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Integrative Cannabis: Therapeutic Value of CBD/Cannabinoids

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The Integrative Cannabis 6-week course, Therapeutic Value of CBD/Cannabinoids is just starting this week and it’s not too late to register and participate.

Razi Berry, founder of NDNR/Naturopathic Doctor News and Review, shares this about cannabis and this new training on the topic of CBD:

Since the legalization of medical cannabis, and more recently its recreational use, it has become more and more important that practitioners are aware, educated and fluent in this popular botanical medicine. Cannabis has an incredible and varied use profile and can also be a drug of addiction; it has the ability to serve as a highly beneficial opioid alternative, while at the same time causing social and psychological problems. It is a drug/botanical that is not going away anytime soon, and practitioners need more education in its therapeutic use. This multi-week course is sure to give you a solid foundation in understanding cannabis and cannabinoids and their interaction with physiological systems as well as their implications for clinical practice.”

Cannabis is a controversial subject! But, no matter where you stand on the political, moral, or ethical spectrum, in support or against this botanical medicine, cannabis is here to stay. The increase in legislative efforts allowing for its medical use, along with its growing recreational legalization is mandating that medical practitioners are aware and knowledgeable of the effects, interactions, benefits, and complications of its use. This multi-week course is intended to give a solid foundation of understanding for the clinical use and therapeutic understanding of cannabis, as well as the legal implications of its use in clinical practice. We hope you find it beneficial to your practice.

Love it or hate it, you’re going to have to learn about the use of cannabis in both a medical and non-medical context sooner or later. Currently, cannabis is not included in botanical medicine courses at most of the naturopathic or allopathic medical schools, however its use is rapidly increasing and a need for knowledge of its effects and therapeutic use are also increasing. This multi-week course includes the foundational elements necessary to understand the major and minor constituents of cannabis sativa/indica, as well as its therapeutic indications, physiological indications, dosing and complications. It will serve any practitioner needing or desiring a more in depth understanding of the plant.

Who is this Cannabis/CBD Training for?

  • Practitioners who are interested in the therapeutic use of cannabis.
  • Practitioners who want more information about the systemic effects of cannabis.
  • Practitioners who want more pharmacological knowledge of cannabis as a botanical medicine.
  • NDs in states where marijuana is legal – both medically and recreationally – regardless of whether it is in ND scope.
  • NDs who would like to gain Pharmacology CEU for a relevant botanical medicine that is used pharmacologically.
  • Individuals needing foundational knowledge about the physiological effects of cannabis.
  • Individuals who are looking for alternatives to opioids and pain medication.
  • Individuals who are interested in non-psychoactive uses of cannabis.

Someone asked this when I posted about it on Facebook:

Is it just for practitioners? What about parent who has a child who uses it therapeutically?

Razi responded as follows:

It is designed for practitioners, but as a parent it would answer all your questions and help you to navigate the journey. You might end up knowing more than your doctor/practitioner!

Here are the details of the first module – Stress, Adrenal Health, and Cannabidiol: The ECS-HPA Connection with Aimee Shunney, ND

  • Knowledge of the difference between hemp and marijuana.
  • Understand how the ECS/endocannabinoid system can support healthy HPA axis function.
  • Understand CBD as a regulatory or balancing agent of the ECS.
  • Evaluation of how baseline endocannabinoid levels can affect the stress response and anxiety.
  • Application of CBD as it relates to HPA axis function in clinical practice.
  • Understand quality, sourcing, safety, and legal issues surrounding medical cannabis.

Here are 2 slides from Aimee’s Adrenal/HPA presentation:

…Science has linked the ECS [endocannabinoid system] with complex processes from anxiety to immunity…This research bonanza is revealing more and more about the ECS master control system and it’s shining star, cannabidiol [CBD].

Preliminary human studies show baseline endocannabinoid tone regulates HPA axis reactivity to stress; low baseline AEA [anandamide] leads to greater increase in cortisol after stress AND high baseline AEA seem to be protective against anxiety.

And here is a short video snippet from “The Role of CBD Targeted Clinical Strategies on the Microbiome and Gut-Brain Axis” presented by Dr. Chris Meletis.

  • Understand the role of CBD receptors in the GI tract.
  • Understand how CBD receptor activation can alter microbiome microenvironment.
  • Appreciation of the clinical utility of HEMP derived CBD on Brain and Gut Health.

I’m enjoying it already and I’ve only done one module so far. I hope to get some additional clarification on the following: how the endocannabinoid system interacts with and supports neurotransmitters like serotonin, GABA and endorphins; safety aspects and cautions about THC and worsening mental health; understanding how best to assess for an out of balance endocannabinoid system; how to assess quality; a better understanding of the different strains – how they work and what symptoms they help; and how we talk about cannabis in terms of CBD percentages.

Click here for information and registration details about the Integrative Cannabis 6-week course, Therapeutic Value of CBD/Cannabinoids or share this link with your practitioner.

