Orthomolecular

Question: Are you familiar with orthomolecular psychiatry? Good/Bad/Undecided? I already read several books by Roger Williams-(its founder), now I'm looking for people who have tried it. Hmmm...Linus Pauling was the first one to come up with that? I've not read those since 20+ yrs. ago-guess that it's time to re-check... Thanks for your great answer!

Answer: My understanding is that it is a type of non-mainstream approach to mental health, emphasizing natural substances, vitamins and nutrition as primary means of affecting mental health. My opinion is that it is simply another common motif in alternative/fringe medicine, which is to adopt a scientific or medical priniciple, and use that as a means to promote it in extremis without any further science. An example would be homeopathy. Desensitization to allergens and, to some extent, some natural poisons, as well as immunization has been a known phenomenon and studied for a few hundred years. Homeopathy takes these into extremes, claiming that desensitization can be accomplished with and against a wide variety of "toxins," "chemicals," and "diseases." The problem is that homeopathy goes on to assert that all its claims are based on scientific fact and established medical knowledge, which is of course entirely untrue. There is no good data to support homeopathy as effective, other than anecdotes and poorly controlled trials, but this vague connection to some "scientific" principle is its primary selling point. Likewise, orthomolecular psychiatry was a concept first brought up by Linus Pauling (not Roger Williams), where he noted that _specific_ diseases appeared to be the result of _specific_ metabolic deficiencies or defects. For example, pernicious anemia, which is occasionally misdiagnosed as schizophrenia because it shares many psychiatric symptoms, is due to a problem digesting vitamin B12. Therefore, B12 injections are given as treatment for pernicious anemia, and it works great. However, there is _no_ reason to believe that schizophrenia is due to B12 deficiency; in fact, this is one of the tests to distinguish pernicious anemia from schizophrenia. If you give someone psychotic vitamin B12 and they rapidly recover, they probably had pernicious anemia, not schizophrenia. Giving B12 will not treat schizophrenia, nor will it promote good mental health. In fact, the only people who are B12 deficient are those with a metabolic defect in _digesting_ B12. In the US, _nobody_ is B12 deficient because of there diet. If you're one of the ones unable to digest B12, B12 oral supplements will not help you for obvious reasons--it requires injections. Of course, none of this stops people from touting B12 supplements as a way to improve mental health, and to throw around the term "orthomolecular psychiatry" to make it sound like it is based on sound medicine or science. In fact, the term "orthomolecular psychiatry" has become archaic, and in the field the term "psychosomatic medicine" is now used in its place, but clearly some fringe elements have latched onto this disused phrase to push their own products.

Question: who knows about transitioning off risperdal & depacote with natural means ? (orthomolecular/detox/nutrients)? or any orthomolecular medical doctor knowledgeable in transitioning ? effective?

Answer: I don't suffer from bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia, but suggest that you view: WITHDRAWING FROM PSYCHIATRIC MEDICATIONS & MEDICATIONS - DIFFICULTY STOPPING PSYCHIATRIC DRUGS & MORE SKULLDUGGERY! - DRUG CO BURIES UNFAVOURABLE DRUG STUDIES, etc. in section 1, at http://www.ezy-build.net.nz/~shaneris Alternative treatments for bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia appear in sections 10, and 40, with a slow weaning method on page Z.22 in section 2. Try the relevant chat sites, and forums provided, for specific advice. Check out the half life in your system of DEPAKOTE & RISPERDAL at: http://www.drugs.com/ & http://www.iguard.org/ & http://www.rxlist.com/ & http://crazymeds.us/ & http://www.askapatient.com/

Question: Do any of the alternative treatments for schizophrenia work? My son has had schizophrenia for 10 years and is mostly noncompliant with the medication regimen. Even when he is compliant it doesnt seem to help much other than making him sluggish, heavy and unable to function.It takes away the terror but does not really allow him to live a "normal" life I have begun investigating some alternative treatments such as orthomolecular treatment, Edgar Cayce wet cell Battery, and nutritional protocols that address the whole person. I would like input from others on their experiences and what they found to be helpful in addition to medications,also caregivers impressions on the current treatments being offered for this devastating disease.

