Chapter 3 “Nutritionals” UsedOn The Road Back Program In 1999, we were assisting individuals off their medication without using nutritional supplements by having people gradually reduce the dosage. We came up with a slow tapering process, wherein the drug was only tapered further when a person felt they could handle the withdrawal side effects caused by the previous taper of the medication. Roughly 50% of the people could taper off their medication using a gradual taper, but the 50% that successfully got off of their medication still suffered extreme withdrawal side effects. The F.D.A. and the drug companies now recommend what we were doing in 1999, with a gradual reduction. However, we were not satisfied with a 50% success rate or with the suffering that still took place during the taper process for the lucky half that could get off their medication. We began experimenting with a few nutritional supplements in 2001 to see if they would help with the side effects, and the success rate increased enough for further investigation. In 2004 I started a DNA testing company and we conducted hundreds of DNA test on individuals who were either currently taking medication, off their medication already or had never used a psychoactive medication.We looked at how our individual DNA altered the metabolism of drugs as well as how we were able to metabolize food groups and specific nutrients. This information made it very clear why some people experienced adverse reactions to their drug immediately and why some were able to take the drug for an extended period of time before having a negative reaction. However, the DNA Drug Reaction Test did not give evidence or become useful with how to get a person off a drug. The DNA testing of food groups and nutrients did show promise. With this information, we began to create nutritional formulations in the hope it would help eliminate withdrawal side effects or at the least reduce them to a livable amount. Although the steps above were complicated to a degree, the real work was to create formulations of supplements that would not interact with drugs and would reduce or eliminate side effects associated with tapering off psychoactive medication. At the time, this was unchartered territory in the scientific community, but with our research and success we now see our discoveries and breakthroughs used by many physicians and drug detoxification programs throughout the world. The nutritional supplements used with The Road Back Program have changed over the past decades as new discoveries have become known. The spring of 2013, has brought the next generation of research to application. Over the past decade, I have spent thousands of hours researching the correct and most basic nutrient system for this program. This edition of the book makes the program even more effective, easier to follow and dramatically reduces the time it takes to get off psychoactive medications. Our goal is and always will be to get a person feeling better faster and allow an individual to safely reduce their medication in less time. The breakthrough this spring 2013, deals with the time release medications, benzodiazepines and antipsychotic medications. Most new antidepressants are only available as a time release and antipsychotic medications are quickly following suit. The time release drug could not be reduced slow enough to reduce the risk of withdrawal side effects. Often, the individual would need to go back up on the dosage and would never attempt to taper the drug again, even with encouragement from the prescribing physician to reduce the medication. When the body’s chemistry or systems are altered, the body will fight back to balance out the attack. Bringing back that balance is critical if a person is taking a psychoactive medication or if they are suffering from the feeling of anxiety, stress or depression without ever having taken a psychoactive drug.This program is based on clinical studies conducted by major universities and scientific bodies kept in high regard by the medical community. Here are a few of the results of clinical studies used while developing this program. Antidepressants cause insulin resistance, and if you are predisposed to diabetes and take an antidepressant, you have a four-fold increased chance of becoming a diabetic. Prolonged use of benzodiazepines depletes the body of the B vitamin biotin and can cause problems with receptors used by a benzodiazepine. These two examples give an indication of how one might treat medication side effects and why a few supplements are part of this program. In other words, if you have taken a benzodiazepine for an extended period of time and have depression and/or tingling or numbness of the extremities, you are probably deficient in biotin. Thus, adding biotin to your daily routine will usually handle the symptom if the biotin deficiency is, in fact, the cause. The list of symptoms associated with insulin resistance is quite long. Diabetes and obesity are two of several conditions resulting from insulin resistance, but there are other symptoms a person will begin experiencing before the onset of such conditions. Antidepressants cause these body conditions and consequently create physical symptoms that can be confused with actual drug withdrawal symptoms, making the withdrawal from any drug more confusingf or the individual and their physician. How the Program Works Your body