34 replies to this topic

[ViolettVol]

So I'm a 27 year old female with clinical depression and anxiety. I want to alleviate the symptoms of my psychological conditions and also protect myself from aging on the outside as well as inside.The stress and anxiety have done a number on my skin, so I want to take supplements to make it more youthful and stop visible aging for as long as possible. Call me your case study becasue I am going to try various stuff to see what works and what doesnt and report on my progress. I would also very much appreciate your input since I am new here and relatively new to supplements, so please comment on my regimen:)
Here it is:
For depression/anxiety
zoloft, one tablet daily
Tranxene (dikalli clorazepas) 5 mg daily, in the evening
magnesium B6
in case of insomnia 5-10 mg zolpidem

For skin/cell renewal:
Vitamin E
L-cysteine
L-carnosine
L-lysine
Alpha-lipoic-acid
L-ornithin
Astaxanthin
Omega 3
Q10
Evening Primrose Oil

I also plan to add grapeseed extract and green tea extract.
Thoughts?

[ViolettVol]

bump? nobody has anything to contribute? I really need help with this because the research I've done so far has made me confused?:(

[niner]

I'm glad you bumped this, Violett; I'd intended to reply but lost track of your post. Your psych meds seem fine; you might find a slight mood boost from the green tea extract that you're thinking of adding, if it's a higher dose. (don't exceed 800mg due to small risk of liver damage) You didn't mention how much of each thing you're taking; that can make a big difference. There are some things that you should add for skin health that would probably make a significant difference. Bioavailable silicon, either BioSil or JarrowSil. BioSil has a record of documented improvement in skin quality. Gelatin, bought in bulk and added to smoothies, sprinkled on food, or made into Jello will provide the unusual mix of amino acids that are needed for collagen synthesis. This is cheap and many people find it very effective. I'm not sure of the appropriate dose there; probably something in the 5-15 gm/day range, but you might want to do some research on it. As with everything, it's best not to overdo. The number one thing on your skin care list should be a good UVA sunscreen. Use it every day, along with sensible sun avoidance. Unless you're using it topically, I doubt that you need the Q10 at your age. Is the astaxanthin oral or topical? This and related carotenoids have documented benefit for skin. I'm using 20mg/d lutein orally at the moment, though the small but real cancer increase from oral carotenoids concerns me, and I'll probably cut back or stop, particularly in the winter months. Carnosine is great; it's a cornerstone of my regimen. The other amino acids on your list are not the first thing that I'd look at. You are missing supplemental vitamin D3. You should probably be taking 2000 IU/d in an oil-based (softgel) formulation. How's your diet? As you get older, it will be more and more beneficial to adopt a paleo diet. You needn't be extreme or religious about it; just cut back on sugar and grains, eat more non-starchy vegetables, and increase the healthy fat in your diet. Healthy in this context means avoid the industrial seed oils that are high in omega 6 polyunsaturates. Use olive oil, coconut oil, and even animal fats. Is your omega 3 fish oil, or some other kind? Fish oil is something I would recommend to everyone, but I would limit it to 2 grams/day or less.

Keep us posted on your results. With the right diet and regimen, you'll get healthier and prettier, and that works wonders for depression. BTW, I didn't mention exercise... what are you doing there?

[tintinet]

Just a caveat: green tea extract gives me extreme anxiety. I'm not alone in this response.

[nupi]

Skin: I agree on the sunscreen (seeing that you live in the UK, give Boots Soltan SPF 50 Face a try, it's incredibly cheap, has good UVA and UVB filters and I find it to be nicer to apply than most of the expensive stuff like Anthelios or La Roche Posay).Then there's always the somewhat more extreme measures of getting topical retinoids and/or CE Ferulic serum. Both are not exactly cheap, though (plus the useful retinoids are prescription drugs due to the somewhat problematical side effect profile). (Check the Skin & Hair forum for some excellent resources)

For anxiety you could consider Theanine but personally I have founds its effects to be pretty weak. I am still trying to decide whether Ashwaghanda works in that regard.

