I am going to use 3-5 grams of L-lysine/day to test its effects on my chronic anxiety/insomnia. My goal is to decrease my use of meds needed for these maladies. Also, see how my body-composition responds to straight L-lysine supplementation. I plan on posting my results here...

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2004 Jun 1;101(22):8285-8.

Lysine fortification reduces anxiety and lessens stress in family members in economically weak communities in Northwest Syria.

Smriga M, Ghosh S, Mouneimne Y, Pellett PL, Scrimshaw NS.

Institute of Life Sciences, Ajinomoto Co., Inc., 210-8681 Kawasaki, Japan.

Lysine is a limiting amino acid in diets based on wheat as the staple. In experimental animals, prolonged dietary lysine inadequacy increases stress-induced anxiety. If observed in humans, such a result would have a strong implication for the relationship between nutrition and communal quality of life and mental health. As part of a 3-month randomized double-blind study, we tested whether lysine fortification of wheat reduces anxiety and stress response in family members in poor Syrian communities consuming wheat as a staple food. In the lysine-fortified group, the plasma cortisol response to the blood drawing as a cause of stress was reduced in females, as was sympathetic arousal in males as measured by skin conductance. Lysine fortification also significantly reduced chronic anxiety as measured by the trait anxiety inventory in males. These results suggest that some stress responses in economically weak populations consuming cereal-based diets can be improved with lysine fortification.

PMID: 15159538 [PubMed - in process]

Would be interested in any advice/comments on my posted dose of 3-5 grams/day? Perhaps 3 grams, taken 3 times/day would be optimal to test this amino's possible effects on body comp?

Looking for advice/comments etc...

Thanx ahead of time...

Sounds interesting. I know that my Herpes flares up when I am under a lot of stress, and that Lysine makes it stop. I always thought it was the Lysine acting directly on the virus, but maybe it reduced the stress causing the virus to activate.

However, I don't recall any stress-relieving effect. I usually take 2-3 grams in AM and PM.

The Herpes virus lives in the nerve fibers/cells, so maybe Lysine has some sort of effect on neurotransmitters?

In a situation that's similar to Greenguy's, a former friend suffered from stress-related shingles outbreaks. Through trial and error, we found that using 1 gram of l-lysine/3 times-a-day (on an empty stomach) caused the outbreaks to go into remission within the first couple of days of use.

The context that I am using L-lysine in is not viral or herpes related actually.

I am testing its cortisol-decreasing, bone/muscle anabolism, stress-reducing, and exercise-enhancing benefits in particular.

Also, because L-lysine supplements are so inexpensive - as I am on a limited income. Lysine is necessary also for optimal recovery from stress/workouts as it increases protein synthesis, and prevents loss of calcium from the body/bones - which I can benefit from...

I cant find many studies that deal with the stress/cortisol reducing effects of Lysine. I have taken an amino acid formula on and off for a few years and I think I get like 5 gs a day of lysine never noticed much in terms of stress relief but then again I am never very stressed( very type

I wouldn't think that this would do much in an individual that gets plenty of complete protein.

This is precisely the premise/hypothesis - that I am going to experiment with. My training is on hold for the most part. So I will be working out intensely, at the most once every week to 10 days.

I will be on maintenance calorie intake/day, and around .75 grams of protein/pound of bodyweight. (Mostly due to my financial situation is my protein intake and overall diet as low as it is)....

Just a basic multi-vitamin/mineral each day - with an extra 500mg vitamin C. I will test this for 2 months at the most. The goal is reduction in need for benzo's/day...

Also, I generally have always consumed a diet high in arginine-rich foods. I have decided to use 2 grams of L-lysine - 3 times/day - between meals. So little is actually known in humans about the therapeutic potential from using the "essential" amino-acid L-lysine by itself.

Flodin NW. The metabolic roles, pharmacology, and toxicology of lysine. J Am Coll Nutr. 1997;16:7–21.

good luck to you. i look forward to any feedback as always.

have you considered buspirone? hypnotics? i realize that you are low on cash, but is this truely why you can't get adequate health care? I think that someone with your intelligence would be able to find a reasonable improvement to your horrible case of insomnia. I read that you are still up for days on end, and after years have all of your attempts been more or less futile? or do you know what works but don't have the resources?

by the way my friend thanks you for your suggestion of kava+theanine. he gets no more than a couple of hours of sleep per night, and this, along with his bennies, tend to improve quality of sleep if nothing else.

unfortunately he is a walking zombie during the day with his bennies, so i've suggested buspirone and inositol during the day, and a little benzo+kava+theanine(+inositol) for the night. he has started buspirone and it is somewhat of a mystery drug to me (apparently i'm not the only one).

is lysine a possible improvement to this? cheap insurance? this is someone who doesn't have a great diet, smokes, and has had a history of health problems and addictions... but he's my brother in law and works for the family business, so we rely on his form and function.

