bipolar disorder

Is DPA stimulating; can it be used with kids and someone with bipolar disorder; can it be used with a benzo/SSRI? (and other questions)

July 22, 2022 By Trudy Scott 12 Comments

DPA (d-phenylalanine) is an amino acid that destroys the enzyme that breaks down endorphins. Endorphins are feel-good chemicals that you experience with an endorphin rush when you go for a run or when someone gives you a big hug, when you show kindness to someone or someone does something nice for you. The amino acid DPA helps to raise your endorphins. With low endorphins you can feel very weepy, overly emotional, be extra sensitive to emotional pain, be sensitive to physical pain, and indulge in comfort/reward eating. Today I’m sharing some questions (and my feedback) as to whether it’s stimulating, can it be used with kids and someone with bipolar disorder, can it be used with a benzo/SSRI and more.

Misha has had success with DPA and wants to know if it is considered too stimulating. Here is her feedback and question:

I first tried DPA after reading about it on your blog and found it helpful for raising my mood. The DPA definitely helped curb my weepiness. I used Lidtke Endorphigen 1 cap/day. I have chronic Lyme which creates severe difficulty with sleep, anxiety and depression. Six months ago my neurologist took me off DPA saying it would be too stimulating to my nervous system.

I have since begun using DPA again; I really need the endorphin boost. Do you have any insights on whether DPA is considered stimulating? Whether it interferes with sleep (unfortunately my sleep is bad whether I take DPA or not)? Or suggestions for time of day to take it?

Here is my feedback for Misha: There is no evidence that DPA is too stimulating whereas DLPA (dl-phenylalanine) is known to be stimulating (it works like a combination of DPA and tyrosine).

And when I hear all this it tells me the person needs endorphin support:

“found it helpful for raising my mood”
“The DPA definitely helped curb my weepiness”
“I have since begun using DPA again; I really need the endorphin boost”

That said anything is possible which is why using the amino acids is based on the questionnaire and trials to see how a person responds. The best way to know if sleep is affected is to monitor sleep when using it and when not using it. She says her sleep is bad whether she takes DPA or not so I would recommend going back to her neurologist, sharing this information and the fact that it’s helping her so much. And look for other causes of her sleep issues.

Anna asks if DPA and other amino acids are safe for kids and how high doses? This is her question:

My 10 yr old has been diagnosed with social anxiety and she ticks off most of the boxes for low endorphins, low GABA, low serotonin. She’s very sensitive and very very emotional. We tried, but can’t seem to find a naturopath that can help her much. I feel after a while they all reach a dead end. I have been following you for a year and recently got your book. It looks relatively easy to follow, however I’m a bit reluctant, as she’s a kid.

My feedback: I work with women and once they have figured out the amino acids and neurotransmitter imbalances themselves they find it much easier to help their children who often have similar issues. When that is not the case working with a practitioner is ideal. That being said many moms become informed and educated enough to trial the amino acids on their own (like this mom who had her daughter use GABA with much success).

Anna says her daughter is very sensitive and very very emotional so I’d consider using 125 mg DPA to start (500 mg is an adult starting dose).With kids we also always start with dietary changes as laid out in my book. A good place to start is with a gluten-free and sugar-free diet and DPA (and the other amino acids) can help curb the cravings and feelings of deprivation.

Anon has bipolar disorder and likes comfort foods. This is her question:

I have bipolar disorder and wonder if the DPA will send me into a manic state. It’s one of the reasons I can’t take anti-depressants or stimulants otherwise I go manic. But I can eat for comfort so I only have food in the house I’m going to eat according to meal schedules. So I want to try the DPA.

Here is my feedback: I have not seen DPA to be an issue with bipolar disorder and it’s fabulous when you are a comfort-eater. If you have bipolar disorder and are on medications, it’s always advised to discuss new supplements with your prescribing doctor. You can share that DPA is not on the list of amino acids that have precautions with bipolar disorder.

I would not recommend the use of DLPA (dl-phenylalanine) with bipolar disorder because some of this increases dopamine (which can trigger a manic state).

Kristie is doing a benzodiazepine taper and would like to use DPA:

I am currently going through a benzo taper & there are numerous wonderful products that I am unable to mix with benzos. Would this be safe for me?

This is my feedback: I have not had issues with DPA with clients who are doing a benzo taper and there are no documented contraindications. DPA can help with some of the emotional blunting caused by benzos and the emotional fragility we often see during a benzo taper. I know some of the great benzo support groups say not to use GABA but I find it very helpful when tapering too.

The medication question is a common one. Someone else described her depression as weepy and is using the SSRI. There are also no documented contraindications when using DPA with a SSRI. But again, best to discuss with the prescribing doctor.

