This time last year folks from the MINDD Foundation interviewed me at the Integrative Medicine for Mental Health conference. The MINDD Foundation helps practitioners and patients discover and implement effective treatments for Metabolic, Immunologic, Neurologic, Digestive, Developmental conditions that often affect the mind.
In this video I share about the amino acids tryptophan and 5-HTP for raising low serotonin levels, and the amino acid GABA for raising low GABA levels.
Here is the Amino Acids Mood Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution so you can see if low serotonin or low GABA may be a factor. Be sure to check the Amino Acid Precautions and work with your doctor if you are taking an SSRI.
Here are some useful related blog posts on the topic of amino acids:
- Targeted individual amino acids: what do we really mean?
- Amino acids for anxiety – which ones and for how long?
- The Anxiety Summit – Pyroluria, Amino Acids and Anxiety: Troubleshooting when you are not getting results
- The Antianxiety Food Solution Amino Acid and Pyroluria Supplements
- Should I use 5-HTP for a 5 year old boy who has been “glutened”?
It’s very timely to be sharing this information. In the recent webinar I shared that we know benzodiazepines do patients more harm than good and a brand new study shows that the psychiatric drug called Paxil, claimed to be a safe and effective treatment for depression in adolescents, is actually ineffective and associated with serious side effects. It is a reanalysis of an influential study originally published in 2001.
While the amino acids and other nutrients are powerful, we must always remember to get the foundations in place – real whole traditional food, no sugar, no caffeine and no gluten. This paper published earlier this year says it perfectly: Nutritional medicine as mainstream in psychiatry
Evidence is steadily growing for the relation between dietary quality (and potential nutritional deficiencies) and mental health, and for the select use of nutrient-based supplements to address deficiencies, or as monotherapies or augmentation therapies.
We advocate recognition of diet and nutrition as central determinants of both physical and mental health.
I will add that many of the recent “real whole traditional food” papers are not yet mentioning the mental health effects of gluten. Many say to include “whole grains.” So I’d like to share this wonderful testimonial recently posted on this blog: Bipolar, disruptive mood or gluten and junk food?
Ever since childhood I could not concentrate and focus at school. This seriously affected my grades. This continued into my working career and caused me to loose several jobs. Whilst I had periods of wellness this condition always returned to plague me. In one job as a retail manager I became driven for a six month period and then I crashed into deep depression sleeping for 18 hours a day. Prior to this crash I was stuffing my face with bread and fats. I was stressed and anxious. Ten years later this happened again.
I was diagnosed with bipolar 2. Only now at the age of 58 I discovered that I have an intolerance to wheat (gluten) after an elimination diet I feel so much better – all my symptoms are gone. It is like a MIRACLE! MY diagnosis is nonsense.
If the information in this video and article sounds intriguing and you’d like guidance with using targeted individual amino acids like tryptophan, 5-HTP and GABA (as well as glutamine and DPA/endorphigen), together with making diet and lifestyle changes, stay tuned for the launch of The Amazing Aminos for Anxiety homestudy group program.
You can add your name in the comments if you’d like to be notified when it launches. You’re also welcome to sign up here to be notified when we have more details about the start date.
Feel free to ask additional questions in the comments.
Dear Judy!
Could you please tell me if and how the medication GABApentin is related to the Amino Acid GABA?
Thanks so much!
Smooth
Smooth
Here is some info from a 2012 paper: “Gabapentin, marketed for the treatment of seizures and neuropathic pain, has been shown to increase in vivo GABA concentration in the brain of both rodents and humans.” and “Whether baseline GABA concentrations predict clinical efficacy of gabapentin is an area worthy of exploration.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22871916
As with all medications side-effects need to be considered http://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-14208-8217/gabapentin-oral/gabapentin-oral/details#side-effects
Thank you for this great article Trudy
In addition to the anxiety benefits could the targeted individual amino acids also help with malabsorption issues?
thanks
Barloc
You’re welcome. Glutamine is one of the targeted individual amino acids I use with clients and is very healing of the gut
Trudy, these are fantastic videos! Thanks for making them available and so easy to understand!
Tricia
I’m so pleased you enjoyed this video
Hi Trudy,
Thank you for your amazingly informative yet down to earth presentations of which I have heard several.
As you are a Neurotransmitter expert am asking for your input on a drug called ‘Strocoz Plus’ by Emcure pharma.
This drug is only available in India and contains Citicoline and Piracetam which enhance GABA and Phosphotidyl choline. It is prescribed amongst other things for Dystonic Tremors.
As I am quite new to this field, Kindly let me have your input esp in view of Therapeutic effect in regard to above and Side effects.
Any other suggestions for Dystonia, Dystonic tremors, speech etc would be highly appreciated.
Many thanks and Best wishes
Dr Simi
I’m not familiar with this drug (and have added it to my list of topics to look into – it’s a long list!). In the meantime I suggest checking online and with the drug company for side-effects.
Also check out this blog on dystonia and a very promising nutritional approach http://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/pyroluria-focal-musicians-dystonia/
Thanks Trudy.
I fully understand about the long list !
Mixed reports on Side-effects.
I shall certainly check the blog.
Wondering if you’ve run into patients not being able to take
neurotransmitter supplements because they cause headaches. After being tested, my protocol consisted of gaba, 5htp, and dlpa. Added them in slowly but didn’t get too far before experiencing a headache every day. My practitioner says that usually means we need to look at the gut first and then revisit neurotransmitters. I trust her very much but was curious about
your experience /opinion. Thanks!
Jenn
Yes DLPA and tyrosine are known to possibly cause headaches (as per the precautions in my book and on the site here). Too much of any amino acid or if it’s not needed could do this too. I have my clients trial one amino acid at a time so we know which one may be causing an issue. I’m afraid I do not agree with what your practitioner is saying.
I guess I just figured they were the correct supplements and dosages because they were in the protocol given Neurogistics after my test. I did add them in one at a time but they all seemed to give me headaches. Back to the drawing board I guess.
Jenn
There is never a set amount for the amino acids which is why I use the trial method (https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/how-to-do-an-amino-acid-trial-for-anxiety/) to determine if they are needed and how much will help and if any will cause side-effects
I’m not familiar with Neurogistics? is it a urine test?
Yes. Dry urine test.
I think my 13 yr old sufferes from 1 or both of these deficits. Gaba and serotonin is what I question. What supplements would.you recommended and dosing (hoping for a local store if possible) and are their any labs that would detect the imbalance? Thanks
Amanda
You can see all the supplements I use with clients here https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/amino-acids-pyroluria-supplements/ I typically start at lower doses for young teens. GABA Calm can be purchased at a health store, Lidtke tryptophan cannot.
I don’t use labs, instead we use the symptoms questionnaire and do a trial of the respective amino acids. 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. What is her diet like right now – gluten-free, sugar-free, caffeine-free, eating protein at breakfast for blood sugar control, real whole foods, grass-fed red meat, wild fish, fermented foods etc?