Hello all!
I’m taking Barlowes brown Mucuna (NO filler, pure). Any feedback that it makes you tired and or drowsiness? I just drank 1 tablespoon in hot water to make a tea and I feel like I’ve taken a Xanax as I’m very drowsy but the tremors are not present.
Any information would be great! Thanks 
I noticed on their website they are now selling pure mucuna as a carrier opposed to dextrin but they state the caps are 40%. Is this what your taking?
They make the 40% with the dextrin in capsules and they are now just starting to do the capsules in the brown.
I have the dextrin version and it is brutal on my stomach and I get very nauseous and I vomit alot from it. It is the dextrin (the carrier) that does it plus taking too much and when I have used it I can only do less than a 1/4 teaspoon, and even then it can be brutal, so I used it sparingly for quite some time. The tremors go away, but not for very long and what the dextrin does is it affects my blood sugar and the tremors come back worse. I have hashimotos and I am not a diabetic so I ruled out hypoglycemia and any other blood sugar issues.
The brown mucuna is not tasty but I measured 1 tablespoon today and put that in hotwater with a fennel tea (Aveda makes a GREAT one) and that takes the edge off of the bitterness. Halfway through the tea, I immediately became drowsy (like xanax drowsy) and I almost napped and it was difficult to stay awake for an hour but there were no tremors which was lovely. 1 tablespoon is probably overkill so I will go with 1/2 tablespoon next time.
With as much research as I have done with Mucuna, I have found out that it slows down the blood pressure (hence the drowsiness) and it actually benefits high blood pressure in a holistic way and I have proof to this as I have checked my BP on the regular and my doctor loves my numbers when I see him. Additionally, Mucuna pruriens is a therapeutic herb with anti-aging benefits and it is GREAT for wrinkles 
and I put it in a mask and use it a few times a week.
The odd thing is that from what I have read about it, it is supposed to give you energy, alertness and so on, but for me it does the opposite - BUT it does take away the tremors, rigidity and stiffness that I can experience.
Thanks for the reply. I’ve used the 40% white and ok till 800mg. Over 800mg I get nauseous I think because too much L Dopa. Hasn’t really stopped my tremors though. 1/4 of tsp is approximately 1,000 mg.
Medical student who was recommended by Dr. Mischley for her MP expertise, told us NEVER dilute MP in hot liquids, only lukewarm temperature.
Also, you may ask your doctor to prescribe just carbidopa and take MP (even less strength than 40%) with 1/2 tablet carbidopa. Give your brain natural L-dopa and your gut carbidopa. That is what my husband's MDS recommended, and it's working fine.
Thx for the information. I’ll never do meds as I want to go natural.
Why shouldn’t the MP be in hot liquid? I will try it with lukewarm water today. Thanks.
Assuming a tablespoon is 7.5g. then 40% Levodopa equals to 3.5g Levodopa!!!!!!. That is a massive amount of levodopa and potentially dangerous! Mind pure mucuna powder has a usual concentration of 4-6% Levodopa and some may experience side effects even at a tablespoon dosage (300-380mg Levodopa). You put way too much levodopa in your body!
Lol oh probably! I’m finding at this point that I am experimenting a long the way to find the right balance of how much my body needs.
I know it’s been discussed before but I’m always a little unsure, what is the max cd/ld that a person should take. When someone takes MP in addition to cd/ld are they including that in their total allowance for the day? I’m assuming yes. I’ve read somewhere the max is between 800mg to 1,000 mg Levodopa per day. Obviously the least amount one can get by with is best. Does this seem accurate? Thank you
Same thing happened to me. Through trial and error, I learned to take 50 mg natural mucuna dopa every 2-2 1/2 hrs on low key days, and dramatically increase it in increments of 25-50 mg as often as needed in 'stressful situations' like shopping, socializing, etc. Not very scientific, but good for now.
Very good to know! I found this as well:
“Levodopa and carbidopa may make you drowsy or may cause you to suddenly fall asleep during your regular daily activities. You might not feel drowsy or have any other warning signs before you suddenly fall asleep.”
Here's another thing I remembered...Any more than a couple of gulps of am coffee, increases tremors, and won't wake me, but iced coffee in the afternoon wakes me, and doesn't increase my tremors. Could heat/cold influence the vagus nerve in the gut ? Go figure
Good point!!