[ViolettVol]

Thank you so much for all your input! I've heard a lot about the benefts of Biosil, hoewver I'm not based in UK (was there temporarily), so I'd have to order it to Poland. In my country we have something called Silica Duo which contains 40 mg of allegedly highly bioavailable silica from bamboo extract. We'll see.
As to the amounts I'm taking, here they are:

Omega 3 - 1000 mg capsule once or twice daily
Evening primrose oil - 1000 mg once daily(which also has 10 mgs of vitamin E)
L-Carnosine - 500 mg daily
Vitamin A and E compplex (10 mg vitamin E, 300µ vitamin A)
Astaxanthin 4 mg (it has 10 mg of E too...)
L- cysteine 500 mg
L-lysine 500 mg
L-ornithine 500 mg
Lutein- 60 mg
q 10 - 30 mg
Vitamin c - 120 mg
I'm using a zinc oxide sunscreen Burnout sun with a moisturizer underneath.
I must look into the vit d supplements and the grapeseed extract. supplement.

I'm also using the cronometer to establish which stuff i geting enough of and which i need to supplement. I'm not strictly CR yet, some days I eat way below my targrt amount of calories, someties a little above, but I always supplement and eliminate any junk

Any further advice?
Yup, my omega 3 is from fish oil
I'm confused about gelatin - do I buy this ina food store - the regular type they sell there or order it somewhere online? In my country gellatin is usually used to make meat dishes and as an additive to jello.

[ViolettVol]

bump?
I added the amounts of the supps I'm taking, coudld use advice on twitching them and have questions about gelatin. Where does one buy it> in my country its sold as powder ro add to fruit jellys and meat jellys, is that the same thing? I also read its available in pill forms, which ones do you recommend?

[1kgcoffee]

Have you considered starting on CRON? That'll work better than anything.

-You don't need Q10.
-Any excess omega 3 could oxidize and lead to more damage than good. Eating salmon 1-2x a week is enough.
-Can't comment too much on amino acids, other than lysine which I like.
-What kind of vitamin A are you taking? Fat soluble retinol can lead to fractures and cancer. Veggies with a little bit fat provide all that you need.
-Topical vitamin E cream is effective (gives me headaches). But you don't want to be taking generic vitamin E orally. If you must, take a good full spectrum brand like Jarrow FamilE.
-Astaxanthin is great at 4-8mg but that sure is a lot of lutein you are taking.
-If you can, switch ALA with RLA. Lipoic acid can chelate copper which may cause colour loss in hair + frizzing.
-Where is the vitamin K on your list?
-Grape seed is good stuff.
-Consider taking cinnamon verum for anti-glycation. If you don't mind slight elevation of cancer risk, Benfotiamine works really well.
-manganese and a good selenium complex are essential for making SOD.
-Thought about adaptogens, ie Rhodiola or Ashwaganda?
-PABA is good for darkening hair and sun protection
-You don't need vitamin C
-Phosphatidyl Serine is expensive but may help with mood/anxiety/stress. Really good stuff and worth a shot
-Passionflower extract is good for stress.

For skin, I like cocoa butter and NOW brand aloe vera

A good place to buy supplements is iherb.com

[1kgcoffee]

Another thing came to mind the other day... pantothenic acid. Cheap and effective.

[hippocampus]

I wouldn't mix rhodiola and an SSRI, the mechanism of rhodiola is not well understood. what about psychotherapy, meditation?

[ViolettVol]

I wouldn't mix rhodiola and an SSRI, the mechanism of rhodiola is not well understood. what about psychotherapy, meditation?

I've tried psychotherapy and meditation, it didn;t work very well. Maybe I didn;t focus on it as much as I shoudl have, but now I se that the main cause of my anxietieds is aging of me, of thoise around me, the opportunities fading away and me just running around, not knowing how to satch them all and stop my face rom looking like a prune. It's so depressing:( I'm going back to psychotherapy again just to see if this time it might work - I need to kill the stress if I am ever to hope to look as young as possible for as long as possible and beyond.

I also need a recommendation fro a med /supplement thatwill help me feel more positive, less anxious on a daily basis - I wake up and my hands are shaking, my heart is thumping in my chest and throat and no matter what meds i take they dont help or help only temporarily. I realy react badly to bezos or none st all. The only thing that calms me is ambien at night, but I can;t very well just love bearably for half an hour before falling asleep and then wake up to the same horror in my mind.... Please can anyone help me?" I'm really at my wts end, I cry all the time, I just cn't stop worrying and my strength seems to be seeoping away...

Edited by ViolettVol, 25 September 2011 - 01:45 PM.