Answer: In my experience I have only seen Homeopathy work in schizophrenia and by working I mean curing not just an endless line of medicines all life long. The person was given remedies one after the other according to his individual symptoms and he was cured in about 3 months and this was a case of more ten 30 years standing with no relief just stupor created by conventional useless drugs. You asked if Alternative medicine works in schizophrenia, I would say Yes it does ! Take care and God Bless !

Question: Can i use vitamins to cure my symptoms of schizophrenia? I was diagnosed with schizophrenia and my psychiatrist is going to start a study on an anti phycotic drug on me. I'm having alot of problems with the negative and cognative symptoms of schizophrenia. And i was told that using "orthomolecular psychiatry" with vitamins and stuff like that would help me alot, or even cure me of these symptoms.. But im already taking an antidepressant and an antipsychotic medication. What do you think i should do.. PLEASE HELP>.

Answer: Yes Vitamins will CERTAINLY help! I myself was going through certain difficulties and doctors here in the U.S. gave me antidepressants but I was told the same thing as you and they gave me some GREAT vitamins that are injected and they certainly cured me but they are only sold in Mexico cause they are Real strong vitamins compared to capsules and those they are injected vitamins. Google them they are called Bedoyecta Tri get about two packs if your case is really severe each pack contains 5 of them and you put one every two days I only needed 7 of them and I needed help REALLy bad :) Antidepressants help alot too but try avoiding them they can be helpfull but try avoiding them if you take the vitamins and yes you can take the vitamins even though you are taking antidepressants Hope you feel better ;)

Question: Does anyone know a support group in canada that believes in natural treatment for psychiatric illnesses? i am sure there must be many people, also in Canada, that do not want to use strong psychiatric medicines and believe in alternative treatment, for adults or youth. Does anyone know of such a group online or that i can call, possibly in Toronto A strong supporter of orthomolecular treatment, natural treatment is Margot Kidder, but she is not in Canada Thanks for any useful answers

Answer: Canada has free medical now so it is hard for any group to fight that. Some religions used to do it alone . But I know Canada is ready to use the pills and put you on government support for the rest of your life. What could be more simple.

Question: What can I do for my ADD on days where for whatever reason I can't take my medication? I have a rather severe case of ADD, and due to a mix up with my doctor's office I was left without my ADD medication for three days. This has happened before, too, usually due to my ADDing forgetting to call it in. I guess I was wondering if there is anything I can do when I am without my med to help myself focus and be able to actually do anything worthwhile. Are there any strategies, herbal treatments, anything that I can do? BTW -- For people who don't believe in ADD, spare me the sermon please. If you had it and had yours treated, I gaurantee you, that you'd know that it is real. For people who know its real, but don't believe in using the medication, also please spare me the sermon, I can't afford either Dore treatment or orthomolecular treatment, and without my medication I can barely function intelligently at all.

Answer: When I'm out of my ADD meds, I find the only way to get any thing done is to write a detailed list of everything I need to accomplish for the day. And I do mean detailed : ie. Wake up, go to the bathroom, brush my teeth, etc. And as I complete each task I mark them off. If someone calls me and asks me to look something up for them and call them back, I write it down. When I take phone msgs I ask everyone to spell their name so I write it down correctly. Document, document, document. If I'm working on a project and I need to leave the room for something, I write down what I'm currently working on and what I'm leaving the room for. That way when I get to the other room and can't remember why I'm there I have something to jog my memory and when I come back to my project, I can pick up where I left without being sidetracked. It is very important that you don't allow yourself to deviate from the task at hand. So, if you must do something for someone else while your working on your list, circle or star the item you are currently working on from your list, do what you have been asked, then go back to your list, starting from where you circled or starred it. I have developed this system over time. It is practically foolproof as long as you write everything down without fail. Good Luck.

