# Nac working for OCD



## crayzyMed

I take 600mg 3 times a day, seems to take the edge of my OCD! Nac has many healt benefits too, so i suggest to use it

EDIT: Gonna keep this post updated with the latest evidence:



> http://www.springerlink.com/content/763746nj71604523/
> 
> Received: 15 October 2005 Accepted: 25 October 2005 Published online: 22 December 2005
> Abstract
> Rationale Dysfunction of glutamatergic neurotransmission has been implicated in the pathophysiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and recent clinical reports suggest that some glutamate modulating agents are efficacious in the treatment of this disorder. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is a readily available amino acid compound that is thought to attenuate glutamatergic neurotransmission. NAC may be useful in treating psychiatric disorders involving glutamatergic dysfunction such as OCD.
> Objectives To examine the efficacy of augmentation with NAC in a patient with serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SRI)-refractory OCD.
> Methods A patient with SRI-refractory OCD was treated with an off-label use of NAC augmentation of fluvoxamine over several weeks.
> Results NAC augmentation of fluvoxamine resulted in a marked decrease in Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BBOCS) score and a clinically significant improvement in OCD symptoms.
> Conclusions NAC augmentation was effective in treating SRI-refractory OCD in this single case. Further research is warranted to investigate the use of NAC and other glutamate modulating agents in the treatment of OCD.





> N-acetyl cysteine as a glutathione precursor for schizophrenia--a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.
> Berk M, Copolov D, Dean O, Lu K, Jeavons S, Schapkaitz I, Anderson-Hunt M, Judd F, Katz F, Katz P, Ording-Jespersen S, Little J, Conus P, Cuenod M, Do KQ, Bush AI.
> 
> The Mental Health Research Institute of Victoria, Parkville, Australia.
> BACKGROUND: Brain glutathione levels are decreased in schizophrenia, a disorder that often is chronic and refractory to treatment. N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) increases brain glutathione in rodents. This study was conducted to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of oral NAC (1 g orally twice daily [b.i.d.]) as an add-on to maintenance medication for the treatment of chronic schizophrenia over a 24-week period. METHODS: A randomized, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. The primary readout was change from baseline on the Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale (PANSS) and its components. Secondary readouts included the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) Severity and Improvement scales, as well as general functioning and extrapyramidal rating scales. Changes following a 4-week treatment discontinuation were evaluated. One hundred forty people with chronic schizophrenia on maintenance antipsychotic medication were randomized; 84 completed treatment. RESULTS: Intent-to-treat analysis revealed that subjects treated with NAC improved more than placebo-treated subjects over the study period in PANSS total [-5.97 (-10.44, -1.51), p = .009], PANSS negative [mean difference -1.83 (95% confidence interval: -3.33, -.32), p = .018], and PANSS general [-2.79 (-5.38, -.20), p = .035], CGI-Severity (CGI-S) [-.26 (-.44, -.08), p = .004], and CGI-Improvement (CGI-I) [-.22 (-.41, -.03), p = .025] scores. No significant change on the PANSS positive subscale was seen. N-acetyl cysteine treatment also was associated with an improvement in akathisia (p = .022). Effect sizes at end point were consistent with moderate benefits. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that adjunctive NAC has potential as a safe and moderately effective augmentation strategy for chronic schizophrenia.





> N-acetyl cysteine for depressive symptoms in bipolar disorder--a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial.
> Berk M, Copolov DL, Dean O, Lu K, Jeavons S, Schapkaitz I, Anderson-Hunt M, Bush AI.
> 
> The Mental Health Research Institute of Victoria, Victoria, Australia.
> Comment in:
> 
> Biol Psychiatry. 2008 Nov 1;64(9):e1.
> BACKGROUND: Treatment-resistant subthreshold depression is a major problem in bipolar disorder. Both depression and bipolar disorder are complicated by glutathione depletion. We hypothesized that treatment with N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), a safe, orally bioavailable precursor of glutathione, may improve the depressive component of bipolar disorder. METHODS: A randomized, double-blind, multicenter, placebo-controlled study of individuals (n = 75) with bipolar disorder in the maintenance phase treated with NAC (1 g twice daily) adjunctive to usual medication over 24 weeks, with a 4-week washout. The two primary outcomes were the Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and time to a mood episode. Secondary outcomes included the Bipolar Depression Rating Scale and 11 other ratings of clinical status, quality of life, and functioning. RESULTS: NAC treatment caused a significant improvement on the MADRS (least squares mean difference [95% confidence interval]: -8.05 [-13.16, -2.95], p = .002) and most secondary scales at end point. Benefit was evident by 8 weeks on the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale and Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale and at 20 weeks on the MADRS. Improvements were lost after washout. There was no effect of NAC on time to a mood episode (log-rank test: p = .968) and no significant between-group differences in adverse events. Effect sizes at end point were medium to high for improvements in MADRS and 9 of the 12 secondary readouts. CONCLUSIONS: NAC appears a safe and effective augmentation strategy for depressive symptoms in bipolar disorder.





> Nail-biting stuff? The effect of N-acetyl cysteine on nail-biting.
> Berk M, Jeavons S, Dean OM, Dodd S, Moss K, Gama CS, Malhi GS.
> 
> Department of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, University of Melbourne, Australia. [email protected]
> N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) is a widely available nutraceutical with a variety of actions. As a precursor of cysteine and glutathione, it has antioxidant properties that may impact on mood and contribute to an effect on impulsivity and obsessive behaviour. Via its additional effect on glutamate via the cystine-glutamate exchange system, NAC has been shown to mediate impulsivity in preclinical models of addiction, reduce craving, and cue extinction. Further, by boosting glutathione, NAC acts as a potent antioxidant and has been shown in two positive, large-scale randomized placebo-controlled trials to affect negative symptoms in schizophrenia and depression in bipolar disorder. We describe three cases in which its actions specifically on nail-biting and associated anxiety may offer a potential treatment. The spontaneous findings are reported as part of an ongoing treatment trial examining the utility of NAC in bipolar disorder. Its actions, if robustly replicated, also point to potential treatment targets in glutathione or glutamate pathways in the brain.





> N-acetylcysteine, a glutamate modulator, in the treatment of trichotillomania: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
> This study, the first to our knowledge that examines the efficacy of a glutamatergic agent in the treatment of trichotillomania, found that N-acetylcysteine demonstrated statistically significant reductions in trichotillomania [obsessive hair pulling] symptoms. No adverse events occurred in the N-acetylcysteine group, and N-acetylcysteine was well tolerated.


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## jer

Pardon my ignorance, but what is Nac.

btw - nice avatar


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## Beggiatoa

NAC is great but unfortunately, doses higher than 500 mg per day can cause pulmonary hypertension. I lowered my dose to 500 daily. This was done in a mouse study though, so I wonder how it translates to humans.


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## crayzyMed

jer said:


> Pardon my ignorance, but what is Nac.
> 
> btw - nice avatar


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acetylcysteine

I got it from my pharmacy.


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## crayzyMed

Beggiatoa said:


> NAC is great but unfortunately, doses higher than 500 mg per day can cause pulmonary hypertension. I lowered my dose to 500 daily. This was done in a mouse study though, so I wonder how it translates to humans.


