Bioperine (black pepper extract) & SSRIs

[thecatswhiskers]

Hi,

I've had a downturn on my health this last year and have stumbled across something I wonder which could be (even partly) to blame. I've noticed 2 of my supplements now contain something for absorption called 'Bioprenine' (a total of 8-13mg/ day) depending how much co enzyme q10 I take.
I'm also on a antidepressant called Venlaflaxine and I've read the 2 shouldn't be taken together as the bioprenine blocks the CYP450 enzyme that breaks the medication down. You can get too high level of the antidepressant/ more side effects apparently if you mix the 2.
I'm just wondering if a higher concentration of that and other medication could've contributed to my downturn. I recently took 3 weeks of Curcumin (another CYP450 inhibitor) and felt even worse which got me investigating.

The manufacturer of the supplement involved is being very vague/ unhelpful as to whether it is more that a year or less than a year that that was added to the formula. I've tended to take the same COQ10 for years and hadn't noticed there had been an addition of the bioperine to the formula.

Does anyone else have experience of this?

I don't want to have a rebound depression either as coming off the bioprene will in effect lower the dose of my antidepressant? My depression has been bad this last week anyway and can't bear the though of it getting worse

Any experience/ help / opinions anyone has I will be most grateful for

(Also posted in the methylation etc section)

 

[liverock]

Its normal to have Bioperene supplied in Curcumin as well. Are you sure you are not getting a Bioperene dose from that too?

I assume you will be using CoQ10 without Bioperene in future so you could initially wean yourself off it by taking your existing CoQ10 on alternating days with your new bioperene free CoQ10.

Your probably going to have to take a higher dosage of CoQ10 without Bioperene as its only function is to improve absorption.

 

[thecatswhiskers]

Thanks Liverock

Hi,

Yes, I intend to wean myself off it with one that doesn't contain it. The circumin didn't contain it, but apparently has a similar action itself (why then it's so notoriously hard to absorb I don't know ... Hmmm).

The temptation is to come straight off it, but that's probably not the correct way. My multivitamin contains it too so I'll have to do the same with that also.

 

[liverock]

You might be interested in some natural methods of controlling depression which could help with
your problem.

http://www.naturalnews.com/019327_antidepressants_brain_chemicals.html