Ergo,if you don't mind me asking,what do you do for a living?

You're obviously anintelligent cat and apparently well schooled so out of curiousit I wonder why one like yourself would be low on c'zash money.

As for myself,I didn't go to college and work in construction/hardscaping and then bounce at @ bar on the weekends so that explains my,a-hem,financially strapped,cough cough,broke ass.

I don't intend to get too personal,it's just that I see a lot of interesting,thoughtful posters on this board and i have to wonder what you fuckers are like in real life <_<

Back to the topic @ hand...I don't use benzo's and I'm relying onm high dose fish oil coupled w/inositol for anxiety/stress relief so this lysine experiment may be helpful to me.However I get ample complete protien so do you really think that say 6 G of lysine split into 2 doseages daily would help in any appreciable degree w/shitty mood symptoms?

"good luck to you. i look forward to any feedback as always.
have you considered buspirone? hypnotics? i realize that you are low on cash, but is this truely why you can't get adequate health care? I think that someone with your intelligence would be able to find a reasonable improvement to your horrible case of insomnia. I read that you are still up for days on end, and after years have all of your attempts been more or less futile? or do you know what works but don't have the resources?"

I have had to pay for all my meds (hypnotics/ADD/GAD - prescriptions etc) and medical bills (blood work/Dr. visits etc) - for the last 4-5 years straight --> all due to lack of health insurance. I am currently applying for medical assistance/public aide, but it just takes a lot of time and there is a lot of red-tape to go thru...I am definitely learning how to be patient!! - Thankfully I have my part-time Library job where I work 3-5 days/week...

I basically do, "know what works but don't have the resources" - to answer your question. I am staying positive (easier said than done) - and just trying to take life one moment at a time and not become overwhelmed by the many things in my life currently happening all at once...Hopefully, within ~3 months I will find out alot more info and get some medical assistance and stability in my life...

Well, its been ~18 days since I began my little L-lysine experiment...

So far, I have had to reduce the daily dose to a maximum of 500mg - ingested 3 times/day - around an hour away from any other protein/food.
I have experienced mild/nasty G.I. upset within 1 hour of each ingested dose of L-lysine greater than 1.5 grams - with or without food.

So far, no changes in regards to reduction in dose/day required for benzo's --> nor any reduction in subjective "stress/anxiety"....

I am still VERY interested in this very unique essential amino-acid. It is ketogenic - as is Leucine, and also shares some other fascinating properties not common to other available amino-acid supplements...

I will update my findings when and/or if I decide to test Lysine's effects on fasting blood glucose, Total Cholesterol, IGF-1/FSH/LH - and other biochemical markers...

"...in family members in poor Syrian communities consuming wheat as a staple food."

I think that giving these people just about any neurotransmitter influencing amino acid is going to improve their mood. You may want to look for studies on people with an adequate nutritional intake.

I am taking Paxil for anxiety (woks much better with Xanax, but I get a little too drowsy). However, I'm looking for a more natural alternative. I plan on trying Taurine and Glycine based on some studies I surfed across.

ergoman500-

What brand of L-Lysine were you using? I'm assuming your taking it in an empty stomache. I work for a great company that uses nutriceutical grade pure L-Lysine, with no other additives L-Lysine.

I have never heard of research about L-Lysine and stress reduction. Most people like to use L-Lysine for cold sores and other related viral infections.

I know it's expensive, but have you ever tried Phophatydl Serine. Research suggests this may help reduce cortisol levels. A few fellow co-workers have commented on some mild stress reduction with 100-200mg of Phophatydl Serine per day.

There is also a lot of hype right now with magnolia bark and its help with reduction in anxiety (CortaSlim). I haven't ever tried the magnolia bark, nor do I know anyone who has used it.

In regards to your experiment, have you been taking the multi vitamin for at least a month before you got your blood work done, or before trying your study?

In order to see if it is purely L-Lysine giving you the benefit, I guess you would have to try using L-Lysine without the benefit of any other nutritional supplement.

Good luck with everything! I look forward to seeing the results.

Hey Ergo, I read in another section that you were having good results with Inositol... did the Inositol stop working??? I'm very curious cuz that thread really made me want to try it.

I was using the NOW brand of L-lysine and inositol.

I ran out of money to pay for anything (finishing up my last multi at the moment) --> this is primarily why most of my little investigations with supplement combo's and blood-work have come to a halt...

Lysine is actually one of the top 3-4 most abundant amino-acids found in muscle tissue. Lysine is mainly degraded to acetyl CoA.

Lysine is the Precursor to Carnitine and also Citrulline. Excess Tryptophan tends to antagonize Lysine during states of disease and/or stress/anxiety...

Lysine uses the vitamin Niacin to enter the pipecolic acid (<-- a very interesting neurotransmitter) - Pathway...

