better

[abstract]

Good golly gosh. I knew someone might be wondering where I was, but I didn't think anyone would think of starting a post about it!

Might as well catch up the ones interested, I had a bit of computer troubles, the beginning of this thread actually had to be typed up at the library. I'm watching now to see if my computer
starts being weird again, but i believe it's under control. Just in case though, if i go missing again it's probably the same thing again.

So anyway, as far as my diet is concerned it's really lurching back and forth. It's hard not to eat the junk food when it's everywhere, plus money issues blah blah blah.
I'm not on a full detox diet by any means, my friends...working slowly on that. But changes have been made.

Work was so bloody stressful today, person after person for like four straight hours, me pipe breathing the whole way through it to stay sane.

Time to play catch up!!

 

[Breton]

hey guys, haven't been on here much lately. Before I scamper off to give guitar lessons, i'd like to say that I believe i am in some of the final stages of getting over depression. I don't feel so "blaaaaah" anymore. I feel like I am in control. There isn't such a big "heaviness" that i'm carrying around. I feel lighter, better. I even exercised last night.

Thanks for all the good advice.

yeah same goes for me, I'm glad you are still around!

 

[gaman]

That is great to hear you are doing better, Abstract! It gives some hope to look forward to. I've been swamped in deep depression for 3 months and seeing others come out of it offers great hope. Rock On!

 

[shijing]

That is great to hear you are doing better, Abstract! It gives some hope to look forward to. I've been swamped in deep depression for 3 months and seeing others come out of it offers great hope. Rock On!

Hi gaman -- you were another one I was wondering about since we hadn't seen you for awhile. Sorry to hear you've been so down -- how are things with E/E and your diet? Anything you can connect in that area to your depression?

 

[Jacques]

That is great to hear you are doing better, Abstract! It gives some hope to look forward to. I've been swamped in deep depression for 3 months and seeing others come out of it offers great hope. Rock On!

Hi gaman,

Do you take 5 HTP as a supplement ?

If not, you can read about that product since it is supposed to help for that kind of problem.

 

[gaman]

Hi gaman -- you were another one I was wondering about since we hadn't seen you for awhile. Sorry to hear you've been so down -- how are things with E/E and your diet?

90% on the diet right now for about 4 weeks (have a bad meal or two every week or so).
65% on the E/E - meaning I do pipe breathing and meditation most nights, but haven't done the full E/E on Mondays and Thursdays for a long time. I just can't seem to muster the strength to overcome the stuff (laziness/depression/circumstances).

Anything you can connect in that area to your depression?

Yeah, long story though to provide full info. Short version is I have historically had some other episodes like this but not this bad. Synopsis Went on E/E 100% (Mon. and Thu., plus nightly pipe and meditation) and 100% detox diet plus sauna and was doing absolutely great and noticing many benefits (this was after having spent months getting of strong doses of 2 meds that never did any good anyway). Then lots of things happened and over a period of 2 weeks was totally off the diet and most of the E/E and I went into a spiral down to where I can't muster the strength or enthusiasm for anything (even to get a job). I finally got to where I went on the diet again about 4 weeks ago (with great help from my wife -- this has been really hard on her) but haven't been doing all the supplements fully yet.

It seems the long and short of my life is never having the strength to overcome / persevere during hard times. Looking back it seems like I've only ever done things I've had some enthusiasm (if that is the proper term) for and never developed any strength otherwise (at least when I'm alone).

[quote author=Gandalf]
Do you take 5 HTP as a supplement ?

If not, you can read about that product since it is supposed to help for that kind of problem.
[/quote]

I have some that I've started taking off and on, but I haven't done enough reading to find out what dosage. I have a book on it somewhere but can't find it.

Thank you both for your attention. It seems to me that through these forums I have enough information to progress and friends to help, but execution is another matter entirely in my weakling case.

 

[gaman]

... but execution is another matter entirely in my weakling case.

