Sleep like a drug addict - naturally... 
chrisb1
17 y
4,787
It is possible to sleep like a drug addict - naturally and safely!
You don't need toxic sleep meds like "Lunesta" (Lunatic-esta).
The best sleep of your life can be attained with the wildly effective (L-tryptophan)!
Pharmaceutical grade L-tryptophan (not 5-HTP), an essential amino acid required by the body to produce serotonin and melatonin. Combined, these
neurotransmitters/neurohormones aid in sleep, prevent anxiety and depression, and stop cravings for simple carbohydrates and sugar.
Serotonin taken orally does not pass into the serotonergic pathways of the central nervous system because it does not cross the blood-brain barrier. However, tryptophan and its metabolite L-5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), from which serotonin is synthesized, can and does cross the blood-brain barrier.
L-tryptophan is better absorbed compared to its cousin 5-HTP for the following reasons.
- There are nerves that line the intestinal tract which use serotonin as their neurotransmitter. These cells contain an enzyme to convert 5-HTP to serotonin but lack the enzyme that converts tryptophan to 5-HTP. Thus, when taking 5-HTP, large amounts may be converted to serotonin before reaching the brain. This can cause hyperactivity of these nerves resulting in intestinal discomfort, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cramping and constipation.
- With respect to controlling mood, L-tryptophan is superior to commonly prescribed antidepressants (Wellbutrin, Prozac...etc) in that it helps the body produce more serotonin. Conversely, prescription drugs work to elongate the actions of naturally occurring serotonin. If an individual is not actively producing serotonin then a prescription drug is useless and begins to elicit numerous negative side effects. Alternatively, L-tryptophan actually works to increase the bodies own supply of serotonin by serving as a "building block" of it.
By Shane Ellison.....The People's Chemist
http://www.thepeopleschemist.com
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- Edited #55728
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This is a reply to # 1,018,008Whenever I can't sleep or can't get back to sleep after waking up in the middle of the night/too early I eat a banana and I just go right to sleep.
Bananas are very rich in tryptophan which I guess explains this.
I usually sleep well so I don't know if this would work for someone with severe sleeping problems. Worth a try though.
- Re: Sleep like a drug addict - natur... #87379
17 y
4,295
MoreThis is a reply to # 1,018,008If you read Joseph Glenmullen and Peter Breggin's books as well as some of the references to scientific journals, you will see that Depression is not caused by a deficiency in serotonin.
- Re: Sleep like a drug addict - natur... chrisb1
17 y
4,065
This is a reply to # 1,018,906Yes,
but no one has been able to prove otherwise.
The prevailing view of psychiatry is that Depression is caused by a chemical imbalance within the Brain, and therefore treated chemically by so-called antidepressant drugs to address this imbalance.
I would go along with Breggins attacks and opinions against the drug industries efforts at alleviating and treating Depression as being ineffectual and profit-motivated rather than health orientated.
However, not having read his books, I cannot form an opinion one way or the other.
The one thing I do know, is that my own clinical Depression (of years standing) was cured biochemically through Nutritional means, and I know of other people who have had the same beneficial experience, when everything else they tried failed.- Re: Sleep like a drug addict - natur... archus
17 y
4,067
This is a reply to # 1,018,930Advertisement
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I like Breggin's books. He makes a lot of sense.
Chrisb1, I agree. My Depression did not go away with drugs. In fact, very first time I had Depression I did not know what it was my doctor gave me Zoloft, I had severe tremors from taking my first Zoloft. Of course my doctor immediately said this is not for me. He wanted me to try other drugs, but I said no. I made my self feel better through exercise and natural foods.
Second time I went in to the same condition, brain fog, not enjoying things, this was after my dad pass away, I was told to take Lexapro. I also ran from that doctor. I was lucky to find curezone and my first Liver Flush cured me. Since then I have discovered that too much Sugar and white flour makes me hypoglycemic and then comes the brain fog, anger etc.
Since I have stopped eating Sugar I am so much better, well, I do cheat sometimes. Mostly I use Stevia.
Thank you all. This whole thread is very timely for me. I am going to suggest to my daughter to start on L-Tryptophan (bananas). She does take Lexapro, would that interfere with L-Tryptophan? She is not able to sleep well at all.
Thank you again.
Archus
- Re: Sleep like a drug addict - natur... chrisb1
17 y
4,136
This is a reply to # 1,019,025Archus,
you are absolutely right: drugs do nothing to cure mental illness, which is far more widespread than people think.
I grew up in an era where Depression was a taboo subject, like talking openly about sex or death or homosexuality was taboo, but it is more relaxed now with a more liberal society(thank goodness).
