Hello all,
I'm sorry I have not written back in a timely manner, but here is my reply to the questions about amino acids. You don't need an Rx for them- you need to go to a good health food or dietary needs store and talk to the people that work there. Find a high quality brand of both L-theanine and L-tryptophan because there was a bad batch out a few years ago from a Japanese company. Make sure you understand how to take them and what you can expect. I actually don't know a whole lot about amino acids myself, except what I learned in biology class in high school, which was a long time ago. However, I've tried to refresh my memory and talk to people who work in health food stores.
Basically, these amino acids like L-theanine and L-tryptophan are things naturally found in the body (they are what make up proteins- which makes up our entire body "building blocks of nature" as they call them) and in things such as food- prime example is L-tryptophan. Remember how most people joke about getting sleepy on Thanksgiving after eating turkey...well, its because L-tryptophan is found in turkey and causes people to get very calm and sleepy. I take L-tryptophan right before bed and it keeps me asleep all night. To sum it all up- from taking Cymbalta, we have messed with our Seratonin levels that make us happy and calm and not irritable. now that we are depleted, our body is down and sad and irrationally upset. I have no explanation for the "brain zaps" and other side effects, but the low energy and sleeplessness, restlessness, irritability and even for me- the brain zaps have reduced to a minimum. After two weeks on these amino acids, I feel like my old self again. I know I should use a more professional site than Wikipedia, but for now, I'll quote passages I found helpful:
"Amino acids, including tryptophan, act as building blocks in protein biosynthesis...In addition, tryptophan functions as a biochemical precursor for the following compounds: Serotonin (a neurotransmitter)... Serotonin, in turn, can be converted to melatonin...It is particularly plentiful in chocolate, oats, bananas, mangoes, dried dates, milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, red meat, eggs, fish, poultry, sesame, chickpeas, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, spirulina, and peanuts. It is also found in turkey at a level typical of poultry in general."
"Many people found tryptophan to be a safe and reasonably effective sleep aid, probably due to its ability to increase brain levels of serotonin (a calming neurotransmitter when present in moderate levels) and/or melatonin (a sleep-inducing hormone secreted by the pineal gland in response to darkness or low light levels). In particular, tryptophan has been showing considerable promise as an antidepressant alone, and as an "augmenter" of antidepressant drugs."
"serotonin plays an important role as a neurotransmitter in the modulation of anger, aggression, body temperature, mood, sleep, sexuality, appetite, and metabolism...Drugs targeting serotonin-induced pathways are being used in the treatment of many psychiatric disorders, and one focus of clinical research is the influence of genetics on serotonin action and metabolism in psychiatric settings. Such studies have revealed that the variation in the promoter region of the serotonin transporter protein accounts for nearly 10% of total variance in anxiety-related personality, and the effect of this gene on depression was found to interact with the environment"
"Theanine has been shown to reduce mental and physical stress, may produce feelings of relaxation and improves cognition and mood when taken in combination with caffeine. Theanine increases brain serotonin, dopamine, GABA levels and has micromolar affinities for AMPA, Kainate and NMDA receptors.L-theanine may help the body's immune response to infection by boosting the disease-fighting capacity of gamma delta T cells."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serotoninhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theaninehttp://en.wikipedia....wiki/TryptophanPlease do your own research and find what's best for you. If you do decide to use these amino acids, they are not addictive or harmful to the body. But use your best judgment and do everything in moderation. Take it easy and don't overdo anything. Last week, I took 5-6 L-theanine pills throughout the day and this week, i'm taking 3-4. I just don't feel the brain zaps as much anymore and don't feel that 'hungover' feeling in the mornings, so I don't need the amino acids as much. If I'm feeling stressed, or know I will be in a crowded place, I take one just to make sure I don't have a panic attack. Take them as you need them and see how your body responds. Listening to your body is the best way to judge which way you need to go.
Hope this helps. Sorry I didn't explain more last time.
