Re: The Inositol Guide: PsychoPoet Research Initiative
I have checked Inositol. It should be taken in conjunction with another compound. Neither should be taken except under the supervision of a doctor.
I'm glad you are feeling better psychopoet. It seems as if the positive affirmations, counselling and breathing exercises have had major benefits for your mental health.
Re: The Inositol Guide: PsychoPoet Research Initiative
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Chem
I have checked Inositol. It should be taken in conjunction with another compound. Neither should be taken except under the supervision of a doctor.
Where did you read this? Which other compound? Do you mean choline? I haven't found anything to suggest you need to take inositol with choline, and high doses of choline may worsen feelings of depression (but low doses of choline can help anxiety without worsening depression).
Inositol is a natural supplement and is classed as a vitamin, and as it can be purchased over the counter it doesn't require medical guidance. However it's always worth discussing things with a doctor or pharmacist if you plan to start a new supplement.
Re: The Inositol Guide: PsychoPoet Research Initiative
Hi psychopoet is this what i need to buy?
Swanson 100% Pure Inositol Powder
8oz (227 Gram)
RRP: £17.85
Price: £14.48 ? xx
---------- Post added at 21:17 ---------- Previous post was at 21:16 ----------
or this one....
Now Foods Pure Inositol Powder
4oz Vegetarian
RRP: £19.99
Price: £13.36 xx
---------- Post added at 21:22 ---------- Previous post was at 21:17 ----------
oh and also what dose would u start on? im on cit 30mg, beta blockers and sleeping tabs as and when?? sorry 4 all the questions :blush: xx
Re: The Inositol Guide: PsychoPoet Research Initiative
Wow, sorry, I completely missed your questions. That was the right stuff, but you're probably better speaking to a pharmacist about the starting dose. About 3g-6g seems therapeutic although trials used much higher doses (12g-18g) depending on what they were treating. Be warned, I tend to get an upset stomach at doses of 6g or above, and it may make you feel sleepy at first, but the sleepiness seems to wear off.
Re: The Inositol Guide: PsychoPoet Research Initiative
Hi Psychopoet - I have a question on which type of Inositol should be used.
Last year, I bought my Inositol from Blackburn Distributions - 100g is about £5 inc postage. It looks like this version is Inositol IP6 (hexakisphosphate). (Also known as Phytic Acid). I don't see anything about this version which indicates any psychiatric aid.
Is this the correct version? I note there seems to be several on the market. There's D-Chiro Inositol as well.
Cheers
Re: The Inositol Guide: PsychoPoet Research Initiative
Wow, that's quite a good question. I was only aware of the one version being sold. Myo-inositol was the one successfully used in a major trial, but it was constantly referred to simply as "inositol". Unless there is a significant difference in their chemical composition, I would expect the inositol which is commonly available to be the right stuff. Speak to a pharmacist for more advice mate.
Re: The Inositol Guide: PsychoPoet Research Initiative
Hi,
I bought some Inositol 1000mg capsules from Holland & Barratt on Saturday and started taking them immediately. So far I have had 3 on Saturday, 4 on Sunday and 4 today. Swallowing them isn't too great as they are enormous. :scared15: Hopefully will move to powder if it is effective.
The only thing that I have noticed so far is the complete lack of mind chatter when trying to get to sleep which is very strange but a good thing.
My only concern is that the bottle label states not to take more than 2 tablets per day.
I was initially worried about side effects but so far have had none. Should I increase to 6 tablets per day? What is the most effective dose for generalised anxiety disorder?
Ironically the thought of increasing my intake more is making me a little anxious. :whistles:
I only heard of these last week when I was given a prescription for Citalopram by my GP and was totally put off by its side effects.
Re: The Inositol Guide: PsychoPoet Research Initiative
Hi, I moved onto Mirtazapine from Citalopram because I could no longer tolerate the effects of Cit. If I'd been on Mirtazapine from the start I wouldn't have had nearly as much difficulty with the anxiety. Mirtazapine makes you very sleepy and gives you far better quality of sleep, while Cit does the opposite.
If anyone reading this is struggling with Citalopram, strongly consider discussing a change to Mirt. Mirt just doesn't have the side effects of cit other than tiredness (note: take it at night as you will not be able to function if you take it during the day) and increased appetite for the first few weeks.
Inositol won't increase your anxiety. It just doesn't do that to your body. If you feel anxious at the thought of taking a higher dose, allow yourself to relax (which is a skill you'll learn as you begin to overcome the illness) and visualise the inositol gently helping you. See it as a friend. I wouldn't bother taking 6 tablets a day, purely because it's financially not viable. You need powder if you want to be taking 6g or more per day.
12g was successfully used to treat GAD in a major study, 18g to successfully treat OCD, but in the real world you should be ok with 6g because any more seems to give you the squits. Note that inositol will help but it is not a replacement for therapy.
CBT and GAD/Depression
This is my take on therapy for anyone who is interested. CBT should always be the first line therapy for anxiety and depression (IMO), and should always incorporate mindfulness and/or interpersonal skills. You should NOT simply aim for therapy to get you "back to normal", since "normal" for you is vulnerable to anxiety and/or depression. You need to use CBT to basically take yourself apart and then put yourself back together with permanent improvements.
The first few sessions are likely to be complex, extremely busy and probably intense. At this stage you might not have any idea what's really going on and you will probably come away from the early sessions feeling overwhelmed. This is actually a good sign, since it shows you are learning, and not knowing how to proceed demonstrates that you currently lack the skills necessary to permanently beat anxiety/depression.
After you and your therapist reach an agreement about what's really going on - in my case, the therapist diagnosed me with GAD and confirmed I have been clinically depressed at several points in my past - you can start to finally make sense of what you're going through.
I can tell you now, it is quite strange to actually feel your life starting to make sense. I have gone through emotions I've never felt before. Therapy can even start to make you lose your sense of identity because you have to train yourself to act and think in a different way; it is harder than learning a different language. Don't worry though, the sense of identity will actually come back stronger once you begin to behave in a consistent way.
Re: The Inositol Guide: PsychoPoet Research Initiative
I've had CBT before but it wasn't too helpful on its own. Personally I think that medication and CBT at the same time is the best option. I've got another round of CBT booked to start in June (the earliest that I could get an appointment as I've had to be escalated to a therapist with more experience) and hopefully Inositol will take the edge of enough for it to work this time. I had a horrible day at work today. Either the Inositol dosage I'm on now is too small (4mg) or I've not been taking it for long enough (since Saturday). Hopefully I'll be able to get through tomorrow at work if I take a Propranolol capsule. Not too effective for me anymore but hopefully enough to make the anxiety more bearable. :(
Re: The Inositol Guide: PsychoPoet Research Initiative
Hey guys, just read that citalopram and inositol can casue serontonin syndrome - Any advice please? x