Arleen has a question about blood pressure and the DPA product I recommend (Lidtke Endorphigen):

1) Is this product gluten free and 2) What effect if any would it have on blood pressure (mine is naturally low)

Here is my feedback: Lidtke Endorphigen is gluten-free and I have not seen it or other DPA products to be an issue with low blood pressure.

Jan wants to use GABA and DPA. She asks:

Can I use Gaba 125mg and also take DPA? Would either offset the other?

If someone has low GABA symptoms and GABA helps with the physcal anxiety and they also have low endorphin symptoms and DPA helps then they are absolutely fine to use together and even at the same time. However, I have clients trial one at a time in order to find the ideal dose and so you know how each one is working.

Resources if you are new to using the amino acids as supplements

If you are new to using any of the amino acids as supplements, here is the Amino Acids Mood Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution (you can see all the symptoms of neurotransmitter imbalances, including low endorphins).

If you suspect low levels of any of the neurotransmitters and do not yet have my book, The Antianxiety Food Solution – How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood, and End Cravings, I highly recommend getting it and reading it before jumping in and using amino acids on your own so you are knowledgeable. And be sure to share it with the practitioner/health team you or your loved one is working with.

There is an entire chapter on the amino acids and they are discussed throughout the book in the sections on gut health, gluten, blood sugar control, sugar cravings, self-medicating with alcohol and more.

The book doesn’t include product names (per the publisher’s request) so as mentioned above, this blog, The Antianxiety Food Solution Amino Acid and Pyroluria Supplements, lists the amino acids that I use with my individual clients and those in my group programs.

As mentioned above, Lidtke Endorphigen is the DPA product I’ve had the most success with (and it can be found in my online store). Doctor’s Best D-phenylalanine is also a good product.

If, after reading this blog and my book, you don’t feel comfortable figuring things out on your own (i.e. doing the symptoms questionnaire and respective amino acids trials), a good place to get help is the GABA Quickstart Program (if you have low GABA symptoms). This is a paid online/virtual group program where you get my guidance and community support. There are many moms in the program who are having much success with their kids.

You can then use this knowledge to then trial DPA and other amino acids or move on to the Amazing Aminos for Anxiety Program and get help there.

If you are a practitioner, join us in The Balancing Neurotransmitters: the Fundamentals program. This is also a paid online/virtual program with an opportunity to interact with me and other practitioners who are also using the amino acids with success with their clients/patients.

Have you used DPA with success and if yes how has it helped?

If you’re a practitioner, do you use DPA with your clients/patients?

If you have questions please share them here too.

Midday bright light therapy for bipolar depression

October 20, 2017 By Trudy Scott 6 Comments

A recent study from Northwestern University and published in The American Journal of Psychiatry: Adjunctive Bright Light Therapy for Bipolar Depression: A Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Trial has found that midday daily exposure to 7,000 lux bright white light for 6 weeks, significantly decreased symptoms of depression and increased functioning in people with bipolar disorder.

The press release issued by Northwestern University reports as follows

Previous studies found morning bright light therapy reduced symptoms of depression in patients with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD.). But patients with bipolar disorder can experience side effects such as mania or mixed symptoms from this type of depression treatment. This study implemented a novel midday light therapy intervention in an effort to provide relief for bipolar depression and avoid those side effects.

Compared to dim placebo light, study participants assigned to bright white light between noon and 2:30 p.m. for six weeks experienced a significantly higher remission rate (minimal depression and return to normal functioning). More than 68 percent of patients who received midday bright light achieved a normal level of mood, compared to 22.2 percent of patients who received the placebo light.

Images used with permission from Northwestern University

How the 7,000 lux bright light therapy was used

Here are the details of how the 7,000 lux bright light therapy was used in the study:

The light therapy patients were instructed to place the light box about one foot from their face for 15-minute sessions to start.

Every week, they increased their exposure to the light therapy by 15-minute increments until they reached a dose of 60 minutes per day or experienced a significant change in their mood.

Study lead author Dr. Dorothy Sit shares that starting low and slowly increasing the treatment made it more tolerable. None of the study participants experienced side effects, likely because the treatment was customized for each patient:

No one experienced mania or hypomania, a condition that includes a period of elation, euphoria, irritability, agitation, rapid speech, racing thoughts, a lack of focus and risk-taking behaviors.

A noticeable mood improvement with bright light therapy was also noticed as quickly as four weeks, which is similar to other light therapy research for non-seasonal depression and depression during pregnancy.

How do you do this in the middle of a work day?

You may have concerns about doing this at midday as this facebook follower voiced:

I guess if your bipolar depression is so debilitating that you cannot hold a job, then this is worth trying.

But 60 minutes!! What working person has 60 minutes in the middle of their workday?

It’s very doable because there are very nice desk versions that could easily be used at work (without anyone knowing – if privacy is a concern) or at a home-office desk for your convenience. I share some examples in this blog – Winter blues or SAD: light therapy.