Below is a small, old abstract discussing the conversion of supplemented L-lysine to Carnitine in healthy vs. malnourished humans...

Am J Clin Nutr. 1983 Jan;37(1):93-8.

Lysine-carnitine conversion in normal and undernourished adult men-suggestion of a nonpeptidyl pathway.

Khan-Siddiqui L, Bamji MS.

Administration of 5 g L-lysine orally to normal adults produced a significant increase in plasma carnitine levels within 6 h followed by a further rise by 48 h. Levels remained high up to 72 h. Similar changes in plasma carnitine were not observed if blood was sampled without lysine load or after administering a load of other amino acids such as tryptophan or threonine. Maximum excretion of carnitine per g creatinine was observed in 24 to 48 h collection after lysine load. Two subjects showed an early peak in 3-h and 6-h collections, respectively. Undernourished subjects failed to demonstrate similar change. After rehabilitation the undernourished subjects behaved as did the well-nourished subjects. These observations suggest that there may be a rapid in vivo conversion of orally administered lysine to carnitine in humans. Conversion of lysine to carnitine may be impaired in malnutrition.

Publication Types:

* Clinical Trial
* Controlled Clinical Trial

PMID: 6401379 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

IMO, the above research showing the dramatic conversion of Lysine to Carnitine, etc... has not been followed up upon optimally...

Ergo, has there been any luck yet with reducing your benzo doses. I am curious because I am currently on two, klonopin and xanax, and my tolerance seems to build at an incredible rate which is unfortunate because they really do help with my mood swings, and anxiety. Don't do much for my sleep but almost nothing I have tried does.

Just wanted to update my thread here. Using around 2-3 grams of L-lysine/day has allowed me to decrease my benzodiazepine dose/day by about ~25% - (which is quite incredible, considering I have been prescribed them for almost 8 years non-stop now).

The abstract below shows an interesting barbituate-like effect of Lysine that may explain some of the bits and pieces of evidence demonstrating anxiolytic effects from Lysine supplementation in humans and animals. Personally, I am convinced and have successfully decreased my daily medication use since I started using low priced L-Lysine supplements...

Neurochem Res. 1995 Aug;20(8):931-7.
L-lysine is a barbiturate-like anticonvulsant and modulator of the benzodiazepine receptor.

Chang YF, Gao XM.

Department of Biochemistry University of Maryland Dental School, Baltimore 21201, USA.

Our earlier observations showed that L-lysine enhanced the activity of diazepam against seizures induced by pentylenetetrazol (PTZ), and increased the affinity of benzodiazepine receptor binding in a manner additive to that caused by gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). The present paper provides additional evidence to show that L-lysine has central nervous system depressant-like characteristics. L-lysine enhanced [3H]flunitrazepam (FTZ) binding in brain membranes was dose-dependent and stimulated by chloride, bromide and iodide, but not fluoride. Enhancement of [3H]FTZ binding by L-lysine at a fixed concentration was increased by GABA but inhibited by pentobarbital between 10(-7) to 10(-3)M. While GABA enhancement of [3H]FTZ binding was inhibited by the GABA mimetics imidazole acetic acid and tetrahydroisoxazol pyridinol, the enhancement by pentobarbital and L-lysine of [3H]FTZ binding was dose-dependently increased by these two GABA mimetics. The above results suggest that L-lysine and pentobarbital acted at the same site of the GABA/benzodiazepine receptor complex which was different from the GABA binding site. The benzodiazepine receptor antagonist imidazodiazepine Ro15-1788 blocked the antiseizure activity of diazepam against PTZ. Similar to pentobarbital, the anti-PTZ effect of L-lysine was not blocked by Ro15-1788. Picrotoxinin and the GABA, receptor antagonist bicuculline partially inhibited L-lysine's enhancement of [3H]FTZ binding with the IC50s of 2 microM and 0.1 microM, respectively. The convulsant benzodiazepine Ro5-3663 dose-dependently inhibited the enhancement of [3H]FTZ binding by L-lysine. This article shows the basic amino acid L-lysine to have a central nervous system depressant characteristics with an anti-PTZ seizure activity and an enhancement of [3H]FTZ binding similar to that of barbiturates but different from GABA.

PMID: 8587651 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

This is a great topic for benzo users.

I've used benzos for a couple of years to control my "uncontrollable" anxiety and insomnia. Unfortunately, through personal experience, I've been exposed to the fact that the body quickly adapts and becomes addicted to these substances.

