Who actually wrote Ashton's supplement list?

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There's a couple of people on a Facebook group claiming that Ashton's list was actually written by someone in WD and not actually Ashton. I often thought it just looked like a random list with no scientific backup.

 

that info is wrong, it came from a long list of things that could possibly affect people created by someone in mania as they came off meds.  Sadly it waa added to the Ashton Manual at one point, but most places have removed it or call it an addendum now.  Dr. Ashton had nothing to do with creating that list of risky supplements/herbs/vitamins.  It depends on the individual and your body chemistry.  Most people have no issues with anythinh on that list.

 

Reply

 

You are absolutely correct. I am shocked to learn that another member of this community knows this. I thought only myself and a couple other veterans knew. It's true, he sat online and typed in the names of herbs, foods, teas, vitamins, and minerals + GABA, to create a list of things that "touched " or "affected" GABA receptors. He then pestered Heather to add it to the 2nd or 3rd revision she made of her manual.

 

The truth is that no real studies have actually been done to help understand how things on that list Touch or Affect GABA receptors. It's on us to learn through trials of our own. Many of us earlier members, 1999-2002 had already benefitted from many things that are on the list, before she added it to the manual, as a CAUTIONARY LIST. What she intended, was for us to use caution when adding in anything on that list, to start low and go slow, to gauge how we reacted before taking large amounts. Heather never at anytime suggested or stated that we have to avoid all the things listed.

 

But someone in one of the groups started to call it the "Avoid List" and it caught on, causing so much fear in members of the Benzo community, which, as we can see, continues to this day.

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Could you provide us with a link to this list?  The only mention of nutritional supplements in the Ashton Manual I’ve encountered is found in the Supplement to the Manual (link below).  It reads:

 

Nutritional Supplements (Added April 12, 2012)

 

There is no evidence that nutritional supplements such as vitamins, minerals, amino acids etc. are helpful in benzodiazepine withdrawal. Excessive doses of some can be toxic and others may even contain benzo-like substances that have the same adverse effects as benzodiazepines themselves. Nor is there any evidence that suggests benzodiazepine withdrawal causes vitamin, mineral or other deficiencies. No-one should take supplements without clear evidence of a specific deficiency. Those who advocate multiple supplements should first show evidence of any deficiency and then conduct proper controlled trials. In particular, taking GABA precursors does not increase GABA concentrations in the brain. Benzodiazepines do not decrease GABA concentrations; instead they alter GABA-receptor affinity. This slowly reverses without the need for supplements and there is no evidence that supplements speed the process. People taking or withdrawing from benzodiazepines should eat a normal healthy diet – which, after all, consists of “natural” substances and contains all the ingredients necessary for the body.

 

Some products which people have tried and found to be at best useless, at worst harmful include: mineral and vitamin supplements, valerian, St. John’s Wort, kava-kava, melatonin, Rescue Remedy, BeCalm’d, choline, Noni juice, 5htp, SAMe and GABA. Most recently someone reported adverse effects from a product called Exhilarin (see Terri’s Story).

 

 

Link:

The Ashton Manual Supplement, Professor Ashton, April 7, 2011

https://www.benzo.org.uk/ashsupp11.htm#supp2

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I've never read it. Was unable to read more than a few sentences for a long time. Then didn't see much point.

 

But this answers my question really in a round about sort of way. Just people talking out of their behinds as I suspected

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There's a lengthy list on the BIC website of Medications and Supplements of Concern: https://www.benzoinfo.com/medications-and-supplements/. I always tell people that whatever the item, if it's GABAergic or affects metabolism by the CYP3A4 liver enzyme, to use caution and know it could potentially cause problems. Some of the items on this list are for sure to be avoided because of the high risk of problems.