It started on Monday Oct 8th and runs for 5 weeks. As soon as you register you’ll get access to the first module on stress and adrenal health (see below) with delivery of the other modules each Monday thereafter. Registration closes on Friday and will reopen in 2019 sometime. Apologies for the late notice – I just found out about it late last week!

If you have feedback on how you’ve benefited from hemp-based CBD products please post below in the comments. If you have questions please post them too and I’ll try and get answers from the presenters if I don’t have an answer.

Fipronil insecticide: GABA/glutamate and anxiety, aggressive behavior, memory and Alzheimer’s disease in humans?

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The insecticide called fipronil has me concerned because there is increasing evidence that it can be toxic to humans and, much to my surprise, I’ve just discovered that the main mechanism of action is by targeting the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor and recent research points to increased anxiety, aggressive behavior, memory problems and even Alzheimer’s disease in animal studies.

Based on a rather surprising conversation I had with someone a few weeks ago (let’s call her Sue), I felt compelled to get more information on fipronil. Before that I was not aware about the specific effects I mention above.

We were in Sue’s front yard and the dog kept sniffing these small white plastic squares in the flower beds. Sue kept pulling the dog away and I asked “why? what are those?” It turns out they were ant-bait devices. Yes, I’m this clueless simply because I’ve never purchased anything like this. I expressed my concerns about toxicity and possible endocrine/hormone effects but didn’t have enough concrete facts, so I went digging through the research. Needless to say I am very concerned with what I found.

What was equally concerning is that Sue had not even considered that it could be harmful. Looking into possible harms was not even on her radar. When pressed, Sue said “it’s only a small amount in each container so I’m sure it’ll be fine” and “the poison is inside the container so none of it will come out – so it’ll be fine.”

This is what went through my mind (which is pretty typical for me – I’m always in questioning mode): What is it and how toxic is it? Does it have impacts on humans and by what mechanism? Could it cause anxiety or increase existing anxiety symptoms? Are there additional concerns about it being in a flower-bed near the front door where you could possibly walk some into the house or breathe it in as you come and go?

Organophosphates and psychological effects

Organophosphates are a commonly used pesticide used on fruits and vegetables and research going as far back as 1994 reports that acute exposure can cause psychological effects because they

act directly on the nervous system by inhibiting the neurotransmitter acetylcholine … [contributing to] … acute psychological and behavioral effects, such as anxiety, depression, and cognitive impairments.

The researchers also suggest that long-term psychological effects of low-level exposure have not been determined satisfactorily.

We hear less about insecticides such as fipronil

We hear less about insecticides such as fipronil and how they work.

According to the National Pesticide Information Center Fipronil is a broad use insecticide that

belongs to the phenylpyrazole chemical family. Fipronil is used to control ants, beetles, cockroaches, fleas, ticks, termites, mole crickets, thrips, rootworms, weevils, and other insects.

Fipronil is used in a wide variety of pesticide products, including granular products for grass, gel baits, spot-on pet care products, liquid termite control products, and products for agriculture.

It can be found in ant-bait and anti-cockroach products as well as Frontline Plus for cats and dogs. You can find a partial list of products here and a fact sheet here.

GABA & glutamate: anxiety, aggressive behavior and neurotoxic effects

Fipronil works to kill insects via the inhibition of glutamate- and GABA-activated chloride channels resulting in uncontrolled neural excitation. It also blocks GABAA receptor function and is typically considered toxic to insects but not humans.

As soon as I read the GABA-glutamate mechanism I started searching for anxiety and neurotoxic connections.

There are no human studies on increased anxiety due to fipronil exposure but research on zebrafish larvae exposed to fipronil at typical environmental levels, finds anxiety-like behavior.   In the paper, A metabolomic study of fipronil for the anxiety-like behavior in zebrafish larvae at environmentally relevant levels, the authors report decreased levels of glycine and serine with higher levels of glutamate saying fipronil may be a potential neurotransmitter disruptor. Here are some of the possible mechanisms they discuss related to this:

  • The decreased metabolite glycine caused by fipronil may contribute to the excitatory swimming performance. Whether the glycinergic reciprocal receptor (GlyR)…inhibitory mechanism is also involved in low level of fipronil [exposure] requires further investigation.
  • Additionally, as one of the most abundant amino acids in microenvironment stress, proline is biosynthetically derived from the amino acid L-glutamine. Low levels of L-proline detected in fipronil-treated group may indicate the accumulation of glutamine. As an excitatory neurotransmitter, high level of glutamine would associate with the excitatory behavior of the fish.

In another study, Prenatal exposure to fipronil disturbs maternal aggressive behavior in rats, the authors suggest fipronil impacts the central nervous system areas that control aggression and increases in maternal aggressive behavior are via impacts on GABA(A) receptors.

This 2016 paper lists a variety of toxic effects to both animals and humans: Fipronil insecticide toxicology: oxidative stress and metabolism:

because of accidental exposure, incorrect use of fipronil or widespread fipronil use leading to the contamination of water and soil, there is increasing evidence that fipronil could cause a variety of toxic effects on animals and humans, such as neurotoxic, hepatotoxic, nephrotoxic, reproductive, and cytotoxic effects

They explore oxidative stress as a possible mechanism as to how fipronil causes these toxic effects.

