Supplement Headache??

[goldenlvr]

I have searched the forum and also googled but haven't found an answer to this question.

I started these supplements prescribed by my doctor 4 days ago:
Gotu Kola 250 mg twice/day
Citicoline 250 mg twice/day
Bacopa Monnieri 500 mg twice/day

I am having the weirdest headache located in a small area on the top left side of my head. I am not headache prone. Maybe the occasional mild sinus headache but that is all. This new headache is not debilitating but it is irritating. It is similar to a headache I got when taking generic Wellbutrin a few years ago. The headache went away after I stopped the Wellbutrin a month later.

Has anyone had a similar reaction to any of these supplements?

[slacker]

I have searched the forum and also googled but haven't found an answer to this question.

I started these supplements prescribed by my doctor 4 days ago:
Gotu Kola 250 mg twice/day
Citicoline 250 mg twice/day
Bacopa Monnieri 500 mg twice/day

I am having the weirdest headache located in a small area on the top left side of my head. I am not headache prone. Maybe the occasional mild sinus headache but that is all. This new headache is not debilitating but it is irritating. It is similar to a headache I got when taking generic Wellbutrin a few years ago. The headache went away after I stopped the Wellbutrin a month later.

Has anyone had a similar reaction to any of these supplements?

Interesting that you had a similar headache on the Wellbutrin - I wonder if there is a common mechanism of action with one of your supplements, such as dopamine or norephinephrine enhancement...

It can be difficult to find accurate potential side effects for supplements. One reasonable site is from Dr Andrew Weil, a medical doctor who never did a residency, but decided to travel to indigenous places to study herbal medicine instead. Here's his page for Bacopa for example.

Or you could call your doctor's office!

Another approach is to stop all 3 supplements for now. When the headaches go away, restart them one at a time, at a lower dose (once a day). If the headaches go away, after a few days either increase the dose to twice a day, or start the next supplement - repeat systematically. Hopefully you don't have to wait a month inbetween!

[goldenlvr]

Thank you--I will try the elimination and reintroduction as you suggested.

It is strange that it is the same type of headache as the Wellbutrin headache. I may need to do further research..

[slacker]

please report back! We'll all learn together...

[optimize]

Did you start suddenly, or ramp up slowly? Rapid changes (up or down) in acetylcholine levels are associated with headaches and irritability. On the bright side, this may indicate that your supps are increasing acetylcholine levels (?).

[Orangeblossom]

I found I couldn't tolerate antidepressants anymore when I started some supplements / dietary and lifestyle changes, and ended up coming off them.

[LilleTrille]

That's interesting. I haven't tried the supplements mentioned, but I have had the same experience with Wellbutrin, as well as with Ritalin. In both instances it passed after about two weeks, so I assume it is an adaptation reaction. If I remember correctly, it also occurred when I quit the medications.

[NF52]

That's interesting. I haven't tried the supplements mentioned, but I have had the same experience with Wellbutrin, as well as with Ritalin. In both instances it passed after about two weeks, so I assume it is an adaptation reaction. If I remember correctly, it also occurred when I quit the medications.

Welcome, LilleTrille!

Thanks for posting your experiences with similar effects from starting and stopping Wellbutrin and Ritalin. The ability to share and learn from others makes this forum valuable to many people who feel at times that their specific questions are not being answered elsewhere.

If you haven't seen them, you may find several links on the Welcome page helpful, including Thinking about Testing if you found this site from Dr. Bredesen's book and don't know your ApoE 4 status. The Primer written by Stavia, a physician who also has two copies of the ApoE 4 allele is a resource many of us return to as we learn more about ApoE 4.

We encourage people to share their own stories and questions in the Our Stories forum. Most of all, we hope you know that we are always here to listen and appreciate your contributions to the forum.

[goldenlvr]

As slacker suggested I stopped all the supplements and added them back one by one. I discovered it was the citicoline that was causing the headache. I continued taking it, but only once a day. The headache lessened, so I took 2 a day as prescribed. Little by little the headache went away. Thank you for the suggestion!