Vitamin B-3 and Schizophrenia: Discovery, Recovery, Controversy

I personally experienced psychosis last year. I was never diagnosed by a medical doctor, but I had most if not all symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia. I found help through orthomolecular therapy. I wanted to share this info with the ATS community.

This particular article talks about the niacin & vitamin-c cure for schizophrenia.

But the truth will out eventually. Three years later, I first saw niacin work on somebody else. He was a bona-fide, properly-diagnosed, utterly-incurable, State-hospitalized schizophrenic patient. I did not see niacin work in the hospital, of course; the only vitamins given there are what you can filter out of your “Jell-O” and your “Tang.” No, the patient was a fellow whose parents were desperate enough try anything, even nutrition. Perhaps this was because their son was so unmanageably violent that he was kicked out of the asylum and sent to live with them. On a good day, his Mom and Dad somehow got him to take 3,000 milligrams of niacin and 10,000 mg of vitamin C. Formally a hyperactive insomniac, he responded by sleeping for 18 hours the first night and becoming surprisingly normal within days. I’d seen him before, and I saw him after. I’d talked to his parents during the whole process. It was an astounding improvement.

Vitamin B-3 and Schizophrenia: Discovery, Recovery, Controversy

Dr. Abram Hoffer has treated thousands of patients with high-dose nutrient therapy for decades. His recovery rate for schizophrenics is around 85% This bests any other treatment avialable, to my knowledge.

I've personally been in touch with several people online who contacted me after seeing my posts in reference to ortho. These people, like myself, have been cured of their afflictions with nutrients alone! It's truly amazing, and hopefully one day will break through to the public, becoming general knowledge.

Has anyone else on ATS tried orthomolecular therapy for biochemical imbalances?

reply to post by unityemissions


This is awesome news.

I have dealt with a schizoaffective diagnosis for quite some time now - my symptoms over the years have balanced out due to a number of changes on my part.

I wish I could give a glowing review of some herb or vitamin that helps relieve the conditions on it's own....but my whole lifestyle has undergone such a refinement that it's impossible to attribute positive results to a single factor.

There is no doubt in my mind that a healthy diet helps, but it's also important for people (and family members of those diagnosed) to realize there is more to manage than just a suppliment.

Environment, recreation, exercise, proper social associations and a meaningful pursuit or hobby the patient can manage on their own and evolve with over time have all been shown to help reduce the intensity and frequency of episodes.

Hopefully this is a step in the right direction in regards to helping to manage the biochemical aspect of the schizophrenic brain.

It's no mystery that an imbalance of naturally occuring chemicals and nutrients in the brain can escaberate the condition - but we can't forget that within that biological framework is a complex human being with thoughts, feelings, and a desire for self expression - validation - and social acceptance.

Body - mind - and spirit. All must be balanced together.





[edit on 5/31/09 by GENERAL EYES]

reply to post by GENERAL EYES


Yes we're integrative beings. All bodies must be repaired for full health. Emotional, Intellectual, Physical, & spiritual. I tried my best to do this without any additional support, but I truly did need something extra. I couldn't just meditate away my imbalances.

After I began healing physically, the emotional, intellectual, & spiritual healing slowly progressed.

Its astonishing how little attention vitamins and antioxidants get in the medical community, ... its well known that certain vitamin deficiency's can cause madness, paralysis, even death. not to mention that an over abundance of certain food additives can have the same effect. Any type of healing should begin with a good nutrition makeover. maybe a cleanse too. Some people beleive that the human body if capable of healing itself of almost any affliction if it has the proper tools to do so. And although the benfits of vitamin supplementation is well known, ... science is only beginning to understand the thousands and thousands of benefits of antioxidants. Although the human body is incredibly resilient, and can withstand almost any kind of lifestyle wether alcoholism, drug addiction, or a diet of pure mcdonalds. Could you imagine what your body would be capable of it wasnt in repair mode all the time ?? We are Chemical machines afterall. properly nourished the body has been shown to cure or keep at bay any illness known to man.

reply to post by IntastellaBurst


It actually makes sense why nutrients are demonized in western medicine. Nutrients can't be patented, and by curing people, they decrease profits for pharmaceutical companies. Most doctors are simply ignorant. They take one class on nutrition, and spend countless hours on pharmaceuticals. It's a sick society we live in.

Scientists have known the healing properties of nutrients since the first vitamin was synthesized, vitamin-c. Niacin has been used as treatment by Dr. Hoffer for over a half-century. We truly need to move away from BigPharma infected medicine. It's regressive, detrimental, & many pharmaceuticals are just synthetics of naturally occurring nutrients anyways.