The most effective benzo decreaser (Grammer help) for me was phenibut. I only needed about 1.5-2g of phenibut which enabled me to cut my benzo dosage in half--AND I got better sleep. The downside(s)--phenibut is relatively expensive and can be addictive as well. In my experience, 2mg of klonopin one hour before bed (this was after a few months of nightly use) would give me ~6 hours of sleep and would take a few hours of tossing and turning before falling asleep. However, upon adding 2g of phenibut 2 hours prior to bed and then taking 2mg klon--I fell asleep almost immediately and slept a good 8 or 9 hours. For a trial, I then took the same amount of phen with 1mg klon and it was equally successful. This did not last more than a few days, however. In the long run, though, your body becomes attenuated to phenibut and the synergystic effects with benzos decrease. Perhaps the best method personally would be to alternate phen+benzo with lysine (or something else) with a benzo.

I know what it is like to be a true insomniac--maybe not on your level, but I've gone through periods of time where I was unable to sleep for 3 to 4 days without benzos. The worst was during a benzo withdrawal when I came off of diazepam at 20mg/day cold turkey and did not sleep for 5 days, despite trying many OTC meds (sominex, benadryl, melatonin) and some Rx drugs (ambien, trazadone, etc.) I almost had a nervous breakdown. My saving grace was my aunt, who had a load of lorazepam. Luckily, I found a doctor who was gracious enough to understand my problem and helped me by prescribing me xanax xr, which has worked well enough to get by thusfar (luckily I have insurance).

I've also tried glycine, taurine in 15-20g doses, zma, gaba, valerian, you name it, they didn't help.

The only two non-narcotic drugs that I've found to be of help wrt my insomnia are catapres and flexeril. Both will knock me out very well, and the former helps greatly in times of withdrawal periods as far as controlling pulse/BP. I don't know if they are synergyistic with benzos, however.

Sorry for getting off track here, but I can feel your pain and would be interested in more of this discussion. I will definately give lysine a try. Thanks for the information. It seems like an endless struggle sometimes. I cannot imagine being worse off than I am, even though I know others are.

Take care

Sorry to make another post, but what have you guys noticed with regards to inositol (dosages/effects/timing, etc). I've heard people rave about it, especially when combined with fish oil. I currently take 20g of fish oil daily (~6g dha/epa) which I think is the therapeutic dose. I "think" it helps with anxiety, but it has not been a "cure all" (I've been on said regimine for 3 or 4 months). Is the addition of inositol worth the effort/bother? it is relatively cheap, so I've found. If fish oil, lysine, and inositol will help then I am game to try all three. I am not a rich man, but my body is my temple and I wish to make it perform at its best. My ultimate goal is to eventually discontinue benzodiazepines and use supplements to augment my anxiety problems.
Thanks.

Screwbol - OTC anxiolytics have shown efficacy when studied in patients with GAD and Panic Disoder. The majority can lower their benzo dose/day by supplementing (under medical supervision) - the following:

1- A basic Multi-vitamin/Mineral supplement.
2- Calcium, magnesium, Vitamin B-3, and Inositol.
3- Kava extract, and Valerian root/Passion-flower extract combinations.

Carroll D, Ring C, Suter M, Willemsen G. The effects of an oral multivitamin combination with calcium, magnesium, and zinc on psychological well-being in healthy young male volunteers: a double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2000;150:220–5.

Pittler MH, Ernst E. Efficacy of kava extract for treating anxiety: Systematic review and meta-analysis. J Clin Psychopharmacol 2000;20:84–9.

Vescovi PP, et al. Nicotinic acid effectiveness in the treatment of benzodiazepine withdrawal. Curr Ther Res 1987;41:1017.

Lehmann EE, Kinzler J, Friedmann J. Efficacy of a special kava extract (Piper methysticum) in patients with states of anxiety, tension and excitedness of non-mental origin. A double-blind placebo-controlled study of four weeks treatment. Phytomedicine 1996;3:113–9.

Volz HP, Kieser M. Kava-kava extract WS 1490 versus placebo in anxiety disorders–A randomized placebo-controlled 25-week outpatient trial. Pharmacopsychiatry 1997;30:1–5.


Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2001 Sep;157(3):277-83.
Efficacy of kava-kava in the treatment of non-psychotic anxiety, following pretreatment with benzodiazepines.

Malsch U, Kieser M.
Klinikum Nord/Ochsenzoll, Langenhorner Chaussee 560, 22419 Hamburg, Germany.
A 5-week randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study was carried out to investigate the efficacy of kava-kava special extract WS1490 in non-psychotic nervous anxiety, tension and restlessness states. During the first treatment week, the study dose drug was increased from 50 mg to 300 mg per day and pretreatment with benzodiazepines was tapered off over 2 weeks. These dosage adjustments were followed by 3 weeks of monotherapy with WS1490 or placebo. Outcome measures were the differences between baseline and end of treatment on the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) and on a subjective well-being scale (Bf-S), as well as the benzodiazepine withdrawal symptoms. Changes in the Erlanger Anxiety, Tension and Aggression Scale (EAAS) and Clinical Global Impressions (CGI) were analyzed as secondary measures. Treatment safety was checked by interviews, adverse event reports and laboratory investigations. Forty patients (2x20) were included into the study. WS1490 was superior to placebo regarding the HAMA (P=0.01) and Bf-S (P=0.002) total scores and all secondary efficacy measures. The tolerance of WS1490 was not inferior to placebo. The study confirms the anxiolytic efficacy and good tolerance of WS1490 and shows that a further symptom reduction is possible after a change-over from benzodiazepine treatment.