Question: Does vitamin C makes the bodies PH balance too acidic? I started taking an Orthomolecular treatment for my skitzophrenia which requires that I take about 5 to 10 grams of vitamine C powder. Will this make my body overly acidic?

Answer: No. Worst scenario: loose BMs. [You can get the powder in 'buffered' form. Read your labels.] I'm presently doing 12 Grams everyday in divided dosage as cardiovascular therapy; no problems. It'll not cause any loose bowel movements if you divide your dosage into two times a day (even 9-10 hours apart). Ask your Ortho-Doc. I've given much higher dosages when needed. Listen to your Othomolecular Doctor. He'll help you. Good luck! :)

Question: Maybe it's not the high fat foods we eat but the water we drink that effects heart disease? http://www.orthomolecular.org/library/jom/2000/articles/2000-v15n02-p089.shtml This article, while not enough by itself to change anyone's diet or medical treatment, should still be something to think about. (article points to chlorine in our water as a factor contributing to plaque build up in arteries)

Answer: Considering that there is actually no definitive proof that fats cause heart disease and that pollutants are starting to be implicated more and more in heart disease, this is quite possible. The problem is that that the lipid hypothesis has been pushed so hard for so long that no one is prepared to stand up and say they may have been wrong. This also apples to the adding of toxic compounds such as chlorine and fluoride to our drinking supply. Pride and fear of legal action will continue to prevail over finding the truth and people's health

Question: Advice on how to manage a rare medical condition called, Pyroluria:? I was diagnosed as STRONGLY POSITIVE last September 2005. Pyroluria is a severe vitamin deficiency of vitamins: B2 (Riboflavin) B3 (Niacin) B6 (Pyridoxyl - 5 - Phospate) D3 (Cholecalciferol) and the amino acid: Aracadonic Acid (Omega - 6) As well as other MEGAdoses of vitamins as diatary aids, and such. I am also taking prescribed medications that require a physicians careful monitoring & priscription. I most recently learned of ↓B2 & ↓B3 levels that are commonly present in Pyrolurics. After starting just a little Niacin, I am more focused, alert, and have better eye-contact. That's only after one day of taking it! It works instantly for me. It is very difficult to be my "own" Orthomolecular Psychiatrist (researching the MEGAdoses of vitamins and dosing and such). I DO have a wonderful hemotologist and great primary care physician that do lab work for me, BUT I'm "teaching" them about the disorder. I would prefer it, the other way around. Suggestions anyone?

Answer: Unfortunately for many people with rare diseases, they often end up knowing more about it than the doctors that treat them. That is just because there are soooo many diseases, that doctors cannot learn everything about all of them, and often they have to focus on the more common ones in order to be able to help as many people as possible. I've seen quite a few patients that know more about their own disease than the doctor. The good thing for them, and you since you are one of them, is that they tend to do better than the average person. The fact that you are researching your disease, and following along with your doctor is a very good sign, and makes me think that you will have it well under control. You already seem like you are making good progress. Your doctors wil learn about your disease, maybe not as fast as you, but soon they will likely know all they need to treat you and keep you feeling as good as possible. My only suggestion is keep doing what you are doing, and you should be feeling better than ever in no time!

Question: how can I recover from schizophrenia? HELP!? It's been 11 years now that I have it. Voices, blah bla blah. I go off the meds all the time because I can't stand being on medication and that's OK for me. I have read about orthomolecular medicine, but that is likely to destroy my liver. I've been praying too and reading the bible 10000000000 times, but nothing helps! What can I do?

