16 months out - I look like a human again

[[no...]]

This week I started to notice that my face is not bloated at all, today I saw myself in the mirror and I look like a different person, my skin looks great!, my face is not bloated!, even though I still need pregabalin and propranolol to leave my house I feel good.

 

I'm getting good sleep with clonidine.

 

I believe both the NAC and cacao(chocolate) improved my skin and my liver function, NAC it's a powerful antioxidant and it's been trialed in the treatment of traumatic brain injury with promising results:

 

"Furthermore, acetylcysteine has been confirmed, in a recent double-blind placebo-controlled trial conducted by the US military, to reduce the effects of blast induced mild traumatic brain and neurological injury in soldiers.[82] Multiple animal studies have also demonstrated its efficacy in reducing the damage associated with moderate traumatic brain or spinal injury, and also ischemia-induced brain injury. In particular, it has been demonstrated through multiple studies to significantly reduce neuronal losses and to improve cognitive and neurological outcomes associated with these traumatic events. Acetylcysteine has been safely used to treat paracetamol overdose for over forty years and is extensively used in emergency medicine."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3553161/

 

"Psychiatry

 

N-acetylcysteine has been successfully tried as a treatment for a number of psychiatric disorders.[32][33][34] A systematic review from 2015, and several earlier medical reviews, indicated that there is favorable evidence for N-acetylcysteine efficacy in the treatment of autism, Alzheimer's disease, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, specific drug addictions (cocaine and cannabis), and a certain form of epilepsy (progressive myoclonic).[32][33][35][36][37][38][39] Evidence to date does not support the efficacy for N-acetylcysteine in treating addictions to gambling, methamphetamine, or nicotine, although pilot controlled data are encouraging.[35]

 

Acetylcysteine has also been hypothesized to exert beneficial effects through its modulation of glutamate and dopamine neurotransmission as well as its antioxidant properties.[33]

 

Microbiological use

 

Acetylcysteine can be used in Petroff's method i.e. liquefaction and decontamination of sputum, in preparation for recovery of mycobacterium.[40] It also displays significant antiviral activity against the influenza A viruses.[41]

 

Acetylcysteine has bactericidal properties and breaks down bacterial biofilms of clinically relevant pathogens including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Enterobacter cloacae, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Klebsiella pneumoniae.[42]"

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acetylcysteine#Psychiatry

 

The cacao improves cognitive function: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23925758

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16794461

 

And it's a potent antioxidant superior to most fruits: http://ccj.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/1752-153X-5-5

[[ca...]]

Congrats on the improvement.  I wish you continued improvement once you drop all the other medications!  This is an interesting article. Ive had some past experience with NAC before benzo w/d and I didn't notice much but I hope this time around it may help me.  I am currently experimenting with theanine and staying on a low dose.  I wonder if there would be an interaction with NAC.  I also wanted to try Bacopa but was afraid of the hormone influence on estrogen/testosterone.  Have you heard of Gotu kola? I may speak to my doc about NAC as it seems beneficial in many cases.

[[no...]]

Congrats on the improvement.  I wish you continued improvement once you drop all the other medications!  This is an interesting article. Ive had some past experience with NAC before benzo w/d and I didn't notice much but I hope this time around it may help me.  I am currently experimenting with theanine and staying on a low dose.  I wonder if there would be an interaction with NAC.  I also wanted to try Bacopa but was afraid of the hormone influence on estrogen/testosterone.  Have you heard of Gotu kola? I may speak to my doc about NAC as it seems beneficial in many cases.

 

I don't think there will be any kind of interaction between NAC and theanine, well I don't know much about the bacopa in that respect, maybe you could try a lower dose and see how it goes? where did you read about it? it's really good thing for people in this hole, it upregulates down-regulated GABA receptors:

 

"Behavioral deficit and decreased GABA receptor functional regulation in the cerebellum of epileptic rats: effect of Bacopa monnieri and bacoside A.

 

Mathew J, Peeyush Kumar T, Khan RS, Paulose CS.

 

Source

Department of Biotechnology, Molecular Neurobiology and Cell Biology Unit, Centre for Neuroscience, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kerala, India.

 

Abstract

In the present study, the effects of Bacopa monnieri and its active component, bacoside A, on motor deficit and alterations of GABA receptor functional regulation in the cerebellum of epileptic rats were investigated. Scatchard analysis of [(3)H]GABA and [(3)H]bicuculline in the cerebellum of epileptic rats revealed a significant decrease in B(max) compared with control. Real-time polymerase chain reaction amplification of GABA(A) receptor subunits-GABA(Aalpha1), GABA(Aalpha5,) and GABA(Adelta)-was downregulated (P<0.001) in the cerebellum of epileptic rats compared with control rats. Epileptic rats exhibit deficits in radial arm and Y-maze performance. Treatment with B. monnieri and bacoside A reversed these changes to near-control levels. Our results suggest that changes in GABAergic activity, motor learning, and memory deficit are induced by the occurrence of repetitive seizures. Treatment with B. monnieri and bacoside A prevents the occurrence of seizures thereby reducing the impairment of GABAergic activity, motor learning, and memory deficit.

PMID: 20153260"

 

I've heard of gotu kola and it should be avoided during benzo w/d because it's a GABA receptor agonist.