Does concrete make fipronil more toxic?

One of the questions I asked myself was this: Are there additional concerns about it being in a flower-bed near the front door where you could possibly walk some into the house?

It turns out that this may be a valid concern. In this 2016 paper, Conversion of pesticides to biologically active products on urban hard surfaces, the researchers report that urban landscapes that include concrete can actually convert pesticides to other biologically active and more toxic intermediates, likely caused by the alkalinity and metal oxides in concrete. They report that fipronil:

was quickly transformed to desulfinyl and sulfone derivatives, with the desulfinyl level exceeding that of parent in the runoff water only 1week after treatment. Fipronil derivatives have aquatic toxicity similar or even greater than the parent fipronil.

Impacts on memory and a possible factor in Alzheimer’s disease

This 2016 animal study, Memory impairment due to fipronil pesticide exposure occurs at the GABAA receptor level, in rats concludes that fipronil can

have toxic interactions with the CNS [central nervous system] of mammals and lead to memory impairment by modulating the GABAergic system.

We also have to ask how big a role this insecticide could be playing in Alzheimer’s disease? In a paper published earlier in 2018, Induction of Amyloid-β42 Production by Fipronil and Other Pyrazole Insecticides, they use the term “Alzheimerogens” when writing about insecticides such as fipronil and the metabolite fipronil sulfone:

Focusing on fipronil, we showed that some of its metabolites, in particular the persistent fipronil sulfone, also favor the production of Aβ42/Aβ43 in both cell-based and cell-free systems.

Fipronil administered orally to mice and rats is known to be metabolized rapidly, mostly to fipronil sulfone, which stably accumulates in adipose tissue and brain.

In conclusion several widely used pyrazole insecticides [such as fipronil] enhance the production of toxic, aggregation prone Aβ42/Aβ43 peptides, suggesting the possible existence of environmental “Alzheimerogens” which may contribute to the initiation and propagation of the amyloidogenic process in sporadic AD.

The paper shares that amyloid-β peptides (Aβs), especially increased production of Aβ42/Aβ43 over Aβ40, represent a characteristic feature of Alzheimer’s disease.

Why wait for long-term human studies?

Hopefully you’re like me and don’t buy ant-bait or roach-bait products.

My bigger concern is the wide-spread use of spot-on pet-care products which contain fipronil, exposing our beloved pets to this toxin and all the humans they come into contact with. Pet-groomers are especially cautioned. And I’d also add a caution for children playing with pets where these flea and tick products are used since “the developing brain is particularly vulnerable to the action of insecticides.”

We don’t know for sure how harmful this insecticide is for humans and it’s not clear what the mechanisms are – GABA-glutamate and/or glycine and/or oxidative stress – but why wait for long-term human studies, especially given that chronic and long-term effects are difficult to investigate and based on what we already know about their effects on Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and depression.

I have found enough information to be very concerned and to feel justified in continuing to avoid fipronil. I encourage you to avoid fipronil as well.

This is especially the case if you already suffer from long-term anxiety, insomnia or another chronic health condition as it may be one more possible contributory factor.

Given that fipronil blocks GABAA receptor function, I have to wonder if chronic long-term exposure could play a role in difficulties with benzodiazepine tapering.

If this is old news to you feel free to share with family and friends who may not be as informed as you.

If this is news to you, I hoping this gets you thinking and questioning. I’d love to hear your thoughts, concerns and questions.

Pharma-GABA: study participants with an irrational fear of heights are relaxed and less anxious when crossing a swaying suspension bridge

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Based on clinical evidence, we know that gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a calming amino supplement, reduces anxiety. There isn’t as much research on GABA or Pharma-GABA as we’d like to see, so we’ll take small studies that are done on humans.

In a 2006 study, Relaxation and immunity enhancement effects of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) administration in humans, Pharma-GABA was used to determine if it would increase relaxation and reduce anxiety during the stressful event of crossing a suspension bridge:

Eight healthy volunteers, with no clinical evidence of any illness, (5 males and 3 females) aged 25 to 30 years who had a history of acrophobia [extreme or irrational fear of heights], were recruited.

Subjects crossed … a pedestrian suspended bridge at Nara Prefecture, Japan (Totsu River Bridge) with 54 m height, 300 m length, and 2 m width.

I believe it’s also called the Tanize Suspension bridge and is one of the longest suspension bridges in Japan. You can see pictures of the bridge here and here. They say this: “though quite safe, the swaying motion can be disconcerting, or fun, depending on your perspective.”

If we convert that to feet, it’s 177 feet high, almost 1000 feet long (about 3 times the length of a football field) and 6 feet wide.

