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How to reduce glutamate levels in the brain?

Messages
98
I have high levels of glutamate and dopamine in the brain and my doctor recommended theanine to reduce it. However, theanine interferes with my sleep (even small amounts taken in the morning) -- I don't go into deep sleep all night.

Does anyone know of something that reduces glutamate in the brain? I asked my doctor about taurine and he said it doesn't work anywhere near as well as theanine.

I'm also wondering if I could take something with the theanine to prevent the sleep problem. It says on the bottle that it increases alpha waves (maybe those are the ones that help you feel alert), so maybe something that decreases alpha waves or increases the deep sleep waves (Delta?).
 
Messages
15,786
Does anyone know of something that reduces glutamate in the brain? I asked my doctor about taurine and he said it doesn't work anywhere near as well as theanine.
N-acetylcysteine + glycine can combine with glutamate to make glutathione, using up some of the glutamate in the process. NAC is the one that most people seem to need, but some need glycine instead, and some need both NAC and glycine.

It helps a lot with my sleeping - aside from pain issues, etc, I sleep normally now.
 

helen1

Senior Member
Messages
1,033
Location
Canada
Vit. K, lithium, resveratrol, manganese (but only if liver and bile functioning well) and calcium all help control glutamate in some way, such as by helping convert it to glutamine.
 
Messages
98
N-acetylcysteine + glycine can combine with glutamate to make glutathione, using up some of the glutamate in the process. NAC is the one that most people seem to need, but some need glycine instead, and some need both NAC and glycine.

It helps a lot with my sleeping - aside from pain issues, etc, I sleep normally now.

Unfortunately, I'm not able to tolerate NAC, but I do take glycine for sleep. So I guess the glycine alone isn't helping.
 
Messages
20
N-acetylcysteine + glycine can combine with glutamate to make glutathione, using up some of the glutamate in the process. NAC is the one that most people seem to need, but some need glycine instead, and some need both NAC and glycine.

It helps a lot with my sleeping - aside from pain issues, etc, I sleep normally now.

Do you take NAC + Glycine at the same time? And at what time? Before bed?
 
Messages
98
Rather than trying to lower brain glutamate, which might be difficult, consider using NMDA receptor antagonists (NMDA blockers). Glutamate activates NMDA receptors in the brain, so if you can prevent this activation, you mitigate many of the harmful effects of high glutamate.

Some threads on the topic of NMDA receptor blockers:

Non-Standard Anti-Anxiety Treatment
Anyone tried ketamine?

Thanks so much for the info. The doctor is treating me for Post Concussion Syndrome, in which the brain is inflamed and can't heal properly. I also have CFS and have had low-grade anxiety with it. I tried the curcumin (very small dose) for a few days and did notice that my head started to feel clearer, but it seriously irritated my stomach. I took it with a meal and used the curcumin phytosome (which is bound to phosphatydlserine), but that didn't prevent the stomach reaction. I just ordered some transdermal curcumin cream to see if that will work.

I did notice feeling slightly more angry after the second daily dose of curcumin. Do you know what causes that and anything that can be done to mitigate that effect?

I tried the grapeseed, but it boosted the TH2 immune function and I started getting pollen symptoms.

The local holistic pharmacist recommended increasing my fish oil to help with brain inflammation (EPA 1200-1800/DHA 800-1200 per day). Have you tried this?
 

Hip

Senior Member
Messages
17,824
The local holistic pharmacist recommended increasing my fish oil to help with brain inflammation (EPA 1200-1800/DHA 800-1200 per day). Have you tried this?

I found that flaxseed oil 15 ml daily has an impressive ability to reduce my anxiety levels. I think my anxiety symptoms are driven my brain inflammation. I also tried fish oil, but I did not find this helpful for my anxiety.

A thread I think you will find interesting, CBS64, is this one:

Completely eliminated my severe anxiety symptoms with three supplements!

On this above thread, I wax lyrical about the potent anti-brain inflammation effects of the supplements N-acetyl-glucosamine (NAG), flaxseed oil and turmeric.

Though N-acetyl-glucosamine was by far the best: this greatly reduced my anxiety levels, and noticeably reduced the sense of constant inflammation I generally have in my nasal and sinus cavities, as well as the inflammation I feel at the back of my head, just above my nape. I recommend you try NAG.

Some of the other supplements mentioned in the above-quoted thread are also useful in reducing brain inflammation, judging from the way they also reduced my anxiety levels.
 
Messages
83
Vit. K, lithium, resveratrol, manganese (but only if liver and bile functioning well) and calcium all help control glutamate in some way, such as by helping convert it to glutamine.

Calcium is directly bad if you have high glutamate, not sure where you read that it would affect glutamate in a positive way.

Here's a read for any of you affected by high glutamate:

http://www.rlcure.com/glutamate2.html

If someone has high glutamate they should avoid getting more calcium it will make you feel worse and you can be on the way to glutamate overload, but you can balance calcium by taking magnesium.

The latest I have heard about lowering glutamate is by taking a potent Curcumin supplement which is supposedly a NMDA Antagonist.

HIP earlier in this post also mention NMDA antgonists
 
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