Answer: Battling such a serious illness isn't easy and I applaud you for continuing to look for treatments. Many new ones are in the ppeline and, in the coming months we should see some advances. The cause of schizophrenia is largely unknown, and currently there is no way to prevent or cure the disorder. The focus of treatment is often to control symptoms. Patients are usually treated at home. However, they can be treated in a hospital if they experience acute symptoms, such as severe delusions or hallucinations, serious suicidal thoughts, an inability to care for themselves or severe substance abuse problems. The most common treatment for schizophrenia is antipsychotic medication. Patients with schizophrenia sometimes stop taking medications because they feel better, forget to take them or take them sporadically because they think regular use is not important. Following the physician’s directions for medications is important for adequate disease treatment. There's quite a bit more information on schizophrenia at the site below and I hope you'll read it through as I do think it might help : ) http://emotional.health.ivillage.com/schizophreniapsychosis/schizophrenia8.cfm

Question: Environmental Medicine is the answer to many diseases and chronic health problems-Why is it usually ignored ? The American Academy of Environmental Medicine was pioneered by a Chicago Allergist-board certified, more than 50 years ago.He has written several books re the impact of our environment-both food and air on human health.His name is Theron Randolph M.D. His research has been basically ignored by the mainstream medical establishment in favor of drugs.Why bother over what causes the disease--just try to squash symptoms-and forget about side-effects.In Canada-a doctor-Abram Hoffer PhD-M.D.also did groundbreaking research on schizophrenia with a simple vitanin-Niacin-as a preventative and even a cure for early onset M.I..As with Dr. Randolph-mainstream Medicine ignores his findings. One famous person-an actress-Margot Kidder was cured of her Bipolar with Orthomolecular Medicine. It is a shame that our culture based on greed propagates misleading information to benefit drug companies.Dr. Andrew Weil who also was a pioneer of Integrative Medicine ia also a true American hero........v152

Answer: Hi Jennifer. Environmental medicine is extremely challenging. It requires an open mind, extensive training, and an involved patient. Most doctors find this approach too difficult. It is relatively easy to label a group of symptoms as 'syndrome x' and then write a prescription to mask the symptoms. Actually thinking about, investigating, and teaching the patient about the complex array of potential underlying CAUSES of 'syndrome x' is very, very hard. Medicine is driven by its unrecognized dogmatic belief in 'medicines' (vs diet/environment). Most physicians have literally NO training in dietary and environmental causes of 'disease'. There is an old principle in medicine: "You don't find what you don't look for". Docs don't look for dietary or environmental causes of their patients symptoms. Since they 'don't look', they never 'see' these correlations. Since they never 'see' these correlations, in their minds they 'obviously do not exist'. Fortunately, there are a few medical docs with training in nutrition, environmental medicine, and functional medicine. Additionally, there are many good Chiropractors, Naturopathic Physicians, Certified Clinical Nutritionists, and other 'alternative health care providers' (interesting that 'treating the cause' is considered 'alternative' - that shows how dogmatic the drug treatment mentality really is) that are interested in these approaches. Best wishes.

Question: VITAMIN B3 AND SCHIZOPHRENIA? Do people still use vitamin B3 (niacin/niacinamide) in huge daily doses to cure or to ameliorate certain forms of schizophrenia? In short, what is the latest on orthomolecular psychiatry and its megavitamin therapy?

Answer: Try: Vitamin B3 And Schizophrenia Relax. Take a deep breath. We have the answers you seek. www.RightHealth.com/prostatecancer

Question: Does anybody know Dr. Lesser or Dr. Kunin in SF Bay Area, and had success with thm in treatmt of schizophrenia Would like to find out if orthomolecular medicine can cure mental illness, schizophrenia in particular. Any experiences to share? Thank you.

Answer: nope, i never heard of either of them. thanx for the points though.