There were 2 groups: placebo and Pharma-GABA. Salivary immunoglobulin A (IgA) levels (also known as secretary IgA or sIgA) was measured in both groups and used as a marker of relaxation and stress, as well as immunity. Saliva was collected before crossing the bridge, half way across and at the end. The study found that the

placebo group showed marked decrease of their IgA levels, while GABA group showed significantly higher levels.

And concludes as follows:

GABA could work effectively as a natural relaxant and its effects could be seen within 1 hour of its administration to induce relaxation and diminish anxiety. Moreover, GABA administration could enhance immunity under stress conditions.

The paper is reporting about 2 studies and it’s not clear how much Pharma-GABA was used in this bridge study – it was either 100mg or 200mg. Results were observed within 60-90 minutes. Also, this study was conducted by the company who makes the Pharma-GABA product, and they do say that this bridge study includes unpublished data.  Notice that they use the term GABA in the paper – I prefer to differentiate since Pharma-GABA and GABA are actually different.

Other than this and the very small number of participants, I’m always encouraged by any research we have. Clinically, we see very similar results with GABA or Pharma-GABA when someone has a fear of something – heights, flying, spiders etc. – and it typically addresses the physical fear and anxiety symptoms.

Here are some of my thoughts as to why results were only observed after 60 minutes:

  • Pharma-GABA was used in the study and for some folks this is not as effective as using GABA. I typically start my clients on GABA.
  • Using GABA sublingually often has calming results in under 10 minutes, so a chewable Pharma-GABA may have been a better option and would be something I’d recommend
  • Low serotonin is commonly a factor with fears and phobias and I’d recommend a trial of tryptophan

The resources in this blog and my other articles are intended to be used in conjunction with my book: The Antianxiety Food Solution – How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood, and End Cravings (Amazon link). If you do not have my book I highly recommend getting it and reading it before jumping in and trialing/taking amino acid supplements: There is a complete chapter on the amino acids and one for pyroluria, plus information on real whole food, sugar and blood sugar, gluten, digestion and much more.

You can find the GABA and tryptophan products I recommend on this blog: The Antianxiety Food Solution Amino Acid and Pyroluria Supplements

How would you feel walking across a swaying suspension bridge like this?

Have you used Pharma-GABA, GABA and/or tryptophan to help you with the stress and anxiety caused by a phobia like this or another phobia?

How do I taper tryptophan without withdrawal symptoms: a tight band around my head, brain zaps and agitated free-floating anxiety?

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I have not had any clients experience the need to taper or slowly wean their tryptophan dose or report tapering side-effects similar to those they experienced when tapering off an antidepressant. However, I recently had someone ask this question on the blog (and then had someone else ask a similar question) so I’m sharing these questions and my responses in the hope of gleaning some additional information (and educating you if this applies to you). I never say never and am always learning. I’m also very interested to know how common this is and what some of the underlying factors could be.

Here is the question that was asked by Lara (we’ll call her Lara) and slightly paraphrased for clarity:

I’ve been taking 1500 mg of tryptophan for 3 months, and it has helped a lot with sleep and depression. I dropped to 1000 mg about a week ago then 500mg just to see how I’d do without it. I didn’t think it was numbing my feelings, but I am experiencing a return of feeling good.

I’ve been on antidepressants before and I am feeling the same withdrawal effects as when I weaned off meds. This is exactly why I chose to not go back to pharmaceuticals. It was difficult to wean off. How do I taper tryptophan without experiencing withdrawal symptoms? Thank you for your valuable knowledge.

These are the kinds of questions I’d ask a client in this situation:

  • Was the 1500mg helping and which low serotonin symptoms were eased?
  • How did this change when you reduced to 1000mg and then reduced to 500mg? i.e. did the low serotonin symptoms come back?
  • Which antidepressant are you comparing these affects to? And how long ago did you wean off the antidepressant?
  • Which brand of tryptophan you are using? (I find Lidtke is the best quality)

Keep in mind that we always want to be sure it’s not a one-off situation. In order to be sure someone is observing mild adverse effects from a supplement I’ll often have my client stop it and then add it back to make sure. And sometimes more than once.

In this instance repeating the process may be a good idea i.e. going back to 1000mg and then 1500mg and then reducing again, carefully documenting in a food mood supplement log.

It turns out that Lara was using the Lidtke tryptophan and she was seeing wonderful benefits for her low serotonin symptoms with none of the typical SSRI side-effects:

the 1500mg before bed with a small carb helped me get to sleep and stay asleep. It also helped with anxiety and depression during day. I tend to be a worrier, have social anxiety, and get stuck with negative thoughts about myself and others. And have very little interest in life.

I was on Zoloft from 2005 – 2009. Got off of that and did Lexapro for only 6 months in 2012. The Zoloft was life changing for me but I did not like the side effects and being on an antidepressant for the rest of my life.

The tryptophan is superior to these SSRIs [selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors] – no sexual side effects, no weight gain, or anhedonia [inability to feel pleasure in normally pleasurable activities].

She describes how she reduced the tryptophan and how her withdrawal symptoms were similar to those she experienced when tapering off her SSRIs in the past:

The withdrawal effects were felt when dropping from 1500mg to 1000mg, to 500mg, then zero over 2 days and they lasted about 3 days. By the 4th day I was no longer feeling bad.