naturally triggers a self-protective inflammatory process when a psychoactive medication is started. This natural function also responds to normal activities, such as exercise, fighting off toxins, allergies, illness, incorrect foods, weight gain, medications, you name it. For example, let’s take a sore throat or an infected cut. The area becomes red and inflamed as the body rushes microscopic “fire fighters” to the area to contain and put out the fire and start the healing process. However, if your body gets overloaded and can no longer control the inflammation or lacks enough “fire fighters” to douse the flames, then an internal switch flips, and your systems will start going awry, ultimately resulting in an overall imbalance. At this point, but probably earlier in the process, a gene called JNK that is found in all of our cells becomes over activated. If you are taking a drug, there is no doubt the JNK gene is now over activated. This over activation of the JNK gene is the underlying cause of side effects and bodily and mental symptoms associated with all psychoactive drugs. If you have a physical condition, including menopause, weight gain, diabetes or so many others, and then throw psychoactive medications on top, you can be adding fuel to an already burning fire. In essence, you flip the switch that overloads your body so it can no longer function as intended. However, and a big however, using supplements (specifically antioxidants) incorrectly, in the wrong amount, combinations or time of day can cause more harm than help. Reducing the over activation of the JNK gene and cleaning up the cause/effect phenomena is what gives you relief from the drug side effects, allowing the body to heal itself. The body will produce and release substances called cytokines when the immune system is activated. When the JNK gene becomes over activated, the immune system will begin to have difficulty handling the body and a protein called Interleukin-2 will either plummet or shoot sky high. High Interleukin-2 levels will create a mania in an individual. A chronic high Interleukin-2 will also cause a different substance called Interleukin-6 to become high, and a high level of Interleukin-6 is associated with depression. It is now known, high Interleukin-6 precedes depressions. Here you have the bipolar individual who cycles between mania and depression. Depending on your body and what you were exposed to, these cytokines may have been overly active before you started taking medication, or they may have become inhibited once the medication was started. We all react differently when medication is taken. One thing is common with all of us—the need to maintain or get back to a natural body balance. Oxidative stress will be higher in the body of anyone diagnosed with anxiety, depression, bipolar, schizophrenia, ADHD and OCD. The brain is most susceptible to oxidative stress, and a multitude of clinical trials have shown significantly higher oxidative stress in the brain of bipolar and schizophrenic patients. The supplements called Neuro Day and JNK Formula will help stopthe oxidative stress before it even starts or stop the continued progress if it is already underway. The area of nutrition is littered with confusing words and information so technical it can seem overwhelming. I have tried to simplify and distill what you need to know so you can proceed with the program while understanding the basic premise of how your body works to counteract the imbalances created by the medication. If you wish to read more of the technical information please read the Science chapter, Chapter 23. Thousands of people worldwide have stood where you now stand-ready to take their lives back and free themselves from psychoactive medication and the resulting side effects. While every person is unique and life offers no guarantees, if you follow this program precisely, you should begin to feel better soon after you start. Supplements Used in the Program During the past 18 years, the supplements used with this program have changed considerably. I have continued to research and to look for more effective ways of combating withdrawal side effects. When a more effective way was found to reduce side effects this program was changed. I have been asked frequently; why do I keep changing the program if it is successful? A simple answer really. Why wouldn’t you change a program if you found a more effective way? It creates quite a bit more work for me to make these changes, especially as often as I have over the years, but I’m not doing this for me. This program is for you and I owe you the best possible solution I know of. The names of the supplements used in The Road Back Program are: JNK Formula, Neuro Day, Neuro Night and Omega 3 Supreme. To this book in a manner so I do not need to keep coming back and editing the ingredients of a supplement and changing names of a supplement to in the book to match what is currently suggested for your use, I will be keeping the names of each supplement the same from here on. No matter the medication you are taking, you will use the JNK Formula, Neuro Day and Neuro Night. If you are taking an antidepressant you will include the Omega 3 Supreme. It is not a bad idea to include the Omega 3 Supreme if you are taking an antipsychotic medication for general health but the Omega 3 Supreme will not really have any effect on reducing withdrawal side