# i'm testing out L-Glutamine



## Guest (Nov 25, 2003)

Figured since I'm testing out L - Glutamine, I would post my results.My ibs symptoms are: G that I can't fart out, some C, lots of urgency every day, occasional D, bladder frequency, extreme sensitivity in my stomach area, bloating, mucous, extreme distension across transverse colon, skeletal muscle cramps, feeling full all the time and like muscles in gut are unbalanced - can't talk right b/c of the cramping and bloating. Well,I started 2 days ago. I'm taking 1000 mg in pill form (I take 500 mg in morning on empty stomach, and 500 mg at nite right before bed.) I chew up the pills so they reach my stomach/blood barrier faster - plus they are huge.------------------------------Well the first nite I took it I woke up (this never happens) b/c my distension was so bad I could barely breathe. Then I farted it all out (that never happens either). The next day I had less distension, gas, and most significantly less sensation in my gut area. Today I am having the same - and I feel better than normal though I'm burping a lot. My bowel habits are also altered. I'm having less urgency than usual, and also had D twice, but without urgency?? More like normal D, if you know what I mean. I can't seem to "feel" my intestines like I normally do - that is good. I have a headache - don't normally get those. Also, I am able to talk much better - can breath in fully I guess b/c I'm getting less cramping and bloating. I feel actually pretty good, but not perfect!This could be placebo effect - I'll know in a few weeks.


----------



## bodycreator (May 22, 2003)

Good for you. Be patient. I just keep getting better and better. I know exactly what you are describing. I swear the first time I ate normal and had a regular movement I wanted to throw a party! Try taking the second dose a little earlier and make sure it's with juice or food. If it's only with water at night it might disrupt your sleep patterns.


----------



## Gret (Sep 23, 2003)

joanofarc,Please keep us posted!


----------



## LisaL (Nov 14, 2000)

Hi Joan,I have heard that the powder in water is much better. I am taking it now also, as well as herring oil. The L Glutamine is just supposed to help heal the intestines from what I understand, and the secondary benefits are said by some to help work-outs also.Lisa


----------



## sick.n.tired (Nov 1, 2003)

You sound like you have the same brand of the beast that I do except that I am nearly always constipated as opposed to sometimes. I also have interstitial cystitis (or something that acts exactly like it). What do you mean by bladder frequency? Do you mean that you feel like you have to void often even when your bladder is nearly empty or do you mean that you actually void a lot by volume? I have that awful feeling as if I've been holding it in for 2 days and then when I go there's hardly anything there. I've had all sorts or uro tests done and aside from noticeable swelling in my bladder everything else appears normal. I'm emptying fine and there is usually no detectable infection (nothing grows out in a culture--yeast or bacteria), although I often have a lot of white blood cells in my urine.Anyhow, I'm curious to find out if the glutamine does anything for your frequency. Good luck and please keep us posted!


----------



## Peony50 (Aug 2, 2000)

Hi--I'm glad we're doing some testing on this--i also bought some...BUT THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 4-5 GRAMS AND 500 MLG!!!!!---so what is the recommendation, Bodycreation??? And I thought it was suggested to take Before eating?????????????-------some clarification PLEASE????(by the way, a bit odd that many of us also have other "inflammatory" conditions like interstial cyctitis!!)Thanks


----------



## Kellie2003 (Nov 4, 2003)

I am trying L-glutamine too but i bought the tablet form b/c i didnt know then that the powder form is better. Peony50, I told the natropath that its for IBS and she told me to take 3 tablets daily. The tablets are 500mg so having 3 means i am having 1.5g a day. (if my maths is correct??????)p.s the packet says to take 1-2 tablets a day 30 mins b4 eating, but i am following the natropath's instructions....which was to take 3 a day until the symptoms hav improved, and then to take 2 a day.