Have you got some information about that?


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## odspot

hey that's awesome.

i've been thinking about giving the natural route a shot, and have started on NAC in anticipation of ending my Parnate trial. 

i've been using 1200mg a day for about a week. the weird thing is i got quite sick when i first began taking it, which i think must be a positive sign that something's happening detoxification-wise. otherwise, i can't say i've noticed any huge gains OCD-wise just yet. how long have you been using it, and how bad's your OCD if you don't mind me asking? mine's rather severe, so i don't have a tonne of hope, but no harm in trying i guess. 

btw, that study with mice used massive doses, and is the only study of it's kind that i know of; contrarily, there are kajillions of studies reporting NAC's safety as an antioxidant. just don't take it too close to exercising, or it might nullify the benefits.


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## crayzyMed

odspot said:


> hey that's awesome.
> 
> i've been thinking about giving the natural route a shot, and have started on NAC in anticipation of ending my Parnate trial.
> 
> i've been using 1200mg a day for about a week. the weird thing is i got quite sick when i first began taking it, which i think must be a positive sign that something's happening detoxification-wise. otherwise, i can't say i've noticed any huge gains OCD-wise just yet. how long have you been using it, and how bad's your OCD if you don't mind me asking? mine's rather severe, so i don't have a tonne of hope, but no harm in trying i guess.
> 
> btw, that study with mice used massive doses, and is the only study of it's kind that i know of; contrarily, there are kajillions of studies reporting NAC's safety as an antioxidant. just don't take it too close to exercising, or it might nullify the benefits.


I agree, there are loads of positive studies.

My ocd is pretty bad yes, and its going in attack when i'm trying to eat healthy or take supplements. (becaue i think i need to be in a good mood and dont have any stress when starting to take them, or they may not work...)

Nac took the edge off that.

It also made me sick when i started taking it.

as for social anxiety i dont think there any natural treatment that will work for it, only for OCD, NAC and Inositol have shown to be effective.

I suggest you not to stop taking medication for your anxiety tough.


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## odspot

oh, i wasn't going to stop the medication just so i can take NAC. i was only trialling Parnate, but it's not really working out, so i wanted to see if some natural stuff helped since i've tried a tonne of meds and none have helped (without causing unpleasant side-effects anyway).

yeah i never got majorly sick - just some flu kind of symptoms - sore throat etc. i'll try raising it to 600mg x3 times a day. my OCD symptoms are a lot worse than my social anxiety, so i'm trying to help the OCD first.

did you ever try inositol ?


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## crayzyMed

odspot said:


> oh, i wasn't going to stop the medication just so i can take NAC. i was only trialling Parnate, but it's not really working out, so i wanted to see if some natural stuff helped since i've tried a tonne of meds and none have helped (without causing unpleasant side-effects anyway).
> 
> yeah i never got majorly sick - just some flu kind of symptoms - sore throat etc. i'll try raising it to 600mg x3 times a day. my OCD symptoms are a lot worse than my social anxiety, so i'm trying to help the OCD first.
> 
> did you ever try inositol ?


Yes, but it gives you bad cramps so you have to slowly up the dose, stopped taking it but i'l propebly gonna take it again.


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## soto

Hi CrazyMed, I too suffer from moderate OCD and have been reading some promising research on NAC. It is fantastic to here that it is working for you.

Pittinger and a group at Yale are currently doing clinical trials using NAC and other glutamate antagonists. This research offers great hope to us of a new generation of treatments with a better side effect profile than SSRIs. 

The PAH research associated with NA has spooked me somewhat though, although from what I gather the dose that the mice were receiving in the Palmer 2007 paper was around 40-fold higher dose per weight than the Hildebrandt 2001 paper where humans were given 600mg day. So by a rough calculation, if you can believe the rather obscure details given by the authors, an equivalent human dose would be about roughly 24grams a day, depending on body weight etc. But don't take this as gospel, by my own calculation a 20gram mouse drivinking 5Ml of water per day at 10mg/ml NAC this is 50mg/day which is a dose of 2.5g/Kg which would be this equivalent of 200g/day for an 80kg human. In any case the mice were receiving far more than the 3g/day used in most NAC trials for OCD.

This research has put me off using as much as I originally intended (3g/day) but I have recently ordered 1/2 kilo of NAC and intend to start using it around 1/g/day.

PS I too have found inositol to helpful, I have used it for a couple of months at 10-12 grams/day and found a very noticeable antidepressant effect, and the ability to dissengage from compulsions more easily, it hasn't been the magic bullet but has definitely eased my distress.

I will provide an update once I have commenced NAC.


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## odspot

i'm taking 1.2g now a day and am fairly certain it's helping. i also raised my Parnate dose to 40mg, but the sleep deprivation caused by MAOI's is so severe that it usually worsens my OCD at first (at least that was my experience when i trialled Nardil at the beginning of the year).

even on 30mg of Parnate i found myself ruminating often throughout the day, so i'm convinced it's the NAC which has caused the improvement in my OCD over the past week.

my only concern is what effect regulating glutamate might have overall. i am not too familiar with NAC's mechanism, but i tried Memantine (a partial NMDA agonist) as monotherapy before i was put onto Parnate, and it caused the worst flat/anhedonic/dissociative/brain-foggy feeling, i guess by pretty much locking down glutamate. 

i'll also try keeping my NAC dose to ~1g for now. soto did you notice any foggy feelings on inositol? the first time i tried it (about 2g a day) i felt kinda dizzy and foggy so got scared off. sometimes that reaction is good (b12 did the same thing at first, and my levels turned out to be really low), so i wanna give it a proper trial; i've ordered it in bulk so i can try 10+g a day.


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## soto

Hi OdSpot - I don't think memantine is meant to work very well with OCD, riluzole and NAC have been found to be more effective according to this research: Glutamate-Modulating Drugs as Novel Pharmacotherapeutic Agents in the Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
_NeuroRX_, Volume 3, Issue 1, 2006, Pages 69-81
C. Pittenger, J. Krystal, V. Coric. In a nutshell these drugs inhibit the presynaptic release of glutamate, which has been shown to be hyperactive with OCD in the brain circuits between the caudate nucleus and orbitonfrontal cortex - they decrease this activity.

With Inositol I started on about 5g a day for the first week, then dosed up to 10-12g (I take 2 teaspoons in the morning and 2 before dinner - so I am not sure of the exact dose). Yeah, it's much cheaper to buy in bulk I think I paid about $100 for a kg - and I have heard it is absorbed alot better as powder than in capsules. In the first couple of weeks I noticed a number of mild side-effects like tiredness and decrease in libido (however nothing as extreme as SRIs). Since then these side effects have pretty much gone away - the only noticeable effect is that I am still having a lot more vivid dreams than usual, and mild GI upset. If I have 2 teaspoons on an empty stomach it is quite strong, ...yeah I have noticed a little bit of the foggy feeling at times - this is the reason I have not increased the dose any higher to 18g like some studies suggest. I think everyone's body is different, but for me 12g seems to work quite well.

hope this helps


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## odspot

hey soto, that's interesting; there's quite a few studies showing Memantine as an effective add-on treatment for refractory OCD. the key i think is using it in conjunction with an SSRI; as monotherapy, it isn't all that useful.

yeah i never gave inositol more than a few days the couple of times i tried it. i did think i was getting tired, and noticed my libido was worse, but i thought that was all in my head, so it's good to know the side-effects are real and also pass eventually! i work as a writer and could never tolerate SSRI's because they numb my creativity. i noticed though that inositol seemed really helpful when withdrawing off drugs, and sometimes when i had a mental block, inositol seemed to help get the thoughts flowing.

i haven't written since i became depressed, and am hoping to get back into it. if Parnate doesn't work out, i'll give inositol a proper trial, given the promising results i saw in the past. i also start CBT again this week, which should help the OCD.


