This newsletter comes with a warm smile on my face for people taking a benzodiazepine or anticonvulsant. More relief from side effects is possible!

As stated in the book, How to Get Off Psychiatric Drugs Safely, this program is a work in progress, and I do hope it remains that way.

Before sharing with all of you the recent breakthrough with benzodiazepines and anticonvulsants, I want to go back to 1999 and work forward to the existing program. If you want to skip all of this and go directly to the break through, move down the page until you see June 30 2009.

At the end of the newsletter, I answer the question received a lot, “Do I Need to Take All of the Supplements?” 

In 1999, it was evident a tapering program needed to be developed for psychoactive medications and NONE were in existence at that time.

How This All Started

In early 1999, I was talking with my wife and the subject turned to ADHD and Ritalin for some reason. My family and I had never been exposed to psychoactive medication. My wife mentioned in our conversation that in 10 states here in America, if a teacher felt your child had ADHD and wanted your child put on Ritalin, if you refused as a parent to allow this, the state could come into your home and take away your child and charge the parents with child neglect.

I looked at her and said “no way, not in America.” I went on the Internet and found the laws that were in place in those states and was shocked. I have children and at the time a child about to enter grade school, so it hit me between the eyes rather hard.

I felt I needed to do something about this but did not have a clue where to start. I felt if I did not know this there had to be millions of parents just like me that were in the dark.

I decided to learn how to make a web site and just put information on it that I was finding. In the next few months the search engines found my site attractive I guess because the site was now at the top of the first page when anyone did a search on a dug name. Emails began to pour in. Thousands a day at times.

Most people were in need of help to get off the drugs and stated, “they wished they knew this information before they went on the drug but how do I get off this stuff.” I sent some e-mails to physicians as well as some telephone calls to a few I had met over the years but I kept researching. This turned into a 14 hour a day project.

By the time the physicians responded to my request with what they would do to get a person off a psychoactive medication, I had educated myself at least to the point of knowing what to not do. I found all of the physicians were creating more harm than help with their approach and sent them a reply back that I could not link to their site and detailed why. All of the physicians responded back one more time with,”My God, you are right.”

I could not turn my back on what I knew needed to be done for people wanting to get off their medication. Believe me, I would have preferred to play golf or go fishing but for whatever reason I stayed at trying to unravel this jigsaw puzzle.

Sequence of events: 

1999

A gradual reduction of medications was laid out to allow a 10% reduction of the medication. Reductions were every 14 days. 

With this approach, around ½ of the people we worked with could get off the medication but they suffered tremendously. The ½ that could not get off the medication suffered each time they tried to lower the dosage and eventually had to go back up to their original dosage.

It was very evident something else needed to be tried.

2000

We began using a whey protein called Immunocal in an attempt to reduce side effects before a person began lowering their medication. Immunocal was used during the medication reduction as well to help with any withdrawal side effects.

Immunocal raises an antioxidant called glutathione. The success rate was better than nothing but limited and very specific to a certain class of drug and to an exact set of side effects.

2001

During 2001, we tried a different whey protein that was stronger than Immunocal but the taste let a little to be desired and it was actually too strong for this usage.

Omega 3 fish oil was introduced to the program as well in 2001. At that time the fish oil was recommended for help with depression but not brain zaps as it was in a later year.

I began researching the ability to predict adverse reactions using a DNA test.

2002

This year was spent doing DNA research.

2003

I had the opportunity to meet with an attorney and his client a few weeks before they went to trial against Eli Lilly with a Prozac case. The attorney was handed a packet of information regarding human DNA and the ability to predict adverse reactions to psychoactive medication.

When this DNA evidence was introduced in court, the Eli Lilly attorneys instantly asked to meet the judge in his chambers and they settled on the spot. The next day the attorney filed several new lawsuits with DNA and the prediction of adverse reactions as the claim.

2004

I wanted more information on DNA drug reaction testing and I wanted to see if there was a use for the test results being of use for tapering off the drugs.

I started a DNA testing company called Advanced DNA Testing and began offering a DNA drug reaction test. This test is excellent to do BEFORE taking a medication but it gave zero help with a tapering program.

I then moved to doing a different DNA test to see how well the population at large could assimilate nutrients from their food as well as vitamins. This widely opened the door for future changes with the tapering program and with this new information, the success rate of people trying to get off their medication began to finally climb.

The use of young green barley juice, along with a powdered carrot juice and an additional barley called Aktivated Barley was introduced to the program. The success rate of the program began to climb even further.

The young green barley with the other mixture included would also help the body make glutathione. The Immunocal recommendation was dropped at this time.

The current Body Calm liquid was introduced in 2004 as well to assist with daytime anxiety and sleep. Up until our use of the liquid cherry product for anxiety and sleep, no one else had ever used it for this. This cherry was only used by physicians for treating gout.

A specific type of Omega 3 fish oil was introduced this year as well. The need for a fish oil that is higher in EPA than DHA was determined and once introduced, the success rate made another nice increase.

