N-Acetylcysteine
I frequently recommend N-acetylcysteine (NAC) to my patients. NAC is able to act synergistically with certain medications and provide further improvement of symptoms, without patients having to take yet another medication!
Even better, NAC has general health benefits. It is an antioxidant and as such, is a powerful defense against oxidative damage in the body. It is a source of the amino acid cysteine and as such, a crucial ingredient in glutathione (GSH) manufacture. NAC has displayed antioxidant abilities by protecting the mitochondria. By protecting the mitochondria, NAC was found to indirectly protect the cell as a whole from dysfunction (think, psychiatric illness) or degradation (think, cell death, neurodegeneration, cognitive decline/dementia). It prevents cell death and enhances energy production.
It has been shown to be helpful in the following areas:
ADHD; Patients with ADHD who supplemented with NAC, found that their symptoms attenuated
Depression; in conjunction with certain medication, NAC helps even treatment-resistant depression
Anxiety: in conjunction with certain medication, NAC helps symptoms of skin picking or hair pulling, generally associated with anxiety and OCD
Addiction; Studies show that NAC supplementation can assist in reducing many, for instance, cocaine, nicotine, opiate, marihuana cravings and withdrawal symptoms, and can help prevent relapse
Cognition; NAC protected the cognitive abilities of subjects following even explicit brain injury
Dementia including Huntington’s, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s disease: NAC was found to slow the progression of disease and attenuate behavioral symptoms
Caveats
Peak concentration occurs 1-2 hours after consumption, with a half-life of over six hours. The short half life warrants twice a day administration, which is always more difficult than once a day. It should be noted that NAC supplementation to treat substance abuse appears most effective when is already abstinent or in withdraw, i.e. not currently using.