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## Vini Vidi Vici

thats funny i was just about to go buy some NAC...im on Parnate,,...and its making my OCD worse...i have moderate OCD. but if i let it, it gets out of control.....i don't know of too many good NMDA antagonists besides DXM, but that will kill me with Parnate.


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## crayzyMed

Vini Vidi Vici said:


> thats funny i was just about to go buy some NAC...im on Parnate,,...and its making my OCD worse...i have moderate OCD. but if i let it, it gets out of control.....i don't know of too many good NMDA antagonists besides DXM, but that will kill me with Parnate.


Memantine is an excellent NMDA antagonis


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## bowlingpins

crayzyMed said:


> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acetylcysteine
> 
> I got it from my pharmacy.


I only knew NAC as something you use for tylenol overdose and as a mucolytic. But surprise, surprise, there are a ton of uses for it (in the investigational stage, admittedly).

"The following uses have not been well-established or investigated:

_
NAC has been shown to reduce the symptoms of both schizophrenia[15] and bipolar disorder[16] in two placebo controlled trials.
Evidence that NAC and other antioxidants can exert beneficial effects on pancreatic b-cell function in diabetes was published in a 1999 study. The authors conclude that a sufficient supply of antioxidants (NAC, vitamin C plus vitamin E, or both) may prevent or delay b-cell dysfunction in diabetes by providing protection against glucose toxicity.[17]
NAC is undergoing clinical trials in the United States for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder.[18] It is thought to counteract the glutamate hyperactivity in OCD.
NAC has been shown to reduce cravings associated with chronic cocaine use in a study conducted at the Medical University of South Carolina[19][20]
It may reduce the incidence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations[21]
In the treatment of AIDS, NAC has been shown to cause a "marked increase in immunological functions and plasma albumin concentrations"[22] Albumin concentration are inversely correlated with muscle wasting (cachexia), a condition associated with AIDS.
An animal study indicates that acetylcysteine may decrease mortality associated with influenza [23]
Animal studies suggest that NAC may help prevent noise-induced hearing loss. [24] A clinical trial to determine efficacy in preventing noise-induced sensorineural hearing loss in humans is currently (2006) being jointly conducted by the US Army and US Navy.[citation needed]
A human study of 262 primarily elderly individuals indicates that NAC may decrease influenza symptoms. In the study, 25% of virus-infected subjects NAC treatment developed a symptoms, whereas 79% in the placebo group developed symptoms. [25]
It has been suggested that NAC may help sufferers of Samter's triad by increasing levels of glutathione allowing faster breakdown of salicylates, though there is no evidence that it is of benefit [26]
There are claims that acetylcysteine taken together with vitamin C and B1 can be used to prevent and relieve symptoms of veisalgia (hangover following ethanol (alcohol) consumption). The claimed mechanism is through scavenging of acetaldehyde, a toxic intermediate in the metabolism of ethanol.[27][28]
It has been shown to help women with PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) to reduce insulin problems and possibly improve fertility. [29]
Small studies have shown acetylcysteine to be of benefit to sufferers of blepharitis[citation needed] and has been shown to reduce ocular soreness caused by Sjogren's syndrome.[citation needed]
Studies in mice models of Ataxia Telangictasia (ATM knockout) indicate that NAC prevents genomic instability and retards lymphomagenesis in these animals.[citation needed] Clinical trials in human AT patients are underway.[citation needed]
It has been shown to help trichotillomania[30], a condition causing compulsive hair-pulling.
It has been shown to help methylmercury poisoning[31]
It has been shown effective in Unverricht-Lundborg disease in an open trial in 4 patients. A marked decrease in myoclonus and some normalization of somatosensory evoked potentials with N -acetylcysteine treatment has been documented. http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1153370-overview
_
Medicine is complicated.


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## crayzyMed

Its one of those multiuse supplements, resveratrol is another one that i think may have alot more uses then discovered.


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## Vini Vidi Vici

in general, how sick did it make you when you started taking it, anybody? i mean i don't wanna get sick again like cuz i just had the flu and everything. is it worth taking for OCD with the side effects and all


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## crayzyMed

Vini Vidi Vici said:


> in general, how sick did it make you when you started taking it, anybody? i mean i don't wanna get sick again like cuz i just had the flu and everything. is it worth taking for OCD with the side effects and all


Its nothing to worry about, not bad at all


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## jer

*Where do I get them.*

Hi, you guys taking NAC, I would like to give it a try. My OCD is severe.

I would appreciate if you could tell me the brands are you taking and where do you get them.
Is there a recommended "best" brand that I need to look for.


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## crayzyMed

jer said:


> Hi, you guys taking NAC, I would like to give it a try. My OCD is severe.
> 
> I would appreciate if you could tell me the brands are you taking and where do you get them.
> Is there a recommended "best" brand that I need to look for.


I just got it from my local pharmacy, some generic brand (i'm from belguim), its very cheap and they should have it in every pharmacy.
Just ask for acetylcysteine.


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## jer

thanks for the quick reply. I am going shopping in a moment. I will ask for that.


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## soto

Hi jer - you should be able to buy NAC in bulk, I live in australia so have ordered it online through these guys http://www.mfcd.net/depot/prodamino.asp, but you should be able to find a local supplier.

I have just started taking it in the last few days, I am waiting to borrow some electronic scales off a mate so I am only roughly measuring out my daily dose at the moment, I have read NAC weights 3.7g per metric teaspoon so I am taking about 1/8 teaspoon twice daily to make up a 1 gram/day dose until the scales arrive.

It is too early to really tell what it is doing OCD wise, but I have felt a bit 'flattened' or dulled the last couple of days which could be due to the NAC. I will let you know how I go, I will trial it for a couple of months and see what effect it has.


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## odspot

soto said:


> It is too early to really tell what it is doing OCD wise, but I have felt a bit 'flattened' or dulled the last couple of days which could be due to the NAC.


same, though Parnate also kinda does that to me. i'm tapering off Parnate now so will know for sure what effect the NAC has. i'm thinking of going up to 1.8g (from 1.2), but wonder how much glutamate regulation is a good thing. it's actually almost impossible to find any first-person NAC reports on the 'net (for OCD anyway), so we should all keep updating this thread. :yes


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## odspot

do you notice any dullness/fogginess crazymed?


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## crayzyMed

I've never noticed any foggyness.


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## odspot

so you're still on 1.8g? coming off right now Parnate is hell, and making my OCD 1000x worse. i may raise the NAC dose to see if i can ease that a bit.