The year 2004 ended with an acknowledgement of sort from the acting head of the FDA. He gave a press release and stated his recommendation that physicians begin giving a DNA drug reaction test before they prescribe heart medication, cancer medication or psychoactive medication.

2005

This was the first year of training physicians and psychiatrists how to get patients off psychoactive medication and how to use DNA testing in their practice.

To make it easier for people to use the barley’s and the carrot, reduce the cost and to standardize the formula, Power Barley Formula was created.

At the urging of a few people I quickly put a paperback book together and self published. My own feeling is the book left a lot out of the content and should never have been published.

During 2005, I also began training other individuals or companies how to use the program.

2005 was a rather distracting year altogether and little progress was made with improvement of the program. Some of the people I trained broke a signed non-disclosure agreement and took parts of what I was currently doing and what I had used in the past and created their own tapering program.

The problem they have to this date is they only heard the good things I had to say about the whey protein Immunocal. I never told them what they needed to watch out for.

So, in your travels on the Internet, if you run into some psychoactive medication tapering program that uses Immunocal, a cherry product for anxiety or sleep, an Omega 3 fish oil, glutathione or a DNA drug reaction test, you found them!

I received a Christmas gift from the FDA on Christmas Eve. The FDA announced any company that manufactured a barley product that was high enough in soluble fiber could make it health claim that it would help prevent heart disease. If this product would not have been formulated as it was the fiber would have been too low to qualify. At that time in 2005, I was the only one with a barley product that could make the health claim.

I knew the Power Barley Formula would also be good for the heart but I did not know how much benefit.

2006

Additional advances needed to be made for people with daytime anxiety and insomnia. The liquid cherry had worked better than expected for this but there was still a lot of room for improvement. I had a powered cherry extract made and sent it to a doctor to use with some of his patients. The doctor called me in a few days with staggering results. The product is called Body Calm.

The patients he could never quite get over the hump now had no anxiety and their sleep improved dramatically. Some of the patients responded to 1 capsule, while a few others required 3 capsules for complete relief.

Essential Protein Formula came as a big surprise for me with its effect on anxiety and insomnia. The product was originally formulated for weight loss. Many people taking an antidepressant begin to gain weight overnight and I wanted to find a solution for this.

People taking the Essential Protein Formula began stating their daytime anxiety improved and their sleep improved as well once they started to use the Essential Protein Formula. People taking a benzodiazepine are so sensitive to things I felt this might really work for them. It proved to be the case and as well for people taking an antidepressant or antipsychotic.

During 2006, I began writing How to Get Off Psychiatric Drugs Safely and every time I was nearing completion a new discovery was made and the book would go back to square one again.

2007

Body Calm Supreme was introduced in 2007 for additional help with daytime anxiety and insomnia. I found clinical trials where a specific herb, passionflower, was used successfully for benzodiazepine withdrawal as well as for alcohol and other drugs. I formulated a passionflower to closely match the type used in the clinical trials and began trying it with people that were still having a difficult time with side effects.

The positive results were over night and shortly thereafter, the Body Calm Supreme became part of the program.

A major U.S. university began using the existing book, How to Get Off Psychiatric Drugs Safely, as part of their doctoral program for pharmacists.

2008

By the spring of this year, more of a separation took place between the pre-tapers used if a person had anxiety or fatigue as a main issue.

Knowing the specific success I had with Immunocal years earlier, I added a product called RenewPro to the program if a person has anxiety or insomnia. RenewPro helps create intracellular glutathione naturally and is a whey concentrate, not a whey isolate. I found the successful clinical trials run with Immunocal were with a whey concentrate but Immunocal is now a whey isolate. Difference of night and day.

Calcium has been a continual problem with people with anxiety. I first discovered in 2005, by process of elimination, that calcium was aggravating the anxiety in people, especially if they were taking a benzodiazepine.

I finally located which cells in the brain were creating the problem and created a calcium, magnesium and vitamin D3 that would relieve the stored calcium creating the problem. I now have a method of use patent for this and the calcium product made is called CalesiumD. Calcium was not the problem but the type of calcium used as well as the percentage of magnesium and D3 is all that needed to be formulated.

Don’t let anyone tell you all calcium creates anxiety and you can’t use it. They just do not understand what is happened within the body.

To further assist with calcium absorption, a product called Calsorption was introduced. This product will help with calcium absorption by as much as 28%.

With the discovery of Interleukin-2 and Interleukin-6, the tapering program made further advances. Interleukin-2 is a protein found in the immune system and this Interleukin-2, if too low will induce anxiety and insomnia.

Interleukin-6 is a marker for inflammation in the body. If Interleukin-6 is too high a person WILL begin to have depression.

Figuring out how to lower and or raise these Interleukins with people using psychoactive medication resulted in another method of use patent. 

Beta 1, 3-D Glucan was introduced to raise Interleukin-2.

CLA and a specific blend of a probiotic was introduced to help lower Interleukin-6.

