Namenda or NAC

[melanie]

Dans doing NAC Hes good with the NAC Dr.N wants to go to the Namenda,feels thats a better choice.Any one have an opinion either way?

 

Thanks

Melanie:)

[MomWithOCDSon]

Hey Melanie, I think you know that NAC, like Namenda, is thought to be a glutamate modulator. But my understanding is that Namenda blocks the NMDA receptors, whereas they don't yet know if NAC works by blocking receptors, increasing glutithione, or some other mechanism. Another difference being that NAC is a naturally-occurring amino acid, it's available over-the-counter, and it's inexpensive. Whereas Namenda is expensive and available by prescription only.

 

Given as the mechanism behind Namenda is studied and known, if the side effects are not bad, I might try it and see if maybe its impacts might be more positive than with NAC. I'm standing ready for the rotten tomatos headed my way, but, unfortunately in our experience, there are few supplements that, in manageable doses, achieve the efficacy of prescription meds. I'm sure others may have a contrary experience, but that's the way it's been for us. I'm not clear on the side effect profile of Namenda, but if we could get it prescribed, we would probably try it. However, our docs are quite conservative and have reserved using these sorts of meds "off-label" for that time (knock on wood it never arrives) at which none of the other interventions are successful, and then there would be something else to try.

[MamaOnAMission]

So NAC can be bought at whoe foods probably???? someone mentioned they use it for confusion. Not sure who??? Im stuck on my next step. She is currently on:

 

 

10am - 12.5mg. Lamictal - 1 Bactrim -2000 units Vit. D

 

 

 

8pm - 1 Bactrim, and 1 Doryx

 

 

1 New Chapter Probiotic Cleanse

1/2 culturelle

1 Melatonin

 

She continues to have intrusive thoughts and confusion. Not sure to keep upping vitamin D (since she is 11 on blood test) try NAC or another SSRI (most made her mean but perhaps since she is on antibiotic that seems to be helping, prozac might not be so bad) Looking for your opinion.

[minimaxwell]

How do you know if glutamate is an issue? What do you test for? I have heard Dr Jenike speak recently and he said he likes to use Namenda,

[melanie]

Dans been using nac for a while. I definitely think it works on his OCD. I buy it online because I can get it at highr dosages. 750x3 I give him 2 at night and 1 in the am. His neurologist was un impressed by the nac discussion. Dan was on nameda probably last year. I don't remember any issues I must have asked about it here and heard about the nac and choose to do that instead. I may give it a shot. he's started neurotin 300 mg so I'm going to give that a weekmor two and then revisit the namenda. I never do anything without checking here first.

[MomWithOCDSon]

So NAC can be bought at whoe foods probably???? someone mentioned they use it for confusion. Not sure who??? Im stuck on my next step. She is currently on:

 

 

10am - 12.5mg. Lamictal - 1 Bactrim -2000 units Vit. D

 

 

 

8pm - 1 Bactrim, and 1 Doryx

 

 

1 New Chapter Probiotic Cleanse

1/2 culturelle

1 Melatonin

 

She continues to have intrusive thoughts and confusion. Not sure to keep upping vitamin D (since she is 11 on blood test) try NAC or another SSRI (most made her mean but perhaps since she is on antibiotic that seems to be helping, prozac might not be so bad) Looking for your opinion.

 

 

Yes, you can get NAC a Whole Foods or Vitamin Shoppe, either in-store or order on-line.

[MomWithOCDSon]

How do you know if glutamate is an issue? What do you test for? I have heard Dr Jenike speak recently and he said he likes to use Namenda,

 

Good question. I don't know of a test for it, specifically, but maybe someone else does?

 

Excess glutamate is thought to be behind a lot of mental "disturbances," from OCD to bipolar to Alzheimer's to even possibly autism. So they've been experimenting with substances that block the glutamate (NMDA) receptors and/or "mop up" excess glutamate before it can become a problem. One of the first studies I heard about and read was about 3 years ago, when Dr. Rosenberg with Children's Hospital of Detroit/Wayne State University had done brain scans (I don't know for sure, but I think in conjunction with Dr. Chunagi, though his name wasn't mentioned at the time) and found that kids with OCD displayed higher concentrations of glutamate in their caudate than did kids without OCD. Then Dr. Rosenberg participated in a paper about glutamatergic function/dysfunction in OCD and indicated that both b-lactam abx and NAC are among possible glutamate modulators. That's when we decided to use NAC.

 

In our case, both a b-lactam antibiotic (Augmentin) and NAC have resulted in positive behaviors for our DS, so, by default, we've determined that glutamate is a concern for him.