Some evidence of passionflower's anti-anxiety effects in humans...

J Clin Pharm Ther. 2001 Oct;26(5):369-73.

Passionflower in the treatment of opiates withdrawal: a double-blind randomized controlled trial.
Akhondzadeh S, Kashani L, Mobaseri M, Hosseini SH, Nikzad S, Khani M.

Roozbeh Psychiatric Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, South Kargar Avenue, Tehran 13334, Iran. s.akhond@neda.net

OBJECTIVE: Clonidine-based therapies have been utilized as the main protocol for opiate detoxification for several years. However, detoxification with clonidine has its limitations, including lack of efficacy for mental symptoms. Accumulating evidence shows the efficacy of Passiflora incarnata extract in the management of anxiety. In our continuing study of traditional medicines, which have neurotropic effects, this plant had an anxiolytic effect, which may be used as an adjuvant agent in the detoxification of opiates by clonidine. We present the results of a double-blind randomized controlled trial of clonidine plus passiflora extract vs. clonidine plus placebo in the outpatient detoxification of 65 opiates addicts. METHODS: A total of 65 opiates addicts were assigned randomly to treatment with passiflora extract plus clonidine tablet or clonidine tablet plus placebo drop during a 14-day double-blind clinical trial. All patients met the DSM IV criteria for opioid dependence. The fixed daily dose was 60 drops of passiflora extract and a maximum daily dose of 0.8 mg of clonidine administered in three divided doses. The severity of the opiate withdrawal syndrome was measured on days 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 7 and 14 using the Short Opiate Withdrawal Scale (SOWS). CONCLUSION: Both protocols were equally effective in treating the physical symptoms of withdrawal syndromes. However, the passiflora plus clonidine group showed a significant superiority over clonidine alone in the management of mental symptoms. These results suggested that passiflora extract may be an effective adjuvant agent in the management of opiate withdrawal. However, a larger study to confirm our results is warranted.

I've always taken a multi-vitamin, as well as a B-complex vitamin. This is year round, and I've done it for a few years.

Clonodine/catapres helped me during withdrawal periods as far as sleep was concerned. It lowered my blood pressure/heart rate enough that I could concentrate on my breathing, and allow myself to meditate and eventually sleep would come. The study you posted was on opiate withdrawal, not benzodiazepines. I was prescribed vicodin for a bad pec tear in 2002 and abruptly ceased usage, which was enough to cause a withdrawal. It was a bitch for a few days, and for a few weeks I was depressed. However, it was a cakewalk compared to benzo withdrawal.

I will definately look into passion flower and inositol. I've tried both kava and valerian, which, even at high dosages, did very little to help. And I was using a very strong liquid kava extract from Gaia herbs, which is probably the best you can get in the US unless you special order the "real" thing.

Calcium and magnesium supplementation, along with taurine, even at high doses (2g calcium, 750-1000mg magnesium, and 15-20g of taurine) does little for me. Also, the taurine and magnesium can give you the runs, not a fun thing especially during high stress periods. Lower doses of Cal, Mag, and Taurine were even less effective, if at all.

Thank you for the addt'l info.

"...Sorry for getting off track here, but I can feel your pain and would be interested in more of this discussion. I will definately give lysine a try. Thanks for the information. It seems like an endless struggle sometimes. I cannot imagine being worse off than I am, even though I know others are..."

No problem at all...Actually, I sometimes enjoy going off on what others call "tangents" - as I believe everything in the universe is intricately connected - which makes going "off-topic" - (IMHO) - something that should not be frowned upon so often...

There are dozens of other nutrient and herbal combinations that have been used to decrease anxiety and also benzo withdrawal with good success. The avena-sativa, hops, lemon balm, catnip, skullcap, withania, cordyalis, chamomile, wild lettuce... etc combinations have shown clinical efficacy in patients with Panic Disorder/GAD. I have had EXCELLENT results using small amounts of nutmeg 3-4 hours before sleep as an alternative hypnotic...

The beta-blocker propranolol (Inderal) - is as an effective drug used that can be strategically used with some success during controlled benzodiazepine withdrawal...

The abstract below shows how supplements can help relax someone with GAD/anxiety also...

Eur J Med Res. 2004 Sep 29;9(9):423-31.

Effects of lozenge containing lavender oil, extracts from hops, lemon balm and oat on electrical brain activity of volunteers.
Dimpfel W, Pischel I, Lehnfeld R.
NeuroCode AG, Kurt-Schumacher-Str. 9, D-35440 Linden, Germany. W.Dimpfel@NeuroCode-AG.com.