You have hit on an extremely valuable point with exercise......it releases endorphins (the brain-chemical feel-good factor) which also helps alleviate depression.
Interesting point as well about Sugar and white flour making you hypoglycemic and therefore severely affecting mood and behavior. Natural Hygiene (as originally conceived) always emphasized that "You are What You Eat" both physically and mentally: to my mind this stands up to reason and commonsense. The chap who lived exclusively on McDonalds for a month (Supersizeme) began to suffer from severe Depression which he hadn't experienced before.
In my own opinion diet and lifestyle have a profound effect on physical & Mental health, but the medical profession have always thought (erroneously) that food = calories for energy, full stop. We are not steam-trains I tell them!!!!
As far as L-Trytophan supplements are concerned this is what I have found, but I would think that Bananas would be ok as the amount of L-Trytophan is low compared to supplements (see below).........
"Lexapro increases serotonin activity in the brain. 5-HTP and L-tryptophan are converted to serotonin in the brain, and taking either of these compounds with Lexapro may increase Lexapro-induced side effects. Dietary supplements of L-tryptophan (available only by prescriptions from special compounding pharmacists) taken with Lexapro caused headache, sweating, dizziness, agitation, restlessness, nausea, vomiting, and other symptoms.
Some doctors have used small amounts of L-tryptophan in combination with SSRIs, to increase the effectiveness of the latter. However, because of the potential for side effects, 5-HTP and L-tryptophan should never be taken in combination with Lexapro or other SSRIs, unless the combination is being closely monitored by a doctor. Foods rich in L-tryptophan do not appear to interact with Lexapro or other SSRIs."
Regards,
Chris
- Re: Sleep like a drug addict - natur... jurplesman
17 y
4,085
This is a reply to # 1,019,192Advertisement
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It is encouraging to know that so many people are becoming aware of the relationship between nutrition and Depression or mood disorders.
However since the production of feel good neurotransmitters is rather complex, it is sometimes disappointing to take single nutrients - such as tryptophan or 5-HTP - because many more nutrients would be required for the manufacture of the neurotransmitters. The idea that single remedies can "cure" Depression is in line with the medical model, where individual drugs are prescribed for very complex biochemical mechanisms. This is a mistake if applied to Nutritional Therapy. Nutritional Therapy is more holistic and looks at particular nutritional disorders that may be responsible for mood disorders. It is seldom that a single "magical" nutrient can solve the complex biochemical problem of let us say depression.
I have explained this in:
Hit or Miss Supplements for Depression
http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/articles/hit_miss_supplements.html
_______________________________________________
Jurriaan Plesman BA (Psych) Post Grad Dip Clin Nutr
Editor of
The Hypoglycemic Health Association of Australia.
Author of "Getting off the Hook"
Freely available at Google Book Search
- Re: Sleep like a drug addict - natur... chrisb1
17 y
4,054
This is a reply to # 1,020,482
I totally agree with your post Jurplesman regarding the holistic approach in treating depression: and yes there are psychological reasons for the onset of the disease such as bereavement, divorce, broken relationships and so on where "talk-therapy" can be of great benefit; but my original post was mainly concerned with how to improve sleep.
I have never been an advocate of single nutritional compounds as a panacea for curing Depression either, but taking more of an individual and holistic biochemical approach (such as that expounded by Orthomolecular Medicine) in approaching the patient with a high degree of bio-individuality and establishing the possible nutrient-deficient root causes.
My own treatment protocol (outlined in an earlier post) is a conglomeration of many nutritional substances targeted at the general health of the Brain and Nervous system and which are known to have specific benefits to those organs.
If ones general health is good then this would be a very good place to start, however, if a certain disease is known to be the cause or the possible cause, then that of course should be remedied beforehand and eradicated before any other treatment protocol is attempted.(opinion).
Regards.
Chris
- Re: Sleep like a drug addict - natur... jurplesman
17 y
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- Re: Sleep like a drug addict - natur... chrisb1
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This is a reply to # 1,021,736Advertisement
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Thank you Jurplesman,
For someone with your qualifications it is gratifying to know that (as a layman myself) we are on the same wavelength.
Trial and error on my part.
Professional studies on yours.
Chris- Re: Sleep like a drug addict - natur... #79334
17 y
4,070
- Re: Sleep like a drug addict - natur... chrisb1
17 y
3,858
This is a reply to # 1,022,310Jurplesman does'nt have professional credentials?
Then what do you call this #79334 ? :
Jurriaan Plesman BA (Psych) Post Grad Dip Clin Nutr
Editor of
The Hypoglycemic Health Association of Australia.
