Lysine: Depression, Skin, Weight, Libido

natedawggh

Member
Joined
Aug 24, 2013
Messages
649
I thought I would post some more of my experience with Lysine.

I have been taking it on and off for about the last six months. I usually take 500mg in the morning and 500 at night.

Lysine competes with tryptophan in the body, and so it also reduces serotonin and nitric oxide. Reducing those seems to be healthful in the long run and I did indeed experience the return of a significant amount of hair on my head that had been lost. I also take it because it eliminates my depression completely, and it also improved my skin quality, my eyesight, and eliminated the bloating I so often suffered through.

Nitric Oxide however, does seem to be necessary for some weight loss, healing, and sometimes for the libido. There have been times when I felt like I hadn't lost any weight at all, couldn't get aroused, and while on Lysine the stretch marks on my skin are darker in color (as opposed to the pink color of high blood flow). I have been able most of the time to have a raging libido while on lysine, but there have also been some marked moments where it just wasn't working and going off Lysine for a moment returned my libido briefly (also I used to have complete erectile dysfunction long before I used lysine, so it may not at all be related to lysine at the rare times it happens).

So I have tried to cycle off and on with Lysine to see the different effects. I spent the last two weeks without lysine and I did seem to lose about 5 lbs of weight, and my stretch marks became pink, but I descended into the overwhelming depression that I used to suffer from within about a week of not having lysine. I spent the last few days feeling run down, alone, and crying easily. I took 1500 mg of lysine this morning and within two hours I was happy again, enjoying my solitude, writing, eating, and watching TV without even an ounce of depression or self-pity. This is amazing to me, that I can turn it on and off that easily, but it also goes hand-in-hand with the serotonin factor of learned helplessness. Lysine suppresses serotonin, and hence it's anti-depression, pro-hair growth, anti-bloating properties, but people taking lysine should be aware that it can interrupt a few physiological processes and that it may be wise to take a break from it if some these seem to be affected negatively. One other side-effect I noticed at first was that lysine made me a little more spacey than usual, and once I almost got into a car accident when I zoned out. So be vigilant.

Lysine also seems to short circuit the stress response, so at first even walking up hills became extremely exhausting for me. I also had to keep my blood sugar elevated AT ALL TIMES, because if it dropped my body would not readily mobilize fatty acids, and there were some moments of low blood sugar that were VERY uncomfortable. Having said that, I now have no problem working out and being physically active, and I contribute my returned ability to do so to lysine's therapeutic benefits.

There are a lot of great threads on Lysine here, from which I first learned of it and how it works, so if you want more information search for posts on lysine.
 

InChristAlone

Member
Joined
Sep 13, 2012
Messages
5,955
Location
USA
Thanks for sharing! I really need to try this.
 

jyb

Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2012
Messages
2,783
Location
UK
natedawggh said:
I have been taking it on and off for about the last six months. I usually take 500mg in the morning and 500 at night.

It is always interesting to see effects from amino acids at such low doses. Actually, 1g per day is not really low dose, but when I look at nutrition data I would imagine I get a few 100's mg or 1g daily just from real food. A bit like studies on glycine, where the first effects are seen at a very very low dose.
 

DaveFoster

Member
Joined
Jul 23, 2015
Messages
5,027
Location
Portland, Oregon
Higher doses of l-lysine (1500 mg - 2 grams) seem very similar to ergot derivatives, such as LSD; they produce nausea in largely the same way as well.
 

Dopamine

Member
Joined
Mar 1, 2016
Messages
473
Location
Canada
Higher doses of l-lysine (1500 mg - 2 grams) seem very similar to ergot derivatives, such as LSD; they produce nausea in largely the same way as well.

Totally agree. I took 2 grams and I swore it felt like the comedown of a shroom or acid trip... that nice feeling of low serotonin. then I ate some meat and it died down a lot... maybe due to tryptophan.
 

Antonello

Member
Joined
Jul 22, 2017
Messages
288
Location
Italy
Glutamate toxicity, it's a big problem for me
I’m asking you about glutamate because I get anxiety, insomnia and sexual dysfunction with lysine so I’m trying to understand how to lower this storm, any advise?
In the puzzle of serotonin inhibitors Lysine is interesting for the serotonin effect on 5ht4 so it’s a good tool to add in a stack but I can’t handle his effects.
 

Pet Peeve

Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2015
Messages
455
I’m asking you about glutamate because I get anxiety, insomnia and sexual dysfunction with lysine so I’m trying to understand how to lower this storm, any advise?
In the puzzle of serotonin inhibitors Lysine is interesting for the serotonin effect on 5ht4 so it’s a good tool to add in a stack but I can’t handle his effects.

Oxaloacetic acid helps against glutamate, don't know if it's healthy to consume for long periods though, gave me bleeding wounds. I stay away from free glutamine, including hydrolysed products and related cooking methods as well as citric acid. If i get a reaction i just have to wait it out.
 

peatyfoody

Member
Joined
Dec 31, 2017
Messages
35
@natedawghh so eventually lysine solved your problems of bloating ever since? or was it the sodium acetate? started supplementing lysine a few days ago and since then my stomach is flat during the whole day...also in the evening. bloating was my main issue besides the insomnia and i hope it so much that now it will stay like that permanently and i can cross something finally out from my health issues....
 