Hi,
Would you tell me which natural mucuna you are using?
Banyan Botanicals Mucuna tablets. Each tablet has about 20-25 mg , approx 5 to 7 % of dopa, the rest is all velvet bean.
How many do you take at one time and how long does it take for your body to feel the effects?
3 to 4 every 2 plus hrs, plus or 3-4 every hr in a social setting..they work within 15 minutes for me.
Working within 15 minutes would be such a dream for me! When I take a capsule form of a different brand it takes up to 45 minutes to work and that drives me nuts! I will keep you updated.
Thank you. I am surprise, such small dose.
I take 4 tablets every 2 - 2 1/2 hrs, more,depending on the situation, but I love the quality. It also comes in powder form..much cheaper. Check Rwor above.
Thank you.
Ordered! ❤️🙏🏼
Good luck, I've been on it for about 15 mos.
Thank you!
Rita,
Please let me know your opinion regarding the MP tablets. Thank you.
Yes of course! I just receive them in the mail today and I’m going to start them tomorrow.
Rita,
What do you think about MP tablets?
I was thinking about you this week! They are OK, but I find I have to take many to get the job done. You?
Rita,
Thank you. I am not surprised.
Make sure you take "whole bean extract" not just L-dopa as it is in Barlowe's, 40% white capsules. Is his brown MP whole bean extract?
Check it out. barlowesherbalelixirs.com/m...
Thanks for the link. However, I don't see "Whole bean or seed extract."
Sorry, taking that back. I took a closer look at the bottle. It is "seed extract." However, is it just L-dopa or "whole seed" extract?
I would call.
Husband took it for a while, but it was too much L-dopa for him, kind of making him "high." I read Dr. Rafael Gonzalez Maldonado AGAIN and based on his recommendation/suggestion, my husband stopped MP with just L-dopa extract and started MP with whole seed extract. Whole seed extracts contain besides L-dopa some other nutrients (lots of them) which are neuroprotective but also act as "carbidopa."
Dr. writes: "The classic presentation is powder from mucuna seeds."
Did he have a particular brand that he recommended?
Well yes and no. He prescribes what is available on line and recommends purchase from reliable suppliers. One of them is "NOW" "PARADISE" "SOLARAY" and some others. I purchased NOW which is seed extract, 60mg L-dopa per capsule.
Is your husband taking Azilect along with the No;w mucuna? Thank you.
Yes, he does. It is fine to take Azilect and MP, according to our Vanderbilt MDS, and Dr. Mischley.
Hi! May I ask, please, the name of your Vanderbilt MDS? My husband's doc at Mayo in JAX is no longer there. We're based in northeast TN so Vandy might be a good choice for us now. Thank you!
Vanderbilt is one of the best hospitals in the US. His name is David Isaacs.
Our first visit was also at Mayo JAX where he was originally diagnosed last year. However, due to distance, we didn't go back.
Thank you! What a cute pup in the photo ~ we have a pack of four rescues. Cheers & Woofs!
Thank you, too, for your compliments. Unfortunately, I lost him when he was 13 yrs old to greedy vets. . . I have lost two more but due to age, guess I learned a lot after losing my avatar one. I have one now, 12 years old and looks exactly like my avatar one. Woofs, indeed.
Hi there! I do take the whole bean extract!
You mean Barlowe's?
Yes! Michael said it’s whole been extract but I gotta be honest if I take too much it can make me feel a little “high.”
I can explain it to you. Mucuna like most herbs are very complex. It contains L-dopa which tends to have an uplifting energizing effect but it also contains 5-HTP and actual serotonin. These will make you drowsy. The more brown the herb is, the more it is in it's natural non standardized form. IF you want energy, you may benefit from taking a mucuna formula with a high percent of L-dopa (15% or more), these tend to be a light brown or white powder. The other option is to take mucuna at night before bed if you use the natural form. It will make you drowsy but will have a long term effect of enhancing dopamine transmission, which may make you more alert during the day. It will also help you sleep more deeply at night.
Thank you!! I truly appreciate your explanation as I had been trying to figure why it affected me in different ways.