I don't have professional credentials in Psychiatry and Psychology either, but that does not detract from my life experience which is probably worth a lot more than any "credentials" anyway.
Do I need anyone to tell me that grass is green? and the sky is blue?
For goodness sake. Think before you act and we can then have a meaningful discussion here. - Re: Sleep like a drug addict - natur... jurplesman
17 y
3,925
This is a reply to # 1,022,310
Here we have another ad hominem argument
Yes I have qualifications AND experience, but the kind of qualifications you are looking for would not enable me to help people with mood disorders. People with the kind of qualifications that you so much admire and respect have no clue as to what causes mood disorders. If psychiatrists and psychologists - with their monopolistic qualifications - knew what they were talking about, there is no need for a web site like this. At this forum people can come and ask questions, that people "with qualifications" cannot answer. You should just refer them to people "with qualifications". I wonder what you are doing at this discussion board if you believe that only people "with qualifications" can help people.
_______________________________________________
Jurriaan Plesman BA (Psych) Post Grad Dip Clin Nutr
Editor of
The Hypoglycemic Health Association of Australia.
Author of "Getting off the Hook"
Freely available at Google Book Search
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- Re: Sleep like a drug addict - natur... Fonty
17 y
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This is a reply to # 1,022,641Touche Jurplesman. I found exactly the same thing when doing Year 12 Pyschology. That was before I recognised my own Depression but I could see things in the movies they showed us of old experiments that none of the professionals had any idea was going on. Bad education can too easily destroy basic common sense and it is the exception, not the rule, to find a psych who really understands people in my experience.
I have found also that drugs and normal treatment will work for a lot of people- keep them working, being productive members of society. They'll hide symptoms or lessen them maybe, long enough for those with a shorter term or milder Depression to get through their 'tough patch'. People who end up on boards like this are often those who 'fall through the cracks' of the normal medical model and are not understood by it at all.
I've met so many people in fact that fit this description and have been given the label 'borderline personality disorder' for example, to lead me to believe that this diagnosis has been made up to cover the tracks of psychs who really just don't know but want to appear that they do. At the very least 'bpd' should come with the subtitle 'for the too-hard basket' as that's where a lot of these people end up.
Andrew.
- Re: Sleep like a drug addict - natur... Fonty
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- Re: Sleep like a drug addict - natur... chrisb1
17 y
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- Re: Sleep like a drug addict - natur... #86574
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- Re: Sleep like a drug addict - natur... chrisb1
17 y
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This is a reply to # 1,039,852#86574
Your Quote: "Jurplesman is a layman. His education is minimal." ??!!!!!!
By the sound of it he is from the school of hard-knocks and much life-experience.......
....................The very BEST education & experience available..........anywhere.- Re: Sleep like a drug addict - natur... jurplesman
17 y
3,857
This is a reply to # 1,040,241Advertisement
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There will always be people who rely on other people's "authority" and "qualifications" to do their thinking or finding their truths. It may be he case that the author of this remark may not be aware that most informed people have stopped listening to people with the "proper" qualification due to their obvious ignorance. They usually have no clue as to causes of mood disorders. They are trained by universities that are beholden to the medico-pharmaceutical industrial complex geared to increase the profit margin of investors at the expense of people's health. They may even have an interest in promoting ill-health in the community for the sake of money. So long people keep their religious faith in "qualifications" and "authority", drug-pushing medical Science will follow the path that organized religion has taken over the past few centuries. We may be needing a "Protestant" revolution to update priest controlled "Catholic" medical science. - Re: Sleep like a drug addict - natur... #86574
17 y
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This is a reply to # 1,040,241The "school of hard knocks" is'nt the best place to learn about neurotransmitters and other aspects of science.
- Re: Sleep like a drug addict - natur... chrisb1
17 y
3,734
This is a reply to # 1,043,327But personal experience is usually the BEST experience of all: testimonials from beneficiaries, not just academics who have had no "hands on" experience whatsoever.
- Re: Sleep like a drug addict - natur... #87379
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- Re: Sleep like a drug addict - natur... #79334
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- Re: Sleep like a drug addict - natur... chrisb1
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- Re: Sleep like a drug addict - natur... jurplesman
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- Re: Sleep like a drug addict - natur... chrisb1
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- Re: Sleep like a drug addict - natur... jurplesman
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- Re: Sleep like a drug addict - natur... chrisb1
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- Re: Sleep like a drug addict - natur... archus
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- Re: Sleep like a drug addict - natur... chrisb1
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- Edited #55728
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