combining supplements

[rojas66]

after a massive fail of antidepressants, i am taking lithium orotate and DLPA.  i have read that both of them should be taken on an empty stomach, but i also read that DLPA should be taken by itself.  i take them both in the morning.  what should i do?

[Paxiled]

Don't fret the bipolar 2 -- it doesn't really exist.  It just describes a form of depression.  Only bipolar 1 is a true bipolar condition.  Labels are most often used by pharmaceutical companies to sell drugs and by insurance companies for reimbursement purposes; for us patients the important thing is to get better, not learn a glossary.

[rojas66]

I started taking the lithium by itself and it seems to be more effective.  Thankfully.  

[rojas66]

i landed at lithium orotate on the recommendation of my therapist after failing miserably on mood stabilizers for various reasons.  i asked her if she thought i had bipolar 2, she said she didn't know.  i have to take something in order to keep my job.  i think the lithium is helping.

[rojas66]

thanks paxiled.  i'm taking 750 of dipa daily now.  but i ordered 500 mg tablets so that might be better.  i work in an ER so you can imagine what a place like that will do to anxiety.  it's not anxiety like i'm nervous, but rather like I'm edgy.  highly reactive and irritable.  and this is pre dlpa.  i did start taking the lithium orotate on it's own and it seems to be more effective.  all trial and error, but at least i'm not having bad reactions.  that book recommendation sounds great, i'm going to look for that.  i have tried st. john's wort in the past and i hated it.  i actually can't remember what it did to me, but i remember i hated it.  maybe like dlpa on steroids.  it was horrible. and i can't take 5-htp either, i tried it.  it makes cold sores come out.  thanks so much for your great advice.

[Paxiled]

As for the lithium, that's really for bipolar or schizophrenia, though it can help with simple depression.  But if the dose isn't working, you do need to take more to see if it works.  Remember, this way of taking it is way way way less that what you would take as a pharmaceutical treatment.

[Paxiled]

Wait, I don't mean don't see a therapist, that's the best way to cure things if it works, just not necessarily having the therapist be your prescriber of natural medicine.  

[Paxiled]

Keep in mind that some people find DLPA too stimulating, especially if you also suffer from anxiety.  The DLPA form is better for this than the L-phenylalanine, but you can still have a bad result with it.  I'd go buy a book called Natural Highs by Hyla Cass, a psychiatrist at UCLA.  It's a bit old, but it will help you understand the way natural medicine is used to treat this.  Usually, you would treat different systems at once, for example 5-HTP for depression and anxiety, St. John's Wort for depression, kave or valerian or passionflower for anxiety, ashwagandha and holy basil for the adrenals,  taurine for GABA production for anxiety and tyrosine for depression.  That's just an example.  Then there would be dietary advice and lifestyle changes and therapy, a holistic program rather than here, take this drug, cover up the symptoms, and you'll be fine.  If you don't know this stuff well, I'd see a naturopath or a practitioner of integrated medicine, not a therapist, who might or might not have a clue.  Good luck.

[rojas66]

actually you're right, it's with meals.  i feel like it's not calming me down enough.  i take 5mg twice a day, and I'm nervous to take more.  i work in an ER and it's easy to fly into fits of frustration and irritation.  sometimes it feels like rage.  i've tried a bunch of antidepressants and it's a no go on all of them.  the last one i tried was lamictal and it gave me a rash.  so my therapist recommended the lithium orotate as a last resort.  then i added dlpa myself.

[rojas66]

thanks paxiled

[Paxiled]

I think you're fine, but if you have concerns, take them at different times, one in the morning but at least an hour before you eat anything and the other in the afternoon under the same conditions.  However, I'm not sure you're right about the lithium.  DLPA is an amino acid, and those are usually best taken on an empty stomach apart from food by a period of time.  Lithium is a mineral, and those are usually taken with food.  You might look into that a bit more and make sure you're correct.