 12.5 - 3 times a day. Don't exceed that dose, it is unexplored territory and might cause paradoxical effects after a while.

 

I tried it for like 4 weeks. 12.5 x 3 daily.

Didn't help with depression. I also read it's not good if you have ocd which I have.

I definitely didnt notice any instant effects like other people.

When I ran out of pills I stopped cause I also felt more depressed at that time dont know if it was because of it or not.

[Flex]

I really dont want to perusade You, so this is my last comment in regards of Mianserine:

It doesnt seem to me that it causes siginifictant cardiac side effects

Antidepressant Use and Risk of Out-of-Hospital  Cardiac Arrest: A Nationwide Case–Time–Control  Study

http://www.isdbweb.o...067d9035f48.pdf

 

I´m taking Mirtazapine for 3 Years and dont have any issues with it.

 

I know that Mirta.. is not the same as Mina.. but according to wiki the list of side effects for the former is somewhat big and I didnt experienced any big ones nor did an EKG check showed any abnormalies

1 1/2 years ago.

 

Last thoughts:

It is an antidepressant (but with out increasing that much Serotonine. Noradrenaline is somewhat lower compared to e.g. Venlaflaxine), but Amphetamine is also one and Antipsychotics are used for treatment ressitant depression (e.g. amisulpride).

Depernyl could be used off-label as an antidepressant, so if e.g. depernyl shows siginficant properties for depression, it could be approved for depression and then re-named as antidepressant.

Edited by Flex, 19 April 2015 - 05:38 PM.

[Tianeptine236]

 

Tianeptine will cure cognitive impairment caused by chronic stress, depression and anxiety, just take it at the normal dose - 12.5 - 3 times a day. Don't exceed that dose, it is unexplored territory and might cause paradoxical effects after a while.

 

I tried it for like 4 weeks. 12.5 x 3 daily.

Didn't help with depression. I also read it's not good if you have ocd which I have.

I definitely didnt notice any instant effects like other people.

When I ran out of pills I stopped cause I also felt more depressed at that time dont know if it was because of it or not.

 

I'm sorry to hear that. ~10% of people have trouble metabolizing opoioids (don't know if this applies to tianeptine). That could be it. The newest theory is that all the clinical beneficial effects of tianeptine (good mood,anxiolysis,glutamate modulation,dopamine increase,bdnf increase etc.) occur in a domino like fashion from activating the MOR opioid receptors and much less so the DOR receptors.

 

I'm very sorry to hear it didn't work for you after 4 weeks, maybe you require a higher dose - though i would not experiment with that. As far as i know this is the only compound that has been proven time and time again in rats/mice/ tree shrews and humans to get the brain back to normal and then some (enhance it's function) after chronic stress,depression or anxiety. It is also neuroprotective in many ways, including chronic stress and depression.

 

 

Edited by Tianeptine236, 20 April 2015 - 05:34 AM.

[YimYam]

I do believe that I have ADD without hyperactivity

 

It first started with cracking knees or even cracking bones in my toes when walking.

 

I also can easily can pain my other parts of the body without much effort. For example wringing out a wet shirt causes pain in the wrists and forearms. It's simply absurd.

 

 

I got knee pains and shoulder pains and also muscles and tendons started to hurt. I felt like I am simply too fragile

to work out it was totally depressing and I really didnt lift heavy cause I have not much strength.

 

I also have pain in both shoulders and they hurt at night 

 

I first became aware of the visual disorders, back then I only had visual snow. 

 

 

 

 

 

I know that I have hyperstretchy skin. Been to a few dermatologists. One scared me and told me it could be a genetic collagen defect like EDS

but another one said it's still in the "norm".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Messed up the quoting but everything quoted I have aswell mate. I've not had as much extensive testing with specialists as you but I have all these symptoms and have had many different blood tests to check for chronic disease and no abnormalities have come up... If you want to drop me a PM I can try and give you some ideas and it would be nice to speak with someone with a similar array of issues. 

 

 

 

 

[mandible]

Hi guys,

just a short note. I don't know when I'll be able to reply again with a bit more time. At the moment I'm ultra depressed and totally overwhelmed with problems.

 

@ yimyam

 

You mean you have the same symptoms I have or different ones?

 

@ tianeptine 236

 

I don't know why it didnt help me. I heard tianeptine isnt good for people with ocd and I have ocd. I mean tianeptine does the opposite of a ssri.

I emailed the company which produces tianeptine and they told me that it's not for people with ocd. So maybe for me it would only make issues worse.

While I took it I also went thru a strong depression.

 

@ flex

 

Thanks for your efforts but I dont even think I can get whatever drug I would like to try. I am very frustrated with my pdoc. He's not open to my suggestions and wishes at all.

I feel like I have bet on the wrong horse and lots precious time by going to a doctor who's not good. And now I don't know who to go next. I am really totally discouraged. I'm just sick of it.

Life's a senseless struggle. I dont know how to keep going on with this shit.

Edited by mandible, 21 April 2015 - 10:23 PM.

[xls]

Going against the grain on this one:

 

I think you should stop worrying about fixing yourself and getting lost in chasing specific diets and regimes. Before you try all this stuff, just allow yourself to stop worrying about it and focus more on your life and things you want to do and actually doing them. If you still don't like how you feel, come back to this stuff and try to find a specific health regime that works for you.

[AlmostEasy]

Going against the grain on this one:

I think you should stop worrying about fixing yourself and getting lost in chasing specific diets and regimes. Before you try all this stuff, just allow yourself to stop worrying about it and focus more on your life and things you want to do and actually doing them. If you still don't like how you feel, come back to this stuff and try to find a specific health regime that works for you.

When you feel like he does and I can relate I think there is no focusing on life, there is no focus and there is no life.

Minor relief from anything that works is huge and wherever you can find that relief is your focus.

Keep on chuggin man, hopefully you can find some peace

[mandible]

@ almost easy

 

What is this? First you act like you want to help me and I reply to all your questions which took me over 1 hour and now you simply give up? Thanks a lot for wasting my time!

This is an absolutely unfair behavior. I wasn't asking for help you offered help and wasted my time.

[YOLF]

Maybe he expended all of the areas where he was knowledgeable enough to help?

[mandible]

I doubt this is the reason. First of all if he doesn't know anything then he also should not act like he can help and then ask

tons of questions!!

And even if he had realized later on that he can't help he could at least have had the decency to say that instead of simply

saying nothing at all. This is no game.

I have experienced this many times. Today many people offer help and don't even really mean it and then they simply let you down.

It's just sad.

Edited by mandible, 29 April 2015 - 01:25 AM.