NAC

[NancyD]

Our Integrative MD prescribed 3000 mg for DD16...of course titrating very slowly. For a while we gave her 3@600 mg in am and 2@600 mg in pm, but then I felt she was better at 1200 mg bid so she has been at that dose for a long time.

[melanie]

Can't open it ughhh

[pr40]

I wonder if you can help me. I gave my DD8 600mg of NAC in the morning. The transformation was almost instant. Difficult child was gone and one wanting to please appeared. By afternoon she was a bit hyper. At bedtime, her restless leg came back after being gone for some time. RLS is related to dopamine levels. Do you happen to know if it possible that NAC caused RLS?

[MomWithOCDSon]

I wonder if you can help me. I gave my DD8 600mg of NAC in the morning. The transformation was almost instant. Difficult child was gone and one wanting to please appeared. By afternoon she was a bit hyper. At bedtime, her restless leg came back after being gone for some time. RLS is related to dopamine levels. Do you happen to know if it possible that NAC caused RLS?

 

It's possible that NAC impacts dopamine as the glutamate-modulatory characteristics are supposed to impact the availability of many natural-occurring brain chemicals, including serotonin (and, I may have it backwards, but isn't dopamine a precursor to serotonin?). Actually, I just Googled and found the following:

 

NAC and Dopamine - NIMH

 

Anyway, if she responded so immediately to a dose of NAC (and you've ruled out any other possible components? NAC was the only thing you'd changed that day or recently?), then perhaps the drop-off of its impact late in the day caused the dopamine/RLS response? In which case, since that morning dose seemed to have only positive impacts, you could try giving her another dose in the evening, or splitting the 600 mg. between morning and evening, or possibly even trying one of the time-released versions of NAC (I can't remember the brand name, but we found some at Whole Foods at one point).

[pr40]

thanks, Nancy, for your reply. RLS treated with dopamine antagonist that's how much I know but that is where my knowledge of bio-chemistry ends. NAC may or may not be a dopamine antagonist. Do you happen to know?

That's a good idea to give her NAC twice a day -- thanks.

NAC was the only thing she took that day.

[melanie]

I would try it again. We are doing very well on it. I want to increase but I'm afraid I give it 2x daily. Keep me posted. I'm curious.

[pr40]

A few days later: Dd9 is on 300mg in the morning and doing reasonably well for a while, until the afternoon. She is also taking now two iron pills for her RLS

Another thing: we started our ds4.5 on 600mg. he never had strap but has been displaying the PANDAS kind of behavior (aggressive, irritable, etc.) that is out-of-character for a few months. His change, again, was immediate. He suddenly opened up, started looking us in the eyes, etc. Until the afternoon when he crashes. So, today I will give him 300mg in the morning and 300mg in the afternoon. we'll see how that works.

thanks