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## crayzyMed

odspot said:


> so you're still on 1.8g? coming off right now Parnate is hell, and making my OCD 1000x worse. i may raise the NAC dose to see if i can ease that a bit.


No i stopped taking nac, it still worked but i got other things to experiment with now.


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## soto

Hi odspot - so far so good, almost 1 week now - i got the digital scales and worked out i've been on about 600mg/day - I will double this at the end of the week.

yeah I have noticed a bit of a foggy feeling - which makes sense like turning the dimmer switch down - afterall glutamate is the brain's major excitatory neurotransmitter, but I usually don't take side effects that seriously for the first week or two, need a couple of weeks to get an accurate picture once the body/mind has adjusted to it.

I believe it has had a slight positive effect on reducing my OCD symptoms, I am ruminating less during the day, and less intrusive images/thoughts, they have lost their 'punch' a bit. I look forward to take the dose up, looks promising..

PS I recommend taking a good B Complex vitamin with it, esp B12 for clearing homocysteine.


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## jer

thanks Soto and Crazymeds.

after my last post, I went directly to Walmart and checked out the supplement section.
I couldnt find any NAC. there were a ton of other supplements - a wall filled with stuff.

anyway I will try other supermarkets here and see if I can find NAC.


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## Vini Vidi Vici

if you find it could you post where? the only place i could think of was GNC, and usually that is expensive


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## crayzyMed

jer said:


> thanks Soto and Crazymeds.
> 
> after my last post, I went directly to Walmart and checked out the supplement section.
> I couldnt find any NAC. there were a ton of other supplements - a wall filled with stuff.
> 
> anyway I will try other supermarkets here and see if I can find NAC.


I think you better go to a pharmacy and ask for "acetylcysteine" not NAC because they wont recognize that name alteast in my experience. 
Its not solled as a normal supplement in places like wallmarkt, you need to go to a pharmacy.


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## odspot

i am definitely still noticing an increase in fogginess. i'm not convinced this side-effect will pass either (it didn't on Memantine), given that the glutamate modulation is a primary effect... unless it's some kind of detoxification reaction? i don't believe it's placebo either, as i popped a pill halfway through reading a theory chapter and suddenly experienced a lot more difficulty absorbing information. on the plus side, i also felt a lot calmer. 

i read that NAC only has a half-life of 1.5 hours or so. i'm wondering if it might be better to take smaller doses - 2-300mg three times a day, rather than 600mg all at once. Jarrow's also make a sustained-release formula which sounds worth looking into. :blank


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## crayzyMed

I used to take 600mg 3 times a day.


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## soto

odspot - I don't think the half life of NAC is the issue, it is absorbed rapidly and converted to cysteine, which in turn is used as a precursor for glutathione - current understanding is that the increase in cysteine levels is what normalizes glutamate levels in the brain (not the NAC itself). 

I've been taking 600mg morning and night for the past 3 days - the best way I can describe the effect is that it reduces the intensity of the obsessions - one of my obsessions was quite badly triggered yesterday, and I still spent the rest of the day ruminating about it, but the intensity of the distress was managable instead of overwhelming.

My understanding of NAC so far is that it flattens the spikes from OCD, and more succesfully keeps distrubing thoughts 'below the surface' - but it is NOT an antidepressant, if anything I have found that my mood is flattened a bit since taking it, I have heard that NAC is also being trialled for bipolar disorder, and this makes alot of sense, it steers you away from the manic end of the spectrum. 

In comparison to Inositol, I have found NAC a more effective anti-obsessional (although I still use both, with the Inositol >10g/day being a good antidepressant) , I think it is well worth trying for anyone with OCD


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## odspot

thanks for the explanation soto. i shouldn't be so quick to indulge in amateur science  i also find your description of NAC's benefits re: OCD accurate - the thoughts seem to remain lingering in the back of my mind, but they lack their usual potency or draw. in fact, i barely seem to get any real 'spikes' at all. 

of course, natural agents should probably be used in synergy, and i get how NAC wouldn't work as a standalone compound. now that i am just about finished with Parnate (waiting for the 2-week washout to end), i am thinking about my next step, AD-wise. i have long considered giving inositol a decent trial as an anti-anxiety/panic/mood-brightening agent. i have also had some wonderful results with SAM-e when i tried it briefly before Parnate.

do you take inositol in conjunction with meds, soto, or do you feel that high doses are a suitable SSRI equivalent? 

my pdoc really wants me to try anafranil, but it sounds fairly gruesome, side-effect-wise. i feel like i owe it to myself to at least give inositol a fair try before i move onto another med.


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## soto

hey odspot - good to discuss this with someone else going through the same experiences - I need to point out that I have not been diagnosed with SAD, I came to this forum specifically becuase of the discussion of OCD meds, which alot of people here also seem to suffer with. So I am not very familiar with meds for ADs other than OCD. 

In relation to Anafranil, I did trial it when I first got diagnosed with OCD - it appears that many of the 'old school' psychs dish it out as a first-port-of-call. That being said, there is strong research to show that it is a very good anti-obsessional (perhaps the best). Personally I couldn't hack it, I litterally lasted less than a week - I felt considerably out of it at work and experienced total impotence. Perhaps if I had given it a go for longer the side effects would have diminished. I don't want to put you off, because it is probably worth trying if your OCD is really debilitating - however, I found it to be a traumatic experience and subsequently got a referal to another psych afterwards.

Talk it over with your doctor, but if you want to go down this path I understand that SSRIs are equally as effective in many cases, incase you haven't tried some already. 

The reason I have explored alternative supplements is because I can't tolerate the sexual side effects of SSRIs - my OCD is a pain in the *** to deal with, but it would have to be unbearable before I considered giving up my sex life to go on treatment.

I'm not the best person to ask about SSRIs becuase I've never used any other than the anafranil trial. I will say I have noticed a big difference in my mood since using Inositol - which I have used at 12g/day for several months now, but you would be best to talk to someone who has used both in order to get a good comparison. I think Inositol is a very underated substance, but better as an antidepressant than as an anti-obsessional. I also have alot less arguments with my girlfriend since using Inositol, I don't get as stressed out over little things like I used to, I am more chilled out.

Good luck, keep me posted how you go with the NAC.