----------



## Guest (Nov 27, 2003)

well just to clarify, i'm taking 1000mg which is actually same as 10grams. so I take 5 grams in morning, 5 grams at nite.i haven't moved onto the powder formula. my pill turns into powder when i chew it so i'm not sure what the difference would be. i don't think these pills are coated for going into the intestine or anything - seems like stomach digestion is just fine.bladder frequency for me means. - i go often and its URGENT. i usually produce quite a bit so maybe i'm drinking a lot too. but i'm definitely extra sensitive b/c i get the sensation to go and my whole body goes stiff from it - like i can't even move my head or mouth b/c i'll get that pee sensation travelling up my back like i just have to hold everything so still and then i get a headache and salivate alot - weird huh. then, i go pee and i shiver and shake the whole time b/c of the sensations. its definitely a nerve-related thing and i doubt its inflammation for me. i think i have a whole lot of nerves firing way too much.if you want to try something for peeing a lot and bladder sensitivity try Levsin. I've touted its efficacy for bowel spasms and helping to relieve trapped gas and even softening bowel movements giving me D sometimes, but that stuff totally reversed my pee problem too. for one it dries you out and for another it helps reduce the spasms that make you think you have to go. this could help with constipation, really. wow, it really worked for me. in the end i could not tolerate the drying out and i started to get reflux but not sure why. but man if you can tolerate it, go for it.days 3&4 of this test - not feeling as good. bloated, one really bad day. pee problems still very present.


----------



## overitnow (Nov 25, 2001)

I think 1000 mg is 1 gram...


----------



## Guest (Nov 28, 2003)

oh good lord - you are right. and i'm supposed to be taking like 8 grams a day. HOLY COW! i'm going to up my dosage but kel's saying it was a neurexcitor really freaks me out. i have REALLY bad reactions to things like sugar, aspartame, etc. sometimes i think aspartame permanently damaged me b/c while on it I would get very WEIRD and using it coincided with all these problems.help!! what should i do??!!


----------



## bodycreator (May 22, 2003)

Peony, my friend.... (I'm using my soothing voice..) (smile) I take it 1/2 hour before my meal with water or juice.I take a dose of 5 grams in the morning and 5 before dinner.I take 5 more if I am going out eating or drinking with my friends.I eat Bran Buds with psyllium for breakfast.I introduced veggies, fruits and beans back into my diet in small, but ever-increasing amounts. Very cooked at first, now raw at times.I drink between 8-10, 12 ounce glasses of water EVERY DAY!If I fail to drink the water, I get a tiny bit constipated from the fiber SO DRINK IT ALL, EVERY DAY!Here is my day today after 6 months on it:8:30 am-----5 grams glutamine powder with water9am----- 1/3 cup bran buds with 1% milk 1 whole egg + 2 whites with green pepper, red onion, mushrooms and cheddar cheese 1 piece rye bread ( seeds, butter and all) coffee with milk and sugar12:30----3 ounces chicken Large salad 6 baby raw carrots with low-fat dip 3:30 pm--- nutrigrain bar low-fat yogurt fresh pineapple6:30pm-----5 grams glutamine powder with water7pm--------1 whole boiled egg 8-10 raw baby carrots with low fat dip toasted tomato sandwich 5 ounces 1% milk 9:30pm------2 slices black olive baguette with bruscetta topping 5 jujubes Balanced small meals, fiber, lots of water, only 1 coffee, my beautiful glutamine, no symptoms.I hope this helps sweety, Terri


----------



## bodycreator (May 22, 2003)

If you are really worried about these hypothesized side effects, take the glutamine with a bite of egg or other protein. This prevents it from crossing the blood barrier of the brain.


----------



## Guest (Nov 28, 2003)

I know this sounds weird, but i'm beginning to get headaches - which I never ever get. Last nite I had one weird one. It felt like someone had a noose around my neck and the blood supply was cut off and some outside force was squeezing my head - it felt like how i'd imagien a stroke to fell. These are really weird symptoms for me to be having. I also was dizzy the other day. I'm going to stop. Just b/c this is very similar to how I felt while taking prozac and also how I react to Aspartame. I think there is something to what Kel says. I also wonder if the reason why glutamine helps you is b/c of what its doing to the brain as opposed to its ability to repair gut tissue.


----------



## Guest (Nov 28, 2003)

Hey everyone,I apologize for cutting "the study" short. Perhaps another braver soul will pick up where I left off. I would be great if we could be systematic about trying out supplements and therapies and post our results.


----------



## bodycreator (May 22, 2003)

It does both. They are using it on cancer patients to boost the immune system and killer cells, alleviate depression and preserve gut integrity for people on chemo.