effects for you. With an antidepressant the Omega 3 Supreme is essential to take. Negative head symptoms are very common when reducing an antidepressant. A withdrawal symptom called “brain zaps” stops most people from ever coming off an antidepressant. The brain zap is described by most as an electrical jolt that runs from the base of the neck up and into the lower base of the skull. You may also have dizziness and/or a whirling type of feel when reducing an antidepressant. The Omega 3 Supreme is the only solution I know of for these symptoms. I first tested omega 3 for these head symptoms around 2002, and the relief was immediate for most people. The amount of omega 3 people had to take in those days was rather high. This was due to the type of omega 3 available in those days and the low concentration of EPA found in most omega 3. Over the next several years I kept refining the type of omega 3 that worked best and even researched what type of fish would give the fastest results. There is no longer a need to take 15 softgels of an omega 3, two times a day for relief. With the Omega 3 Supreme, usually 2 softgels in the morning and 2 softgels around noon will keep the head symptoms very slight or nonexistent. JNK Formula Ingredients JNK Formula – The JNK Formula has been reformulated several times since 2010. Each new formula has been more effective than the previous formula. As new clinical studies are published new formulas will continue to be created. The ingredients in the JNK Formula are subject to change still. This dynamic supplement has been the building block of this program since 2010 and I do not see that changing. In 2010, when I formulated the first JNK supplement there was enough science to back my claims for what it should do. As I rewrite this portion of the book in 2017, the numbers of clinical studies are now in the thousands. This current formula may change again but the overall effect of the JNK Formula will only be enhanced if I do that. All medications, drugs, toxins, stress, make the JNK gene become overly active. This over activity of the JNK gene is where many of the side effects of medications come from. Opioids (pain medications) cause the JNK gene to be over activated each time the dosage of the drug is changed. My guess is; each time any psychotropic medication is increased or reduced in the dosage they also cause the JNK gene to become overly activated as well. Keeping this JNK gene chilled out is needed for good health as well as reducing withdrawal side effects. Over the past few years new studies have revealed proteins and other substances that are upstream from the JNK gene are the ultimate cause of the JNK gene being activated from the medications. These new findings are why the JNK Formula was changed. Silencing these proteins before they can affect the JNK gene helps reduce withdrawal symptoms further. If you are taking or have taken an antidepressant, and have gained weight, there is a chance you may lose weight while taking the JNK Formula. The JNK gene being overly activated is directly related to antidepressant induced weight gain. Reducing the JNK gene activation helps with weight loss but there can be many other factors causing the weight gain that need to be addressed as well. Ultimately, reducing the JNK gene activation will eventually lead to weight loss but it may take an extended amount of time if that is all that is being addressed. Neuro Day - The Neuro Day is formulated to help with daytime anxiety, daytime stress and to help give you a calm feeling during the daytime hours. The formula should not make you tired or drowsy. Taken as directed in this program you would take 2 capsules each day but spread each capsule apart by 4 to 5 hours. The idea is to keep you chilled and calm throughout the day so when it comes time to sleep you are already in a very relaxed state of mind. With the JNK Formula and Neuro Day being used during the daytime, do not be surprised if your mental focus improves as well. You may have other negative symptoms happening during the day that go beyond the feeling of anxiety, stress or hyper type feelings. This formula has been made to address the vast amount of potential side effects a psychotropic medication might cause as well as other underlying conditions. Watch for an improvement of mood as well during the daytime as stress and anxiety are reduced. Neuro Night The Neuro Night is used before bedtime to promote a full and restful night of sleep. Over the past 17 years, countless people that have contacted The Road Back have not slept well for years. Their side effect profile was quite long and diverse. Once these people were able to get a restful and full night of sleep for about 1 week the vast majority of side effects they were experiencing vanished. Any person that does not sleep well for an extended period of time will begin to have mood issues be irritable or any number of negative conditions begin. Get some restful sleep and these other symptoms simply go away. Not rocket science as some people like to make this sound. It really is that easy to get rid of many side effects. Beta 1, 3-D Glucan – This supplement is made by Transfer Point and I want to include a little about it in the book. The human immune system includes a substance called IL-2. Individuals with low levels of IL-2 will normally have anxiety and problems with sleep. This does not mean if you