Completely eliminated my severe anxiety symptoms with three supplements!

[Hope4]

@Hip Thanks for recommending the NAG. I am finding it takes away an odd, edgy, nervousness. Even just taking a finger lick helps a lot. Quite different than GABA, magnesium, Thorne Research PicMins, or lithium orotate, or any of the homeopathic things I've tried. I'm going to look into more of the "essential sugars". Thanks very much for passing along such a good idea.

 

[Thinktank]

Is there a reason why NAG may worsen asthma?
I suffer from asthma and NAG indeed worsens the condition for me, it's a bummer because it improves my anxiety quite well.
I also feel a bit hung over the next day.

Pro's:
Anxiolytic effect
Less inflammation in the sinuses
Conjuctivitis improved
Less pain in intestines related to IBD

Con's:
Increased asthma, especially nighttime.
Feel hung over the day after

 

[Hope4]

Is there a reason why NAG may worsen asthma?
I suffer from asthma and NAG indeed worsens the condition for me, it's a bummer because it improves my anxiety quite well.
I also feel a bit hung over the next day.

Pro's:
Anxiolytic effect
Less inflammation in the sinuses
Conjuctivitis improved
Less pain in intestines related to IBD

Con's:
Increased asthma, especially nighttime.
Feel hung over the day after

Hi @Thinktank

I don't know about the asthma part, but I, too, get a "hangover" feeling from too much NAG. Too much magnesium does that to me, as well. Each of the bedtime supplements has its own uncomfortable tiredness, or lethary, or peculiar uncomfortable feeling, if the dose is too high. Diphenhydramine gives me a definite too-tired, can't-wake-up-well feeling.

 

[Thinktank]

Hi @Thinktank

I don't know about the asthma part, but I, too, get a "hangover" feeling from too much NAG. Too much magnesium does that to me, as well. Each of the bedtime supplements has its own uncomfortable tiredness, or lethary, or peculiar uncomfortable feeling, if the dose is too high. Diphenhydramine gives me a definite too-tired, can't-wake-up-well feeling.

Hi @Hope4

Yes, but it's a different feeling i get from let's say a gabaergic substance or an antihistamine.
Maybe NAG feeds some bacteria in our gut which in turn spew out neurotoxins causing us to feel sickly?
I really have no idea, i don't think we even know why and how NAG is an anxiolytic.
How much NAG are you taking?

 

[Hope4]

@Thinktank

The idea of NAG feeding bacteria which causes an increase in neurotoxins sounds very plausible to me.

I am currently taking half a Jarrow brand capsule. Half a capsule is, theoretically, 350mg. I open a capsule into a very small jar, take half at night, and take finger licks from the rest of it in the jar, during the daytime. Currently testing 3 or 4 finger licks a day. Leaves enough for finger licks for a day or two.

I tried taking a whole capsule one night, and the "hangover" feeling was so great, that I decided to take much less. Tedious, but it helps.

I may try to find NAG as a pure powder, as the Jarrow capsules have the usual unnecessary excipients.

 

[paul80]

I bought some of the NAG powder but it doesn't have a measuring scoop or anything. I have a MyProtein mini scoop which on the page below says it's for 800mg for the powder it came with. Do you think NAG is around the same weight?

https://www.myprotein.com/sports-nu...-electrolyte/10529892.html?variation=10848195

 

[Hip]

I bought some of the NAG powder but it doesn't have a measuring scoop or anything. I have a MyProtein mini scoop which on the page below says it's for 800mg for the powder it came with. Do you think NAG is around the same weight?

I would think it will be around the same weight. If you want a more precise measurement, you can buy a small weighing scale that measures down to 1 mg for as little as $10. I've got one of these, and find it useful for measuring out bulk powders.

 

[paul80]

Thought so, cheers. I had the Jarrow pills before but they seem to have doubled in price since i bought them on amazon.

 

[DogLover]

this is going to sound stupid, but what about simple otc anti-inflammatories like baby aspirin? do they have an effect on brain inflammation?