To get the full effect from the RenewPro a vitamin C and vitamin E needed to be used. A natural vitamin C was introduced as well as a vitamin E. We had recommended people use a vitamin E for years but it was not until 2008 that we really defined what vitamin E to use. It seems vitamin E is often viewed as just some vitamin and vitamin E is just vitamin E. I was wrong. The brand we only recommend for vitamin E is Unique E.  

2009

The fourth edition of How to Get Off Psychiatric Drugs Safely has finally been published and has been available on Amazon.com and now on Target.com. An agreement has been signed recently with a major book distributor and all books will be available in major bookstores within the next 60 days. They also will provide the books throughout Europe in various languages.

I released a weight loss book titled, Lose the Weight Caused by Antidepressants the middle of June. A bit of my research during the early part of 2009 has been in this area. Much to my surprise, this little 52-page book now outsells The South Beach Diet, Kevin Truedeau’s weight loss book and nearly all other weight loss books on Amazon.com and the Target store.

June 30 2009

I feel this next break though is of the same degree with the introduction of Body Calm Supreme for anxiety and insomnia, if not more.  

If someone is taking a benzodiazepine or anticonvulsant medication, his or her body will be grossly depleted of a B vitamin called Biotin. A multitude of clinical trials confirms this. Biotin is known as vitamin H and as vitamin B7. Unlike some other B vitamins, biotin does not create anxiety or hyperness. It is rare for a person to be deficient in biotin normally but that is not the case if long-term use of an anticonvulsant or benzodiazepine is the case.

Your physician can do a blood test for biotin levels as well as check the level of organic acids excreted to confirm the deficiency.

Symptoms of biotin deficiency:

Pain or tingling in extremities

Appetite decreased

Hair loss

Absence or loss of pigment in hair

Fatty liver

Kidney problems

Skin rash

Seizures

Depression

Scaly red rash around nose or eyes

Fatigue

Hallucinations

Problem with insulin

We have been using biotin now with people for the past few months that are or were taking a benzodiazepine or anticonvulsant and the fast results have been staggering.

How Much Biotin to Take

There are no know side effects to biotin and if your body receives more than it needs it will just eliminate any excess.

We have started everyone at 5,000 mcg in the morning and after 3 days if no major change or only a slight improvement increased the biotin to 5,000 mcg in the morning and 5,000 mcg in the afternoon.

Increases by an additional 5,000 mcg have been beneficial to get rid of the last bit of what a person was feeling. We have had people take as much as 20,000 mcg in the morning and 20,000 mcg in the afternoon with no side effects and only positive results.

Again, relief from what was going on with the people was very fast. I want to make a statement here to ensure there is no confusion that we are treating or curing a disease. If a person takes biotin and feel better after they do, they were only low in biotin, no disease or illness could have been present.

As always we strive to only recommend quality nutritional products. We have had a biotin made at a facility that is approved to manufacture drugs by the FDA if they chose to do so (they do not), the facility is regularly inspected by an independent 3^rd party to ensure they maintain Good manufacturing Practices and they have also achieved the high standard of ISO 9000 certification and are approved in Europe. The facility is in the United States and is licensed by the state of California.

TRB Health carries the biotin recommended. You can click here and go directly to the biotin page on their site.

Notice: Using biotin as described, along with an anticonvulsant or benzodiazepine or after discontinuation of an anticonvulsant or benzodiazepine is a patent pending method of use. Physicians or other providers must sign a licensing agreement before using.  

Do I Need to Take All of the Supplements?

No you do not.

The full line of supplements in this program were included to handle specific side effects that may take place when tapering off psychoactive medication. As you read through the last 10 years of this program, you will notice not all supplements were used throughout. We are trying to continually increase the success rate and have as a major goal to develop a program that will eliminate and or stop all side effects from ever occurring. The inclusion of biotin as well as the other supplements leads to that goal.

If budget is a problem, I recommend:

You would take the supplements suggested below exactly as it reads in How to get Off Psychiatric Drugs Safely.

Benzodiazepines – Biotin, Body Calm, Beta 1, 3-D Glucan and Body Calm Supreme. Anxiety, insomnia and many of the effects associated with being deficient in biotin will probably be your main concerns. Adding the probiotic Supreme will be a good idea if in your budget.

Antidepressants (with anxiety insomnia)- Body Calm, Body Calm Supreme, Beta 1, 3-D Glucan, Probiotic Supreme and Essential Protein Formula. Before you start to lower the antidepressant you will need the Ultimate Omega 3 and Unique E.

Antidepressants (with fatigue) – Power Barley Formula, Ultimate Omega 3 and Unique E. 

Antipsychotics – Body Calm, Body Calm Supreme, Essential Protein Formula. If you have anxiety and or insomnia add the Beta 1, 3-D Glucan.

My best to you all,

Jim Harper

This information is not approved by the FDA. It is for informational purposes only and is not intended to treat, cure or prevent any illness or disease. Always check with your physician before starting any supplement or altering medication. PLEASE DO NOT QUIT TAKING A PSYCHOACTIVE MEDICATION ABRUPTLY.