NAC - is it worth it?

[Hopeny]

DD8 is starting NAC (3 caps per day), wow its $90/month on top of everything else, (Lyme dr, integrative dr, other supplements, allergy drops , meds and psychologist, etc). if it works of course I will gladly pay, was wondering if people had good results with it?

[MomWithOCDSon]

DD8 is starting NAC (3 caps per day), wow its $90/month on top of everything else, (Lyme dr, integrative dr, other supplements, allergy drops , meds and psychologist, etc). if it works of course I will gladly pay, was wondering if people had good results with it?

 

$90/month?!?! We've been using NAC for years, and we get ours for considerably less. Not sure what 3 caps/day equals for your particular brand, but my DS is taking the equivalent of the "adult-sized" dose used in a Yale/NIMH OCD study, which is 3,000 mgs./day. So with our 600 mg. caps, that's 5 caps/day. I get the Vitamin Shoppe brand with a bottle at about $28 for 200 caps, so that's $28 for a little more than a month's worth.

 

Yes, in our case, we see positive impact from the NAC, and it is multifaceted, I think. It has helped his OCD, but we also credit it with helping to bust his upper respiratory issues which had haunted him since he was a toddler; he still has allergies and gets a cold now and again, but there is not the constant congestion, "snuffling," etc. he used to suffer with. Finally, both last year and this one, despite being exposed to some major flu cases at school, he's walked away with little more than a cold; it never developed past that. I guess there's been research as to NAC and reduction of flu symptoms.

 

NAC Fights the Flu

 

So, yes, I think NAC is worth it. But I don't think you have to pay $90/month, either, for NAC that will be beneficial. Good luck!

[Hopeny]

thanks its PharmaNAC. 900MG capsules*3/day. It's $29 for 30 capsules. It's good to know you have seen good success with it and that there are cheaper alternatives! DD also has mild asthma, so cutting down on respitory issues is a pretty attractive proposition. i'll update as to what I see, she is just starting

[MamaOnAMission]

Nancy, what time of day do you give NAC? Is it stimulating?

[MomWithOCDSon]

Nancy, what time of day do you give NAC? Is it stimulating?

 

It's not stimulating, so far as I've seen. We split the dose; he takes 3 caps in the morning at breakfast and 2 in the evening at dinner.

 

The only thing I'd advocate is building up the dose a little slowly because it can, I think, cause some gastro distress if you go after it all at once. We built up to the current dose over about 3 weeks, and his system adjusted well to it.

[LNN]

I tried NAC with my daughter earlier this year and had a negative reaction - she got emotional and a little bi-polar. So we stopped. BUT...this was before we learned about and treated an MTHFR mutation.

 

A few weeks ago, I had a cold that led to this perpetual dry, asthmatic cough. The inhaler, meds - nothing helped. So I started taking NAC and my cough started getting more productive. Among it's many benefits, NAC thins mucus. (take note - because of this, it can act as a biofilm buster and with lyme in your picture, you may provoke a herx as the film gets weaker and the immune system and abx can get to more of the germs hiding in the film).

 

I feel no ill-effects from the NAC. I may try NAC for my DD again because she has the same dry, unrelenting cough I did. But NAC also effects glutamate, so I may chicken out and try Mucinex with her first.

 

Like Nancy, we use a much cheaper supplement - NAC from NOW Foods, 600mg/pill @ $20/250 capsules from Amazon ($0.08/pill).

 

Good luck - hope it helps!

[mommybee]

DD8 is starting NAC (3 caps per day), wow its $90/month on top of everything else, (Lyme dr, integrative dr, other supplements, allergy drops , meds and psychologist, etc). if it works of course I will gladly pay, was wondering if people had good results with it?

 

$90/month?!?! We've been using NAC for years, and we get ours for considerably less. Not sure what 3 caps/day equals for your particular brand, but my DS is taking the equivalent of the "adult-sized" dose used in a Yale/NIMH OCD study, which is 3,000 mgs./day. So with our 600 mg. caps, that's 5 caps/day. I get the Vitamin Shoppe brand with a bottle at about $28 for 200 caps, so that's $28 for a little more than a month's worth.

 

Yes, in our case, we see positive impact from the NAC, and it is multifaceted, I think. It has helped his OCD, but we also credit it with helping to bust his upper respiratory issues which had haunted him since he was a toddler; he still has allergies and gets a cold now and again, but there is not the constant congestion, "snuffling," etc. he used to suffer with. Finally, both last year and this one, despite being exposed to some major flu cases at school, he's walked away with little more than a cold; it never developed past that. I guess there's been research as to NAC and reduction of flu symptoms.

 

NAC Fights the Flu

 

So, yes, I think NAC is worth it. But I don't think you have to pay $90/month, either, for NAC that will be beneficial. Good luck!

 

I have a few questions. The first, is does anyone know whether there is any kind negative interaction between NAC and SSRIs or abx? Secondly,Nancy, is do you have a link to the Yale/NIMH study that your son is participating in? I'd be interested in reading the research.

