Many of my clients experience increased anxiety, more severe panic attacks and worse depression when their spring allergies are flaring up. Do they feel like this simply because they feel so bad physically or could there be some underlying biochemistry that triggers their worsening mental health symptoms? I explain below how low serotonin is one possible root cause that can be addressed nutritionally with tryptophan and/or 5-HTP. Other factors to consider are the impact on the adrenals and GABA levels.
Today’s blog is inspired by Unten, who is part of my Facebook community. She asked this question:
I find that always during spring my anxiety and panic attacks get much worse when there’s lots of pollen and dust and other allergens in the air (at least here in Finland)…could this be true and not just “in my head”?
And then someone else responded saying:
I have noticed the same for me as well here in the USA.
My response to both of them is that it is not just in your head. There is plenty of research supporting this connection and we see it clinically too.
This paper, Changes in Severity of Allergy and Anxiety Symptoms Are Positively Correlated in Patients with Recurrent Mood Disorders Who Are Exposed to Seasonal Peaks of Aeroallergens, confirmed a significant positive association between allergy scores and anxiety scores and reports some possible mechanisms:
- The psychological effects of being ill, as well as impairments of sleep secondary to nasal obstruction or inflammation may affect mood.
- Cytokines may lead to a mood disturbance via the expression of the enzyme indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase, which shifts the synthesis of tryptophan from serotonin to kynurenine. The resultant acute tryptophan depletion results in decreased brain serotonin, which may contribute to both depression and anxiety.
- Cytokines released during allergic inflammation may affect the brain directly, via nerves, surrounding tissue, or via regions that do not have a blood brain barrier, such as the circumventricular organs.
- Cytokines may also be involved in changes in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis… A sustained increase in activity in the HPA axis is associated with severe anxiety.
- Cytokines might lead to a physiological change in GABAA receptor functioning
I’ll discuss some possible solutions below.
Tryptophan and/or 5-HTP for low serotonin support if needed
The second bullet above is a good reason to consider serotonin support with tryptophan or 5-HTP. If you have anxiety or panic attacks (and other low serotonin symptoms), we always want to figure out if low serotonin is a possible cause and address it, regardless of the circumstances/trigger (seasonal allergies in this instance).
Here are some useful blogs related to low serotonin and the amino acids:
- You can see all the low serotonin symptoms here.
- You can see the 5-HTP and tryptophan products I use with my clients here on the supplements blog.
Christine’s increased depression due to seasonal allergies improves a few days after starting 5-HTP and tryptophan
When I posted the above possible mechanisms on Facebook, Christine thanked me and shared her surprise:
I had no idea! This explains my increased depression lately. I didn’t know there was a correlation, but it makes complete sense now. I’m in the Midwest. I’ve always had issues in March and April because of my seasonal allergies.
When I asked if she has used tryptophan or 5-HTP and bumped up the dose when she is suffering during seasonal allergies, she responded:
I just learned about both of these [amino acids]. I just bought your book and I am starting to use them. I don’t know if they take a while to start working?
I responded saying the amino acids work very quickly if they are needed and serotonin is low. It was not surprising to me that Christine shared her great results a few days later:
I’ve been using 5-HTP and tryptophan. I’m feeling so much better now. Thank you!
If your anxiety or depression is caused by low serotonin, you can expect to feel some relief right away provided you find the ideal dose for your unique needs. For some it’s a solution right away and for others it can take some adjusting up and down and trialing with 5-HTP and/or tryptophan to find the right combination.
Adrenal support and/or Seriphos if needed
The fourth bullet under the possible mechanisms above, is a good reason to also consider adrenal support: herbal adaptogens such a rhodiola and licorice, B vitamins, extra pantothenic acid and vitamin C. I also recommend using something like Seriphos to lower high cortisol if needed. Another option is Relora®, a combination of Magnolia officinalis and Phellodendron amurense which lowers cortisol and reduces stress and anxiety.
Low GABA support if needed
The fifth bullet above is a good reason to consider GABA support with GABA or theanine if you have the low GABA type of physical tension that is made worse during your seasonal allergies. Just like with low serotonin we always want to figure out if low GABA is a possible cause of the anxiety and address it, even if it’s being made worse because of seasonal allergies.
You can see all the low GABA symptoms here and GABA products I use with my clients here on the supplements blog.
Address all root cause of anxiety/depression and the seasonal allergies
As always, it’s not only the low serotonin and/or high cortisol we need to address. We must always do a full functional workup looking at diet, nutritional deficiencies, digestion, all hormones, toxins and infections (and so on) so we can address all possible root causes.
Of course, identifying and addressing the root causes of the seasonal allergies is important too. This blog, Hay Fever: 9 Natural Ways to Treat Seasonal Allergy Symptoms by Dr. Josh Axe, outlines many dietary and lifestyle changes that can have a big impact. You’ll notice that much of this is foundational to my work.