The symptoms are hard to explain – it felt like a tight band around my head, also brain zaps (this is a common SSRI withdrawal symptom many describe feeling in their head).

The worst of it was a deep agitated free-floating anxiety like you’re walking along the edge of a cliff and there’s a physical pain in your gut. Fortunately, it was only present from waking up till around 2pm.

These are questions I’d ask or wonder about

As I mentioned in the introduction, I have not had any clients experience the need to taper or slowly wean their tryptophan dose or report tapering side-effects similar to those they experienced when tapering off an antidepressant. But if this is an issue some individuals experience I’d like to know about it

I’d also like to know how long the tapering side-effects of tryptophan last and how severe the symptoms are. In Lara’s case the symptoms were pretty severe but fortunately they only lasted 3 days which is very much shorter than SSRI tapers.

There could be confounding factors and here are additional questions I’d ask or wonder about if a client experienced similar adverse tapering effects. These are questions you could ask yourself if you have experienced this when stopping tryptophan abruptly:

  • Could the prior use of SSRI prescriptions be a factor? (but I have worked with many clients with prior use of SSRIs and not have tryptophan tapering issues)
  • What else has changed in terms of stress, diet, hidden gluten exposure, or even the something like a recent introduction of collagen (which may deplete serotonin levels in susceptible folks)?
  • Are there hormonal changes that could affect serotonin levels – like in a woman with PMS or perimenopausal or menopausal symptoms? (again, I’ve worked with many women of all ages and haven’t observed this to be an issue)
  • If you are prone to the winter blues and reduced winter serotonin, could stopping the tryptophan in the winter play a role? (I have had clients have SSRI tapering issues in winter because of being prone to the winter blues and choose to work with their doctors on their SSRI taper in the spring and summer for this reason)
  • Could this also be an issue with summer blues in hot states like Arizona?
  • Could any of these play a role: a recent medical procedure, a course of antibiotics (especially fluoroquinolones) or antifungals, poor gut health, a new infection, decreased immunity or increased inflammation?
  • Could low levels of these nutrients play a role: vitamin B6, ferritin, magnesium and zinc?
  • Would using high doses of vitamin C during the “taper” help reduce some of the symptoms? (this works well as an antidote when you take tryptophan and don’t need it and want to negate some of the negative effects, so may help in this situation)

Stopped tryptophan and felt very angry and down

The other question I had about tryptophan weaning is this one from someone who shared that she had suggested tryptophan for a friend. This friend was

experiencing a lot of ruminating and anxiety. She responded beautifully and felt great. About a year later, she tried to stop taking it, and said she felt very angry and down. Is there a weaning process for the tryptophan?

This could possibly be related to the above and you could pose similar questions but based on on what I see with clients I feel this is more of a matter of stopping the tryptophan too soon while she still had low serotonin – especially if the ruminating and anxiety came back. Feeling angry and down are classic signs of low serotonin.

The questions asked were specifically about tryptophan but they could also possibly apply to some individuals who stop 5-HTP abruptly.

I’d love to hear if you’ve experienced anything like this with either tryptophan or 5-HTP and if yes please share your answers to some of the above questions.

Right now, I’m afraid I don’t have an answer for you on how to taper tryptophan without these withdrawal symptoms: a tight band around the head, brain zaps and agitated free-floating anxiety. Right now, I’m not sure how big an issue this is. If it is common, I’m hoping some of the feedback I receive may provide some answers.

A new book: You Can Fix Your Brain by Dr. Tom O’Bryan

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There is a new book that I think you may be interested in (for yourself or a family member): You Can Fix Your Brain: Just 1 Hour a Week to the Best Memory, Productivity, and Sleep You’ve Ever Had (Amazon link), written by my amazing friend and colleague Dr. Tom O’Bryan.

One of my favorite chapters is chapter 2: The Leaky Brain, where Dr. Tom writes about the blood-brain barrier (BBB), comparing it to a protective cheesecloth-like lining where:

its main role is to block large molecules from entering into the brain from the bloodstream. The brain’s cheesecloth is even finer than the one in the intestine because most molecules are too big to fit in the blood vessels that service the brain. Just as the intestinal lining can tear, resulting in a leaky gut, the cheesecloth of the brain can tear, resulting in a leaky brain. Scientists refer to these tears as a breach of the blood-brain barrier.

He shares the many reasons we can end up with a leaky brain: trauma to the head/a concussion,

“smaller, repeated traumas (think of head butts during soccer practice that can happen 20, 30, or 50 times a day, 3, 4, or even 5 days a week)”, and even excessive exercise (a modest amount of exercise is beneficial).

Dr. Tom also shares the role of inflammation in creating tears in the blood-brain barrier – due to antibodies to wheat and dairy, bacteria, parasites or autoimmune diseases, together with advanced glycation end products (AGEs) from eating charred meats or barbecued chicken.

