tl7

Hi, I have been reading how GABA may be effective against OCD. I understand that both of the following types of GABA cross the blood brain barrier: picamilon GABA & Gabatropin. Has anyone tried either or both of these at anytime for the treatment of OCD? If so, what were your results? Which one did you find more affective in treating OCD? Thanks.

Hi, This is for gypsykingthing and xcherithx. I have asperger's syndrome. I am a female. What I can affirm for you, is that for most people with asperger's syndrome emotions of other people are like an invisible obstacle course that we just have a hard time seeing (obviously) and therefore navigating. I am not trying to be harsh when I say this, but if you can't accept your signifigant other whose brain is wired like this, you should seek a relationship with someone who is neurotypical. All of your attempting to fix, and fuss over someone who cannot help that their brain processes information differently, is exhausting to people with Asperger's syndrome. Relationships for me are difficult with me having AS by default, as I cannot seem to intuitively get them, or find meaning in some of the rituals associated with them. Neurotypical women are ESPECIALLY difficult to interact with as they are typically more emotional than males and like to gather to comfort each other about their feelings, which is very forgien and bizzare to me. Seeing that I am a female with Aspergers and feel this way, I can't even imagine what it must be like for a guy with Asperger's Syndrome in terms of the emotions of females. If you are interested in staying in your respective relationships, I recommend a book to you called: 22 Things a Woman Must Know If She Loves a Man with Asperger's Syndrome. Link here: http://www.amazon.com/Things-Woman-Must-Know-Aspergers/dp/1849058032 People with Asperger's Syndrome become very overwhelmed mentally with people who in their good intentions, are attempting to "help" us. It is not that we think we don't need the help; it's that it becomes more information added to the mix of everything else we are trying to process. We process information in pieces. For me anyway, the more peices that are added, the more everything overall starts to not make sense. I therefore become very frusterated with the person trying to "help" and at my inability to process all the pieces of information swirling around me. I cannot help this. It is the way my brain opperates, as is the case for most people with Asperger's Syndrome. I see that you are frusterated at being involved with someone who has Asperger's Syndrome. However, even though we may look normal; we have a neuro-developmental DISABILITY. I think most neurotypical people forget that, or they seem not to be willing to accept that. This causes much pain for us because somethings we just cannot do like neurotypicals can. It can really suck being on the other end, having Asperger's Syndrome and having a neurotypical who is so "grieved" and "stressed out" as a result of being around us. That feels like a dagger in my heart, because I cannot help the way my brain opperates, and that I have Asperger's Syndrome. I am just trying to get everything else that is going on around me, and other people, and me, and I just can't ever seem to arrive at "getting" life things the way a neurotypical does. Added to that, the stress of knowing that no matter how hard I try to understand others and what's going on, me and my disability are "stressing" specific people out, though that never ever is my intention. It's just another burden on our shoulders. Believe me, we are affected in a bad way by people who articulate that they are stressed out by us, even though we are not trying to do that. It hurts; because we will never be like you are. We may not be able to articulate our pain to you the way you would explain your pain to us; but it does affect us. It's not like wearing an outfit that I can change to better please people around me, it's like the color of my skin in the sense that I cannot change it. My disability is intertwined with who I am. I think it is wise, that if you cannot accept or tolerate with compassion the disability of the person you are with, and the person, it is better that you look for someone who will act and think more like you. It may be tough to be around someone who has Asperger's Syndrome, but it is also tough to have Asperger's Syndrome, miss a lot of things and know that it is "tough" for you to be around us, because of how our disability causes us to be.

Hmm, that's interesting; I learned that you cannot be a Naturopath unless you have a medical degree first. Maybe this does not apply everywhere. I do know that plenty of people are in the field of alternative health who do not hold a degree, for example people who are certified alternative health nutritionists, or who deal with homeopathic remedies. I was interested in becoming a Naturopath myself, but turned away after learning that a medical degree was required first, as I do not have a medical degree. I have never heard of an Integrative Doctor, is that a doctor who practices conventional and alternative medicine?