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## odspot

i do not have SAD either, though i have developed some avoidance issues in my depression.

i sort of suffer from a catch-22. i've tried a couple of SSRI's, but always came off them quickly because i could not tolerate the side-effects (especially the brain-fog, which interfered with my professional life). i had a stressful experience on Remeron (it turned the volume up on my OCD x1000) and cold-turkeyed off the drug, but was left with a lot of executive dysfunction issues afterward. i had to stop working because i couldn't really think straight; psychs told me it was a depression, but it didn't feel like it. i tried a couple more AD's to no real avail, and was finally put on Nardil, which relieved the depression (by that point i had become genuinely depressed due to not working), but didn't do an awful lot for my cognition, so i tapered off it. Parnate on the other hand helped cognition but made me too aggressive to function, and brought back the OCD full-force. 

that's been the past year. i'm still young, so am not rushing into my next decision. my OCD is bad, yes, but it strangely remits when i'm depressed because i lack the mental energy to carry through my obsessions. i don't think SSRI's alone are the answer; anything dopaminergic (tyrosine, Parnate, SAM-e etc.) brings me completely back to life, but then worsens the OCD/anxiety. so i think i need a more multi-purpose solution which takes my higher functioning into account. unfortunately, i can't really find a decent psychiatrist experienced in polypharmacy where i live, so am just holding off with CBT for now. my family's moving to another country soon where my uncle holds a high position in a hospital, so hopefully i can find better treatment. until then, i was just gonna experiment with natural stuff for the hell of it. i spoke to one guy who said he quit 17 years of therapy because inositol was so effective, but he takes it in conjunction with an SSRI. still, he said it's not the SSRI alone - he could not live without the inositol. i guess since it sensitizes serotonin receptors, maybe it is more useful with another serotonergic agent, which is why i wanted to include SAM-e. i think anafranil would be a last-ditch solution if i was ever hospitalized or anything. 

sorry for the long post. :blank


----------



## jer

Vini Vidi Vici said:


> if you find it could you post where? the only place i could think of was GNC, and usually that is expensive


I got it from HEB yesterday. Here in Texas, HEB is a big supermarket like walmart.

they had 2 kinds - brand ($15) and generic(11). I bought the generic one.
lets see how it goes.


----------



## jer

I read on the internet that whey protein has the same effect as NAC supplements, since they both act on the glutathione .

is that true?

if so, I should have tried whey protein before buying the supplement.


----------



## crayzyMed

I think whey is waaaay to weak to work for OCD...


----------



## soto

hey odspot, sounds like you've already tried alot of options so are getting an idea of what works and doesn't - i have done alot of research on inositol, there are over a hundred papers on it if you include the animal research - no one knows exactly how it works yet but it works on the phosphatidylinositol secondary messenger system that is linked to G-protein coupled receptors, the most notable of these being 5-HT2 receptors that are implicated in all anxiety and mood disorders. It definitely does something in the way of modifying serotonin transporter function or receptor sensitivity or some such. Animal research has isolated it's effects to the 5-HT2 receptor, but no more specific than that.

jez- whey protein may be an option, products like immunocal that have high quantities of protein-bound cysteine could theoretically do the same thing as NAC, but there aren't any clinical trials that have been done to investigate it yet - I suspect that NAC is a better cysteine donor - it is not glutathione which is responsible for normalizing glutamate but the cysteine (according to the pittenger paper). But maybe worth a shot.

As for myself I am still on 1200mg/day NAC and finding that it is doing a great job - but I am little less motivated and sharp at work, so I don't think I'll be upping the dose further any time soon. I am taking the second dose around 1 or 2 pm in the afternoon instead of evening because I think it makes me a bit restless at night to sleep - however I could be wrong. 

I have also stopped taking the inositol in conjunction with the NAC today as I suspect there is an interaction, I have scoured the net but not found any other reports of this. The kind of effect I was getting with high dose inositol together with NAC was reflux and slight shortness of breath, which has dissapeared when I've cut out the Inositol. I have no idea what kind of chemical reaction would cause this, but my body is better on NAC by itself.
Maybe it's just me.


----------



## odspot

hey thanks for your help soto. it is hard to distinguish between Parnate withdrawal and NAC's effects, but i am almost 100% convinced that it is having some benefit. i feel a little slower as well, but again, their are numerous complicating factors. i also read, from a very reliable source on another forum, that a "flu" reaction to NAC is almost undoubtedly a sign of chlamydia pneumoniae (http://www.cpnhelp.org/). take that as you will (whoever experienced the reaction), but i know i had a Herx-like response to NAC w/ flu symptoms, diarrhea (sorry :afr), etc. so i don't think i'll stop taking at least 600mg for a while.

strange you experienced reflux soto. i hate to sound like a complete mimic, but my reflux has been worse lately as well for some reason - i've always suffered from it (it waxes and wanes based on my anxiety levels) but for the first time lately i've been experiencing severe burning in my throat at night. i wonder if it is linked to NAC. i can't comment on the insomnia, because i sleep badly in general.

anyway, interesting to know about the inositol-NAC interaction in you. i may start off with just SAMe and NAC, and see how i fare; SAM-e made me a little hyper, so maybe NAC could regulate that this time.


----------



## soto

hey odspot - yeah i read the stuff about chlamydia and NAC flu as well, haha i got tested for this stuff a few months ago  so my reaction is prob something else - but if I did have chlamydia it's good to know it's now being killed off . 

I'm really not the best person to judge side effects, because I have OCD and lie awake thinking "is my heart beat different today?" - you know how it is always imaging worse case scenario. The PAH stuff has made me do google searches galore looking for NAC effects on blood pressure - I can't really find any bad effects other than that 1 paper, so I have more-or-less accepted the risk.

I don't want to give up on the inositol - it has been a very positive experience, so I will try starting it again at a lower dose after a few days break - try it for yourself cause my experience could be nothing to do with it.


----------



## jer

update....

I tried NAC for 19 days. Havent had much improvement to my OCD.
Also I had a mild sensation of dullness/depression.

I am stopping it from today. 

Do you know how many days it takes to see any positive effects once we start taking NAC.


PS - It may not have worked for me, but dont let that stop the rest of you guys. It could the answer to your OCD problems. Give it a try.


----------



## soto

hey jer - sorry to hear it didn't work out for you, that makes 2 of us.
I still have about 1/2 kilo of unused NAC in a container in my kitchen 

I think I want to reassure anyone who has stumbled across this thread, that for me NAC did have quite a noticeable effect, it was just the side effects that stopped me taking it - which may be something other people don't have an issue with.

At the moment I'm back on the inositol, and have upped the dose to about 15g/day. I talked it over with my psych at our last meeting and he was supportive, suggesting that I give it a go for 6 months.
OCD is going well, the best it's been in a while, and I think the inositol together with regular exercise is a large part to do with it.


----------



## soto

Just a quick update I recently started using jarrow NAC sustain and my body tolerates it a lot better than the powder - 600mg a day is done for now


----------



## crayzyMed

Good news for bipolars:


> Biol Psychiatry. 2008 Sep 15;64(6):468-75. Epub 2008 Jun 5.
> N-acetyl cysteine for depressive symptoms in bipolar disorder--a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial.
> Berk M, Copolov DL, Dean O, Lu K, Jeavons S, Schapkaitz I, Anderson-Hunt M, Bush AI.
> 
> The Mental Health Research Institute of Victoria, Victoria, Australia.
> Comment in:
> 
> Biol Psychiatry. 2008 Nov 1;64(9):e1.
> BACKGROUND: Treatment-resistant subthreshold depression is a major problem in bipolar disorder. Both depression and bipolar disorder are complicated by glutathione depletion. We hypothesized that treatment with N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), a safe, orally bioavailable precursor of glutathione, may improve the depressive component of bipolar disorder. METHODS: A randomized, double-blind, multicenter, placebo-controlled study of individuals (n = 75) with bipolar disorder in the maintenance phase treated with NAC (1 g twice daily) adjunctive to usual medication over 24 weeks, with a 4-week washout. The two primary outcomes were the Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and time to a mood episode. Secondary outcomes included the Bipolar Depression Rating Scale and 11 other ratings of clinical status, quality of life, and functioning. RESULTS: NAC treatment caused a significant improvement on the MADRS (least squares mean difference [95% confidence interval]: -8.05 [-13.16, -2.95], p = .002) and most secondary scales at end point. Benefit was evident by 8 weeks on the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale and Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale and at 20 weeks on the MADRS. Improvements were lost after washout. There was no effect of NAC on time to a mood episode (log-rank test: p = .968) and no significant between-group differences in adverse events. Effect sizes at end point were medium to high for improvements in MADRS and 9 of the 12 secondary readouts. CONCLUSIONS: *NAC appears a safe and effective augmentation strategy for depressive symptoms in bipolar disorder.*


----------



## crayzyMed

soto said:


> Just a quick update I recently started using jarrow NAC sustain and my body tolerates it a lot better than the powder - 600mg a day is done for now


So it works for your OCD without many side effects now?