 

[Hip]

this is going to sound stupid, but what about simple otc anti-inflammatories like baby aspirin? do they have an effect on brain inflammation?

I did not find OTC anti-inflammatories made much difference to my anxiety symptoms. But different anti-inflammatories will target different aspects of inflammation. Aspirin and ibuprofen target the inflammatory enzymes COX-2 and COX-1.

 

[DogLover]

i get an enormous benefit from benadryl and to a lessor extent allegra. they calm me down. at low doses they act by blocking h1 receptors. it is my understanding that this lowers inflammation. does this sound correct?

i ordered nag and cant wait for it to arrive.

 

[Hip]

i get an enormous benefit from benadryl and to a lessor extent allegra. they calm me down. at low doses they act by blocking h1 receptors. it is my understanding that this lowers inflammation. does this sound correct?

I found non-drowsy antihistamines like cetirizine have a small anti-anxiety effect, and they are one my list of 29 supplements which I found helpful for anxiety. Benadryl is known to have more significant effects, but the drowsiness is a negative, unless you are taking it for sleep as well.

In that list of 29, the supplements that had the most potent anti-anxiety effects for me are at the top. So if you are looking for add-ons to NAG, to get a stronger anti-anxiety effect, then some of the supplements at the top of that list are worth looking at.

 

[DogLover]

@Hip

I read the entire thread (46 pages) and saw the list. I've ordered a few things and am waiting for them to arrive. I overlooked the anti-histamines.

I've been suffering from anxiety for almost 2 months and the drowsiness from benadryl is non-consequential.

If you've got time for one quick Q.... I've often heard about benadryl going paradoxal and suddenly turning into a stimulant. Do you know why? How long I might be able to rely on it? etc?

I take it sparingly as it's the only thing that gives me relief from extreme anxiety. At the same time I'm afraid to take it because I'm worried it will stop working.

 

[Hip]

I've often heard about benadryl going paradoxal and suddenly turning into a stimulant. Do you know why? How long I might be able to rely on it? etc?

I have not come across this before, but then I have not read much about Benadryl (diphenhydramine). I briefly tried it many years ago, and cannot remember why I did not end up using it, but it may have been due to the drowsiness.

Before I discovered NAG (which really was a godsend), I struggled with various other anti-anxiety supplements, some of which are detailed on my older anti-anxiety thread here. I would take 5 or 10 of these anti-anxiety supplements as a cocktail just to try and calm my generalized anxiety disorder, which was usually moderate, and severe on some days (using the standard medical definitions of mild, moderate and severe anxiety).

But once I found NAG, it really was the first time that I was able to properly control, and usually fully eliminate, anxiety. I would still have to take NAG with a cocktail of several other anti-anxiety supplements, but that cocktail would usually kill the anxiety entirely. Whereas before NAG, my cocktail would only reduce anxiety by say 50%.

 

[lafarfelue]

@DogLover might seem a bit of an odd question (and off-topic, sorry Hip!), but re your anxiety and response to benadryl... have you been assessed/tested for MCAS/MCAD?

 

[DogLover]

@DogLover might seem a bit of an odd question (and off-topic, sorry Hip!), but re your anxiety and response to benadryl... have you been assessed/tested for MCAS/MCAD?

no, im reading up on it now. first ive heard of it.

UPDATE: I've been reading about MCAS/MCAD and there's a lot to take in. My instinct tells me that I have NO idea if this sounds like me or not. Thanks for the info as I'll look into it for a bit.

 

[Wayne]

I've often heard about benadryl going paradoxal and suddenly turning into a stimulant. Do you know why?

Benadryl falls in the category of drugs known as anticholinergic drugs, as do almost all cold and flu medications. Anticholinergic drugs essential block acetylcholine receptor sites, which are found literally everywhere in the body. There's recently been a fair amount of media coverage on how many elderly people take several of these drugs and end up with rapid onset dementia, as acetylcholine is critical for memory formation.