Sorry for that last hook, I'm just really frustrated and disgusted with myself. I do seem to be getting some better, if I can just develop the strength to keep on and not fall off the wagon.

 

[Azur]

[quote author=Gandalf]
Do you take 5 HTP as a supplement ?

If not, you can read about that product since it is supposed to help for that kind of problem.

I have some that I've started taking off and on, but I haven't done enough reading to find out what dosage. I have a book on it somewhere but can't find it.
[/quote]

I think psyche mentioned 300 mg per day at bedtime. I'm having a hard time finding the post, though. (It mentioned that it kept her up, so she takes 100 mg 3 times a day, I think).

I'm not sure if your specific situation requires a tailored approach, though, so it would be best to make sure before starting.

On another note: I can sympathize with you about your feelings of late. I've been in that situation many times (more in the last 2 years it seems). You say it is hard on your partner, and you have trouble pulling yourself up to do anything on your own. I don't know if this helps or not, but I have pulled myself up by my bootstraps more often, not by finding my own reasons to do it for myself, but by realizing that I was putting a load on my partner. Thinking that I was draining someone else because I could not find the wherewithal to get going on my own was enough to kick myself in the arse to get going.

I'm not saying that you are draining your partner here. Your situation may be different but in my case, I thought I was and that is very distasteful to me to allow that to happen because of my (non)-actions. It was enough to shake off the fuzziness and spend every bit of energy I had to right the situation.

Hang in there and get it done!

 

[abstract]

think psyche mentioned 300 mg per day at bedtime.

Really? i've been taking 100mg, usually once a day, seems to work well enough for me. I could try upping the dose a little bit and see what happens.

 

[Azur]

think psyche mentioned 300 mg per day at bedtime.

Really? i've been taking 100mg, usually once a day, seems to work well enough for me. I could try upping the dose a little bit and see what happens.

I'm pretty sure that's what was said. Dang, I wish I could find that post, I used to only take 100 mg too, but last week and a half or so have been up to 300 mg (with attendant B6 for better uptake) since I read that.

Hope I ain't going nuts and making stuff up here. :)

 

[abstract]

I'm pretty sure that's what was said. Dang, I wish I could find that post, I used to only take 100 mg too, but last week and a half or so have been up to 300 mg (with attendant B6 for better uptake) since I read that.

How is that going for you? Any noticable changes? Right now i'm taking the 100mg because i find that it "evens me out" so to speak.

 

[Vulcan59]

I thought the quote below summarises nicely how one should go about taking 5HTP. The quote was taken from here. :)

One of three things will happen when taking 5HTP with
a beginning dose of 50 mg at night:
1. The person falls asleep within 30 minutes and sleeps
through the night. If this is the case, stay on this dose. After
a few days, if you start to have problems with sleep again,
increase your dose of 5HTP as described below.

2. Nothing happens. This is the typical response to such a low
dose. Continue to add 50 mg each night (up to a maximum
of 300 mg) until you fall asleep within 30 minutes and sleep
through the night. You should stay at the minimum dose
needed for deep sleep (up to a maximum of at 300 mg per
night).

Example: You take 50 mg of 5HTP 30 minutes before bed on
an empty stomach with 4 ounces of grape juice [note: obviously water will be fine to drink with it as well]
but don’t fall asleep within 30 minutes and/or don’t sleep through the
night. If this happens, add an additional 50 mg for a total of
100 mg of 5HTP. Take as directed above. If you don’t fall
asleep within 30 minutes and/or don’t sleep through the
night (7–8 hours of sleep), add an additional 50 mg for a
total of 150 mg. Keep increasing as needed up to 300 mg or
until you fall asleep within 30 minutes and sleep through
the night.