I have tried lights in the morning but found that it caused agitation

I also received this feedback about increased agitation:

I have tried lights in the morning but found that it caused agitation. Over time my tolerance went down so that I could only use for less than 5 minutes. I haven’t ever tried midday light though. I’m not bipolar but I have depression which is generally worse in the winter. Exercise helps.

It may be worth trying midday light therapy if morning light therapy causes agitation or other adverse effects.

The press release mentions that light therapy is typically used in the morning to help reset circadian rhythms and the authors are unclear why midday light therapy worked for these patients with bipolar disorder. They plan to investigate further. If it is working via the same mechanism i.e. by resetting circadian rhythms, then it may well work at this time for other individuals too.

It may also be that your depression (and/or anxiety) is not caused by low serotonin but by something else instead – such as low catecholamines, poor thyroid health, gluten issues, poor diet and so on.

Using light therapy and tryptophan (or 5-HTP)

I have also found that some people do well on a combination of light therapy and tryptophan (or 5-HTP). One of my clients had many low serotonin symptoms and did better mood-wise and with reduced anxiety, on a small amount of tryptophan but still needed additional serotonin support. Additional tryptophan was too much for him and increased his day-time sleepiness, but using a small amount of tryptophan together with light therapy was the ideal balance for him.

Have you used light therapy with success – for the winter blues or depression or bipolar disorder? Or even for anxiety?

Have you ever used it at midday or at other times?

And have you used light therapy in conjunction with tryptophan or 5-HTP?

Toxoplasma gondii: schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, OCD and unresolved anxiety?

August 14, 2017 By Trudy Scott 17 Comments

Toxoplasma gondii is a microscopic parasite that infects cats and can be found in the soil – research shows it may be a factor in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and OCD in susceptible individuals. Could toxoplasma gondii could be one of the root causes of unresolved anxiety? I believe so and feel it’s under-rated.

This is the one of the parasitic infections I cover in an interview I did on The Parasite Summit.

Here are a few snippets from my interview:

A single-celled parasite called Toxoplasma gondii causes a disease known as toxoplasmosis.

Toxoplasma gondii is a microscopic parasite that infects cats and can be found in the soil. The infection can be acquired by ingesting contaminated food or water, by handling contaminated cat litter, or by transmission from mother-to-child.

According to the CDC – as of Mar 1, 2017 – in the United States it is estimated that 11% of the population 6 years and older have been infected with Toxoplasma. In various places throughout the world, it has been shown that up to 95% of some populations have been infected with Toxoplasma.

I love cats and have always been a cat person and pets are wonderful companions helping many of us humans recovering from PTSD and trauma – but we always need to dig deeper:

some individuals don’t respond as well to dietary changes, brain chemical balancing and addressing other biochemical/nutritional factors
I’m always looking for root possible causes. I’ve identified 70+ causes of anxiety and one of them is parasites
any parasite could be a factor – it causes stress and inflammation in the body, and we may see high cortisol leading to increased anxiety, insomnia and inflammation
could toxoplasma gondii could be one of the root causes of unresolved anxiety? I believe so and feel it’s under-rated – and believe we’ll be hearing more about it as more research comes out

I discuss this review paper published this year: Is Toxoplasma gondii a Trigger of Bipolar Disorder?

The association between T. gondii and schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder is one of the most studied links between one pathogen and a psychiatric disorder.

However, growing emerging evidence has also documented an association between latent toxoplasmosis and the risk of [bipolar disorder] and suicidal/aggressive behaviors. T. gondii infection, as previously suggested for schizophrenia, may contribute to the onset and the progressive course of the disease interacting with genetic hereditary predisposing factors, as well as affecting neurotransmitter systems and immune responses, which have recently been shown to be closely linked to the pathogenesis of BD and its medical comorbidities.

The link between this parasite and psychiatric disorders could be also explained by its ability to influence neurotransmitter pathways. Indeed, T. gondii has been shown to increase dopamine levels, as well as to modulate serotonin, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate signaling.

With the impacts on neurotransmitters it’s clear how this parasite could directly trigger anxiety, panic attacks, fears, worry and even OCD. I cover this and more (malaria and malaria medications too) in my interview and book.

Parasites may be silently impacting your health and they’re FAR MORE COMMON than you think! Parasites aren’t just found in third-world countries, millions are already infected in industrialized countries and parasites could be silently hampering your health. Fortunately, with awareness and appropriate care, parasites can be prevented and treated, once detected.

If you’re struggling with any of the following, it may be worth looking into parasites:

Gastrointestinal: pain/cramps, excess gas, bloating, constipation/diarrhea
Infertility and hormone disorders
Skin issues: acne, itching, rashes
Mental health: depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, OCD, schizophrenia
Challenges with autoimmune disease recovery (Toxoplasma gondii may also be a factor in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis)

Please share feedback and ask questions in the comments below.