Stress reduction is key and serotonin/GABA support help so much in this regard. So does zinc which is needed for both the production of serotonin and GABA, and enhanced immunity.
The blog also states that quercetin helps with seasonal allergies because it “stops the production and release of histamine.” Interestingly, quercetin also protects against stress-induced anxiety and depression in animal studies (here is a link to one such study).
Thanks to these folks for asking good questions and for allowing me to share here.
My first take-away is not to ever tolerate not feeling your best (if that’s confusing – you deserve to feel your best always!) and always ask questions and look for connections. My second take-away is to encourage you and others in my community to be empowered and take action. So kudos to Christine for jumping and purchasing my book, The Antianxiety Food Solution, reading it and being smart about using the amino acids.
Have you found that higher doses of tryptophan or 5-HTP helps with reducing the more severe anxiety, the depression/low mood and/or the increased panic attacks you experience during allergy season?
What about other low serotonin symptoms such as insomnia, cravings and PMS? Are they worse during allergy season?
Have you found addressing low GABA anxiety with higher doses of GABA helps when you have seasonal allergies?
Have you tested your cortisol levels during allergy season and found that adrenal support helps too? Keep in mind it will take longer to see results if this is the case.
Feel free to post your questions and feedback in the comments below.
For more than 10 years I’ve noticed a seasonal pattern of activation (increasing energy) starting in Jan and ending in July. I think it’s increasing daylight hours vs declining daylight hours. Activation can interfere with sleep. I have more sleep problems in the Spring, but it starts getting better in July. Sleep problems can exacerbate mood issues (and pain), plus the activation itself can boost anxiety.
Elaine
I would consider additional serotonin and/or GABA support to help the sleep problems and increased anxiety. And also test cortisol levels at this time and address high cortisol if needed. Do you also have seasonal allergies?
Hi Trudy, Would you mind giving some generalized recommendations on when to take the 500 mg L-Tryptophan and Gaba Calm during the day when just starting out. Thank you for your work, you are so appreciated!
E.P.
Typical starting dose for tryptophan is 500mg twice a day, afternoon and evening. GABA is used throughout the day and evening as needed/based on symptoms. With anxiety/insomnia made worse by seasonal allergies more may be needed. Are your symptoms worse with seasonal allergies?
If you are new to the amino acids (and other anxiety nutrition solutions like gluten/sugar/caffeine removal, blood sugar control, gut health, pyroluria etc) my book “The Antianxiety Food Solution” is a great place to start. Much of this helps with insomnia too. More here https://www.everywomanover29.com/store/aafsbook.html
It definitely helps me to up my GABA dosage in the allergy season in order to get some sleep (otherwise I’m far too anxious and wired). I found this paper summary that claims that GABA balances histamine in the brain: https://www.sleepreviewmag.com/sleep-health/sleep-whole-body/brain/gaba-may-act-chemical-brake-preventing-histamine-wakefulness-intense/ . Taking tryptophan (Lidke 500mg) made me lethargic and depressed. I looked around a bit to try to find out why that may be, and I wonder if it is related to the fact that mast cells can generate serotonin as well as histamine. But it may also be related to serotonin aggravating my asthma, since serotonin seems to play a role in airway hyperresponsiveness. It didn’t feel like I had breathing issues though, so I don’t know. Thank you for writing an article on the topic.
Luiza
Good to hear that upping GABA during allergy season helps with your insomnia and anxiety. I’d love to hear how much you increase it and how you made the connection?
Thanks for sharing the GABA/histamine research – very interesting!
Keep in mind too much tryptophan can make someone lethargic and depressed. Also some do better on 5-HTP.
I found out at some point that one of the roles of histamine is to raise alertness and keep you awake, did some Google searches, and found that article. I usually take Thorne pharmaGABA 100 (1 pill), and with some experimentation I added in the allergy season 1 of the GABA Relaxer pills. The extra taurine, which made me a bit groggy outside of the allergy season, seems to actually help in the allergy season.
I may eventually experiment with just a dusting of tryptophan or 5-HTP, but I think I’ll try DPA first. I’m not nearly as a good a match for low serotonin according to your questionnaire as I am for low GABA (which was pretty much “yes” to everything).
Luiza
Super – thanks for sharing. I think you’ll find this interesting – The potential protective role of taurine against experimental allergic inflammation https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28694089/
Thank you for that paper — interesting to know there is some backing for my experimental observation!
I had thyroid cancer five years ago. I am cancer free but can’t stay asleep at night, lots of negative ruminating. What do you suggest for sleep?
