Sunday, December 29, 2019

Not quite, but.....


The Two Thousand & Twenties: A Decade for Discovery

As we enter the twenties, I am excited about two possibilities with regards to inositol:
1)It may have a potential synergistic effect when used with palmitoylethanolamide (PEA). The use of PEA in conjunction with other chemicals to provide a synergistic effect is described well here: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/11/9/2175/htm .
An excellent review on PEA can be found
here:  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5429331/ ).
I have had some success with patients with OCD, GAD and health anxiety/somatic symptom disorder, who have responded nicely to PEA alone at doses ranging from 315 to 1220 mg/day (using the product Mirica). Two of those patients found a synergistic effect with inositol use.
2) Some patients have found that mixing taurine with inositol creates a synergistic effect, thus allowing for a lower dose of inositol that also seems to last longer. Taurine can be safely used at doses of 3 grams per day, which may have other positive effects, such as cardiovascular benefits. My experience with taurine as a stand alone supplement for mental health patients is worthy of its own blog, but unfortunately, I do not have time to do so.
Clinical pearl: taurine at up to 3 gm. bid may be quite effective for preventing migraine aura. This is purely anecdotal evidence from my patients.
I look forward to feedback from colleagues.
Wishing everyone health and wellness for the new year, and beyond.
Thank you for reading my blog and sharing it with your patients.
Harold Pupko M.D.
Toronto