GABA-B Agonist

[LNN]

One of my alert emails sent me this - thought some of you who've been reading up on Gaba would be interested.

http://www.clinicalpsychiatrynews.com/newsletter/the-cognoscenti/singleview40751/experimental-autism-spectrum-drug-improves-symptoms/294b424461.html

[MomWithOCDSon]

One of my alert emails sent me this - thought some of you who've been reading up on Gaba would be interested.

http://www.clinicalpsychiatrynews.com/newsletter/the-cognoscenti/singleview40751/experimental-autism-spectrum-drug-improves-symptoms/294b424461.html

 

Thanks, Laura! Always interested! If only the healthcare providers and insurance companies would keep up with the science!

[MomWithOCDSon]

Thank you for posting this! gaba agonists have helped me alot!

 

& my experience with it was accidental! I was prescribed tenex but my pharmacy messed up and gave me xanax. I took the xanax and it was wonderful. Granted, it was horrid when I stopped it not knowing it wasn't tenex, but my original reaction- great. It really helped.

 

However, wouldn't recommend xanax at all because of the side effects eek.

 

Pandas16 -- I'm confused. I haven't seen any literature that refers to xanax as a gaba agonist; it's a benzo, isn't it? In fact, the list of actual gaba agonists seems to be pretty slim and somewhat "elite;" not a lot of well-known names on it, at least not to me. Would very much appreciate any insight/clarification on this topic you could provide, links, etc. Thanks!

[dcmom]

Nancy-

 

This sounds great!

 

My kids are doing ok- both totally out of crisis and happy- but struggling with a bit of remaining ocd. We are doing intensive therapy in August to help- but I so believe this is physical (afer pex they were left with NO ocd)- that I want to work on that end.

 

I have taken them off of EVERYTHING. Right now, they are only taking a small amt of probiotics and vit D (no antibiotics here, either!). I would like to add something to the mix to possibly help with the ocd. Any thoughts on which item in your arsenal has the MOST effects- quickly- that you would start with. Maybe the True Calm? The Delsym?

 

I have not been a big supplementer- and kinda glaze over when I see a long list- so want to proceed very simply.

 

Thanks for your thoughts!

 

Eileen

[dcmom]

Thanks!

 

I had them on CoQ10 for about 4 mos. Really no change- either way.

 

To be honest- the only things I have seen that have positive effects are oral steroids, IV solumedral (steroids) and PEX. Antibiotics helped them both in the beginning- but they don't seem to be dependent on them.

 

I tried nordic naturals fish oil twice- and although it most likely was a coincidence- within a couple of days I felt there might have been some negative result (for both). I tried NAC with the older one- but had a bad day within first two weeks of starting - so I bailed.

 

I guess I am to a point, where I really don't want to give them something unless it REALLY does something noticeably positive. I am so afraid of unintended consequences. Both of my girls have always been healthy, and 100% "normal" prior to pandas, and when in remission- that I have just decided to be very careful.

 

I am now debating what to do about antibiotics when school starts. I really like having them off of everything- but don't know if I will be able to stomach it during school. They both did, however, get strep on multiple antibiotics- which is what started me wondering what the antibiotics are really doing for us.....

[dcmom]

I am sorta glad to hear someone else had a bad reaction to the NAC- sometimes I feel like I am going crazy

 

do you think the tru calm / GABA would be different?

[trggirl]

We had a bad reaction to NAC too. It made my daughter very difficult to get along with. It was a very noticable effect.

[trggirl]

Cysteine is needed in the reaction to make glutathione and taurine so I assume the NAC is providing the cysteine. I'm not sure on the relationship to glutamate. Maybe someone else will post that knows more.

 

I do have in my notes that cysteine plus glutamic acid plus glycine make glutathione. I also have in my notes that NAC seems to restore the extracellular glutamate concentration in the nucleus accumbens (I wish I had written down my sources so I would know if all this was accurate). So again, not sure the relationship of NAC to glutamate. Is NAC increasing glutamate or decreasing???

 

I did find it interesting to look up nucleus accumbens and how that works in our body. It is apparently a pleasure, aggression, addiction, fear, etc, etc, part of the brain.

[MomWithOCDSon]

Regarding NAC as a glutamate-modulating supplement:

 

The attached paper (in the chart on Page 70) lists NAC fourth down in a list of "Candidate Glutamatergic Neuortransmission Modulating Agents for the Treatment of OCD." Further, it lists the following as NAC's Mechanism of Action:

 

stimulation of the glial cystine/glutamate exchanger resulting in activation of mGluR2 receptors which dampens presynaptic glutamate release from neurons during bouts of excessive neuronal activity

 

Glutamatergic Synaptic Dysfunction and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

 

Meanwhile, the following paper, which for me has been one of the best in terms of being explanatory and reasonably easy to understand, says the following regarding NAC and its glutamate-modulating ability:

 

The amino acid N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is widely used for its antioxidant properties and as a treatment for acetaminophen toxicity; however, recent preclinical studies suggest that NAC also modulates CNS glutamate. NAC is converted to cystine, a substrate for the glutamate/cystine antiporter located on glial cells. The uptake of cystine by glia causes glial release of glutamate into the extrasynaptic space, where it appears to stimulate inhibitory metabotropic glutamate receptors on glutamatergic nerve terminals and thereby reduces the synaptic release of glutamate. Systemic administration of NAC has been shown to reverse the susceptibility to reinstitution of compulsive cocaine use in a rodent model by restoring re-establishing normal extracellular glutamate concentrations in the nucleus accumbens.

 

In addition to attenuating synaptic glutamate release, NAC may enhance clearance of glutamate by glial cells at the synapse. Elevated levels of glutamate deplete glutathione within glial cells, impair cystine transport, and thereby increase the vulnerability of glia to oxidative stress. Preclinical studies demonstrate that NAC protects glial cells against glutamate toxicity, repletes levels of glutathione, and attenuates toxic levels of glutamate.

 

Glutamatergic Dysfunction in OCD and Potential Clinical Utility of Glutamate-Modulating Agents

 

So, what do you guys think that says about folks who have a good reaction to NAC versus those who have a poor one?

Edited July 28, 2011 by MomWithOCDSon