[niner]

I've tried psychotherapy and meditation, it didn;t work very well. Maybe I didn;t focus on it as much as I shoudl have, but now I se that the main cause of my anxietieds is aging of me, of thoise around me, the opportunities fading away and me just running around, not knowing how to satch them all and stop my face rom looking like a prune. It's so depressing:( I'm going back to psychotherapy again just to see if this time it might work - I need to kill the stress if I am ever to hope to look as young as possible for as long as possible and beyond.

I also need a recommendation fro a med /supplement thatwill help me feel more positive, less anxious on a daily basis - I wake up and my hands are shaking, my heart is thumping in my chest and throat and no matter what meds i take they dont help or help only temporarily. I realy react badly to bezos or none st all. The only thing that calms me is ambien at night, but I can;t very well just love bearably for half an hour before falling asleep and then wake up to the same horror in my mind.... Please can anyone help me?" I'm really at my wts end, I cry all the time, I just cn't stop worrying and my strength seems to be seeoping away...

I'm sorry you're feeling so bad Violett, it shouldn't be that way. There are supplements that could probably help some and aren't dangerous, like magnesium and fish oil, but I wouldn't expect any miracles from that sort of thing. It sounds like you have some serious anxiety; if I were having symptoms like yours I would first get in touch with a psychiatrist rather than a psychologist, so that you can start getting the physical symptoms under control. In concert with that, taking another pass at some psychotherapy would be my next move. It's distressing to see the first signs of aging, I know. It's worse for a woman, too. However, there are things you can do about your health and those signs of aging, so you don't have to just accept whatever nature dishes out. One of the goals of psychotherapy would be to help you cope with the minor signs of aging without it causing you so much pain. One of the things that you can find on this forum are ways to address the visual signs of aging so they just aren't as bad. Check out our Skin and Hair forum; there's a lot there. Also look at the rest of the Lifestyle topics. Nutrition and Exercise are an essential part of beauty.

[Thorsten3]

For the skin:

coconut oil
Schizandra
cacao (if you can tolerate it)
drink lots of water
cut down on cooked food and eat a more raw based diet
lots of fruit

for the stress/depression.... give rhodiola a go

[Thorsten3]

Being in such a poor state of mind is not normal really... You may have a severe allergic reaction to certain foods. Wheat and dairy can be very problematic for the human gut and wreck havoc with mental health.

Get a food allergy test done. Once you're aware of what to avoid do that and then stay away from those foods. See how you feel. I had one done myself recently and I was allergic to wheat, yeast, sugar (processed), caffeine, alcohol, barley and a very slight reaction to apples (of all things). Dairy seems to sit well with me but I don't always take it beause dairy contains opiod peptides (other brain zapping stuff).

Once you've done that, if you still feel bad I'd recommend getting a hormonal check done.

Hope that helps and get well soon.

[pycnogenol]

For the skin, I suggest using Na-PCA

http://www.iherb.com...37-ml/2419?at=0

[Want_more_hair]

I find taurine to help sleep and I used this to help me wean off benzos. Just saying this out loud in case you want an alternative to zolpidem.

[JChief]

Uridine!! TAU 50mg with food in the AM. You are already taking fish oil to provide DHA and it exhibits antidepressant activity that I and many others have noticed. Quite remarkable and a natural addition to your stack. There is a thread on it started by Mr Happy which by now I'm sure you may have seen. Lots of studies but here's just one. I would also look into creatine monohydrate 5g in the AM as well (study)

Edited by JChief, 07 December 2011 - 02:32 PM.

[Thorsten3]

Ah another fan of Uridine I really got to try that soon

I thought I'd mention something else amazing I have recently discovered. L-Methyl Folate. It has literally fixed my depression after years of screwing myself over. The pain has been unbearable and I don't want this to sound like an old cliche but it has been like someone flipping a switch.

I wake up each morning... Happy!!! Optimistic and positive. Why the fuck this is I really don't know. Whatever it is doing it is something beyond my comprehension of understanding. It must be more than a methylation thing... I don't buy that, there must be something else at play. But yeah, I'm not very pharmacalogically minded so I wouldn't know to be honest.

L Methyl Folate in higher doses is known as deplin and is available on prescription in some places. BUT.... They sell the generic form (10mg) on iherb as well as Solgar that sell it in 800mcg tablets.

Give it a try. The amazing thing is this stuff actually works long term. It doesn't stop working, it's a more bioavailable form of folate that your body can use to produce serotonin, dopamine and norepenephrine. A lot of people use it to augment their antidepressants but I have found it sufficient on its own and hence I have stopped taking my 1.25mg of Lexapro. I just don't need it anymore.