He shares that the blood-brain barrier typical heals quickly, within 4 hours but “if there is a recurring insult, leaky brain will remain, allowing macromolecules to penetrate the very sensitive brain.”

Dr. Tom suggests having your doctor order the Neural Zoomer blood test from Vibrant Wellness Laboratories, in order to identify if you have ongoing tearing of your blood-brain barrier:

Two of the biomarkers used in emergency rooms for severe trauma to the blood-brain barrier are called S100B and neuron-specific enolase (NSE). If they are elevated, it means that you’re leaking S100B and NSE into your bloodstream. If you have high levels of S100B and/or NSE in your bloodstream long-term (for instance, as a result of playing soccer or football regularly), your body will make antibodies to them in order to get rid of the excess. When you have elevated antibodies to S100B and NSE, it strongly suggests that you have an ongoing tearing of your blood-brain barrier. These are extremely accurate biomarkers that show up with damage to the blood-brain barrier from any cause, not just physical trauma. They identify that the flood gates are open, allowing macromolecules into the brain, which then will activate the immune response, causing the inflammation that eventually manifests as brain fog, forgetfulness, ADHD, seizures, anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and eventually dementia, Parkinson’s, MS, and Alzheimer’s.

According to Dr. Tom the Neural Zoomer blood test is:

cutting-edge and is the most sensitive biomarker of brain antibodies available today and includes all six of the most important categories to set a benchmark for: demyelination (the condition of your nerves in your brain, related to MS), the blood-brain barrier [S100B and NSE], peripheral neuropathies (numbness and tingling), brain autoimmunity (antibodies to brain tissue), herpes (there are more than 100 studies connecting herpes simplex 1 and Alzheimer’s), and the genes for Alzheimer’s. I believe this test is a game-changer. It can identify, years in advance, the ongoing mechanisms that can cause degenerative brain diseases. When you can identify the mechanism before there is so much tissue damage that symptoms appear, you have a window of opportunity to do something about it.

If your doctor can’t order the test you can order it directly from theDr.com/neuralzoomer.

Here’s the official book blurb for You Can Fix Your Brain: Just 1 Hour a Week to the Best Memory, Productivity, and Sleep You’ve Ever Had (Amazon link)

For anyone worried about any type of brain ailment, ranging from the chronic conditions to simple brain fog and fatigue, this essential guide covers the full spectrum of prevention to treatment.

We’ve all experienced brain fog―misplaced keys, forgotten facts, a general feeling that you’re just feeling off today. And many of us will experience that “fog” manifesting as something more permanent―either in ourselves or our loved ones.

No matter what your current brain health state may be, You Can Fix Your Brain will enable and empower you to take concrete steps that will make an immediate difference in your brain’s vitality, clarity, and energy. Your memory will improve, fogginess will disappear, you’ll be less tired all the time, and much more. And, you’ll learn that these aren’t empty promises. Dr. Tom O’Bryan, author of The Autoimmune Fix, knows how to create lasting changes in health, and he’s here to share them with you.

It’s a step-by-step approach to better cognitive function―being selective about what’s on your fork, what’s in your environment, and how you take care of yourself can make a world of difference. With only one hour a week of practice, in 6 months, you can say goodbye to brain fog and welcome a better long-term memory and a sharper mind.

This is my endorsement:

The advice Dr. Tom shares in this book is cutting edge and provides powerful results if you want to have the best possible brain. This book is a must-read if you want to improve your memory and clear brain fog, have amazing sleep, reduce anxiety and ADHD, be productive and even feel happier. I love his message about setting a goal each week to learn just one thing and apply it – it makes this totally do-able for each of us!

If you already know you’d like to buy a copy of the book (or have already bought a copy) go to this link after your purchase to get access to some valuable bonuses.

If you’d like to get a taste of some of the content before purchasing you can check out some snippets in this download: Surprising Everyday Things That Can Damage Your Brain (changing the way you pump gasoline is one very simple changes you can make).

Enjoy! And be sure to leave Dr. Tom a review.

The benzodiazepine valium blocks DAO and impacts histamine levels: wisdom from Yasmina Ykelenstam and a tribute to her brilliance

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The benzodiazepine valium blocks DAO and impacts histamine levels and may actually increase anxiety via this mechanism. I learned all this in an interview I conducted with my amazing colleague Yasmina Ykelenstam.

Sadly Yasmina lost her battle to a rare and aggressive type of breast cancer this week. She had triple negative breast cancer which has a minimal survival rate of no longer than just a few months. She lived with it for over 2 years, outliving all odds. She had just turned 43.

It is with great sadness and reflection that I write this post as tribute to Yasmina who was as bold as she was brilliant.

Yasmina is well known as the Low Histamine Chef and for an abundance of histamine intolerance resources and recipes on Healing Histamine.

We only met in person on one occasion in 2017 and spent an evening and wonderful lunch together. Her warmth, passion and caring shone through and I felt I already knew this kind and smart woman. I had been following her work online after an interview with Dr. Ben Lynch on season 2 of the Anxiety Summit – Biochemical and genetic predispositions: COMT, GAD & MAOA – where he raved about her work.