For most people, these drugs tend to slow things way down in the body. But for others, it can cause just the opposite reaction, leading to ADD type symptoms, anxiety, trembling, tinnitus (there are acetylcholine receptors in the inner ears), shaking, muscle twitching (no muscle movement can be made without acetylcholine), etc. One person wrote a testimonial about how taking one dose of Benadryl caused him permanent tinnitus.

I don't know if this fully answers your question, but may give you some insight as to what's going on with you. BTW, a product called Huperzine A inhibits the enzyme in the body that normally breaks down acetylcholine, so this could be a moderating factor for those who take anticholinergic drugs. I myself have found Huperzine A to be remarkably effective for improving my memory and calming my system. -- All the Best!

 

[lafarfelue]

no, im reading up on it now. first ive heard of it.

UPDATE: I've been reading about MCAS/MCAD and there's a lot to take in. My instinct tells me that I have NO idea if this sounds like me or not. Thanks for the info as I'll look into it for a bit.

I hope the information helps. This is a good and thorough online resource: http://www.mastcelldisease.com/ Also, if you are curious about it and don't want to/can't get tested, there are ways to methodically 'self test' for MCAS with OTC meds and experimenting/changing diet. Testing is apparently not 100% in picking up MCAD, but you can read about that further if you decide you're interesting in going down that route.

(There is also this website: http://ohtwist.com/ This one is more about the 'trifecta' of EDS, dysautonomia and MCAD, but there's valuable info there too.)

Best of luck x

 

[xrayspex]

@Hip hey I thought of you and this thread this week. I listened to one of the Bulletproof podcasts and Asprey had on Dr Gundry the anti-lectin heart doctor and interestingly they discussed glucosamine. He said he thinks it helps decrease pain in people because of its effect on neutralizing (my term) the effects of lectins. Gundry say lectins increase body pain and in arthritis etc That was quite fascinating to me.....He doesnt think the properties attributed to chrondrotiin etc are accurate in regard to joint pain effectiveness but that its actually the pairing with glucosamine that does the job in symptom reduction due to the effect on desensitizing us to lectins.

Now i have to find a form of glucosamine or nag I can tolerate, for some reason I get depressed and quieter on it but it does help reduce pain and I noticed for sure it helped with my teeth when I was having more symptoms a couple few years ago (fortunately frequency specific microcurrent helped squash a lot of that as did fish oil and collagen the last year or so and other diet changes)

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bulletproof-radio/id451295014?i=1000442967323

Healthy Aging Begins and Ends in the Gut – Dr. Steven Gundry : 604Bulletproof Radio

 

[Hip]

Now i have to find a form of glucosamine or nag I can tolerate, for some reason I get depressed and quieter on it

Hi xrayspex.

I tried a low-lectin diet along with taking lectin binders like NAG a while ago, based on Dr Gundry's recommendations. But in my case it did not help (although I only did the diet for 2 months, and Dr Gundry says you need to do it for longer to see benefits on your illnesses).

I've forgotten most of the details, but looking at my notes it says:

Take N-acetyl-glucosamine (NAG) with potatoes, rice, tomatoes, barely and rye, as these foods contain chitin-binding lectins, 1 which bind to glucosamine. 1

NAG also binds to and neutralizes the dietary lectin wheat germ agglutinin, which is found in wheat products. However, I don't think the anti-anxiety benefits I get from NAG come from its lectin-neutralizing action, because I usually take NAG on an empty stomach, away from any meals (if you take NAG with meals, some of it may be lost due to binding with dietary lectins, so for that reason it is advised to take NAG on an empty stomach, unless you are specifically using NAG for its lectin-binding actions).



When I first accidentally discovered the anti-anxiety effects of NAG, and starting taking around 3 x 700 mg daily, I noticed it would cause some mild depression in me too. So I reduced the dose to 1 x 700 mg, and the depression side effect more or less disappeared, but the anti-anxiety effect still worked.

So you can consider reducing the dose, and seeing if that works for you.