Just thought I'd mention my experience, maybe it's something to try? 800cmg isn't going to do nothing. Some people take about 3.2mg (like me) whereas others are at doses more towards the 10mg end of the scale (Deplin users).

[niner]

have stopped taking my 1.25mg of Lexapro. I just don't need it anymore.

Thorsten, I'm glad that you found such a great solution. I was just wondering about the Lexapro dose- 1.25mg? Does it even come in that small of a pill? If you were really taking that little Lexapro, you probably didn't need it in the first place... (Unless it was part of a multi-drug regime, where micro-doses of ssris might be used)

[Thorsten3]

have stopped taking my 1.25mg of Lexapro. I just don't need it anymore.

Thorsten, I'm glad that you found such a great solution. I was just wondering about the Lexapro dose- 1.25mg? Does it even come in that small of a pill? If you were really taking that little Lexapro, you probably didn't need it in the first place... (Unless it was part of a multi-drug regime, where micro-doses of ssris might be used)

Hi Niner. Not sure if you read the M&M forums that much but there are some great posters over there who know alot about the pharmacology of drugs like SSRIs. The basic belief over there is that SSRIs are overdosed to many people. I can only agree with this if using myself as an example. Anything above 1.25mg of Lexapro gives me unbearable emotional flattening. I will be in a room full of people and I literally don't even care what they are talking about, it's like it's not even in my interests to participate in the conversation around me. 1.25mg is extremely small but still gives me the benefits of stress protection, sigma1 agonsim (it's a very chilled out SSRI), less OCD and makes me feel more confident. All other SSRIs are wrong for me as they either produce horrific agitation or just make me feel like crap. Lexapro seems to be the cleanest and that seems to also be the case with studies too. Lexapro is notorious for being more kind to the male tool ( a huge + for male wellbeing). My sex drive is not a problem for me on anything up to 2.5mg of Lexapro.

For the micro doses I invested in a pill crusher. Then I chopped up the doses into 1.25mg increments (they came in 20mg pills so just a case of dividing and dividing) with a credit card, rolled them into cigeratte papers and then taken as and when needed. I'm not sure if Lexapro is soluble in water but it did cross my mind that I could also try this method and then syringe the required amounts.

I have to say that with my line of work I always need an element of stress protection. SSRIs in these lower doses have helped immensely for a lot of my symptons, but they are far from perfect. Tianeptine is actually the ultimate drug I ever come across with regards to stress protection but it also paradoxilly turned me into an empotional train wreck (So I'd react to things with the smallest amount of provokation but feel fine whilst doing it - whereas normally I'd crumble and start physically shaking - so Tianeptine is definitely efficicious for stress protection but also makes me extremely irritable).
The micro dose Lexapro made me feel more confident and assertive but also made me feel less interested in socializing with people - basically I have no interest in seeking social reward on this drug and through my experiences that pretty much goes for all the SSRIs.

Since giving up the 1.25mg Lexapro I am noticing how much more human I am feeling and I have to say I wouldn't be able to do this without this Methyl Folate. Honestly It's just incredible the transformation it has had for me.

[StarMitten20818]

Ashwaghanda upon waking and before lunch; Rhodiola Rosea after breakfeast and after lunch; Bacopa Monnierri before supper :~750mg...before bed 1.5g. Give bacopa ~3 months +/- 2 weeks and it will balance out your serotonin in tandem with ash and rod...imho

Also a huge heaping tablespoon of milk thistle mixed in with whatever you want; shake, food, water - whatever - will do anything but hurt. I ran out of my 125 gram tub and i miss it zo.

Edited by moltiube, 14 December 2011 - 06:33 PM.

[Jr Cauton]

That's awesome that you found a supplement that actually works for your depression. I might have to try that one. What brand did you buy?

Ah another fan of Uridine I really got to try that soon

I thought I'd mention something else amazing I have recently discovered. L-Methyl Folate. It has literally fixed my depression after years of screwing myself over. The pain has been unbearable and I don't want this to sound like an old cliche but it has been like someone flipping a switch.

I wake up each morning... Happy!!! Optimistic and positive. Why the fuck this is I really don't know. Whatever it is doing it is something beyond my comprehension of understanding. It must be more than a methylation thing... I don't buy that, there must be something else at play. But yeah, I'm not very pharmacalogically minded so I wouldn't know to be honest.