Lorraine
Low serotonin can cause insomnia, negativity and ruminating. Low GABA can cause insomnia and ruminations. I do trials of both with clients with these symptoms, one at a time
If you are new to the amino acids (and other anxiety nutrition solutions like gluten/sugar/caffeine removal, blood sugar control, gut health, pyroluria etc) my book “The Antianxiety Food Solution” is a great place to start. More here https://www.everywomanover29.com/store/aafsbook.html
We also look at diet, blood sugar control, food sensitivies, low melatonin, high cortisol, SIBO, meds side-effects and EMFs when someone has severe insomnia
Hi! Thank you for this article. Trudy does St. John’s wort support any of the mood disorder imbalances like 5htp or gaba? Thanks Sarah
Sarah
I seldom use St. John’s wort but “For patients with mild-to-moderate depression, St John’s wort has comparable efficacy and safety when compared to SSRIs” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28064110/
Hi Trudy,
I tend to be very sensitive to any meds – what’s the lowest dose of tryptophan that you’d recommend, and what time of day would you recommend taking? I’m experiencing terrible insomnia and feels like I recover each day from the night I just had, if that makes any sense.
Guest
Typical starting dose for tryptophan is 500mg twice a day. For sensitive folks we start with opening a capsule and having them use 50-100mg and sometimes less (like a pinch/dab). With anxiety/insomnia made worse by seasonal allergies more may be needed.
If you are new to the amino acids (and other anxiety nutrition solutions like gluten/sugar/caffeine removal, blood sugar control, gut health, pyroluria etc) my book “The Antianxiety Food Solution” is a great place to start. Much of this helps with insomnia too. More here https://www.everywomanover29.com/store/aafsbook.html
Thanks Trudy!
Have you ever used the Genova Diagnostics ION 40 Profile (https://www.gdx.net/product/ion-profile-with-40-amino-acids-nutritional-test-blood) test to determine Tryptophan or GABA levels and which one to take?
I just got mine back, and it seems to shows high Tryptophan and low GABA…
Guest
This is not an accurate way to determine which amino acids are needed. The best way to determine if someone may have low serotonin is to look at the low serotonin symptoms, rate them on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being worst, do a trial of tryptophan or 5-HTP and rate the symptoms again right afterwards (in the next 2 to 30 minutes). Here are the symptoms https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/amino-acids-mood-questionnaire-from-the-antianxiety-food-solution/
I always start with the questionnaire/symptoms and a trial of tryptophan or 5-HTP if there are low serotonin symptoms i.e. worry-type anxiety.
Thank you for posting this! I have been gripped by an awful anxiety every spring for years. No one else I know has experienced this and I felt alone. I had no explanation for this icy and terrible fear that rolls in every year but had a hunch that allergies were somehow the cause. Your article was affirming and informative. I started 5-HTP and am seeing an improvement. So grateful to you!!
Beth
Wonderful to hear – please keep us posted on how you continue to do!
Hi Trudy,
I recently stumbled on your website and just ordered your book. I have a question about 5-HTP. I have taken the Xymogen 100mg 1x a day (at night) in the past and really feel much better while taking it. The only issue I encounter is nightmares. Not every night, but about 1x a week. Does that mean I should stop taking it, or take less? Or is this just a common side effect? Would trying Tryptophan be a better idea? I’ve been off of it for about a month and really need it for PMS, stress and sleep.
Sarah
This is not something I hear with 5-HTP so I’d see if less offers the same benefits or take it at a different time of the day or look into another brand of 5-HTP (this one is controlled release) or trial tryptophan. Low B6 can cause nightmares but if they only occur when using the 5-HTP then that wouldn’t be the issue unless there is some major stress each week causing B6 to be dumped (this can happen with pyroluria). I’d love to hear what you figure out
And don’t forget all the foundational stuff from the book too.
Have you seen in your clinical practice that taking Tryptohan and/or 5-HTP causes constipation in some of your clients/patients? I know that taking SSRI’s can cause it but was curious if either of these would as well. I have been taking tryptophan and absolutely love it (and have recently added 5-HTP for better sleep) but have noted that I have been constipated. I am not sure if it’s that or something else. Thanks for any thoughts and insight!
What would you recommend for someone that has anxiety and possible bipolar systems.
Valene
With anxiety I always start with addressing low serotonin with tryptophan or 5-HTP and low GABA with GABA. The best way to determine if someone may have low GABA/serotonin is to look at the low GABA/serotonin symptoms, rate them on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being worst, do a trial of the respective amino acid and rate the symptoms again right afterwards (in the next 2 to 30 minutes). Here are the symptoms https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/amino-acids-mood-questionnaire-from-the-antianxiety-food-solution/
The amino acids can be taken for a few months but ideally we work on underlying reasons why neurotransmitters are low.
If you are new to the amino acids (and other anxiety nutrition solutions like gluten/sugar/caffeine removal, blood sugar control, gut health, pyroluria etc) my book “The Antianxiety Food Solution” is a great place to start. More here https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/the-antianxiety-food-solution-by-trudy-scott/ It’s a comprehensive approach – amino acids AND diet.
Dr. James Greenblatt uses low dose lithium orotate with some of his bipolar patients. It’s also worth looking to gluten and Hashimoto’s as both can trigger bipolar type symptoms.
If someone is on meds it’s important to discuss all changes with prescribing doctor.