Within a randomized double blind, placebo controlled trial the electrical activity of the human brain has been monitored using charge mode technology (Laplacian estimates) after exposure to a lozenge containing 4 different herbal preparations (lavender oil, extracts from hops, lemon balm and oat) or a matching placebo without any active ingredients. Sixteen healthy volunteers (8 males and 8 females) were tested within a crossover design. After baseline recording each subject sucked a lozenge and 2 hours later a second one. Recording was performed immediately after finishing the lozenge and in hourly intervals thereafter. Comparison to reference periods of 10 min eyes open and 5 min eyes closed, respectively, revealed increases in alpha1, alpha2 and beta1 electrical power at the electrode positions Cz, P3, T3 and T5 which were even more pronounced after a second application two hours later. - Since alpha1 changes repeatedly have been attributed to attentional states, increases of this electrical activity must be seen as indicator of a relaxational psychophysiological state. Changes in the alpha2 frequencies have been related to working memory indicating that an increase can be seen as a correlate for attenuating this circuit. Increases of beta1 activity have been seen in the presence of anxiolytic drugs including major and minor tranquilizers. The changes as observed after the application of this herbal composition are therefore in line with the idea of having induced a state of relaxation and regeneration. This interpretation suggests that one could expect from the ingestion of this lozenge to better cope with psychological and emotional stress. The data are further proof that recording computer aided quantitative EEG is a very fruitful and promising approach in psychophysiology.

PMID: 15546807 [PubMed - in process]

Ergo, that is a very encouraging result. Now you've got me wondering how lysine would pair with Withania Extract.



Phytomedicine. 2000 Dec;7(6):463-9.

Anxiolytic-antidepressant activity of Withania somnifera glycowithanolides: an experimental study.

Bhattacharya SK, Bhattacharya A, Sairam K, Ghosal S.

Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India. salil@banaras.ernet.in

The roots of Withania somnifera (WS) are used extensively in Ayurveda, the classical Indian system of medicine, and WS is categorized as a rasayana, which are used to promote physical and mental health, to provide defence against disease and adverse environmental factors and to arrest the aging process. WS has been used to stabilize mood in patients with behavioural disturbances. The present study investigated the anxiolytic and antidepressant actions of the bioactive glycowithanolides (WSG), isolated from WS roots, in rats. WSG (20 and 50 mg/kg) was administered orally once daily for 5 days and the results were compared by those elicited by the benzodiazepine lorazepam (0.5 mg/kg, i.p.) for anxiolytic studies, and by the tricyclic anti-depressant, imipramine (10 mg/kg, i.p.), for the antidepressant investigations. Both these standard drugs were administered once, 30 min prior to the tests. WSG induced an anxiolytic effect, comparable to that produced by lorazepam, in the elevated plus-maze, social interaction and feeding latency in an unfamiliar environment, tests. Further, both WSG and lorazepam, reduced rat brain levels of tribulin, an endocoid marker of clinical anxiety, when the levels were increased following administration of the anxiogenic agent, pentylenetetrazole. WSG also exhibited an antidepressant effect, comparable with that induced by imipramine, in the forced swim-induced 'behavioural despair' and 'learned helplessness' tests. The investigations support the use of WS as a mood stabilizer in clinical conditions of anxiety and depression in Ayurveda.

As for inositol, I believe it helps me more with, if you will, post-thought anxiety. For example, this would be where an anxious thought enters my mind, and I can more resiliently brush the thought aside. Thus the anxiety chain reaction would be buffered

On the other hand something that I would ameteurly classify as pre-thought anxiety may be more effectively curtailed with something more GABA related (eg. phenibut, gabapentin).

As for me, I am blessed with numerous kinds of anxiety, and I'm trying to take a well rounded approach to managing them all. Hopefully, one day I'll be able to be satisfied with a successful level of anxiety management that will not be detrimental to my health or deleterious to my introspective bliss.

Hello.
I am curious if you have actually experimented with the aforementioned supplementation; if so what were the results that you have obtained, if any?
Thank you.

Taurine and Glycine seem to be an integral part of a stack I've been taking everyday for a few months. The following stack gives me more of a physical anxiety relaxation. It mildly calms my nerves, but doesn't give me the kind of mental at-ease that goes with xanax, phenibut, gabapentin, and alcohol.

I take this two to three times per day, and usually at least 30 minutes before a meal:

1 - 1.5 grams Taurine
500 mg - 1 gram GABA (this is the NOW brand which also includes B6)
1 - 2 grams Glycine
Then 300 mg Magnesium with meal.

Also, for a more immediate effect, Magnesium should be taken before the meal as well. However if I do that I sometimes find myself running for the toilet. Additionally, I've started adding Glutamine in with this stack just for shits and giggles. I'm not sure yet if the Glutamine is making any sort of difference, but my muscles are now getting HYYOOOOGE...

