Medication Free Me
I was medicated for 22 long years....
Mainly I suffered suicidal depression and anxiety. I was put on many different meds with several stays in hospital over those years…
Prozac
Seroxat
Citalopram
Diazepam
Quetoapine
Zoplicone
Sertraline
Each would only give me relief for a brief time, until I felt awful again. I would in brief periods of respite try and wean myself off whatever med it was I was taking at the time. Each time I tried I ended up in crisis and sometimes back in hospital.
I Found Niacin…
In December 2016 I came across an article on niacin. With nothing to loose I bought a bottle of 500mg capsules and not realising that was a high dose to start with I took one. Boy did I flush! I was tingling from head to toe and then all shivery! But following the flush I felt a lovely blanket of calm. I fast increased my dose to 3000mg a day and I was shocked that by day 3 I had no thoughts of suicide at all. It was like it had been switched off. This is the case as per Dr Hoffer’s studies with niacin, 30% respond in 3 days, 30% in 30 days and 30% in 3 months.
Can I Trust It?
It took me 3 months to relax and trust the niacin feeling wasn't going to wear off like the meds. I started to slowly taper the meds, I also added high dose vitamin C as ascorbic acid at this time too, in hindsight I wish I had used that from the beginning as it does so much to aid the niacin and also helps rid people of anxiety in other ways too.
Calming Supplements
To aid myself through this transition I used calming supplements along side the C and niacin
5HTP- 400mg at bedtime
Reishi- Teaspoon in hot water or coffee in the morning and another at night
Hemp CBD oil - I used whenever I felt anxious, I used Love CBD
Magnesium 2 tablets a day
Vitamin C
The Vitamin C I take to bowel tolerance daily, there’s too much to say about C here, suffice to say its essential and once you start you know your doing the right thing for your body.
Each and every cell in your body needs it!
NIACIN
Some people can feel a detox, the following amounts and are how I would do it now I know more about niacin. The flush you get from niacin is a healthy reaction that is healing your histamine response. The flush reduces over time with regular doses.
I always take niacin straight after a meal.
Here’s an idea of a good way to build at first!
Day 1 25mg X 3 daily
Day 4 50mg x 3 daily
Day 6 100mg x 3 daily
Day 8 200mg x 3 daily
Day 10 500mg 3 x daily
I kept going until I find my own comfort level. that has ranged from 3 grams a day in the beginning and further on I find I need a lot less. You can not overdose on niacin, if you have taken too much you will feel nausea. If this is the case I then cut back and proceed on less. Other side effects I see of people starting seem to all come from the detox action of niacin, we can avoid this by cutting back and proceeding at a slower rate.
Note on Flushing: Some really dont like the flush (I love it) then there is a non flush version of niacin called niacinamide. The only difference is that the niacinamide doesnt lower your bad cholesterol and sometimes its not as effective for mental health.
Incredibly this made coming off medication easy for me, 5 years on and I am still off the meds! Sometimes its not always easy and I can slip backward, but my inner strength and stability has grown without medication so I can at least sit with it.
2021 - Im a year and a half in to being relaxed carnivore. Its made me realise sugar is a depressant. Meat has given me strength and stability and has helped me weather a tough year remarkably!
Theres more information on niacin here
If you would like to read further.
Niacin The Real Story, By A. Saul. A.Hoffer
Learn about vitamin C here
Feel free to email me if you have any questions
Thankyou for reading,
Jenny