Lastly, because NAC is supposed to reduce histamine levels, I'm wondering whether it might be effective for someone who also experiences terrible itching with heightened anxiety. Does anyone have any thoughts about this?

[MomWithOCDSon]

I have a few questions. The first, is does anyone know whether there is any kind negative interaction between NAC and SSRIs or abx? Secondly,Nancy, is do you have a link to the Yale/NIMH study that your son is participating in? I'd be interested in reading the research.

Lastly, because NAC is supposed to reduce histamine levels, I'm wondering whether it might be effective for someone who also experiences terrible itching with heightened anxiety. Does anyone have any thoughts about this?

 

Because the precise actions of NAC are not fully understood, you should be judicious about introducing it in the company of SSRI's. It's thought to be a glutamate modulator and may also increase glutathione levels, it may undertake some of the work also done by SSRI's and thus "enhance" the impact of an SSRI. I know that our psych feels that NAC benefits our DS but also decreases the appropriate SSRI dose for him. Since our kids are already documented with regard to generally being sensitive to SSRI's, you have to keep an eye on using both, and I would seek the support of your doctor.

 

My DS isn't actually participating in the trial; in fact, the original trial may be over, though I just saw a notification in the latest IOCDF newsletter about an NAC/OCD trial, so perhaps it is ongoing, or they are beginning a new one? Anyway, I referred to the Yale/NIMH trial information with respect to dosage levels. I'm not sure of your child's age or weight, so below are the links for both the pediatric and the adult trial (my DS is adult-sized, so we've been using that indicated dosage).

 

NAC and Pediatric OCD

 

NAC in Treatment-Refractory OCD

 

I was not aware the NAC reduces histamine. In fact, when I Googled it, what I found this paper that seems to suggest that NAC actually enhances histamine release, rather than curbs it.

 

NAC and Histamine

 

My DS also has appears to have high histamine and he benefits by Pepcid, both with respect to eczema outbreaks and disposition. Now you've got me wondering if we might not be increasing his histamine levels by virtue of the NAC, but it appears we've reached a pretty decent balance of late so I'm disinclined to start changing things up.

 

Hope that helps! If you have any more information regarding NAC and histamine, please share a link! Thanks!

[Hopeny]

Thanks all. The NAC was prescribed for low homocysteine, low normal cysteine, DD has one copy of 677T and we are using MTHF for that. I am going to go low and slow here, and hope this works for her. Glad to know there are cheaper alternatives!

[LNN]

Hope - FWIW, my DD (1 mutation on C677T) tested with low homocysteine when I was accidentally overdosing her with methylfolate. It got the cycle working too well. So totally agree with your desire to go low and slow.

[Hopeny]

LLM I started with the MTHF a few days after the bloodwork was drawn, so at the time the mutation was totally untreated. Our daughters seem to have similar issues. Based on another post you put up my DD's dose of MTHF seems high, 5 MG.

We started Bart treatment around the same time as the MTHF. DD has had some rages but its hard to know if its from Rifampin or the supplements.

 

I need to sit down and read all of your posts and get my head around all of this. We have started seeing Dr O and really like her so far. DD also has yeast and mold, Dr. O said that could be a major factor in her psych issues. although I have to say, since I added back Vitamin D and started using smoothies for the supps she seems a lot better and the rages are almost gone.

 

DD is supposed to take 3 NAC/day. I am going to start with 1 and go from there.

Edited December 24, 2012 by Hopeny

[Pandasphilly]

Like LLM we tried NAC for ds10 & got emotional bi polar reaction. A bit of anger/rage and also a lot of tics within 2 hours of taking it. Tried it again and same response in same time frame. Doctor said since he's compound heterozygos MTHFR with the CBS gene at play we should add this later in the mthfr treatment cycle and will get a better response after fixing other components of the cycle first.

[philamom]

Like LLM we tried NAC for ds10 & got emotional bi polar reaction. A bit of anger/rage and also a lot of tics within 2 hours of taking it. Tried it again and same response in same time frame. Doctor said since he's compound heterozygos MTHFR with the CBS gene at play we should add this later in the mthfr treatment cycle and will get a better response after fixing other components of the cycle first.

Pandasphilly- are you working with a local doctor to assist you with the MTHFR treatment and other supplements? Thanks- you can pm me if you like.

[Pandasphilly]

Philamom,

We work with Dr. Hedaya in Georgetown.

[Hopeny]

We are 3 days in (at 300 MG NAC, doctor wants us to go to 900), so far it has been ok. We have been treating MTHFR for about a month. I don't want to jinx myself but these supplements have really been helping, I feel DD is pretty close to her normal self and her Lyme pain is GETTING BETTER :) Also she had a red rash on her bottom area that is gone, I suspect now that was from yeast which we have been treating with Enhansa. I'm going to go a few more days at 300 and then try 600. I am going to ramp up over 3 weeks.