----------



## cheesycow5

Another study.



> N-acetylcysteine, a glutamate modulator, in the treatment of trichotillomania: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
> This study, the first to our knowledge that examines the efficacy of a glutamatergic agent in the treatment of trichotillomania, found that *N-acetylcysteine demonstrated statistically significant reductions in trichotillomania [obsessive hair pulling] symptoms*. No adverse events occurred in the N-acetylcysteine group, and N-acetylcysteine was well tolerated.


----------



## soto

crayzyMed said:


> So it works for your OCD without many side effects now?


hey crazyMed - sorry for the delay in replying, haven't checked the forum for a couple of weeks.

Yeah, the Jarrow sustain release doesn't seem to cause many side-effects for me. But I'm still not using it everyday - I have stabilised on about 15grams of Inositol a day, and is working well for me. The NAC works, but even without the physical effects it seems to destabilise me emotionally abit, I think it has quite a powerful psychoactive effect that shouldn't be under-estimated, and the cognitive dulling makes it hard to focus - within a couple of hours of taking it I can be staring at the computer screen at the office, not really productive.

I take it on weekends, and as-needed basis - I have found that it has a reliable acute effect, i.e. you don't need to take it on an ongoing-basis to get a noticeable effect from a one-off dose. If I am having a bad day OCD wise I will take one, or if I'm planning to go to a social event and not want to be caught up ruminating about stuff, then I take one to chill out a bit.

I think it a useful part of the 'toolkit' for dealing with OCD, and a hell-of-a-lot less severe than pharmaceutical anti-glutamate prescriptions.


----------



## crayzyMed

Bump

I restarted nac yesterday, in combination with my other meds, lets see what it will do.


----------



## crayzyMed

Pretty impressive list lol:


> Investigational
> 
> The following uses have not been well-established or investigated:
> Evidence that NAC and other antioxidants can exert beneficial effects on pancreatic b-cell function in diabetes was published in a 1999 study. The authors conclude that a sufficient supply of antioxidants (NAC, vitamin C plus vitamin E, or both) may prevent or delay b-cell dysfunction in diabetes by providing protection against glucose toxicity.[22]
> NAC is undergoing clinical trials in the United States for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder.[23] It is thought to counteract the glutamate hyperactivity in OCD.
> NAC has had anecdotal reports and some research suggesting efficacy in preventing nail biting[24]
> NAC has been shown to reduce cravings associated with chronic cocaine use in a study conducted at the Medical University of South Carolina[25][26]
> It may reduce the incidence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations[27]
> In the treatment of AIDS, NAC has been shown to cause a "marked increase in immunological functions and plasma albumin concentrations"[28] Albumin concentration are inversely correlated with muscle wasting (cachexia), a condition associated with AIDS.
> An animal study indicates that acetylcysteine may decrease mortality associated with influenza [29]
> Animal studies suggest that NAC may help prevent noise-induced hearing loss.[30] A clinical trial to determine efficacy in preventing noise-induced sensorineural hearing loss in humans is currently (2006) being jointly conducted by the US Army[31] and US Navy[citation needed]
> A human study of 262 primarily elderly individuals indicates that NAC may decrease influenza symptoms. In the study, 25% of virus-infected subjects who received NAC treatment developed symptoms, whereas 79% in the placebo group developed symptoms.[32]
> It has been suggested that NAC may help sufferers of Samter's triad by increasing levels of glutathione allowing faster breakdown of salicylates, though there is no evidence that it is of benefit [33]
> There are claims that acetylcysteine taken together with vitamin C and B1 can be used to prevent and relieve symptoms of veisalgia (hangover following ethanol (alcohol) consumption). The claimed mechanism is through scavenging of acetaldehyde, a toxic intermediate in the metabolism of ethanol.[34][35]
> It has been shown to help women with PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) to reduce insulin problems and possibly improve fertility.[36]
> Small studies have shown acetylcysteine to be of benefit to sufferers of blepharitis[citation needed] and has been shown to reduce ocular soreness caused by Sjogren's syndrome.[citation needed]
> Studies in mice models of Ataxia Telangictasia (ATM knockout) indicate that NAC prevents genomic instability and retards lymphomagenesis in these animals.[citation needed] Clinical trials in human AT patients are underway.[citation needed]
> It has been shown to help trichotillomania,[37] a condition causing compulsive hair-pulling as well as compulsive nailbiting.
> Sulfur and sulfur-related amino acids are commonly depleted in autism[1]. Glutathione, which largely depends on cysteine for its formation, is also frequently depleted in autism,[38] and may contribute to the heavy metal burden commonly found in autistic patients.
> Possible antidote for methylmercury poisoning. It produced an acceleration of urinary methyl-mercury excretion in mice[39]
> It has been shown effective in Unverricht-Lundborg disease in an open trial in 4 patients. A marked decrease in myoclonus and some normalization of somatosensory evoked potentials with N -acetylcysteine treatment has been documented.[40]
> Small reduction of cell death in chemotherapy patients, due to reduction in oxidative stress. Reduced ROS and lipid peroxidation, and restored of antioxidant enzyme activities.[41]





> J Physiol Biochem. 2010 Mar 31. [Epub ahead of print]
> Modulatory effect of N-acetylcysteine on pro-antioxidant status and haematological response in healthy men.
> 
> Zembron-Lacny A, Slowinska-Lisowska M, Szygula Z, Witkowski Z, Szyszka K.
> 
> Department of Biochemistry and Sports Medicine, University of Physical Education Poznan, Faculty of Physical Culture, Gorzow Wielkopolski, Poland, [email protected].
> 
> The aim of this study was to follow up whether the modification of pro-antioxidant status by 8-day oral application of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) in healthy men affects the haematological response, whether there is a direct relationship between antioxidant defences and erythropoietin (EPO) secretion and whether NAC intake enhances exercise performance. Fifteen healthy men were randomly assigned to one of two groups: control or NAC (1,200 mg d(-1) for 8 days prior to and 600 mg on the day of exercise trial). To measure the ergogenic effectiveness of NAC, subjects performed incremental cycle exercise until exhaustion. *NAC administration significantly influenced the resting and post-exercise level of glutathione (+31%) as well as the resting activity of glutathione enzymes (glutathione reductase, -22%; glutathione peroxidase, -18%). The oxidative damage markers, i.e., protein carbonylation and lipid peroxidation products (thiobarbituric acid reactive substance) were reduced by NAC by more than 30%. NAC noticeably affected the plasma level of EPO (+26%), haemoglobin (+9%), haematocrit (+9%) and erythrocytes (-6%) at rest and after exercise. The mean corpuscular volume and the mean corpuscular haemoglobin increased by more than 12%. Plasma total thiols increased by 17% and directly correlated with EPO level (r = 0.528, P < 0.05).* NAC treatment, contrary to expectations, did not significantly affect exercise performance. Our study has shown that 8-day NAC intake at a daily dose of 1,200 mg favours a pro-antioxidant status and affects haematological indices but does not enhance exercise performance.


