Glutamate & glutathione

[BeeRae22]

Looking for someone knowledgeable about glutamate and glutathione.... I'm wondering if I've finally made a connection in dd's treatment....

 

Spectracell results (maybe 2 years ago?) showed super low levels of glutathione.... Among the lowest levels seen by her doctor.... Just a few weeks ago, we finally tried the antiviral amantadine and we're seeing the most significant response to a med that I think we've ever seen. It's been mentioned, and I've read a little, that amantadine has an effect on glutamate....... Are glutamate and glutathione related? If so, in what way?

 

There was a time (after receiving Spectracell results) that we supplemented with s-acetal glutathione, but from what I understand, glutathione isn't easily absorbed through supplimentation and since we weren't seeing much (or any) response, I stopped giving it to her when it ran out.

 

Anyone have any helpful info??

[bws1565]

From the research I've done glutathione is best given through IV push. It is available from Wellness pharmacy in Alabama, but you will need a doctor to prescribe and dose. Oral glutathione simply does not work.

[MomWithOCDSon]

Amantadine is also a dopamine agonist, so is it possible her dopamine levels are also on the low side?

 

Also, since glutathione is synthesized in the body from amino acids (glycine, l-glutamic acid and l-cysteine), maybe it would be possible to supplement with these amino acids up the chain, and they, in turn, could inspire her glutathione production? Unless, of course, there's something in her metabolism or methylation cycle which inhibits that production, even if the appropriate precursors are available in abundance?

 

One precursor, cysteine, is difficult to get via food sources, so supplementing with that is one reason, I think, that some of us experience good results with a supplement like n-acetylcysteine (NAC) for both glutamate and dopamine regulation.

 

I bet there's someone else here (LLM) who can give you some more studied feedback in this regard.

[Gpookie]

I give my kids glutathione sublingual lyrics with a spray...anything via the gut does not work. Even better is the creme (transdermal).

[Plum99]

I also suspect glutamate as a huge problem for my daughter. The antibiotics she did well on also had an effect on glutamate, but I didn't realize it until recently. I can see a clear positive result from keeping glutamates out of her diet, including natural, healthy foods that are high in glutamates. But that is a very limited diet, and I don't think there's any way she can be healthy on it long term. She also has low glutothione. We were told to use NAC, and at first she responded terribly to it. I didn't come across any other options, so I tried a few different brands, opened up the capsules and snuck in the tiniest amount possible. Once I started doing that with vitamin c, she didn't seem to respond so poorly. I'm not sure if she needs a while to get used to it, or if the vitamin c was what helped, but I have been increasing it slowly. I am not sure if it is actually increasing her glutothione, because I haven't had anything rechecked yet. I can say for sure though that something is happening with the combination of NAC, vitamin c, and no glutamates in her diet. We do not currently have access to antibiotics, and she got so much worse after stopping them. Right now she's not as good as she has been while taking antibiotics, but there is such a difference. I can't find any other explanation other than this being a huge part of the picture for her.

[LNN]

I think you're confusing two separate things. There's the glutamate cycle, which is a cycle and recycle of glutamine, glutamate and gaba - all neurotransmitters.

 

Glutathione is an antioxidant - the grand garbage collector of the body that is created in the transsulfuration cycle.

 

Amantadine is an NMDA antagonist and blocks this glutamate receptor (NMDA). So you may be seeing good things because you're reducing glutamate. But I don't think it has anything to do with glutathione.

[LNN]

Plum99 - here are some great herbal antibiotics

http://tipsdiscover.com/health/systemic-herbal-antibiotics-alchornea/

 

Read the overviews of Alchornea, Crytpolepis and Sida Acuta. They are very effective - provided you take enough of them. My daughter still needs antibiotics, because it looks like we're dealing with a chronic infection (possibly Lyme) but she does much better if we also add a blend of these 3 herbs, sold as C.S.A. vy woodland essence. http://woodlandessence.com/herbal.htm

 

All herbs have earthy tastes. My kids take them by putting them into empty gel capsules (from amazon).