I reached out to Yasmina and was so thrilled to have the opportunity to interview her for season 3 of the Anxiety Summit – Histamine-containing Foods: their Role in Anxiety, Depression and Schizophrenia

As a tribute to Yasmina and so her brilliance continues to shine I’m sharing some of the highlights from our interview, where she shared that:

  • Histamine is the gluten of the intolerance world
  • Histamine is a neurotransmitter and plays a role in mood disorders
  • Histamine can cause symptoms of anxiety: Increased heart rate and blood pressure, shortness of breath and gasping for air, pounding heart, dizziness and feeling faint

In case you’re new to histamine intolerance this paper provides a quick overview: Histamine and histamine intolerance

Histamine intolerance results from a disequilibrium of accumulated histamine and the capacity for histamine degradation. Histamine is a biogenic amine that occurs to various degrees in many foods. In healthy persons, dietary histamine can be rapidly detoxified by amine oxidases, whereas persons with low amine oxidase activity are at risk of histamine toxicity. Diamine oxidase (DAO) is the main enzyme for the metabolism of ingested histamine.

This new research shows how a low histamine diet has benefits: Histamine-reduced diet and increase of serum diamine oxidase correlating to diet compliance in histamine intolerance

In our interview we had a lengthy discussion on benzodiazapines and the histamine connection. It was both fascinating and very concerning:

Many people doing a benzodiazepine taper are often switched to Valium which is a DAO [diamine oxidase blocker (or histamine liberator)] and this further prevents histamine from being removed from the body.

Dye are also triggers…the pink Xanax can be problematic 

Here is the transcript from the benzodiazepine section of our interview, with a few tweaks to give it context. I start by asking Yasmina to talk about histamine interactions with psychiatric medications.

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Yasmina Ykelenstam: Well, I recommend that people go to a wonderful website and it is called histaminintoleranz.ch. It’s German, but it’s translated into English. That’s H‑I‑S‑T‑A‑M‑I‑N‑I‑N‑T‑O‑L‑E‑R‑A‑N‑Z.ch. And they have a very, very long list of medications on there that interact with diamine oxidase or histamine liberators. The one that I just wanted to mention very quickly because it’s relevant to anxiety – and that one is diazepam [you can find this listed on the above site on this page.]

Diazepam (or Valium) is a medicine, as I said, that I used when I was a child – for a couple of days. And it’s a tranquilizer, a benzodiazepine. One of the most commonly prescribed benzodiazepines in the world is Valium.

I don’t know if it still is, but when the UN would send out emergency packs to people, Valium was included in there. That’s how widespread its use is. It’s a diamine oxidase blocker. So it blocks the enzyme responsible for degrading histamine in the body. So people who are dealing with anxiety symptoms that are perhaps caused by histamine issues would not do very well potentially with Valium / diazepam because it would further prevent histamine from being removed from the body.

I was on Valium / diazepam for many, many years after it was first prescribed to me and I did not know that. And it was the medicine, it was the tranquilizer that I chose to use to taper from another benzo. I was on Xanax at the time and I had been told that Xanax is harder to withdraw from than crack. So I should switch to another benzodiazepine that had a longer half-life – how long it stays in the body – so that it would make it easier for me to withdraw. And Valium / diazepam was the one that I chose and I think that’s when my body started giving me the message of “Hurry up; just finish this; just cut, cut, cut; get this out of the body because it’s not doing you any good.”

But there is a very, very long list of medications on that German site and interestingly, there are a number of antihistamines in the list of medications that block diamine oxidase and also the other histamine-degrading enzyme. Cimetidine, C‑I‑M‑E‑T‑I‑D‑I‑N-E – I think it is a second-generation antihistamine. It is still prescribed today. It was being prescribed to many people by a doctor in London.

I have another doctor: Dr. Seneviratne in London. He is an immunologist with mast cell focus. He’s excellent. But there was another doctor who was supposedly a mast cell person who was prescribing cimetidine to people. I had to send a message to him saying please stop doing this because it’s probably not very good for them. Also, we were talking about diphenhydramine and that is an HNMT blocker, which is the other histamine‑degrading enzyme.

Trudy Scott: Okay. So I want to just recap here. So we’ve got these meds that block the DAO enzyme, which in turn prevents you from releasing histamine and preventing histamine from being removed from the body.

Yasmina Ykelenstam: Exactly. Yeah, and what’s odd is diphenhydramine is obviously Benadryl, which is one of the most commonly prescribed antihistamines in the United States.

Trudy Scott: A lot of people are on diphenhydramine. You’re right, yeah.

Yasmina Ykelenstam: There are many different mechanisms of action for degrading histamine and for getting it out of the body. So it might not be the end of the world if you’re taking one medication that affects the DAO enzyme but doesn’t affect the HNMT enzyme. And obviously, there’s the liver and there’s different methods of dealing with things in the body. So it’s not the end of the world, but still it’s something you might not want to do and should definitely discuss with your doctor.