----------



## Guest (Nov 28, 2003)

i'm sort of the opposite of depression too -- so maybe there's another clue as to why i was not experiencing much of a benefit. also my does was low. at any rate, due to my neurological make-up, i don' think this one was for me


----------



## overitnow (Nov 25, 2001)

I'm sorry to hear about the side effects you are having. I agree wholeheartedly about trying and posting about the various treatments. There are so many that get posted about and dismissed. Somewhere in those will be help for various segments of the population here.Good luck,Mark


----------



## kel1059 (Feb 28, 2003)

> quote: This prevents it from crossing the blood barrier of the brain.


bodycreator,i hope you don't think i am doing this to antagonize you the way flux antagonizes people but i need to point a few things out because there are certain vulnerable people who will be both helped and hurt by this substance. (by the way -- i was megadosing on fish oil until someone warned me about a possible problem with it.... all info helps if it is carefully weighed) But-- certain areas of the brain, called the "circumventricular organs." are NOT shielded by the blood-brain barrier in any case. These include the hypothalamus. the subfornical organ, the organium vasculosum. the pineal gland, the area postrema, the subcommisural organ, and the posterior pituitary gland.Even if they were it still could cause trouble.susan when i found out that you were taking glutamine my first response was, "oh no!". same with Gret --- she has menierre's syndrome and i am almost positive that this has its roots in the limbic area of the brain. i think a lot of us have trouble with this area!!!--- and that is because i have a very rough idea that your problems are similar to mine and i had BAD reactions to this stuff at high doses ---- 5 to 10 grams.i think that if we cut the dose to 1 or 2 grams and take it with a heavy meal at breakfast or lunch we can avoid some of these problems. i don't drink coffee but i think that glutamine is far superior and safer than coffee if it is used in small doses for the vulnerable people.the majority of the population could end up doing very well on the stuff --- maybe they have glial cells that operate at peak efficiecy ---who knows?????


----------



## Guest (Nov 28, 2003)

thanks Kel. I may come back to it at some time. I just wonder if what is helping others by using Glutamate, is what might harm me. When people take thing that help for depression, energy, etc. these thing tend to make me worse as I have no problem whatsoever with depression and energy. I think right now I'd rather try something that makes more intuitive sense for me - and come back to the glutamate when I've exhausted other therapies.


----------



## Kellie2003 (Nov 4, 2003)

Ive been taking l-glutamine for 5-6 days now. I was IBS-A before, with constipation being predominant to diarrhea. However since iv been taking these tablets, ive experienced just diarrhea that is sometimes partially urgent but other times just plain D. Ive also been getting worse pain and much more gas....which i think is actually causing the pain







ohwell! my body mustnt agree with the stuff.Im currently listening to Mikes tapes so HOPEFULLY they will help me! Fingers crossed


----------



## bodycreator (May 22, 2003)

KEL...I never take anything personally.. I do love a good debate with an intelligent person though. Without different opinions we would discover nothing. However..... I will send you a hefty check every month if you would condense the articles. LOL. Terri


----------



## bodycreator (May 22, 2003)

KEL...I never take anything personally.. I do love a good debate with an intelligent person though. Without different opinions we would discover nothing. However..... I will send you a hefty check every month if you would condense the articles. LOL. Terri


