Glutamate Modulater Therapy

Hey everyone,

I have tried many different ocd drug therapies, but have yet to try a glutamate modulating therapy such as Memantine (Namenda), Riluzole (Rilutek), N-acetyl cysteine, or amantadine. If anyone has information on or experience with any of the above medications, would you please share that with me? I am desperate.

Thanks so much.

I tried N acetyl cystine and it didn't help. I haven't tried the others.

If you do find something that works really well, please let me know.

will do!

Oh, Mercy, I knew MSG was excitotoxic, but I had no idea....I may need a change in my diet more than I thought.

Hi! I'm new to this forum; I found you because I have a Google alert for "glutamate" because this is a current field of much interest and research for me.

My teenage son has OCD, and for the last couple of years, especially, it has been pervasive and disruptive. We believe, however, that by modulating glutamate, we're finally having some lasting success in helping him contend with the OCD.

He takes n-acetylcesteine (NAC) -- 3,000 mg. daily as was used as the adult dosage in a Yale study for NAC with OCD. He also takes lamictal, a mood stabilizer that is thought to modulate glutamate through sodium channels in the brain. Vitamin B12, as I understand it, is also supposed to help "mop up" excess brain glutamate, so he takes a B-complex supplement twice each day. And finally, controversial as it is, he takes a beta-lactam antibiotic . . . specifically, time-release Augmentin . . . as research suggests that beta-lactam antibiotics may be glutamate modulators as well. He began taking the Augmentin for another condition (PANDAS), but we now find that, even though strep seems to be under control in our home, removing the Augmentin from his regimen results in his anxiety and OCD increasing dramatically within 8 to 10 days of cessation of the antibiotic. His doctors prefer it over riluzole or namenda due to the side effect profiles.

So, long way of saying, yes, we've seen positive impacts made by glutamate modulating therapies. I've heard from other families, also, that they had good results with riluzole and some with namenda, but our docs are reluctant to prescribe at this point. I believe that NAC has to build up in one's system for some time before effects can be palpable, and gradually building up the dosage is recommended, too, to offset any potential gastro distress. We were also told to make sure that he takes Vitamin C with it, as well; I don't quite remember why, but it had something to do with the proper synthesis of NAC and not allowing some byproduct to build up in abundance.

Thanks! i'll look forward to reading of some more of your experiences!

Thanks so much for sharing your experiences. I look forward to trying NAC soon.