LONGECITY

I used to have serious kurt cobainish mystery problems with my stomach. Basically both stomach and throat reflux - imagine waking up with half digested food in your mouth every morning. Plus, never knowing what you could eat that might make you so ill you couldn't get out of bed. Basically, bread was the only thing I could be sure of. It would make it worse sometimes, but in the short term it would fill my stomach up and kind of absorb all the acid or something. All drugs made it worse, some supplements helped a bit, but generally not much.

Like a lot of people with similar issues, there was no known reason for it. I spent thousands of dollars and went to great lengths to find an answer, but none was forthcoming. It would be better at times, worse other times, but basically it's unlivable when it's bad. I had actually planned to kill myself if I didn't get some relief from it.

Luckily, long after I'd given up on finding any sort of treatment aside from eating VERY carefully (which didn't stop it but did make it more bearable) my problems started to abate. This was right around when I started trying to find ADD supplements. I suspected something was helping, and ashwagandha seemed like the mostly likely suspect, but I thought it could also be coincidence or else being generally healthier or happier as well. Lately I have been bad about taking my supplements, and the problems have come back...however, when I take ashwagandha, I now see relief within half an hour and my problems are now getting under control again. I used to take it one time a day, 500mg or so, but now I take it right before bed, too, and plan to do so forever.

I just thought I'd share this because it's something I stumbled upon and I have never seen any other research suggesting it for these problems. I'm just one case so who knows whether this will work for anyone else, let alone what the mechanism is, but I know when you get in that situation you are desperate for an answer. So, maybe posting this will help someone searching google for reflux cures some day.

I love ashwaghanda, it helps with so many different things.

I had severe difficulty with finding the right words to use, putting sentences together, and just a general weird confused feeling when talking. Ashwaghanda eliminated that. Great herb.

I'm pretty sure that the mechanism by which it worked is that it increased the amount of GABA, since ashwaghanda is a natural GABA agonist. GABA agonists are commonly used to treat GERD. By increasing GABA you calm the GI tract, nervous system, and brain. Ashwaghanda will also normalize the hormones cortisol, epinepherine, and norepinepherine -- which when raised will route the blood away from the digestive system leading to symptoms that you were experiencing.

How did Ashwaghanda work for the ADD?

And does anyone know if it's safe to take Ashwaghanda with Tyrosine?

*I also sometimes take Theanine before bed. Can I still take it with the above two?

I am thinking it's anxiolytic, too. Not sure what ashwagandha does with GABA, but it does seem to have a lotof good effects without any bad ones.


j033 - I think it has some subtle benefit. It keeps me from getting frustrated quite so much, maybe. Not much works directly on attention aside from stims, though I do feel like ALCAR is like a stimulant.

I am thinking it's anxiolytic, too. Not sure what ashwagandha does with GABA, but it does seem to have a lotof good effects without any bad ones.


j033 - I think it has some subtle benefit. It keeps me from getting frustrated quite so much, maybe. Not much works directly on attention aside from stims, though I do feel like ALCAR is like a stimulant.

do you think your stomach problem is autoimmune related? do you have any other issues like crohns or diverticulosis?

i know someone else with a similar mystery stomach problem and that is the nature of their issue. maybe i'll get them some ashwagandha.

thx for posting your experience.
Edited by prophets, 25 March 2009 - 10:57 AM.

People with adhd often have gastro-intestinal problems. I am starting to feel quacky about it and side with some doctors that adhd maybe worstened if not caused, by other biological functions such as G.I. issues.

I take ashwaganda and I love it. It makes me sleep a ton, but thats fine, I could use it sometimes. If you want to improve the affects that ashwaganda has on your digestion, practice mindful eating. Basically, don't watch tv or do anything else while eating and make sure you are relaxed. It will help with making sure that you are chewing your food up properly, which is something that I had to learn to do since I had a tendancy to eat on the go and swallow my food whole.

I had some issues with gastritis and GERD before but was totally cured by using Manuka Honey for months. Not regular honey. It really does work amazingly well, and I've recommended it to other people and they've had very good success with it too.

Cuil,
You wrote that it makes you sleep alot. Do you take it at night, then?
Thanks.

It sounds like OP has some underlying stomach issue that ashwagandha is treating the symptoms of and cause of. I would look into celiac disease. 1/133 have it, 1/4300 are diagnosed. Also, crohns disease and colitis could be other candidates.

That's an interesting benefit from ashwaganda.

When I tried it I took too high a dose and it made me lazy and unmotivated. Too much ashwaganda can have the opposite effect sometimes.

I doubt that I have crohns because it has specific symptom set. I might have celiac, but it seems like bread is the food I tolerate the best so that also seems unlikely. It's probably somehow anxiety related, though I am not someone who has a LOT of anxiety compared to many.

4eva - its more a relaxant than anything. I doubt it will motivate anyone to do anything besides sleep. It is nice to have stuff like that while on stims or snris etc., though.

I've taken some in the past but not noticed any effects, including alleviation of GERD (now controlled with limonene.) Manuka Honey, BTW, was tasty but didn't much help my GI issues. Perhaps I used an ineffective form? What brands/sources for ashwagandha are people finding effective?

Thanks.

I use Rowse Active Manuka Honey

http://www.rowsehone...a-honey-science

Oh, and I ordered some of that honey but forgot to mention it. Interesting product. If nothing else, honey is always good.

I recommend eating nothing but meats fruits and veggies for at least a week and see how you fare, then slowly add things back into your diet.

One thing I will say about ashwagandha is its effects on my bowel movements. I don't mean to gross anyone out, but since taking it (bacopa did the same thing) my stools don't make the toilet water as cloudy as before, and I actually feel better after using the restroom. I really can't explain it because I am not a doctor, but it definitely seems to help with some subtle digestion issues.

People with adhd often have gastro-intestinal problems. I am starting to feel quacky about it and side with some doctors that adhd maybe worstened if not caused, by other biological functions such as G.I. issues.

Add me to the duck pond too. After a few days on Now candida clear I find a very mild background anxiety I've had forever not to be there anymore.

StephenB