----------



## kel1059 (Feb 28, 2003)

bodycreator,you are a good person.susan,i consider the glutamine to be just another very important clue as to what is going on with you. everything that we try and do will deliver some critical piece of information that will help us form some type of strategy.i saw what you posted on eric's serotonin thread last week. you made some extremely interesting observations (i will find them later).however, what you are experiencing is some type of limbic system activity of some sort or another.the only question is ...."why is it happening???"i know for a fact that i got mine to quiet down with Ibsacol (i uncovered an excellent article on how prostaglandins and leukotrienes can cause havoc in the limbic system --- it is in the very long post of bodycreator's glutamine thread)it is possible that i got my brain to calm down because i gained control over my prostaglandins and leukotrienes with ibsacol.however, i can still get screwed up as soon as i eat an intolerant food.also, i did the mercury chelation and that may have helped me somewhat (some people want to hang me on the cross for chelating mercury and not knowing EXACTLY what the improvement % was)all i can say is that i am fighting this thing as blind as everyone else, but at least i am fighting it.i wish i knew the answers but i don't. it is very complicated -- especially your case and my case.i can tell you for certain though that my sinus inflammation has reduced considerably!!!!!!! maybe i am slowly healing. however even the sinus inflammation will tend to return somewhat after eating certain foods --- it is like my entire immune system is hypersensitive.i think that people like me and you have to get EVERYTHING EXACTLY CORRECT in order to have even a half a chance at getting normal. --- and then there is the added problem of getting everything EXACTLY correct AND then patiently waiting for the body to slowly start to respond. i.e., it is not going to happen in a day or two. when i was on the antifungal drugs it took a long time for me to see improvement and then the improvement was fleeting -- i became even more sensitive to yeast.i stand by my belief that many of us (not all but many) need to gain control over bacterial and/or fungal problems, alter/adjust our immune functioning, go on an oligoantigenic diet, engage in the stress reducing therapies, and any number of small additional beneficial treatments.(now i remember --- you made the statement that constipation was a form of slow diarrrhea. i liked that very much. this was my identical situation!!!!! in fact i had made the comment that i would still be having diarrhea but my colon decided to die several years ago. i am convinced that this is due to immune function because when i started taking ibsacol along with killing microbes and very careful food choices -- then all of a sudden ---"i got normal" for the first time in 20 years.serotonin is only a middle player in this whole mess.)


----------



## Guest (Nov 29, 2003)

god, i currently feel like i'm getting a sinus infection. this is exactly what happened when I took ibsacol. not sure if there is a relationship this time or not. kel, forgive my ignorance, but what does the limbic system do? what is it?


----------



## Peony50 (Aug 2, 2000)

THANKS TERRI FOR ALL YOUR IMPUT...I AM TRYING THE GLUTAMINE BUT STARTING OUT SMALL (1 1/2G) AS I AND MY BLADDER AND INTESTINES SEEM TO BE SUPER SENSITIVE TO ANYTHING...I ALSO TAKE CITRUCEL IN THE AM AND PM...I ASSUME I SHOULD TAKE THE GLUTAMINE BEFORE EVERYTHING..???(HEY--YOU EAT ALOT OF EGGS AND CARROTS!!!)


----------



## Gret (Sep 23, 2003)

joan, I am bummed it didn't work for you. You were so excited about it too! I hope someone else will post their experiences. But it goes to show, that not one cure is for everyone! We all have our own make-up so we all require our own treatment!


----------



## MZY5P5 (Jun 25, 2003)

Hi all,I'm new to this site, even though I've been suffering with IBS for 8 years. I'm interested in giving the Glutamine a go.Would anyone know how to convert weight into volume...as I bought the powered form.eg. 4 grams = 1/3 or 1/2 or 1 teaspoon ?ThanksLouis


----------



## Kellie2003 (Nov 4, 2003)

joanofarc,'i currently feel like i'm getting a sinus infection'me too! I stopped taking the glutamine last friday and yesterday (sat) and today ive had a blocked nose, and cant breath properly. I had a bit of a sore throat when i was taking the glutamine, and this morning i had a coughing fit. Maybe its just a cold developing, eventhough its summer here and i never get colds in summer? I also thought it may be hayfever but i know it isnt. There may be a link?? dunno!


