L-Leucine = Extreme Insomnia

[Androgenic]

I tried leucine for tryptophan depletion but it causes extreme insomnia that lasts for days (even if I manage to get a few hours of sleep eventually).

I tried melatonin added to the leucine but it does nothing at all to alleviate the insomnia, even at 0.3mg. Even l-theanine does nothing to help sleep quality and insomnia in this case.

Let me clarify that it doesn't matter if I take as little as 20mg or as high as 10g of leucine, every dosage has this effect of causing extreme insomnia.

After taking leucine repeatedly because of ignorance of the fact that leucine was giving me insomnia, I had not slept for 3 days and I was beginning to hallucinate (hearing a screaming girl)--got me scared I was going to go psychotic and not be able to sleep and eventually die from insomnia.

What could possibly cause it?

 

[beachbum]

After taking leucine repeatedly because of ignorance of the fact that leucine was giving me insomnia, I had not slept for 3 days and I was beginning to hallucinate (hearing a screaming girl)--got me scared I was going to go psychotic and not be able to sleep and eventually die from insomnia.

Not to sound rude but this explains why you were rude in a reply to me on anotther thread, and your a new memeber. Please do not jump to conclusions before you reply. Anyway..welcome to the site.

 

[sele]

I tried leucine for tryptophan depletion but it causes extreme insomnia that lasts for days (even if I manage to get a few hours of sleep eventually).

I tried melatonin added to the leucine but it does nothing at all to alleviate the insomnia, even at 0.3mg. Even l-theanine does nothing to help sleep quality and insomnia in this case.

Let me clarify that it doesn't matter if I take as little as 20mg or as high as 10g of leucine, every dosage has this effect of causing extreme insomnia.

After taking leucine repeatedly because of ignorance of the fact that leucine was giving me insomnia, I had not slept for 3 days and I was beginning to hallucinate (hearing a screaming girl)--got me scared I was going to go psychotic and not be able to sleep and eventually die from insomnia.

What could possibly cause it?

Welcome to the forum.

There are other ways of depleting tryptophan. Do not take anything that causes insomnia for you.
How do you know you have high tryptophan?
Please feel free to use this search engine to find more info.
After that we are here to help.

 

[Androgenic]

Welcome to the forum.

There are other ways of depleting tryptophan. Do not take anything that causes insomnia for you.
How do you know you have high tryptophan?
Please feel free to use this search engine to find more info.
After that we are here to help.

I know, I've read the topics on here about depleting serotonin. I take feverfew but it gives me a 20-30+ increase in heart rate (80-100 pulse) which makes me dizzy and feel horrendous. But feverfew works very well I feel though I've only tried it once.

The issue is not tryptophan necessarily but rather serotonin receptor overexpression or whatever you could imagine, or too high blood serotonin levels.

I know a great deal about serotonin receptors and their functions so it is not a foreign subject to me.

 

[Vinero]

I am experiencing the exact same thing. Started a pure L-Leucine supplement about a week ago and I have only gotten a few hours sleep a night the last few days. Last night was the worst, I just couldn't fall asleep. I took 10 grams of leucine yesterday, which might be too much.

I am taking Leucine to lower serotonin mainly, but I am going to switch over to L-Isoleucine, which also lowers serotonin. Maybe L-Isoleucine lacks the insomnia effect that L-Leucine causes.

 

[magnesiumania]

I am experiencing the exact same thing. Started a pure L-Leucine supplement about a week ago and I have only gotten a few hours sleep a night the last few days. Last night was the worst, I just couldn't fall asleep. I took 10 grams of leucine yesterday, which might be too much.

I am taking Leucine to lower serotonin mainly, but I am going to switch over to L-Isoleucine, which also lowers serotonin. Maybe L-Isoleucine lacks the insomnia effect that L-Leucine causes.

Have you tried smaller doses since then? You may want to just take BCAA then?

 

[Dino D]

I dont know if there is any conection but melatonin gives me also insomnia... I bet leucin would do that to...
Carbs gives me insomnia...

Anyway I dont know the answer

 

[Vinero]

Have you tried smaller doses since then? You may want to just take BCAA then?

Adding isoleucine to the leucine solved the issue. Isoleucine is sedating while leucine is stimulating. Taking both balances it out.

 

[magnesiumania]

Adding isoleucine to the leucine solved the issue. Isoleucine is sedating while leucine is stimulating. Taking both balances it out.

Aha interesting. I ordered some leucine. Im just trying all amino acids in isolation as an experiment and next up is leucine. Lets see if it keeps me awake. Did yoou take it early in the day and still had insomnia?

 

[Vinero]

Aha interesting. I ordered some leucine. Im just trying all amino acids in isolation as an experiment and next up is leucine. Lets see if it keeps me awake. Did yoou take it early in the day and still had insomnia?

I just took it 3x a day, after meals. Leucine in high amounts doesn't feel good to me, it makes me anxious and depressed. It feels like it lowers GABA or something. I need isoleucine with it to feel good.

 

[magnesiumania]

I just took it 3x a day, after meals. Leucine in high amounts doesn't feel good to me, it makes me anxious and depressed. It feels like it lowers GABA or something. I need isoleucine with it to feel good.

Very interesting. Ill try 500mg and jsut see how i feel. Im not sure if isoleucine is available here but i may try a BCAA supplement.

Do you take magnesium and other co-factors that support GABA by the way?

 

[Vinero]

Very interesting. Ill try 500mg and jsut see how i feel. Im not sure if isoleucine is available here but i may try a BCAA supplement.

Do you take magnesium and other co-factors that support GABA by the way?

Yes I take magnesium daily 400 mg magnesium glycinate. I also take 2 grams of taurine.

 

[magnesiumania]

So i tried a gram, didnt like it. Will not repeat until i have Isoleucine.

(however i ordered some theanine with it which i did not used to like but seem to work great for me now. Possibly after my glutamate was elevated from glutamine supplementation)

 

[Vinero]

So i tried a gram, didnt like it. Will not repeat until i have Isoleucine.

(however i ordered some theanine with it which i did not used to like but seem to work great for me now. Possibly after my glutamate was elevated from glutamine supplementation)

1 gram is a small dose. I take 3 grams with a meal, 3 times a day.

 

[schultz]

Leucine is a potent secretagogue of insulin. It's possible that it's lowering your blood sugar. Combining it with a starch, or pure glucose, might increase the effect.

 

[magnesiumania]

Leucine is a potent secretagogue of insulin. It's possible that it's lowering your blood sugar. Combining it with a starch, or pure glucose, might increase the effect.

Good to know... i'll try again in a few days. Having other experiments going atm...

 

[magnesiumania]

So i tried again 3 grams with carbs this time and it seemed to work much better. Sometimes you need enough to avoid side effects also. I dont know what made it work this time but i felt very good and now im doing 1 gram with eggs and white beans. In total it should be 3 grams, just enough to stimulate mTor signaling. I have pretty serious psycho-neurological trauma in my life (at 2 occasions) which may have lead to muscle protein breakdown. I got only capsules of 500mg so i dont wanna take the 3 grams all the time. I consider BCAA but i dont know which brand is pure and the one i got was recommended to me from someone in this group

 

[AinmAnseo]

Adding isoleucine to the leucine solved the issue. Isoleucine is sedating while leucine is stimulating. Taking both balances it out.

Vinero,
Did you ever try isoleucine by itself?