3. Instead of making you sleepy, the dose makes you more
alert. This occurs more often in CFS
patients and is due to a sluggish liver. If this happens, you should discontinue taking
5HTP at bedtime. Instead, take 50 mg with food for 1–2
days. Taking 5HTP with food will slow it down and allow the
liver to process it like any other food stuff. Taking 5HTP with
food will not (usually) make you sleepy. If after 1–2 days you
have no further problems with 5HTP, you should increase to
100 mg of 5HTP with each meal (300 mg a day).
Taking 5HTP with food will help raise your serotonin and normalize
your sleep/wake cycles. It may take a little longer to see positive
results when taking 5HTP with food (1-2 weeks), but don’t
worry. You’ll eventually build up your serotonin stores and start to
see an improvement in your sleep, pain, moods, IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), and energy.

Melatonin Supplementation

When administered in pharmacological doses (1–6 mg before bed),
melatonin acts as a powerful sleep-regulating agent that controls
the circadian rhythm. A low dose of melatonin has also been
shown to be effective in treating insomnia and jet lag.

Delayed Sleep Phase Insomnia

Patients with altered circadian rhythms (sleep wake cycles) often
find it hard to fall asleep before the early morning hours. They
then end up sleeping through the day. This causes a further disruption
to normal circadian rhythms. It can be hard to get these
patients’ rhythms normalized. Studies have shown that 5 mg of
melatonin given at 11 p.m. helps advance and reset circadian
rhythms.

If you aren’t falling asleep within 30 minutes and sleeping through
the night on 300 mg of 5HTP, then it’s time to add melatonin.
If you’re taking 5HTP with food, make sure you’re taking 300–400
mg a day.

Magnesium

You should already be on CFS/Fibro Formula or some other highdose,
broad-spectrum multivitamin and mineral formula with a
minimum of 700 mg of magnesium.

5HTP plus B6 (piridoxin), B3 (niacin) and magnesium

A deficiency of any of the synergistic nutrients (magnesium, calcium, and
vitamins B6, B12, B1, and B3), will prevent the production of
serotonin.

 

[Azur]

I'm pretty sure that's what was said. Dang, I wish I could find that post, I used to only take 100 mg too, but last week and a half or so have been up to 300 mg (with attendant B6 for better uptake) since I read that.

How is that going for you? Any noticable changes? Right now i'm taking the 100mg because i find that it "evens me out" so to speak.

Well, there's a few things going on here for me. I'm pretty much an insomniac. It's not that I can't sleep when I finally get tired, it's just that I only get tired on a drifting schedule. I don't know what the heck it is, but a 28-30 hour day, with 8 hours down time would suit me perfectly. I've always been a night owl type, though.

When I looked into it a couple years back, melatonin before bed was a god send. 6 mg would make my legs rubbery and off I'd go to bed to sleeping bliss. I don't know if it's brand related or not but 6, 9, 12, even 15 mg of Melatonin these days has minor effects nowawdays.

The brand of 5-HTP I'm using now has helped, though. I've been experimenting with spreading the doses out during the day: morning or mid-day: all is good, even keeled, a little mellower, no mood spikes.

If I take 200 mg after dinner (6 PM EST, dark at this time of year), I get tired, a good sign! If I take 200 mg an hour before bed, say 1-2 AM, I feel a little tired too, but not quite the same as when I take straight melatonin.

Overall, the 5-HTP helps. My main goal is getting to sleep, but it has had noticeable effects in flattening out mood spikes.

So far for me, one 100 mg tab at breakfast-midday, and two around 1 hour before bed has seemed to work in the last few days. It doesn't knock me out on the spot, but if I stop doing stuff around bedtime (like reading or what not), and sit quietly, with eyes closed, I can feel the sleep coming on. Then I go to bed and meditate/review and NOT think about how to solve anything. Lights out.

 

[Azur]

I thought the quote below summarises nicely how one should go about taking 5HTP. The quote was taken from here. :)

Ahh ha. Thanks for that, V!

 

[Gaby]

Yeah, that is the protocol from Dr. Rodger Murphree's book "Beating and Treating Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome", we found that it is a useful guide. Most people do fine with 5 HTP, just very rarely the protocol has to be modified because it can give insomnia (I'm one of those).