----------



## robertz

I wish I could take NAC, but I tried 500mg daily for 4-5 days, and I got SEVERE brain fog and a weird sensation in my brain. Any idea on what could be causing this side effect ? ​


----------



## crayzyMed

robertz said:


> I wish I could take NAC, but I tried 500mg daily for 4-5 days, and I got SEVERE brain fog and a weird sensation in my brain. Any idea on what could be causing this side effect ? ​


Hmm, have you tried upping the dose? You would expect it to get worse but you never know, i take 600mg 3 times a day without any brainfog.

That said, its kinda antiglutaminergic wich can cause brainfog in some people.


----------



## crayzyMed

More



> Beneficial effects of N-acetylcysteine in treatment resistant schizophrenia.
> Bulut M, Savas HA, Altindag A, Virit O, Dalkilic A.
> 
> Department of Psychiatry, Gaziantep University Faculty of Medicine, Gaziantep, Turkey.
> Abstract
> Poor response to antipsychotics is still an important problem in the treatment of many schizophrenia patients. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is a compound that exerts anti-oxidant and scavenging actions against reactive oxygen species. This paper reports a case of poorly responsive schizophrenia patient who improved considerably with add-on NAC 600 mg/day. The NAC might work through activating cysteine-glutamate antiporters or reducing in nitric oxide (NO) metabolites, free radicals and cytokines or through both of these mechanisms.


----------



## marilyn78

I forgot where I read this but you have to take NAC with vitamin C. I'm not sure if it helped with my anxiety but I did feel a little better while I was taking it. I think it might be good for depression too.


----------



## crayzyMed

marilyn78 said:


> I forgot where I read this but you have to take NAC with vitamin C. I'm not sure if it helped with my anxiety but I did feel a little better while I was taking it. I think it might be good for depression too.


I beleive thats nonsense, you dont need to take it with nac (yeah ive read that a few times before, but the evidence behind that is rather sketchy).

Yeah ive seen a study showing it was effective for bipolar depression, why did you stop taking it?


----------



## marilyn78

crayzyMed said:


> I beleive thats nonsense, you dont need to take it with nac (yeah ive read that a few times before, but the evidence behind that is rather sketchy).
> 
> Yeah ive seen a study showing it was effective for bipolar depression, why did you stop taking it?


I'd rather be safe than sorry but then again, I'm kind of paranoid when it comes to supplements and vitamins.

I had my anxiety under control for a while and I just forgot to keep taking it. I'll probably start up again. My anxiety has been pretty bad lately.


----------



## crayzyMed

Well, excess antioxidant supplementation can have harmfull effects, so if you are rather safe i would leave the vitamin C out.


----------



## robertz

crayzyMed said:


> Well, excess antioxidant supplementation can have harmfull effects, so if you are rather safe i would leave the vitamin C out.


Since I started taking 3 grams of vitamin C a day I feel better. Also, selenium and vitamin E are a must for me because I suspect I'm mercury overloaded.

Do you really think vitamin C is harmful ? There's a lot of people out there that have been taking 10-20 grams per day for years.


----------



## pboy

How did people get on with the NAC? 

The brainfog thing scares me off. Maybe taking a lower dosage would be better? 
I've heard some people starting as low as 50mg or less.


----------



## soto

the jarrow's sustained release NAC is working well for me.
I've stabilised on about 1800mg/day now take 600mg 3 times a day - been taking this dose for a good 6 months.
I suspect I have developed a mild tolerance to it - as it doesn't seem to be quite as strong as it used to - but brain fog is not an issue for me, although I did notice it a bit at first.


----------



## crayzyMed

robertz said:


> Since I started taking 3 grams of vitamin C a day I feel better. Also, selenium and vitamin E are a must for me because I suspect I'm mercury overloaded.
> 
> Do you really think vitamin C is harmful ? There's a lot of people out there that have been taking 10-20 grams per day for years.


Vitamin on its own is probably allright but do you have any evidence that a chronic combination of 3 antioxidants is beneficial for mercury overload? Youll be inhibiting the beneficial effects of oxidants in the body.


----------



## jaxen

I have pretty much pure O. I tried this stuff. Made me spacey and dull, gave me head and heart aches.


----------



## Beggiatoa

I use NAC because it helps me breathe better. I have air trapping due to a genetic lung problem and NAC is the only solution, thus far. Love the stuff !


----------



## tmk824

I just started today taking 600 mg capsule of NAC, I actually happened to have it from when I was abusing pain killers as a way to numb my OCD. I suppose I should start at 600 mg and work my way up but I am so tired of OCD (more O). Been on Prozac for over 5 years at 60 mg per day and I feel like it isnt working anymore. Need to slow this OCD down it affects every part of my life and I have had enough.


----------



## tmk824

*Update*

I am not sure if this thread is still active as no one has posted since I last did on 12/13/10, but I wanted to update how taking NAC was going. I started right around that 12/13/10 date and worked my way up to 2,400 mg a day. I have found that when I combined it with a healthier diet and a few other vitamins and supplements the symptoms of my pure O OCD were improved. Not gone but improved which is a relief that only someone else with OCD could understand. But anyway, I also found that this past week when I got very busy and started eating fast food and not paying attention to what I was eating that I have had an increase in symptoms. Whether it is just placebo effect or real or a bit of both I am going to try and stick to it and get back on track bc I can not keep this vicious cycle going. Hope someone is still reading these.


----------



## Mom of Teen

*NAC as a supplement to Lexapro*

I hope someone is still around on this thread. I just read the whole thing about NAC and inositol as a supplement and found all the posts very informative. I have a 17-yr old daughter with OCD who's on 10mg of Lexapro. It works well for her (about an 80 to 85% improvement over 2 years), but she still gets overly anxious at times, and still has lots of social anxiety issues, so I wondered if adding one of these supplements would help even more.
But you can't take inositol and an anti-depressant together, right? Just trying to find some alternatives than drugs for my daughter. I want her to find a regime she can continue as an adult.


----------



## crayzyMed

Start with nac, 2-4 gram a day, i personally take 1,8 gram 3 times a day currently.


----------



## jjgiii

*NAC for OCD*

Hey guys,

I started taking 2400mg NAC about 5 days ago. Now clearly any positive effects may be placebo at this point but I feel the following has improved: obsessive thoughts and intense anxiety in morning seems to have faded by half. I have been waking up with less obsessive thoughts, less anxiety, and it has been accompanied by a calm, yet energized feeling. I usually wake up at 12. Now I have been waking up at 6/6:30! I am going to record my experience with NAC over the next three months.


----------



## jjgiii

*NAC for OCD*

Hey guys,

I will be recording my experience with NAC on the forum for the next 3 months.