have anxiety and cannot sleep you have low IL-2 levels. I am just stating if you do have low IL-2 levels, you likely have anxiety and difficulty having a deep restful night of sleep. If you use the Neuro Night and still do not sleep well after one week using it, try the Beta 1, 3-D Glucan. If you have been taking the JNK Formula, Neuro Day and Neuro Night for 2 full weeks and you still cannot get a nice deep restful sleep, adding this Beta 1, 3-D Glucan is advisable. Tip: The Beta 1, 3-D Glucan must be taken apart from food or water and not within a half hour of consuming food or liquid. Only use enough liquid to get the Beta 1, 3-D Glucan down the throat and no more than that. The Beta 1, 3-D Glucan needs to absorb, and taking it in any other fashion will not allow assimilation. The time of day or evening you take these supplements can make all the difference in the world. I will give you some tips in the rest of this chapter.Before I begin though let’s address the medication you are taking and how and when it fits into this program. DO NOT CHANGE THE TIME OF DAY OR EVENING YOU ARE TAKING THE MEDICATION WHEN DOING THIS PROGRAM. Adjust these supplements around the medication. There can be an exception to this rule but it is so rare I have used the DO NOT. Omega 3 Supreme is taken in the morning and at noon. Omega 3 fish oil of this type is excellent to take daily for general health but in the case of this material we are only referring to helping with antidepressant head symptoms.The amount of softgels you would need can go up and down. Begin the program with 1 softgel in the morning and 1 softgel at noon. If you currently have head symptoms and are taking an antidepressant you may want to start with 2 softgels in the morning and 2 at noon. If head symptoms subside after one day of this try reducing back to 1 softgel in the morning and 1 more at noon. If head symptoms return then go back up to the 2 in the morning and 2 more at noon and stay at that amount. Some people that are in the middle of heavy withdrawal from an antidepressant when they find this program have required 4 softgels in the morning and 4 additional softgels at noon and had to remain taking that amount for the duration of the program to keep the head symptoms diminished. The main point here is we are all different. Adjust the omega as needed.The JNK Formula, Neuro Day and the Neuro Night are used in this program with any medication type you may be taking. JNK Formula You will be taking 1 capsule of the JNK Formula two times each day. Take the first capsule in the morning. As soon as you can take it in the morning is ideal. Many of you take your medication in the morning the first thing after you awake. Continue taking the medication at that time. Wait 1 hour after taking the morning medication and then take the 1 capsule of JNK Formula.Take the second JNK Formula capsule roughly 4 to 5 hours later. You will most likely know when it is time for the second JNK Formula capsule. You might begin to feel a little letdown but with you also using the Neuro Day, you most likely will not have a letdown. Neuro Day The best way to start the program is by taking the Neuro Day a couple hours after the morning JNK Formula. If work or school prevents you from taking the Neuro Day a few hours later, then go ahead and take the Neuro Day at the same time as the JNK Formula. We are going for a steady and smooth entry of these nutrients into your body and it is always ideal to space them out but if your time does not allow that, then take to JNK Formula and Neuro Day together.Feel free to adjust the JNK Formula and Neuro Day around to fit you, how you are responding to each as well as your schedule. Neuro Night Take 1 capsule about 15 minutes before bedtime. Give this timing approach 3 full nights before adjusting this supplement. Some of you may need to take the Neuro Night 30 minutes before bedtime to give the supplement time to begin working. The goal here with the Neuro Night is a full night of sleep. If you awake in the middle of the night, you can easily go back to sleep. Rating your sleep on a 1-10 scale can be quite valuable with this. If you are seeing an improvement, do not change anything you are doing during the daytime supplement portion of this program or with the Neuro Night. Just give this more time and keep a graph going that shows your rating on a 1-10.I am going for a perfect sleep but let’s face it, if you have constantly tossed and turned all night, wake up and can’t get back to sleep and those sleep disturbances go away; you have had a massive improvement. That just might be the time to be happy with the improvement and stay the course throughout the rest of this program. Combination of the JNK Formula, Neuro Day and Neuro Night These 3 supplements have been formulated to work together. For the best results with this program you will be taking all 3 of these supplements spread out during the day and the Neuro Night at bedtime. Again, we are going for a nice balance, reduced anxiety, relief from the feeling of stress, a sound sleep and the other medication side effects you may be experiencing reduced or completely eliminated. The supplements are available at: www.neurogeneticsolutions.com Neuro Genetic Solutions is based in the United States and has distributors in Europe, Australia, and Canada. Go to www.neurogeneticsolutions.com for distributor web site information.