Question: why do people think vitamins, supplements, etc are so dangerous #2? my first post was to long to finnish, so here is the rest. round 2, I've been taking vit a since 1970 as well as many more I'm 77 according to my last checkup I'm in excelent health and I take no medicine at all. I understand you can overdose drinking too much water as well as many prescription drugs, since you love them so much why don't you take some megadoses and report back? If nutritional supplements are allegedly so "dangerous," as the FDA and news media so often claim, then where are the bodies? Those who wonder if the media are biased against vitamins may consider this: how many television stations, newspapers, magazines, and medical journals have reported that no one dies from nutritional supplements? References: Bronstein AC, Spyker DA, Cantilena LR Jr, Green JL, Rumack BH, Giffin SL. 2008 Annual Report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers' National Poison Data System (NPDS): 26th Annual Report. Clinical Toxicology (2009). 47, 911-1084. The full text article is available for free download at http://www.aapcc.org/dnn/Portals/0/... . (Vitamins statistics are found in Table 22B, journal pages 1052-3. Minerals, herbs, amino acids and other supplements are in the same table, pages 1047-8.) For Further Reading: Download any Annual Report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers from 1983-2008 free of charge at http://www.aapcc.org/dnn/NPDSPoison... Nutritional Medicine is Orthomolecular Medicine Orthomolecular medicine uses safe, effective nutritional therapy to fight illness. For more information: http://www.orthomolecular.org The peer-reviewed Orthomolecular Medicine News Service is a non-profit and non-commercial informational resource. Editorial Review Board: Carolyn Dean, M.D., N.D. Damien Downing, M.D. Michael Gonzalez, D.Sc., Ph.D. Steve Hickey, Phd. James A. Jackson, PhD Bo H. Jonsson, MD, Phd Thomas Levy, M.D., J.D. Jorge R. Miranda-Massari, Pharm.D. Erik Paterson, M.D. Gert E. Schuitemaker, Phd. Andrew W. Saul, Ph.D., Editor To Subscribe at no charge, visit: http://www.orthomolecular.org/subsc... Original article published at: http://www.orthomolecular.org/resou...Share

Answer: you're right on. i think you should become further enlightened by looking up b o b b e c k and visiting h eal thfre edo musa.com vitamins and minerals are found in plants and fruits and w/o them, the cells would die and the body would succummb to sickness so the pharmaceutical comps can sell us their drugs. if you want to know a threat to your vitamins, look up c o d e x a li me n t a r u s

Question: Does psychiatry places too much emphasis on drugs? Is it me or does psychiatry (or anything to do with mental health) place too much emphasis on drugs. It seems that when you complain of feeling depressed, they just whip out their prescription pad and put you on an antidepressant. I've heard of this being done even when the depression is due to circumstances such as job loss, divorce, etc. (definitely not chemical imbalance). I remember being put on Prozac when I was in college and am now trying to wean myself off (very gradually). I've been to other doctors who would just keep adding more drugs on top of the Prozac. I've been doing a lot of my own research on alternative/natural medicine and learned about something called orthomolecular medicine. It's basically treating illness through nutrition and supplements. An example of its effectiveness is Margot Kidder, who was diagnosed bipolar. http://chaada.org/smf/index.php?topic=507.0 I wonder why we don't hear more about the efficacy of these kinds of treatments? I think the main reason is that they're just not profitable. As a result of learning about this, I'm a lot more distrustful of doctors.

Answer: Unfortunately, there are many Dr's. who would rather medicate first and ask questions later. Psychiatry is not an exact science, which makes diagnosing mental disorders often trial by error. It is quite easy to fix a tangible, such as a broken arm, as opposed to an illness that can not be determined with blood tests or X rays for example. Good psychiatrists are a rare commodity, but in all fairness there are great therapists out there,( just hard to find). I agree that the profit of a product or service is motivated by the profit margin. Hat's off to you for taking control of your own well being. Be Well.

Question: Do you know how many deaths there were from vitamins last year? There were none... and none from minerals, supplements or herbs according to the Poison Control Centers across the United States. http://www.orthomolecular.org/resources/omns/v06n04.shtml ...and yet, John McCain is trying to pass tougher controls on these wonderful things so that his Big Pharma Buddies make more money. http://www.jbs.org/health-care-freedom-blog/5957-proposed-dietary-supplement-regulatory-bill

Answer: McCain is a tool. To think All we had to vote for was him and Obama. Republicans + Democrats = absolute despotism.