L Methyl Folate in higher doses is known as deplin and is available on prescription in some places. BUT.... They sell the generic form (10mg) on iherb as well as Solgar that sell it in 800mcg tablets.

Give it a try. The amazing thing is this stuff actually works long term. It doesn't stop working, it's a more bioavailable form of folate that your body can use to produce serotonin, dopamine and norepenephrine. A lot of people use it to augment their antidepressants but I have found it sufficient on its own and hence I have stopped taking my 1.25mg of Lexapro. I just don't need it anymore.

Just thought I'd mention my experience, maybe it's something to try? 800cmg isn't going to do nothing. Some people take about 3.2mg (like me) whereas others are at doses more towards the 10mg end of the scale (Deplin users).

[Thorsten3]

My response has since been reduced but there are still solid benefits. The thing that pissed me off the most about my depression is the rummination aspect that would be in full swing as I awoke each day. I would wake up feeling like I wanted to kill people. This would always set the tone for my day. I would feel calmer at night time but of course then had problems sleeping. All classic symptons of someone who is depressed.

L Methyl Folate no longer boosts my mood it just seems to calm my brain down a lot. I have also started taking methylcobabalim and this seems to be helping even further in that it is helping my sleep a lot.

LMF is used to augment antidepressants (known as Deplin). It works well with SSRIs (combats the apathy if you take something as dull as Lexapro) and recently seems to be working well with my current antidepressant agomelatine.

If you go to iherb you can buy 800mcg tabs from Solgar or there is a 10mg generic brand that is a lot cheaper than Deplin. I currently take 5 800mcg tabs (for a 4mg dose) because when I tried the 10mg dose it seemed like too much.

[chainwheel]

at the risk of sounding like a prophet for B-3 (niacin).. The kind that makes you flush if administered in mega doses of like 3000 mg a day is a strong anti-depressant. you can research this online. http://www.doctoryou...cinreviews.html http://www.doctoryou...com/niacin.html is one source.. there are others sites that mention this as well. Niacin is generally safe if you have no liver issues.

[Steve_86]

-You don't need Q10.

Whats wrong with Q10?

[1kgcoffee]

She's too young to benefit from it.

[Steve_86]

She's too young to benefit from it.

I'm almost 26 years old and have a very strong history of heart issues on my fathers side of the family. I have been taking CoQ10 hoping that it will help protect me from issues with my heart. Considering my situation,do you still think it's a waste of time because of my age?

Edited by Steve_86, 09 March 2012 - 07:47 PM.

[1kgcoffee]

She's too young to benefit from it.

I'm almost 26 years old and have a very strong history of heart issues on my fathers side of the family. I have been taking CoQ10 hoping that it will help protect me from issues with my heart. Considering my situation,do you still think it's a waste of time because of my age?

Do you have any heart issues? Maybe in your case it's worth taking a small dose to hedge your bet. Magnesium and l-carnitine are also worth putting on the list.

[Steve_86]

She's too young to benefit from it.

I'm almost 26 years old and have a very strong history of heart issues on my fathers side of the family. I have been taking CoQ10 hoping that it will help protect me from issues with my heart. Considering my situation,do you still think it's a waste of time because of my age?

Do you have any heart issues? Maybe in your case it's worth taking a small dose to hedge your bet. Magnesium and l-carnitine are also worth putting on the list.

None as yet. The heart issues on my fathers side are primarily electrical heart block (3rd degree/complete from memory). I have been trying to research supplements which might help prevent heart block / electrical issues with the heart but have not had much luck yet.

I already take 600mg magnesium malate daily and low dose ALCAR.

[Amantine]

I went through something similar after using birth control pills. I used the following:

- glycine powder
- inositol powder (this works really well!)
- magnesium 400mg
- fish oil
- b complex
- taurine

Do your symptoms change with your cycle at all? If they seem linked then the problem could very well be hormonal.
In that case you might benefit from adding some Vitex (chaste berry) , some DIM (Diindolylmethane), some Evening Primrose oil, some B6 and possibly some calcium. Also having the right D3 levels is crucial for hormonal health
If your body fat is low, you could be low on oestrogen and if you don't eat regularly, hypoglycemia could also ad to the problem.
Do you get enough daylight? Get enough tryptophan?

Does anyone know if magnesium malate is the best form of magnesium for anxiety/heart issues? I always thought it was for fibromyalgia/fatigue.