Ergoman500,
How long did it take you to notice the effects of your lysine supplementation? You took 2-3g per day between meals, I presume?

Well, I noticed a decrease in anxiety/need for anti-anxiety meds - after ~7-8 weeks or so of using between 1-4 grams of Lysine/day between meals.

Of course, there are many unknown variables involved in supplementing with Lysine. However, I do not believe that any "placebo effect" was involved in the efficacy of Lysine in my case.

The supplement is EXTREMELY inexpensive, shown to be safe when used for prolonged periods of time at doses of over 8 grams/day, and has possible pain-killing properties and anabolic effects on bone and muscle.

GABA, the (benzo-like) inhibitory neurotransmitter requires adequate Lysine in order for its conversion from GABA's precursor - Glutamate - to take place.

However, I would not expect any DRAMATIC results from using Lysine by itself, nor would I ingest over 2 grams/day of it longer than 8-10 weeks or so without cycling off of the supplement for a bit...

I've been taking it at 2 or 3g/day for a few days now. If it took you 7-8 weeks for its effects to kick in, why do you recommend cycling off of it? Wouldn't the effects of the lysine go away, thus neccessitating the use of previous benzo dosing? Kinda confused here, ergo. Thanks for your response.

BTW, did you ever get any tingling sensations after ingesting the L-lysine? Sometimes I get itchy/tingly sensations up and down my arms and chest ~30 minutes after dosing.

Since Lysine is a POTENT essential amino-acid, ingesting high amounts for long periods of time has the potential to cause immune-system (especially neutrophil imbalances)/liver and neurological imbalances. Lysine is the Precursor for the very important amino acid , CITRULLINE. Also, some lysine breaks down into pipecolic metabolic pathways which could have detrimental effects on the CNS... If you cycle off the supplement, then there is less risk of disturbing arginine enzyme activity and urea production.

Lysine metabolism is dependent upon: niacin, pyridoxine, riboflavin, ascorbic acid, and also iron/zinc. In theory, excess lysine could lead to depletion of these nutrients.

Overall, I wouldn't characterize Lysine as an "anti-anxiety amino", simply because very little research has been conducted in this area. It is well-known for its anti-viral/anti-herpes effects. The concern I was expressing was the potential for aggravating auto-immune diseases...

I haven't read about or personally ever noticed any side-effects like you described.

O.K. I understand the importance of cycling this amino acid based on what you posted. Good info, especially considering the potential side effects of supplementing with too much lysine.

My main concern was that you said after 7-8 weeks, you were able to reduce your benzo dose by ~25%. Once you discontinue the lysine (for cycling purposes), does the benefit wear off, thus nessessitating an increase in benzos? Also, how are you cycling lysine. 7-8 weeks on, and ?weeks off.

Thanks again, ergo.

"My main concern was that you said after 7-8 weeks, you were able to reduce your benzo dose by ~25%. Once you discontinue the lysine (for cycling purposes), does the benefit wear off, thus nessessitating an increase in benzos? Also, how are you cycling lysine. 7-8 weeks on, and ?weeks off..."

Screwbol, I am cycling the Lysine ~8 weeks on followed by ~2 weeks off. The reduction in my benzo use/day was very gradual as I used the Lysine for 8 weeks. During the 2 weeks off, I am still able to function well on less benzo's/day than what I had been using for years. I only had to increase my benzo doses by ~5% at the most during the "2 week off" periods.

Also during this 2 week time, I can supplement with various "NO" - products w/o disrupting or hindering their benefits. So its basically a win/win situation for me.

Overall, the fact that I was able to even reduce my benzo dose/day at all --> is a GREAT side-benefit - that I attribute to Lysine's many diverse benefits for health/Bodybuilding etc...

[quote name='ergoman500' date='Dec 11 2004, 03:52 PM' post='199855']
"My main concern was that you said after 7-8 weeks, you were able to reduce your benzo dose by ~25%. Once you discontinue the lysine (for cycling purposes), does the benefit wear off, thus nessessitating an increase in benzos? Also, how are you cycling lysine. 7-8 weeks on, and ?weeks off..."

Screwbol, I am cycling the Lysine ~8 weeks on followed by ~2 weeks off. The reduction in my benzo use/day was very gradual as I used the Lysine for 8 weeks. During the 2 weeks off, I am still able to function well on less benzo's/day than what I had been using for years. I only had to increase my benzo doses by ~5% at the most during the "2 week off" periods.

Also during this 2 week time, I can supplement with various "NO" - products w/o disrupting or hindering their benefits. So its basically a win/win situation for me.

Overall, the fact that I was able to even reduce my benzo dose/day at all --> is a GREAT side-benefit - that I attribute to Lysine's many diverse benefits for health/Bodybuilding etc...