I am on the following meds:

225 mg Anafranil (been taking for 4 months)
40 mg Lexapro (been taking for 4 years)
2400 mg NAC (been taking for 5 days).


----------



## jjgiii

*NAC day 6*

Hey guys,

Day 6: Woke up with less anxiety and less akithasia than usual. Did not have as many obsessive thoughts. Had a couple spikes of akithasia throughout the day but eventually it went away. I am not sure if NAC IS RESPONSIBLE for any of these. It is too early to tell but I definitely have less anxiety, akithasia, and obsessive thoughts.


----------



## jjgiii

*DAy 8*

Hey guys, I woke up remembering a vivid dream I had before. Its always the same thought process: The dream was vivid, and while in the dream I was not aware it was a dream as it felt real. So then how can I know if this reality is not a dream if I wouldnt know it when in it....

So I am still getting reality obsessive thoughts, but I feel less anxious on the NAC and like the obsessive thoughts dont hurt me as much.


----------



## crayzyMed

Still taking nac since a while ago, its very cognitive enhancing for me, even other ppl notice when im on it, it also seems antidepressive and has mood stabilising capability's. I consider this one of the best supplements with resveratrol and curcumin being on that list too.


----------



## jjgiii

I read that curcumin bioavailability is dismal and in one study, orally taken curcumin showed no significant increase in blood.Have you found otherwise? Now I dont knwo anything about reverstrol. Can you cite any studies? I truly believe the NAC is helping me with my obsessions, and am looking to try other over the counter stuff like reversetrol if I thought there was evidence for it


----------



## jjgiii

*Day 9*

Woke up with extreme anxiety and fear. It lasted perhaps an hour or two. It ended quicker then usual. Obsessive thoughts are at a minimum and the fright they cause has downgraded. It seems the N acetyl cysteine is working but I cant tell yet for sure. According to my psychiatrist and literature, N acetyl cysteine must be taken for up to three months to have therapeutic effects, which is similiar to most OCD medications.

QUESTION: DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW TO FOLLOW A FORUM PAGE. ID LIKE TO FOLLOW THIS ONE.


----------



## crayzyMed

jjgiii said:


> I read that curcumin bioavailability is dismal and in one study, orally taken curcumin showed no significant increase in blood.Have you found otherwise? Now I dont knwo anything about reverstrol. Can you cite any studies? I truly believe the NAC is helping me with my obsessions, and am looking to try other over the counter stuff like reversetrol if I thought there was evidence for it


Its lipophilic in the brain where it has a 24 hour half life (curcumin).


----------



## jjgiii

The below literature review talks about the incredibly poor bioavailability of Curcumin...even when used wtih piperine.
http://curcuminresearch.org/PDF/Anand P-23.pdf

Wikipedia webpage below notes a study that showed non significant concentrations in blood.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curcumin#cite_ref-placebo-controlled.2C_double-blind_trial_63-0

A quote from wikipedia "However these data were in contrast to a six-month placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial for Alzheimer's disease, individuals in the BCM-95 groups even doses as high as 4 g failed to yield any significant free curcumin in the plasma. Interestingly there was a non-significant increase in serum amyloid beta with the high dose, which may relate to some effect on amyloid clearance from the brain".

Finally here is the study that wikipedia notes:

Baum L, et al. Six-month randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, pilot clinical trial of curcumin in patients with Alzheimer disease. J Clin Psychopharmacol. 2008;28(1):110-3.


----------



## yingxuy

I do not usually serious side effects the first week or two, take a few weeks to a body / mind to adjust, LED Flashlights to get an accurate picture.


----------



## Frank1985

*NAET*

There is a treatment called NAET that should help. It helped many people with different problems. You can look it up www.naet.com . It has been good for me for schizophrenia and still need some sessions.


----------



## Richmond

*NAC for OCD*

Just wondering if any of those who were trying NAC for OCD symptoms back when this thread was active continued the treatment? Any thoughts as to its longer term effectiveness? any information or observations would be very helpful.


----------



## Sameer2014

I have been taking the following for about 3 months and have been able to reduced my OCD symptoms by 90%. It takes about a month to see 90% of removal. 

Morning (with Breakfast)
Alive Multivitamin for Men - Max Potency - 1 tablet
NAC - 600 mg
Omega 3 - 1 tablet
Inositol - 1 tablet
PGX
B12 methylcobalamin - 1000 mg
Vitamin C - 500 mg
Lithium Orotate - 120 mg

Afternoon (with Lunch)
NAC - 600 mg
Inositol - 1 tablet
PGX
Magnesium/Calcium - 500 mg/250 mg

Evening (with Dinner)
Alive Multivitamin for Men - Max Potency - 1 tablet
NAC - 600 mg
Omega 3 - 1 tablet
Inositol - 1 tablet
PGX
Vitamin C - 500 mg


----------



## Lacking Serotonin

This is the first time I've seen Nac and it looks like it may be effective for trichotillomania and skin picking. I'll have to look into it more, but if anyone has used this hair pulling please let me know.


----------



## gth0002

*Ocd/maybe nac will help more?*

For OCD/severe anxiety here is what has worked for me:

90 mg of buspirone/a day (30 mg three times a day)
1.5 mg clonazepam at night

I am also going to try to add NAC to it, based on what people have reported, for residual anxiety. The buspirone and clonazepam combination have worked well, with little incidence of sexual side effects. However, it had to be worked up slowly. Also, undergoing CBT helped as well by an anxiety expert; but the CBT does not work as well without the meds.... Mine are more 'pure obsessions' but not compulsions (I have feelings of derealization). The therapist taught me that the 'derealization' is nothing more than another obsessive thought (somatic in nature) of perceiving things a little bit off ('not just right' feeling with my vision). The brain just gets 'stuck' on it and the best thing to do is to detach mindfully (Prof. Adriane Well's stuff). Also, I have sleep apnea and have to make sure that I am using the PAP/oral appliance regularly.


----------



## Mnemonicsmoke

Hello everyone, I'm new

For the past few months I have been doing research on different strategies to eliminate OCD symptoms (mostly O) 

I have found that NAC does seem to help, though I have also been taking Inositol so its difficult to tell just how much benefit I am getting from either.
However for the past 4-6 months things have steadily improved, bit slow but steady. 

Though I don't spend an entire day (or two) obsessing about the same thing from the moment I wake up to the moment I fall asleep anymore...Its still difficult having to deal with the (weakened) illness. 
So recently I've read about how Glycine, Sarcosine, or Serine have been able to help some with OCD. However, with these supplements you are actually facilitating NDMA activation...So that leaves me scratching my head because things like memantine, NAC, or others actually attenuate glutamate activity...

SO WHAT I REALLY WANT TO KNOW
Is it possible that for example Sarcosine and NAC could help OCD in combination better than alone?
I have tried a lot of searches and so far I can't find hardly anyone with experience on this. I've found people with schizophrenia benefiting from the combo, however schizophrenics allegedly have hypofunction in the glutamate area, the opposite of OCD'ers. and the benefits from NAC in schizophrenics could possibly have to do more with reducing oxidative stress... so I don't know...that's why i'm posting...hehe...:blank


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