Sonybaloney

Member
Joined
Dec 13, 2017
Messages
27
Location
Utah
I'm interested in more on this topic. I have taken lysine in the past to help combat shingles. Works faster (for me) than valtrex. Bloating is a big issue for me atm so i will have to try it for a couple weeks.
 

johnwester130

Member
Joined
Aug 6, 2015
Messages
3,563
I thought I would post some more of my experience with Lysine.

I have been taking it on and off for about the last six months. I usually take 500mg in the morning and 500 at night.

Lysine competes with tryptophan in the body, and so it also reduces serotonin and nitric oxide. Reducing those seems to be healthful in the long run and I did indeed experience the return of a significant amount of hair on my head that had been lost. I also take it because it eliminates my depression completely, and it also improved my skin quality, my eyesight, and eliminated the bloating I so often suffered through.

Nitric Oxide however, does seem to be necessary for some weight loss, healing, and sometimes for the libido. There have been times when I felt like I hadn't lost any weight at all, couldn't get aroused, and while on Lysine the stretch marks on my skin are darker in color (as opposed to the pink color of high blood flow). I have been able most of the time to have a raging libido while on lysine, but there have also been some marked moments where it just wasn't working and going off Lysine for a moment returned my libido briefly (also I used to have complete erectile dysfunction long before I used lysine, so it may not at all be related to lysine at the rare times it happens).

So I have tried to cycle off and on with Lysine to see the different effects. I spent the last two weeks without lysine and I did seem to lose about 5 lbs of weight, and my stretch marks became pink, but I descended into the overwhelming depression that I used to suffer from within about a week of not having lysine. I spent the last few days feeling run down, alone, and crying easily. I took 1500 mg of lysine this morning and within two hours I was happy again, enjoying my solitude, writing, eating, and watching TV without even an ounce of depression or self-pity. This is amazing to me, that I can turn it on and off that easily, but it also goes hand-in-hand with the serotonin factor of learned helplessness. Lysine suppresses serotonin, and hence it's anti-depression, pro-hair growth, anti-bloating properties, but people taking lysine should be aware that it can interrupt a few physiological processes and that it may be wise to take a break from it if some these seem to be affected negatively. One other side-effect I noticed at first was that lysine made me a little more spacey than usual, and once I almost got into a car accident when I zoned out. So be vigilant.

Lysine also seems to short circuit the stress response, so at first even walking up hills became extremely exhausting for me. I also had to keep my blood sugar elevated AT ALL TIMES, because if it dropped my body would not readily mobilize fatty acids, and there were some moments of low blood sugar that were VERY uncomfortable. Having said that, I now have no problem working out and being physically active, and I contribute my returned ability to do so to lysine's therapeutic benefits.

There are a lot of great threads on Lysine here, from which I first learned of it and how it works, so if you want more information search for posts on lysine.


why do you say you have the cure to baldness in your new book

http://www.fuckportioncontrol.com/blog/2016/6/13/hair-loss-and-hair-return?rq=lysine
 

magnesiumania

Member
Joined
Jul 17, 2018
Messages
607
Just took some again after a long while, and ugh! I got what felt like a glutamate reaction. Sure enough The essential amino acid lysine acts as precursor of glutamate in the mammalian central nervous system. - PubMed - NCBI

Hoooly boy, that may explain an experience i had a while back. I basicllly did 6 grams of lysine in a day and ended up with hallucinations/delirium when i went to bed. AND this was the time i actually supplemented glutamine...

I felt increasingly worse after one week of glutamine supplementation and read about serotonin and stress etc and decided to try lysine to counteract it. Little did i know it would just blow that excitatory assault up even more. I think stuff like this happens when the body is off balance and doing supplements is the last thing you should do when the body is off balance in my current opinion (IMCO? lol)

HOWEVER i did take small doses of lysine after that and it worked fine. It imporved social anxiety so i decided to use it only when i had to be social and now ive bought another bottle. At this point i really dont notice too much, except better skin quality.
 

magnesiumania

Member
Joined
Jul 17, 2018
Messages
607
Glutamate toxicity, it's a big problem for me

Ive got the same problem after a head injury + supplementing glutamine before i know what the hell glutmate even was...Do you take magnesium? I believe b-vitamins also help alleviate the excitation. And about calsium i dont really understand how that works as Peat say it excite the cells and another article he say it stops the excitatory process.
 

Pet Peeve

Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2015
Messages
455
Ive got the same problem after a head injury + supplementing glutamine before i know what the hell glutmate even was...Do you take magnesium? I believe b-vitamins also help alleviate the excitation. And about calsium i dont really understand how that works as Peat say it excite the cells and another article he say it stops the excitatory process.

I try to take as few supplements as possible, in my experience it only messes things up. I avoid glutamate, its in a lot of processed foods, commercial citric acid also contains glutamate and meat/bones boiled for 2 hours or more.
 

magnesiumania

Member
Joined
Jul 17, 2018
Messages
607
Well most supplements may mess you up but there are exceptions. Ive landed on a handful of supplements that continously benefit me... like magnesium (you can always avoid fillers) which does mitigate the glutamate storm.
 

Similar threads

Back
Top Bottom