Some more anti-
stress Lysine benefits...

Biomed Res. 2007 Apr;28(2):85-90.
Oral treatment with L-lysine and L-arginine reduces anxiety and basal cortisol levels in healthy humans.Smriga M, Ando T, Akutsu M, Furukawa Y, Miwa K, Morinaga Y.
Institute of Life Sciences, Ajimoto Co. Inc, 1-1 Suzuki-cho, 210-8681 Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Japan. miro_smriga@ehq.ajinomoto.com

Dietary supplementation with an essential amino acid L-lysine has been shown to reduce chronic anxiety in humans with low dietary intake of L-lysine. A combination of L-lysine and L-arginine has been documented to normalize hormonal stress responses in humans with high trait anxiety. The present study was carried out in one hundred eight healthy Japanese adults. The aim of study was to find out whether a week-long oral treatment with L-lysine (2.64 g per day) and L-arginine (2.64 g per day) reduces trait and stress-induced state anxiety and basal levels of stress hormones. We confirmed that, without regard to gender, the amino acid treatment significantly reduced both trait anxiety and state anxiety induced by cognitive stress battery. In addition, we found that the treatment with L-lysine and L-arginine decreased the basal levels of salivary cortisol and chromogranin-A (a salivary marker of the sympatho-adrenal system) in male subjects. These results of this double-blind, placebo controlled and randomized study confirm the previous findings in humans and animals and point to a combination of L-lysine and L-arginine as a potentially useful dietary intervention in otherwise healthy humans with high subjective levels of mental stress and anxiety.

PMID: 17510493 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

[quote name='ergomanisback' date='Nov 18 2007, 05:26 PM' post='437149']
[quote name='ergoman500' date='Dec 11 2004, 03:52 PM' post='199855']
"My main concern was that you said after 7-8 weeks, you were able to reduce your benzo dose by ~25%. Once you discontinue the lysine (for cycling purposes), does the benefit wear off, thus nessessitating an increase in benzos? Also, how are you cycling lysine. 7-8 weeks on, and ?weeks off..."

Screwbol, I am cycling the Lysine ~8 weeks on followed by ~2 weeks off. The reduction in my benzo use/day was very gradual as I used the Lysine for 8 weeks. During the 2 weeks off, I am still able to function well on less benzo's/day than what I had been using for years. I only had to increase my benzo doses by ~5% at the most during the "2 week off" periods.

Also during this 2 week time, I can supplement with various "NO" - products w/o disrupting or hindering their benefits. So its basically a win/win situation for me.

Overall, the fact that I was able to even reduce my benzo dose/day at all --> is a GREAT side-benefit - that I attribute to Lysine's many diverse benefits for health/Bodybuilding etc...

Some more anti-
stress Lysine benefits...

Biomed Res. 2007 Apr;28(2):85-90.
Oral treatment with L-lysine and L-arginine reduces anxiety and basal cortisol levels in healthy humans.Smriga M, Ando T, Akutsu M, Furukawa Y, Miwa K, Morinaga Y.
Institute of Life Sciences, Ajimoto Co. Inc, 1-1 Suzuki-cho, 210-8681 Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Japan. miro_smriga@ehq.ajinomoto.com

Dietary supplementation with an essential amino acid L-lysine has been shown to reduce chronic anxiety in humans with low dietary intake of L-lysine. A combination of L-lysine and L-arginine has been documented to normalize hormonal stress responses in humans with high trait anxiety. The present study was carried out in one hundred eight healthy Japanese adults. The aim of study was to find out whether a week-long oral treatment with L-lysine (2.64 g per day) and L-arginine (2.64 g per day) reduces trait and stress-induced state anxiety and basal levels of stress hormones. We confirmed that, without regard to gender, the amino acid treatment significantly reduced both trait anxiety and state anxiety induced by cognitive stress battery. In addition, we found that the treatment with L-lysine and L-arginine decreased the basal levels of salivary cortisol and chromogranin-A (a salivary marker of the sympatho-adrenal system) in male subjects. These results of this double-blind, placebo controlled and randomized study confirm the previous findings in humans and animals and point to a combination of L-lysine and L-arginine as a potentially useful dietary intervention in otherwise healthy humans with high subjective levels of mental stress and anxiety.

PMID: 17510493 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]


FWIW
Since 3 years ago when I posted this, my benzodiazepine use has dropped another 90% of the initial mg's/day. I think I am more PTSD-like in my symptoms than just general anxiety...3grams/day has been more than enough over the past year in regards to Lysine use.

Generally speaking...me too.

I've missed you!

Do you still dose this in between meals and over the last few years have you stuck w/ the on/off cycle?

Haven't avoided using the amino with food much the past year.

Yes, I have consistently stuck with the on/off cyclical use.

I wish to look into how Lysine may impact Citrulline/NO metabolism and the like. The lysine-bone health connections are interesting also...