Thank you for your explanation! Do you know anything, or can you refer me to reliable data about common dosage relation between MP brands, such as Barlowe's "White" or "Brown" (I now take Solaray) and how these can replace or augment Sinemet? (I now take 3-25/100 Sinemet plus 4-Solaray MP per day, but still have tremors)
My husband took capsule form from Barlowes,never made him drowsy definitely worked on tremors,but his ended ip being EPS tremors not PD.
Extrapyramidal symptoms, due to antipsychotic medication he was on, thought to be PD but was not.
I took the Barlow’s white capsules for about a year and just recently switched to Brown. I like the brown powder much better. Smoother on the gut, seems like better absorption. I take one capsule every 6 hours. That’s about 1gm I-dopa per day. Seems to work well for me. Eases my tremor, helps with sleep. No drowsiness, no side effects.
Do you find the brown mucuna more or less effective than the white regarding tremors ?
I find the brown MUCH more effective and it lasts longer and my tummy thanks me!!
Do you get nauseous at all from them or need to take anything to help cross the bb barrier? Thank you
For me it really depends on the day. Typically they tell you not to eat with it because this way it will get into your system quicker. For me if I don’t have a little food in the morning then it doesn’t take much for me to vomit. Having said that, if I do vomit that means I’ve taken too much and my system can only handle so much. With the brown powder I typically take half a teaspoon to a full teaspoon. I have taken a half tablespoon to 1 tablespoon and some days my body can handle it and some days it can’t. What I have found for me because every case is different, that it’s about balance and monitoring and just being aware of what my body is telling me.
Thank you, I could be wrong and will need to look up some old posts but I thought green tea or EGCg was helpful with avoiding nausea when taking Mucuna. I have taken now capsules of Mucuna on occasion but only with a little cd/ld to avoid nausea. I think we have to be careful of how much green tea/egcg we take since I remember reading about a man whose liver was adversely affected from taking too much to the pt of needing a transplant- yikes! I also like the product you recommended since it has the whole bean which I’ve read can be beneficial. I’ve never completely switched over and need to look over somethings I’ve saved but I think there are ways to deal with the nausea. Thank you so much!😊
Did you ever take PD meds, or other brands of MP?
No to meds and I never will. SEVERAL brands of MP though. Any suggestions?
No, I'm asking that same question. I have taken what I'm taking now, MP sold as "Dopabean" by Solaray, and prior to that I took "Dopatone" by Apex Energetics. I did start taking Sinemet out of necessity to combat tremors and anxiety as the MP only recommended a max 6 tabs per day and that amount wasn't helping me much at all. So now I take 3 tabs of Sinemet 20/100mg per day, plus 4 Dopabean MP per day, and I'm still fighting tremors.
Hi!! Where to get brown powder of mucuna pruriens, what brand?
Hi!
Make sure you order the bag or the capsules. I take the loose powder and one bag will run you $80. But I can tell you that it is well worth it as you do not need as much as you think.
I checked that link to Barlowe's, but didn't see "brown" or an $80 bag. I think there was a "white" bag for $180. (I'm new here to this site, so please pardon if I'm asking old questions.)
No worries! Here is a better link: barlowesherbalelixirs.com/m...
I've read that some types of mucuna bean can contain quite a bit of 5-HTP. Perhaps that's at least a partial cause for the drowsiness.
Dr. Kharrazian says that, if one gets any reaction from 5HTP, given the large size of its molecule, that indicates "leaky brain" barrier. FYI....
What is leaky brain? Who is Dr. K?
Leaky brain is like leaky gut, where the perforations that are designed to keep larger particles out, are bigger and thus they permit larger particles in. In the case of leaky brain, this would leak the larger particles into the brain, and in the case of leaky gut, the intestines would then leak larger, not fully digested particles out of the gut into the body cavities.
Dr. Datis Kharrazian is a popular PhD in Health Science who also has a long list of degrees and certifications in brain health. He authored two books, one about Thyroid, and the other, "Why Isn't My Brain Working?" You can Google his name and find countless articles of his work.
He is currently based in Oceanside, California. Here are some links:
ifm.org/about/profile/datis...
drknews.com/about-dr-datis-...
That explains why I felt, and feel drugged almost every day since I had to increase my mucuna dose...oh woe 
Mucuna
Mucuna pruriens and vomiting 