Trudy Scott: Yes, and being aware of this. Now I wanted to just go back to the benzodiazepines because I was not aware of this connection to Valium diazepam, and that being a DAO blocker. So is it only the Valium and the other benzodiazepines are not, or is it all benzodiazepines?

Yasmina Ykelenstam: Okay, let me try to remember. Haloperidol is an antipsychotic, isn’t it? (It’s on the list)

Trudy Scott: Yes, that’s correct.

Yasmina Ykelenstam: I am not aware of any others offhand and I’m just trying to take a quick look at the list now that I have it in front of me. But no, I don’t believe so because I looked them up because having taken all of them, and I mean, really all of them, I have taken every benzodiazepine ever made in the last 30 years. And no, I think it was just the diazepam, but as I said, it is one of the most commonly prescribed.

Trudy Scott: And it’s really important for me to mention this because I am dead against all benzodiazepines because of their addictive/dependent nature and the side effects and when you’re trying to taper off they cause all these problems. I’ve interviewed a number of people on this topic. In Season 1 of the Anxiety Summit, I interviewed Dr. Catherine Pittman who talked about the Benzobuddies.org group and how so many individuals battle getting off benzodiazepines.

Yasmina Ykelenstam: Oh, I was a member.

Trudy Scott: You were?

Yasmina Ykelenstam: I was a member there (at benzobuddies.org) at one point.

Trudy Scott: Oh, you were? Yeah, it’s a very big issue and problematic drug. But why I’m saying this is because Professor Ashton, who’s an expert on tapering, talks about switching to Valium. So this could be problematic.

Yasmina Ykelenstam: Well, if you could reach out to these communities, that would be fantastic because I did spend some time after, figuring out what was going on, trying to contact people and trying to let them know of this link because there were a lot of people that were in these communities that were suffering from protracted withdrawals. And by this point, I had my suspicions that the protracted withdrawals were actually a histamine response and that the reason that they were experiencing this was just that the original issue was never dealt with. And that was that it might be an underlying histamine issue that initially had them diagnosed with the anxiety disorder and then they were taking these meds. And so when you take the medication away, you’re still left with the existing condition but it isn’t being addressed.

Trudy Scott: Yes, and maybe some of them had done the switch to Valium, which was making things worse.

Yasmina Ykelenstam: Exactly.

Trudy Scott: Very interesting.

Yasmina Ykelenstam: The reason I switched to Valium was because I was following Dr. Ashton’s protocol from benzo.org.uk. I was advised against coming off my medication and I was told that there was no safe withdrawal protocol. I brought them a copy of the Ashton protocol and I was laughed out of the office, but I chose to do it on my own anyway and I’m very grateful to her research.

Trudy Scott: Yes, she’s done amazing research. I’m so appreciative to learn of this component and I’m on a mission to educate people about the benzodiazepines and this is just another aspect that we need to be considering. I will certainly reach out to some of these groups and people hearing this on this Summit, is going to bring awareness to this aspect. All of this is fantastic.

Yasmina Ykelenstam: The other brief thing is that, of course, the dyes are also triggers. And this is why a lot of us, when we’re prescribed psychiatric meds, end up with a new set of symptoms because of the coloring that is actually on the tablets. I was unable to take the pink Xanax, but I was able to take the white Xanax, and my doctor never understood it. He said, “I don’t understand how higher doses of Xanax make you feel worse, but the lower ones works for you.” And I kept telling him, “But I’m taking the same dose at the end of the day, so I don’t understand either.”

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Here is the link to the entire audio so you can get a better understanding of histamine intolerance.

I’d love to hear your benzodiazepine and histamine intolerance experiences – both good and bad

It would remiss of me to omit something that is seldom discussed: the link between benzodiazepine use and increased cancer risk. In our interview Yasmina shared this “I have taken every benzodiazepine ever made in the last 30 years.”

Yasmina was always very open about her healing journey and I suspect she asked herself this question and would be ok with me making this possible connection in the hope it may help someone who is considering a starting a benzodiazepine prescription or someone contemplating doing a benzodiazepine taper.

I hope this has been helpful if you’re currently taking a benzodiazepine, are considering taking one, have taken one in the past, have issues with high histamine foods, are taking one of the other medications on the list, and/or have had issues with the colors in medications.

With much appreciation to Yasmina! We loved her and thank her for sharing so freely and wisely and we love that her wisdom will live on! Rest in peace.  My deepest sympathies to her family and others who were close to her.

Note added later on 9/14/18 after this blog was published:

As soon as I heard the sad news about Yasmina I wrote this blog as a tribute to her. Then a few hours before it was due to be published I heard her family had not yet made the announcement public and hadn’t yet shared the news with her community.  At the last minute I removed the tribute sections out of respect for them. When I woke I saw the announcement on her Facebook page and reinstated my tribute.

I’ll be doing further updates to share some of what was said about continuing her legacy and anything more I learn.