----------



## kel1059 (Feb 28, 2003)

> quote: . I had a bit of a sore throat when i was taking the glutamine


KP,i can almost relate to this statement. --but it was not due to glutamine. it was due to something else that may have flipped on my immune system.i had a sore throat (very mild) for almost 4 months, and this NEVER happens to me. My doctor told me that it was probably because my immune system was starting to function correctly for the first time in a long while.i am thinking that the glutamine could be doing its job. getting sick can actually be a good thing. i have read that some people who are chronically ill can actually not come down with the required/proper immune response to rid the body of something undesireable like a virus.*************************************************susan,the limbic system is where most of our emotional functioning originates. it also seems to be where most of the body's central processing takes place. this includes everything from immune function to sleep to hunger to temperature..... probably a hundred other things.i think that we both have an issue with this part of our brain. all the clues seem to match up for me and you.the hypersensitivity issue that you mentioned a while back continues to intrigue me. it seems that the cells in our bodies (located all over the place) are experiencing some type of HYPER -sensitivity like you stated.i was doing some reading earlier and it claimed that prostaglandins, histamine from mast cells, 5-HT (serotonin), bradykinins, potassium, and other cytokines from the immune system are being provoked far to easily by harmless stimuli.this is happening all over the body --- not just the gut --- but the brain also (apparently the the cells of the brain all have prostaglandins as a controlling messenger chemical) (maybe this is why ibsacol has settled my brain down -- by promoting beneficial prostaglandins and leukotrienes).I believe that all of us can improve our symptoms by gaining better control over our serotonin and prostaglandins --- as opposed to just one over the other. what i would really like to know is ----"what has caused our cells to act in such a hyperactive or dysfunctional manner?""why is there such a flood of immune system cytokines and serotonin disturbances going on?" Is it viral in nature? do some people have a built in sensitivity to yeast? can antibiotics disrupt our flora so much that this can happen, is it our junk food/ sugar diet, very poor ratio of omega 3 fatty acids, .........i know that a lot of stress can aggravate matters, but i still wonder about a viral cause that may have helped trigger everything.*********************************************by the way, if you wanted to investigate whether or not a drug would help smooth things out for your lower brain then tegretol, valproic acid, neurontin (side effects!), several others ---- these would be the place to start.however, i don't like the side effects and i thank god that i am off all drugs right now --- first time in almost 10 years. omega 3 fatty acids combined with ibsacol has solved my lower brain seizure disorder -- i also suspect that ibsacol has sent gret's menniere's into remission.The constipation or "slow transit" is something that i am still working on. i had it fixed for a little while until i went off the deep end with alcohol and reactive foods. --so right now i am still trying to get it back. this problem has me stumped. have you thought about a small amount of zelnorm (1 or 2 mg) combined with ibsacol


----------



## Peony50 (Aug 2, 2000)

Louis--FGI--5 grams is 1 teaspoon.....etc.....hope this helps


----------



## MZY5P5 (Jun 25, 2003)

Yes it does Peony50...thank youIt's been 4 days now since I started tyring the Glutamine. So far..so good. It's really helped with the gas and I seems that I don't feel every little movement in my gut anymore. No real effect on the IBS-A (not sure if this is the right term...alternate C & D).Not sure if it's an actual benefit or just me willing it. Only time will tell. BTW - To those who have been using Glutamine for longer, is there a "break-in" period whereby the effects are not just your body reacting to something new, but a possible, actual long-term benefit ? Also, is there a recommended starting dosage ? I've read several post with recommendations of anywhere from 3-10 grams a day ?The first couple of days I was taking a half teaspoon dose in the morning and another before going to bed. I found that I had a really hard time getting to sleep (can't really explaing in words how I was feeling....but it was weird). I'm now taking my 2nd dosage before my last meal of the day and that has eliminated the sleeping isse.ThanksLouis


----------



## LDanna (Apr 13, 1999)

I have been taking glutamine for nearly a year and it has to be said that this and fish oil have given me my life back.My biggest mistake was stopping it for a few months because I thought it wasn't working any longer. What I didn't realize is that there are lasting benefits that tend to build up over time when taking glutamine.I also needed to adjust the type of fiber I take. Like Terri (Bodycreator), I find that some form of bran for breakfast works best for IBS-D. I mix Miler's Bran into my oatmeal. Drinking lots of water is vital. It can't be stressed enough.It seems that the final piece of the puzzle for me was the fish oil. Everything just clicked into place when I added that to the mix.Funny, I notice that my diet is also similar to Bodycreator's: small doses of veggies/carbs/protein throughout the day. I usually only eat the whites of the eggs, though, as fat is a definite trigger for me. But otherwise, I find I can eat far more foods than before. I never used to be able to handle salads and raw veggies, but can tolerate small quantities very easily.


----------



## Peony50 (Aug 2, 2000)

Just an update on my trial with glutamine--have been taking just over 1 gram in the AM (for 10 days) and was doing pretty well until I totally cramped up and exploded with D today ....that IBS unpredictability again --don't know what I ate or didn't I also take 1/2 scoop Citrucel in the AM and PM....I am wondering if I should up the dose??? (I also haven't been sleeping very well--is this a side effect?)


----------