Hi, I just read your post and want to say I can empathize. I have been through alot of similar types of thoughts with my OCD which happens to be severe religious OCD; before I was a Christian it manifested itself more in the form of counting and checking things. I suffer with this daily, and at times (particularly when the OCD is raging) have thought about suicide myself as an escape. I understand. However, I have been researching like crazy because there has to be something to if not cure this (yet), at least greatly alleviate it. That hope keeps me going. One thing I have taken away from my research is that OCD (even though labeled a psychiatric condition), has heavy heavy roots in biochemical abnormalties (which can be addressed), and thereby be effective. I have read that inositol powder at about 18 grams a day has proven to be signifigantly successful on many people with OCD. People who have undergone studies have shown improvement after 4 - 6 weeks with the inositol powder. At 3 weeks and under little to no effect is observed. Important to know that OCD symptoms have been reported to return after inositol is stopped. Swanson's brand is least expensive (about $11 for a jar with 227 grams in it). Inositol is reported to cause gastric upset in people at higher doses like the 18 grams a day. I find what helps me to avoid this is splitting up the dose (taking half the dose in the morning and the other half at night, or splitting the dose to be taken 6 grams in the morning, 6 grams in the afternoon and the other 6 grams at night). Also, I find that gastric upset is avoided by taking the dose in a small amount of water (about 1/3 or 1/2 of a cup), and by eating right after I take the dose. I find that if I drink a lot of water around the time of the dose, or I don't eat right after taking it my stomach can become upset. I hear also GABA may be effective (picamilon GABA - this kind penetrates the blood-brain barrier, the other kind of GABA reportedly does not). A link to that here: http://www.cognitivenutrition.com/en/picamilon-25-grams.html I'm not sure what the dosage is for GABA for treating people with OCD. I understand that OCD may have certain pointed causes and could also have a variety of intricate causes. I believe someone who replied mentioned detoxing, diet, and watching out for MSG. All of those I certainly advocate. I know for myself, I have food triggers which will increase the frequency of OCD thoughts and I just have to stay away from certain food. Ideally, I would love to detox, and treat the root of what I believe may be the causative factor(s) to my OCD and other symptoms. That is something held dearly on my wish list of things to do. However, money and time is a factor and well, I'm just not in the place to do that yet. However, I can afford a monthly bottle of inositol powder and possibly something else to treat the OCD until I get where I can do detox and all the other things that may really help me. If these things like inositol powder, GABA, & L-Theanine etc have had great results on people suffering with OCD, why not try it now because I can afford that at this point. For me, I feel it's better to try and treat the symptoms and possibly have decent success, than wait and wait until I get in the right life circumstance to be able to detox, afford expensive supplements and radically alter my diet into something like the GAPS or Food combining diet which could really help. **Just want to note: you mentioned you are currently taking a medication. If you are on an SSRI, it may be dangerous to take some of the things I mentioned while you are on the SSRI. I am not sure which supplements I listed should not be taken with an SSRI, so you would have to do research on that. Maybe you could take the ones that are approved to be okay to take with an SSRI now (if you are taking an SSRI). Or maybe if you ever stopped taking an SSRI you could try the supplements, though I don't know how long you would need to wait between coming off the SSRI and starting the supplement. So far it is week one with inositol powder for me; still having OCD thoughts, feel slightly calmer though (however, it's not expected to work on OCD until about 4-6 weeks, so I have a ways to go). My decision and determination is to dilligently try anything and everything natural stated to help OCD suffers, in order to alleviate my symptoms. I have determined not to give up. I love God and I am sure you do too. I don't want to take a gamble with my eternal fate over this; if I do OCD will win. I am encouraging you to also not take a gamble on your fate either; I'm sure you love your family dearly too, don't let OCD slay you and take you from them. I am encouraging you to go on a quest like mine until you find something safe and natural that absolutely works for you. I am praying for you to be alleviated of this, and I pray for myself and everyone else on here who is dealing with this.

Hi, I just started taking inositol powder a week ago for OCD. I understand it takes 4-6 weeks to show full benefits. I have been also reading about Picamilon GABA and am interested in it(as this is the kind which penetrates the blood-brain barrier). Does anyone know if inositol & picamilon GABA are safe to take together? Is so, has anyone tried it and what were your results? Has anyone tried taking picamilon GABA by itself for OCD, and if so, what were your results? Thanks in advance for your responses.

Official title would be a Naturopath; a medical doctor specializing in natural medicine. You may want to check out Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride (I believe she is over in the UK)

Hi Andrea, You said that taking inositol at a high dosage over long term can up anxiety. I want to know more about this as I have just begun treating my very severe ocd with inositol in powder form. From what I understand, people with Tourette's & OCD seem to be depleted in seretonin. I read somewhere sometime ago, that taking certain anti-depressants over a long period of time can actually worsen tics with tourettes syndrome, as doing so long term can deplete seretonin levels more so. When you refer to inositol possibly upping anxiety if taken long term, is this the phenomena you are refering to? (Seretonin levels being depleted further, *which would increase anxiety) If that is what you are refering to, can you please refer me to the links that gave you this information? I will be doing my own search on the internet, but I would like to read the information you have also. It seems that for people like me with severe OCD, the LAST thing I need is to ultimately lower my seretonin levels even further. I have been very hopeful at the idea of taking inositol powder, as my OCD is very bad, but I do not want to make a bad situation eventually worse. Perhaps you are not talking about the long-term seretonin depletion phenomena I mentioned. If that is the case, can you please clarify what you meant when you said that taking inositol in high dosage long term can up anxiety? Thanks for explaining; as I am searching for honest answers.