brendan

I tried acetyl carnitine some while back, and it made me very depressed. I cannot see how or why this would occur but i am pretty sure it was the ac doing it.

i think what you describe may also be a bit of inverted attention - you are always distracted by what is going on inside you to be fully engaged in the outside world. Activities that force you out, like motor racing, or other high-concentration risky activity may help, or even just a high-pressure job, especially one that requires that you speak to people reactively, like sales. Also i found acetyl cysteine and high-dose vitamin d help. I used to be as bad as you but now am a lot better on this aspect.

it will help if it is still active - sounds like it might be quite old.

i found magnesium seems to make acetyl cysteine more effective. This may be due to its role in the enzymes that make glutathione from acetyl cysteine. A good dose (couple of teaspoons or so) is also pretty relaxing. I use alkali magnesium hydroxide powder and mix it with my other potions which are acidic, so it helps neutralise them a bit. THere's talk of magnesium malate being good. This is over priced - you're probably better off getting some malic acid and mixing it with magnesium hydroxide which will do the same thing for cheap. I dont really notice anything from malic acid though. Bear in mind that magnesium hydroxide by itself is quite a strong laxative (it is business end of milk of magnesia), so best neutralize it to a less laxative salt like citrate, malate or ascorbate by mixing with the corresponding acid.

acetyl cysteine is excellent for my brain fog, esp when used with alpha lipoic acid and 5000iu vit d per day. Undenatured whey protein may have a similar effect to acetyl cysteine but not tried it (must be undenatured).

no noticeable effect when i tried it.

it wouldnt be worth it for pfizer to invest in hppd medicine, but we may be able to piggy-back some research that is more focussed on a more common related condition, like ptsd.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RfgaolrDn8 A documentary looking at epigenetics in general. It's for a general audience so not much scientific detail but a nice introduction to the subject. The implications of epigenetics are fucking massive - this is what 21st century science is going to be about. Most disturbing implications are that epigenetic changes are heritable, and that they seem to be caused by lots of things that are only now beginning to be investigated if at all (eg everyday common toxins).

this details the genes that are upregulated http://deoxy.org/wiki/Acid_Genes and is a precis of this study: http://www.nature.com/npp/journal/v26/n5/full/1395848a.html It specifically mentions hppd as being possibly caused by upregulation of krox 20 and arc genes. This study would be a good starting point to begin a new study looking at the effect on hppders of interventions that modify these gene expressions (if any exist.)

looks like research already exists: http://www.google.co.uk/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=lsd+gene+expression from first google search link: Results to date show that LSD induces expression changes in a relatively small but important collection of genes. Many of these genes influence the way neurons change physically to alter functional abilities in the brain. At least one of the genes is involved in the process of growth and differentiation of various cell types, and has been shown to be necessary for memory consolidation. A common theme of many of the genes regulated by LSD is the process of synaptic plasticity. The genes that LSD affects may thus play an important role in learning and the storage of memories.

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just a stab in the dark - from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forskolin ..... Forskolin can also be used to promote nerve repair by increasing cAMP concentrations. Forskolin can activate or upregulate the proliferation of Schwann cells in culture, together with Fibroblast growth factor or Transforming Growth Factor-Beta. Various experimental studies are underway in using Forskolin as an adjuvant in treatment for diseases such as Parkinsons and/or nerve damage caused by trauma/accident.

i dont think it makes genes change, tho may change which ones are turned on (epigenetics). so theoretically may be a reversible process.

for ME but may be relevant for hppd. This is a prog available to uk residents for a while, or presumably bbc subscribers abroad: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01b1z0l/Trusadh_Series_4_ME_An_Sgiths_Nimheil_(Pairt_2)_The_Toxic_Tiredness_(Part_2)/

I buy it as powder from an online sports shop and use their 1ml scoop to measure out (1 scoop is about 800mg). I take a scoop dissolved in water 3 times a day on a meal, and more if i am boozing (3 or 4 scoops before and after or during the session). I take it with a scoop of vitamin c and a scoop of magnesium hydroxide. I also take an a-z multivit and a high dose vitamin d (5000iu) and chaparral herb. If you have a severely toxic condition then nac may create a detox reaction (feeling rank, spots, etc) but this will pass, just reduce your dose a bit till it does.

any update?

I think to help absorbtion, or to synergise for a particular problem. Iron supps often have vitamin c as this helps assimilation for example. Or magnesium and calcium or vit d might be together in a bone-support package. Copper and zinc have a functional relationship too, etc etc.

for motivation for exercise i try and make it useful - bike instead of train, or run to catch the train. I never sustain pointless exercise like weights or gym. Nac has some lit suggesting use for mental health problems like ocd, schizophrenia etc and may be related to this rather than being directly anxiolytic. I feel more centered with it, less like i am going to fall out of my body if that makes sense. Nac is pretty cheap, especially in bulk powder form. I take it with magnesium and vit c and d. Magnesium (and vit d) some people find relaxing in itself.

feeling a bit like being up a pylon while being on the ground. Maybe its agoraphobia, but again, not necessarily with being in an open space. The symptoms dont last long and are made worse by hangover.

keppra puts me in a good mood, but when i stop taking it i find i get the old symptoms that nac had cured - anxiety/vertigo and sleep disturbances (sort of pre-astral projection symptoms if that means anything). Not too badly tho.

take it with magnesium and vit c. I get a big boost from magnesium (and vitamin d) tho dont know why as i think i have a fairly high magnesium diet. Maybe its just personal body chemistry that i need a lot or something. General wisdom on web is to take nac with vit c tho i dont find it does anything. I just take a 1ml scoop of vit c with whatever dose of nac i take.

if you can be talked out of hppd then maybe it is some sort of conversion disorder (ie hysteria in old money - basically psychologically induced physical and neurological problems.) In which case all our neurological theories to hppd are bollox. I think it was a chap called wellsey or something like that who seemed to be cured by cbt.

nac for me - more of a cure than a suppressant. And aerobic exercise. Keppra seems to be anti-depressant for me, but no direct effect on hppd.

try increasing your dose - gradually in case of nausea. Maybe 5 pills with food. Effect should be fairly quick- maybe a few hours or less. I havent found any effect with tyrosine. Nac makes mucous thinner, which may account for the ear unclogging. Only works on brain fog and anxiety for me, not visuals, and i dont have dpdr anyway.

thanks ming. Got another one up now too: