GABA

Understanding the function of the GABAergic system and its potential role in rheumatoid arthritis (for pain, anxiety, sleep issues and more)

January 3, 2025 By Trudy Scott 2 Comments

This is a great question posed by a woman in my GABA/anxiety online group program:

Can GABA be good for rheumatoid arthritis, and in its early stages? If so, in what ways would someone see signs of improvement with GABA?

When I looked into some of the recent research on GABA and rheumatoid arthritis I was fascinated. A 2023 review paper, Understanding the function of the GABAergic system and its potential role in rheumatoid arthritis, discusses the relationship between rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an autoimmune condition, and GABA (gamma-amino butyric acid), a calming neurotransmitter.

The authors discuss “a new mechanism of action in RA” and the fact that “bidirectional communication occurs between the brain and immune system…and neuroinflammatory responses in the brain.”

The paper discusses GABA and neurosignalling, immunomodulatory effects and inflammation, stating that the:

GABAergic system may modulate the abnormal pain response in RA patients.

So to answer her question, if she has low GABA levels we would expect to see some reduction in her RA pain.

As always, we look for the signs and symptoms of low GABA regardless of the diagnosis or possible diagnosis. So if someone has low GABA symptoms of physical tension, overwhelm, fears, anxiousness, stiff and tense muscles, focus issues, pain, stress eating or drinking to calm down, and poor sleep, we consider a trial of the amino acid GABA, and could expect improvements in all or some of the above symptoms.

I would also recommend that she tracks markers of inflammation (like hs CRP, IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α) and RA markers to see if they shift in a positive direction with her use of GABA too.

I share more below about the incidence of anxiety and sleep issues in rheumatoid arthritis and some of the mechanisms covered in the review paper. Also, there are lab tests to track and there are other nutritional approaches for supporting an autoimmune condition such as RA.

Some of the mechanisms covered in the review paper

This image from the paper and the explanation provides some insights on the mechanisms at play.

Glutamate interacts with glutamate decarboxylase (GAD65 and GAD67) to produce gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA).
Binding of GABA to GABA-A receptors inhibits macrophage activation and decreases the release of inflammatory factors such as IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α. Antigen presentation by antigen-presenting cells, however, is impaired, inhibiting CD4⁺ T cell proliferation and differentiation and reducing the expression of inflammatory factors such as IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α.
Pain signaling activates the P38/MAPK pathway, whereas GABA binding to GABA-A receptors inhibits P38/MAPK. The P38/MAPK signaling pathway contributes to inflammation and is involved in the activation of myocardin-related transcription factor A (MRTFA), myocardin-related transcription factor B (MRTFB), and serum response factor (SRF) that played key roles in fibroblast activation.

gaba and rheumatoid arthritis — Figure 1. Understanding the function of the GABAergic system and its potential role in rheumatoid arthritis

The authors don’t mention the use of the amino acid GABA as a supplement for RA but do list a number of clinical trials (mostly diabetes patients) where GABA has been used with success. It’s a start and I look forward to future research in this area.

Anxiety, depression, insomnia, cognitive issues and stress-eating in RA

This paper, Psychiatric aspects of rheumatoid arthritis: Review of literature, reports that

Among the major psychiatric disorders found in RA, the anxiety and depressive disorders are prevalent (13 to 48% of patients), as well as suicide, insomnia and tiredness. The impairment of quality of life is markedly after age 65.

This paper, A 30-Day Adjunct Wellness Intervention for the Management of Extra-Articular Symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Formative Study, also mentions “cognitive and physical dysfunction” and “stress-related eating” in addition to anxiety, depression and insomnia in RA patients.

Doing a trial of GABA (and other amino acids such as tryptophan and d-phenylalanine/ DPA), will confirm which symptoms are related to which neurotransmitter deficiencies. It’s exciting to consider a very possible role of GABA and other amino acids given the fact that “individuals with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) continually fall short of treatment targets using standard drug therapies alone”

Looking further than GABA and other amino acids: a gluten-free diet and other root causes

With RA we obviously want to address more than just GABA (and other amino acids). Gluten removal is recommended but I do want to mention that the research is surprisingly mixed. This paper, Efficacy of gluten-free diet in patients with rheumatoid arthritis states that

Gluten seems to be a glycoprotein with a clinically relevant inflammatory effect. Several observational studies and anecdotal cases reported a correlation between gluten and various diseases, including autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis. This study aimed to evaluate whether gluten-free diet could be effective in controlling inflammation and ongoing rheumatoid arthritis symptoms.

We report 4 cases of patients with long-standing rheumatoid arthritis with no response to several conventional and biotechnological drugs, treated with a gluten-free diet concurrently with the drug therapy. Our patients presented different degrees of response to the diet, in terms of disease remission and improvement of symptoms. Our cases confirm that a gluten-free diet may improve symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, even in patients resistant to conventional drug therapies.

Many other papers dismiss the role of gluten and inflammatory diets. This one is an example of a number of similar papers.

The benefits of addressing neurotransmitter imbalances with GABA and other amino acids means the addiction is stopped and quitting bread and cookies now no longer requires willpower,

Here are some autoimmune recipe resources:

In addition to dietary changes, a full functional medicine approach is warranted as there is much research supporting the benefits of the following for RA: omega-3 fatty acids, olive oil, low vitamin B6, addressing heavy metals such as mercury and much much more.

I cover 60+ root causes of anxiety here – I’d be carefully assessing each of these root causes for RA too.

Additional resources when you are new to using GABA and other amino acids as supplements

As always, I use the symptoms questionnaire to figure out if low serotonin or low GABA or other neurotransmitter imbalances may be an issue.

If you suspect low levels of any of the neurotransmitters and do not yet have my book, The Antianxiety Food Solution – How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood, and End Cravings, I highly recommend getting it and reading it before jumping in and using amino acids on your own so you are knowledgeable. And be sure to share it with the practitioner/health team you or your loved one is working with.

There is an entire chapter on the amino acids and they are discussed throughout the book in the sections on gut health, gluten, blood sugar control (this is covered in an entire chapter too), sugar cravings, anxiety and mood issues.

The book doesn’t include product names (per the publisher’s request) so this blog, The Antianxiety Food Solution Amino Acid and Pyroluria Supplements, lists the amino acids that I use with my individual clients and those in my group programs.

If, after reading this blog and my book, you don’t feel comfortable figuring things out on your own (i.e. doing the symptoms questionnaire and respective amino acids trials), a good place to get help is the GABA QuickStart Program (if you have low GABA symptoms). This is a paid online/virtual group program where you get my guidance and community support, and is where this question was asked of me during one of the live Q&A calls.

If you are a practitioner, join us in The Balancing Neurotransmitters: the Fundamentals program. This is also a paid online/virtual program with an opportunity to interact with me and other practitioners who are also using the amino acids.

Wrapping up and your feedback

Do you have rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or another autoimmune condition and has GABA helped?

Were you aware of these possible connections?

What about dietary and nutritional approaches?

Feel free to share your feedback and ask your questions below.

Calming GABA, tryptophan to relinquish the evening bottle of red wine, theanine for focus and the pyroluria protocol

November 29, 2024 By Trudy Scott 5 Comments

gaba tryptophan theanine

I’m 61 years old postmenopausal. 2 GABA Calm under my tongue the second my eyes open in the morning. I keep it at the bedside. So that’s 250mg.

In the beginning I would also use two if I woke up at 2AM with a panic attack. That doesn’t happen as much anymore. I keep a bottle in my purse for panic attacks during the day. I haven’t had one of those in a couple of years. When I have a low stress week ahead, such as no social interaction scheduled, I go several days without any, but then that clutch in my chest reminds me to start back.

I also am diligent in treating my Pyroluria (diagnosed with a urine test)…it makes a difference. Daily zinc, B vitamins (especially 15mg methylfolate/day – check out the research papers on that dose being as effective as most antidepressants, I’m heterozygous not homozygous, MTHFR), Magnesium Threonate.

I am having good results with 1000 mg L-Tryptophan/day. I’ve just started adding another 1000mg/day in a bid to relinquish my evening bottle of red wine.

I keep a bottle of L-theanine on hand if I have a day ahead that I need to focus. ADHD does not improve with age!! I seriously liked it better in my day when my third-grade teacher labeled me a “dreamer”. Fortunately, I live on a farm and the cows don’t seem to mind that it takes me a bit to focus long enough to get the chores done.

I also have a regular yoga practice and I do physical work outside and in the winter use a SAD light.

I will also add that the last 8 months I have been in a very stressful family situation at home and the above regimen is holding.

If anyone has stuck with this wandering post to the end, don’t give up. Keep fighting to find what works for you.

Jennifer responded with the above in response to my question on Facebook about your starting GABA dose and if it’s changed over the years based on stress levels, hormone changes and life events.

I thanked her for sharing and for her encouraging words for others in the community and asked if I could share her feedback as a blog. She said yes saying “I have learned so very much from the stories of others on the page” – so here we are …

Stories offer hope, motivation and inspiration and we do learn so much from them.

I also told her that she is a poster child for how we want to use GABA and share more about that and her desire to relinquish her bottle of wine (and how amino acids make it easier) below.

She is a poster child for how we want to use GABA

Initially a higher dose of GABA may be needed and then as GABA levels increase and we also start to address other underlying root causes, less GABA is needed on a regular basis.

Initially Jennifer needed 4 x GABA Calm (for a total of 400mg/day) and then just 250mg GABA per day once she addressed pyroluria and B vitamin deficiencies. Yoga also supports GABA production.

On some low-stress days she doesn’t need any GABA at all, but she wisely keeps some in her purse for “panic attacks during the day” (but hasn’t had one in a couple of years).

She had struggled with perimenopause: “I must say that postmenopausal is a hell of a lot better, even with the paper thin skin and wrinkles, than the hell that was perimenopause!!!!”

And she did mention her phenyl-GABA mistake/ignorance and the fact that I helped her identify this issue 5 years ago. If you’re not aware, phenyl-GABA or phenibut can cause similar tolerance, dependence and discontinuation issues to benzodiazepines. More on phenibut here.

All of the above very likely contributed to her higher need for GABA initially.

Additional serotonin support to relinquish her evening bottle of red wine

Jennifer is already supporting her serotonin with 1000mg tryptophan per day, a SAD light in winter and physical exercise on the farm.

Afternoon and evening cravings are common when serotonin isn’t optimal – this can be carb/sugar cravings and/or also a need to self-medicate with wine. The first step is to recognize and acknowledge that a bottle of wine each evening is too much.

This amount of alcohol affects the liver, contributes to leaky gut, can cause blood sugar swings and reduces B vitamins, especially thiamine/vitamin B3. And it could also be considered an added “stress” if you have pyroluria.

Most of us are aware of these harmful effects and yet cannot easily quit. Her use of the word relinquish is a clue as to how she feels about this i.e. some common synonyms of relinquish are “abandon, resign, surrender” which “may suggest some regret, reluctance, or weakness.”

But because she understands the power of amino acids, she plans to increase her tryptophan from 1000mg to 2000mg to address this addiction without the need for willpower or with no feelings of regret or surrender.

If you are new to using this tryptophan for this purpose, this blog is worth reading: Tryptophan had the added benefit of turning me completely off alcohol when I took it to improve mood and sleep during perimenopause

Theanine for when she needs additional focus

Theanine provides a feeling of calm focus, offering support for the following neurotransmitters: GABA, serotonin and dopamine.

Jennifer also uses 400mg of theanine (Suntheanine) for her focus issues, using it only on days she needs it. She says “I rarely have a day when I would need more than 3-4 hours of paperwork concentration as my life on the farm and keeping up with grandchildren is more physical than mental focus.”

Now that she has used GABA, tryptophan and theanine with success, she has these amino acids in her toolbox whenever she needs them in the future and when she needs to increase the dose if the situation requires a change.

A few GABA product options – a sublingual and a powder

Jennifer used Source Naturals GABA Calm lozenges, a product I recommend. It’s a good low dose of 125 mg and is convenient and effective because it’s a sublingual lozenge.

Now GABA Powder is another product I use and recommend. It does need to be measured out to provide a 125 mg typical starting dose. I have clients use a handy mini measuring spoon like this one (my Amazon link) and share more about how to measure out GABA powder on this blog).

For Source Naturals GABA Calm lozenges and Now GABA Powder:

You can purchase these from my online store (Fullscript – only available to US customers – use this link to set up an account).
If you’re not in the US, you can purchase these at iherb (use this link to save 5%).

Additional resources when you are new to using GABA, tryptophan and other amino acids as supplements

As always, I use the symptoms questionnaire to figure out if low GABA, low serotonin or other neurotransmitter imbalances may be an issue.

Wrapping up and your feedback

I appreciate Jennifer for sharing and giving me permission to share her story on the blog. Despite the wine and her very stressful family situation I am thrilled she says she is doing well. I also love that she ends with this: “… don’t give up. Keep fighting to find what works for you.”

I’d love to hear from you – has any of this worked for you?

Feel free to share about your GABA success and how much it helps you and if this has changed over time. And let us know what you feel has contributed to the need for less or more GABA i.e. which other root causes have you addressed?

Feel free to share if tryptophan (or another amino acid) has helped with quitting wine or another alcoholic beverage.

And do share if you use theanine for calm focus.

Feel free to share and ask your questions below.

GABA and theanine for sedation, anxiety, and cognition in preoperative surgical patients (a randomized controlled study)

October 18, 2024 By Trudy Scott 7 Comments

L-theanine is a unique amino acid found in green tea. It prevents stress, produces anxiolysis, modulates alpha activity, and provides beneficial effects on mental state, including sleep quality.

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a non-proteinogenic amino acid and a phytochemical that is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the mammalian brain. It is beneficial in anxiety and stress regulation.

This overview of theanine and GABA come from this paper, Comparison of the effects of two amino acids, Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and L-theanine, on sedation, anxiety, and cognition in preoperative surgical patients – A randomized controlled study, a very promising paper published in May this year.

This novel study was planned to study and compare the effects of L-theanine and GABA on anxiety, sedation, and cognition in preoperative patients posted for major elective surgeries under general anesthesia.

The conclusion is that: “GABA and L-theanine result in effective preoperative anxiolysis with minimal sedation and improvement of cognitive skills.”

In other words, both these amino acids are calming before a surgical procedure, don’t cause too much drowsiness and improve cognition.

There are a number of reasons why I feel this study is so promising: anxiety before surgery is very common; laryngospasms (or vocal cord spasms) during surgery are potentially life threatening and clinically we see GABA to be helpful outside of the surgical setting; and any research confirming the calming benefits of GABA (and other amino acids like theanine) supports what we see clinically and furthers the field. This is especially the case when it’s a randomized controlled study such as this one. More on all this below.

The study information and benzodiazepine comparison with GABA/theanine

It was a small study with a “total of 168 patients aged between 18 and 55 years .. who were randomly divided into three groups that received either oral L-theanine, oral GABA, or oral alprazolam 0.25 mg. The anxiety score, sedation score, and psychomotor and cognitive performance scores were noted 60 minutes before and after the administration of the drugs” and amino acids.

Alprazolam is an antianxiety medication known as a benzodiazepine which impairs “psychomotor performance and cause excessive sedation.” I’ve blogged extensively about many of the known issues with benzodiazepines.

Because of this it’s worth noting that the authors share this exciting information: “To our knowledge, our study is the first comparative study that compares GABA with L-theanine and alprazolam.”

This in itself is very encouraging but more so because the outcome “showed that oral L-theanine, oral GABA, and oral alprazolam were equally effective in producing anxiolysis.”

How much GABA and theanine was used in the study? And what is optimal?

The authors had the study participants use 500 mg GABA and 200 mg of theanine. Both were used as capsules and swallowed. If you’ve been following my work, you’re aware that I find sublingual (or powder or liposomal or topical) use of GABA to be more effective than swallowing a capsule. For this reason it’s possible that using a lower dose sublingually may be as effective or possibly even more effective.

As always, dosing of GABA (and other amino acids such as theanine) is individualized to the unique needs of the person. Ideally, the person has figured out their optimal dose for easing anxiety in their day to day life before going in for surgery. They may find that a higher dose is needed the weeks leading up to surgery and the day of surgery.

You can read the entire study here: Comparison of the effects of two amino acids, Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and L-theanine, on sedation, anxiety, and cognition in preoperative surgical patients – A randomized controlled study

Laryngospasms during anesthetic – could GABA help prevent this?

Laryngospasm is a life threatening complication during the perioperative period (time of surgery) with an incidence of 0.78-5% depending on the surgical type, patient age, pre-existing conditions and anesthetic technique.”

It is described as “the sustained closure of the vocal cords resulting in the partial or complete loss of the patient’s airway. Although described in the conscious state and associated with silent reflux, laryngospasm is a problematic reflex which occurs often under general anaesthesia.”

The authors state that “a clear management plan is required to avoid significant morbidity and even mortality.” They do discuss the use of magnesium “due to both an increased depth of anaesthetic and muscle relaxation” and the authors state that this “agent may have a role to play in the future prevention of laryngospasm, but more studies are needed.”

Clinically we see GABA to be helpful for the prevention of laryngospasms outside of a surgical setting (I blogged about this here) and it’s intriguing to consider that the use of GABA before surgery may actually help prevent or reduce the severity of this complication. I look forward to future research on this application of GABA.

Until then it may be worth discussing with your surgeon and anesthetist. I have a family member who is susceptible to laryngospasms and GABA powder rubbed on the inside of his cheek during an episode, stops the spasm and stridor (abnormal high-pitched sound) in a matter of 30 seconds. Prior to a recent surgical procedure, he discussed this with his surgeon and anesthetist. We were both pleasantly surprised that they were both interested and open to having him take GABA with him into surgery.

GABA for anxiety, stress, muscle spasms and pain too

I shared this excerpt in a recent blog but it’s worth sharing again: a number of studies have shown that “GABA is implicated in a large number of diseases including anxiety and stress disorders, pain, musculoskeletal disorders, sleep disorders, depression, addiction and withdrawal syndromes.”

Let’s consider GABA (and theanine) during the often stressful and anxiety-provoking periods leading up to surgery and on the day of surgery. It’s likely to help with muscle spasms, pain reduction and sleep too.

A few GABA product options – a sublingual, a powder and a cream

The authors had the study participants use 500 mg GABA, swallowed. As I mentioned above, using a lower dose sublingually may be as effective or possibly even more effective. Also, dosing of GABA (and other amino acids) is individualized to the unique needs of the person.

One product I use and recommend is Source Naturals GABA Calm lozenges. It’s a good low dose of 125 mg and is convenient and effective because it’s a sublingual lozenge.

For Source Naturals GABA Calm lozenges and Now GABA Powder:

You can purchase these from my online store (Fullscript – only available to US customers – use this link to set up an account).
If you’re not in the US, you can purchase these at iherb (use this link to save 5%).

Somnium GABA Cream is another option that could be considered especially for children and those with special needs. It is available in the US and elsewhere with international shipping. Read more about the product and who else may benefit from using a cream, and grab my coupon code to save 15%.

Additional resources when you are new to using GABA and other amino acids as supplements

As always, I use the symptoms questionnaire to figure out if low low GABA or other neurotransmitter imbalances may be an issue.

Wrapping up and your feedback

I’d love to hear from you – does any of this resonate with you? Do you feel increasingly anxious before surgery and other medical procedures and is GABA and/or theanine part of your calming repertoire?

And have either helped you when experiencing a laryngospasm?

Have you ever discussed either of these two amino acids with your surgeon or anesthetist prior to surgery and were they open?

If you’re a practitioner do you recommend GABA and theanine to your anxious clients/patients and as a surgeon or anesthetist would you consider these amino acids in the future (especially in patients more prone to laryngospasm)?

Feel free to share and ask your questions below.

Fran suffered from proctalgia fugax alarmingly frequently for over 10 years: GABA is the only thing that helps and has absolutely changed her life

October 4, 2024 By Trudy Scott 4 Comments

Trudy, your information about GABA has absolutely changed my life. I was suffering from proctalgia fugax alarmingly frequently over the last 10 + years, not just during the night but also during the day, at work, while driving, anywhere… which caused so much anxiety and stress for me. I had many episodes where I had vasovagal episodes and passed out (which instantly resolved the symptoms but left me exhausted and battered.)

Now, because of your information I have a strategy that seems to work almost all the time- I take half a teaspoon of GABA powder sublingually as soon as I feel the twinge coming on. I sit on the ground in a safe place where I can either slump left or right without hitting my head (seriously! ).

I open the “breathing app” on my phone (free app) and focus on breathing in time with the inflating and deflating ball on the screen . I have more powder if the symptoms are not fading. Reducing the panic by controlling my breath is absolutely crucial, and the GABA powder short cuts the whole episode.

In the past, before GABA, I have had episodes that lasted over an hour. I have small tubs of GABA stashed in my handbag, gym bag, office, car etc. This has been the only thing that helped. Thank you

Fran posted this wonderful feedback about how the amino acid GABA, used as a supplement, is life-changing for her proctalgia fugax. If, like Fran and I, you’ve experienced these anal cramps (or butt cramps or anal sphincter spasms or “cramps in your bottom”), I know you can relate to how intense the pain can often be.

Today’s blog highlights more about this condition in case proctalgia fugax is new to you or if this application of GABA is new to you. I also discuss GABA dosing and some insights that may help Fran (and her son) get even more relief. And I share some of the latest research which unfortunately doesn’t offer much in the way of a solution.

How much GABA does Fran use?

I thanked Fran for sharing her wonderful success using GABA for proctalgia fugax. And I acknowledged how stressful it is to not know when the next episode will happen and then to be in such pain for over an hour in some instances. Like Fran, I’ve had a few clients also report passing out due to the pain.

She mentions using “half a teaspoon of GABA powder sublingually” as soon as she feels the twinge coming on. The key here is use it as soon as you feel the twinge of pain and using it sublingually like Fran does is perfect. Half a teaspoon of the powder is around 1500 mg GABA, which is a very high dose (a typical starting dose is 125 mg GABA).

I first blogged about GABA as a solution for my agonizing rectal pain and spasms in 2017. I find that 125 mg to 250 mg GABA works well for my needs and have had similar feedback from others in the community. I share this to illustrate the variability in the amount that may help.

For Fran, increasing the amount of GABA may help with prevention. But given the high dose she is already using I suspect that as time goes on and her GABA levels increase, it’s possible that her need to sit on the ground and use the breathing app may no longer be needed. She may find her GABA levels rebound with consistent GABA use throughout the day, even when she is not experiencing rectal spasms.

She does also mention feelings of panic so it’s possible that low serotonin may also be a factor. If this is the case then a trial of tryptophan or 5-HTP is worth considering.

GABA helps Fran’s son too

Fran added this PS to her comment:

Ps my 21 yo son has started experiencing these symptoms recently and he follows the process of taking GABA and using the breathing app and hasn’t had an episode last longer than a few minutes. I am so grateful that he hasn’t experienced a full blown episode of proctalgia fugax.

How wonderful that this helps her son too!

For both of them, I’d recommend trying to figure out what may be contributing to their low GABA levels and addressing those root causes. My book is a great starting point to address dietary factors, gut health, low zinc, low vitamin B6, toxins and infections that may play a role.

What is proctalgia fugax pain like and how is it treated medically?

This recent paper, Chronic anal pain: A review of causes, diagnosis, and treatment shares that “chronic anal pain is a relatively common problem affecting up to 11.6% of the US population.” Proctalgia fugax is one type of chronic anal pain and in this paper the pain is described as follows:

“Short-lasting (seconds or minutes) sharp deep rectal stabbing or cramping. No radiation. No anorectal pain between episodes.
The pain can occur night or day and vary in severity from uncomfortable to unbearable.”

It’s really disappointing to me that the solution offered is simply reassurance and an explanation:

From a treatment perspective, the problem with diagnosing proctalgia fugax is that symptoms are generally too brief or infrequent to treat. Thus, the key is patient reassurance and explanation, such as describing the condition as a “cramp in your bottom” that is harmless and not indicative of any serious bowel disease.

It may be harmless but I’ve had clients describe the pain as excruciating and agonizing, with many saying it’s worse than childbirth.

As you read above, these episodes caused Fran “so much anxiety and stress”, caused her to pass out and left her feeling “exhausted and battered.” I don’t know what her medical team told her but I believe we can do better than what these authors are proposing.

The first time I experienced a proctalgia fugax episode, I was terrified and beside myself, not knowing what it was or what to do. The pain was extremely severe and lasted about an hour. I eventually figured out the solution because I had used GABA for my own anxiety and to ease tense muscles and other kinds of pain.

GABA for anxiety, pain and muscle spasms (and more)

A number of studies have shown that “GABA is implicated in a large number of diseases including anxiety and stress disorders, pain, musculoskeletal disorders, sleep disorders, depression, addiction and withdrawal syndromes.”

It’s time that GABA supplementation is recognized and used more for pain, muscle spasms and anxiety – everything that Fran and her son experience. I’d love to get some cases like this published so we can get the message out in a bigger way and have the research catch up with what we are seeing clinically. If you know of anyone who could help in this regard please do comment below or reach out.

A few GABA product options – a sublingual, a powder and a cream

Fran used a GABA powder, possibly similar to Now GABA Powder (which does need to be measured out to provide a 125 mg typical starting dose). Keep in mind, some individuals need less to start and some like Fran may need more.

When using GABA powder I have clients use a handy mini measuring spoon like this one (my Amazon link) and share more about how to measure out GABA powder on this blog).

Source Naturals GABA Calm lozenges (a good low dose of 125 mg) is another GABA product I recommend and is helpful in cases of proctalgia fugax because of the lozenge instead of it being a powder that needed to be measured.

For Source Naturals GABA Calm lozenges and Now GABA Powder:

You can purchase these from my online store (Fullscript – only available to US customers – use this link to set up an account).
If you’re not in the US, you can purchase these at iherb (use this link to save 5%).

Somnium GABA Cream used before bed may prevent an episode in the night and is less likely to stop an episode that is in full force. It is available in the US and elsewhere with international shipping. Read more about the product and who else may benefit from using a cream, and grab my coupon code to save 15%.

Additional resources when you are new to using GABA and other amino acids as supplements

As always, I use the symptoms questionnaire to figure out if low low GABA or other neurotransmitter imbalances may be an issue.

Wrapping up and your feedback

I appreciate Fran for sharing her success with GABA and the success her son has experienced too. I do hope this information has been helpful for you and for them too.

Now I’d love to hear from you – does any of this resonate with you? Have you had success like this with GABA? What solution has your medical team offered?

If you’re a practitioner is GABA one of the amino acids you use with your clients/patients?

Feel free to share and ask your questions below.

I’m anxious about GABA side effects and feel like adding a bit of tryptophan before increasing GABA (to avoid overdoing it with either one)

September 6, 2024 By Trudy Scott 9 Comments

I have symptoms from both low GABA and low serotonin on your questionnaire. So I suspect I need to supplement with both. The main issues I have (anxiety, panic) are common to both deficiencies. I took a trial dose of 1 Gaba Calm and it seemed to help a bit. Should one continue increasing the dose of GABA or introduce some tryptophan next?

I am trying to avoid GABA side effects because now that I read your last post on tingling etc (which would be a huge trigger for me), I’m anxious about that.

I feel like adding a bit of tryptophan before increasing GABA and going up like that, one at a time. Versus going higher and higher with GABA since the symptoms are on both lists – in order to avoid overdoing it with one .

Does that make sense or do you still recommend doing one at a time (I just read on one of your blog posts that one should try one amino acid first before introducing another one)? Thank you!

Liz asked this great question on one of the blogs where I discuss how there can be an extremely large variation in dosing for GABA and how too much can cause a niacin-like flush and tingling.

Her concerns are very valid – especially for someone who is anxious – but I still recommend doing a trial of just one amino acid before introducing another. In today’s blog I share why this is my recommendation and why sometimes there is an exception to this recommendation (and how best to implement it).

My recommendation and her results

Liz is correct, I do always recommend doing a trial of one amino acid at a time before introducing the next one. I confirmed that this is still my recommendation and also reminded her that when “one GABA Calm seems to help a bit” it’s a positive sign. When I hear this it’s a big clue that you are on track and the next step is to continue to increase the GABA to determine if you’ll get even better results. I told her we are looking for a wow effect in a few days to weeks.

In case you’re wondering, she did increase just the GABA (without adding tryptophan) and shared “I’ve now increased to 2 GABA Calms and it helps a lot!”

With this kind of result she may decide to stay with just 2 GABA Calm or she may decide to increase yet again if this amount hasn’t substantially reduced her low GABA symptoms of physical tension, anxious thoughts, self-medicating with sugar or alcohol to relax, feelings of panic, pain etc. You can see all the low GABA symptoms here).

As always, I also reminded her what when you are new to the amino acids and other anxiety nutrition solutions like eating real whole food, quality animal protein, fermented foods, organic produce, healthy fats, gluten/sugar/caffeine removal, eating for blood sugar control, addressing gut health and pyroluria, my book “The Antianxiety Food Solution” is a great place to start. It’s a comprehensive approach – amino acids AND diet.

She has “been eating organic, gluten-free, whole foods for 10+ yrs” (this is a wonderful foundation). However the stress of the last few years has really gotten to her and she has been meaning to get my book to get some help with amino acids. Hopefully she now has a copy!

Why do I recommend doing a trial of one amino acid at a time before introducing the next one?

As she mentioned, she has overlaps with low GABA and low serotonin symptoms: “anxiety, panic.” This is not uncommon. Although they do differ – with low GABA it’s more physical and with low serotonin it’s more mental – it can often be challenging to figure out which neurotransmitter imbalance is the issue. Doing a trial of one of the amino acids and seeing/feeling the results provides the answer.

In this case, Liz discovered all or some of her anxiety was caused by low GABA levels. I say some, because it can be due to both low GABA and low serotonin. Once she has a good baseline of GABA and assuming she still has some lingering anxiety symptoms (and other low serotonin symptoms like PMS, anger, low mood, afternoon cravings etc – see them all here), she would then trial tryptophan without changing GABA dosing.

Laying in the tryptophan (after doing an initial trial) would help Liz know that low serotonin is also an issue for her.

And it would have all been challenging to figure out what was doing what had she done some GABA and some tryptophan and then more GABA and then more tryptophan.

Too much GABA and the adverse effects

Liz was understandably concerned about potential adverse effects of using too much GABA after reading this blog post: How much GABA should I use for my anxiety? It depends on your unique needs (and there is an extremely large variation in dosing). (This is the blog she commented on)

I’ve also published these blogs with similar messages:

Learning about adverse effects like this may make you feel more anxious rather than educated and empowered – hence her question about using tryptophan. However, too much tryptophan can also increase feelings of anxiousness and keep you awake (and it’s going to complicate the trial).

Knowing about vitamin C as an antidote often helps mitigate some of the anxious feelings but when it doesn’t then there may be an exception.

Why there may be an exception to my recommendation (and how best to implement it).

Typically when someone has profound fears that hold them back and stop them from using any of the amino acids, my recommendation is always to start with serotonin support as it can allay fears, worry, obsessing and ruminations about possible adverse effects.

In a situation like Liz describes, if anxious thoughts and worrying prevents her from increasing GABA, we would discuss all of the above and I’d help her decide what to do next:

Layer on tryptophan before she has found her ideal dose of GABA, without any change to GABA i.e. one change only. And then go from there to increase the GABA and eventually increase the tryptophan later if she needs to
Stop GABA and switch to tryptophan only and then come back to GABA. It isn’t ideal to lose the gains experienced, even when GABA only “seems to help a bit.”

The good news is that Liz felt comfortable enough increasing the GABA and saw the benefits. This may not be the case for everyone and the above are some options to consider.

A few GABA product options – a sublingual, a powder and a cream

Liz used Source Naturals GABA Calm lozenges (a good low dose of 125 mg). It’s one of the many products I recommend. Another one is Now GABA Powder (which does need to be measured out to provide a 125 mg typical starting dose). Keep in mind, some individuals need less to start.

When using GABA powder I have clients use a handy mini measuring spoon like this one (my Amazon link) and share more about how to measure out GABA powder on this blog).

For Source Naturals GABA Calm lozenges and Now GABA Powder:

You can purchase these from my online store (Fullscript – only available to US customers – use this link to set up an account).
If you’re not in the US, you can purchase these at iherb (use this link to save 5%).

Somnium GABA Cream is available in the US and elsewhere with international shipping. Read more about the product and who may benefit from using a cream, and grab my coupon code to save 15%.

Additional resources when you are new to using GABA and other amino acids as supplements

As always, I use the symptoms questionnaire to figure out if low low GABA or other neurotransmitter imbalances may be an issue.

Wrapping up and your feedback

I appreciate Liz for asking this question. I do hope this information has been helpful for you and for her too.

Now I’d love to hear from you – does any of this resonate with you? Have you felt anxious or fearful about increasing your dose of GABA? And how did you resolve it?

If you’re a practitioner is this how you advise your clients/patients?

Feel free to share and ask your questions below.

High dose GABA (750 mg) caused her to feel anxious and nervous with feelings of panic. She also felt agitated, flushed and hot

August 30, 2024 By Trudy Scott 15 Comments

I casually read about GABA and ordered a bottle from Walmart. It was 750mg and it said take 1x daily. Ooooooooh boy did that mess me up – anxious nervous panic. That’s how I found you though, so I guess the universe had its reasons. I read your article about GABA dosing and started doing a micro dose by opening the pill, splitting it into 4 and putting it under my tongue and it was a game changer! Immense anxiety relief and now I’m researching more to add

These game changing results are wonderful to hear and I’m very happy for Tiffany but I’m not happy with GABA product labels. Folks need to know this, and I really want to get the message out about safe ways to use GABA.

She posted this on one of my facebook threads and I asked her if she’d be willing to share what happened so this doesn’t happen to someone else. She kindly said “absolutely you can share” and proceeded to provide a very detailed description of what happened. I share all this below with some of my insights about starting with GABA 750mg (considered a high dose for most individuals), what she did really well and my takeaway lessons, plus more about GABA dosing and the antidote when too much is used.

This is what happened (in her exact words):

Day 1 (Aug 3) – 4AM – After swallowing the 750 I first noticed a heat/flush feeling. It was my neck and upper chest area. This alone had me panicking that death was imminent, then it slowed after I’d say 15-30 minutes. I felt overly anxious & agitated after that, kept checking my pulse & BP (blood pressure) reassuring myself I was not dying.

Looking at my search history my anxieties lasted hours – by 11am I was searching “can I overdose on gaba” then I finally slept

I haven’t formed a connection yet between the gaba & the flush / panic yet.

10ish pm

I again swallowed the 750. I also applied icy hot for my chronic pain condition 30ish mins later. Then the flush sensation again neck & chest like before hit me. 15-30 mins of tingling , this time I convinced myself it must just be the icy hot mixing with the gaba altering my skin sensations (I had read about how it works in the central nervous system).

Day 2 (Aug 4) – 1am (+3hrs ingested)

I was in full “health” anxiety/panic mode, panic googling & [My search “gaba cause warming sensation”] landed me on your article

This was my game changer/ life saving moment!!!!

I’m unsure how long the anxieties lingered but I had a new game plan for microdosing from now on.

Plan: open the capsule (750mg) & separate the powder into 4 equal parts. Place this 1/4 under my tongue

7am

I took my 1st 1/4 micro-dose and felt like a champ! My google searching was now about understanding how it worked in the brain and why it had unclenched my jaw muscles. (My chronic pain is from TMJD largely due to my anxiety clenching)

I’m sorry she experienced this but I’m so glad she found my dosing article and figured it out. And that the lower dose of GABA is helping so much.

She was totally new to GABA and supplements in general: “I’m just learning supplements after detoxing effexor” so it’s not totally unexpected for something like this to happen BUT it really doesn’t have to be this way when you are an informed user (I share my take-aways below).

In my article/blog, Too much GABA causes a tingling niacin-like flush sensation (in the brain and body). It’s awful and very uncomfortable! I share the issues with starting with too high a dose. If you’re new to GABA, I encourage you to click the above and read the post.

Splitting the 750 mg GABA capsule into four equal doses works for Tiffany

This is the change she made after reading my blog post i.e. she used much smaller doses

From then till now I’ve consumed 1 of the 750mg gabas each day by splitting into the 1/4’s (3-4hrs in between) and it has kept my anxiety at a consistent baseline level and helped immensely with the clenched jaw.

I also started adding l-theanine (100mg) supplement and I’m actively researching additional amino acid supplements to add in once I have some extra money to buy.

For context on Aug 7, I had an emergency dental extraction that was traumatic. I took my gaba 1/4 right before and remained relatively calm through the whole 4 hour ordeal.

Once the Walmart bottle is gone I’ll be buying a low dose sublingual.

It was fortunate that 187 mg (a quarter of 750 mg) worked well for her based on her unique needs and biochemistry. It’s possible this may have been too much for her too and in this case she would have adjusted down.

Why Tiffany considered GABA for her issues and her next steps

Her initial reason for wanting to take GABA was a desire to keep her “anxiety / panic levels regulated.” Her physical anxiety symptoms manifest as “flight or fight” response and were hitting her constantly without warning or outside triggers. She was also in “constant pain from the jaw muscle issues but couldn’t face leaving the house to find a new doctor for help.”

The good news is that after finding the proper dose of GABA she was “able to remain calm enough to find a new doctor.” Tiffany also shared this:

I am treating my brain as a delicate little flower right now. Taking copious notes trying to establish what my baseline brain chemistry is and how the individual neurotransmitters impact my mood/state in the moment.

I mentioned before I am just starting my research journey about brain chemistry and planning to start to “play” around with additional amino acid supplements.

I’m in the stage now of discovery, finding a new amino acid, researching what transmitter it is connected to, it’s role as a precursor and once I have my data compiled I’m going to take a targeted approach testing to see what the impacts are.

I’m focused on figuring out my root deficiency i.e. serotonin vs dopamine vs norepinephrine and then going from there.

Takeaway lessons for Tiffany and what she did well

I shared some of my takeaway lessons with Tiffany and here they are in case you’re also new to using the amino acid GABA:

Learn how to safely use GABA and the other aminos before you start using them i.e. read my book “The Antianxiety Food Solution” or do one of my online group programs (details below)
Use vitamin C as an antidote if you have a reaction. I write about this in my book. It negates any adverse symptoms quickly but also negates any benefits
Start with a low dose of GABA and ignore the product label. I recommend 125 mg as a safe starting dose and less for sensitive folks
Trial only one new supplement at a time so you know what is working and what is causing issues. With the GABA reaction Tiffany experienced I would not have added theanine before finding the ideal GABA dose. With her pain issues I’d be considering serotonin and endorphin support, but using one amino at a time and starting low dose with the correct timing
If you have an adverse reaction stop immediately i.e. don’t push through
Purchase professional grade supplements from Fullscript or iherb (here is the link to my products page with links to both). We want quality supplements just like we want quality food.

What Tiffany did well:

She carefully logged exactly what happened
She searched for expert advice and didn’t continue to push through the adverse effects
She split the GABA 750 mg into 4 and put the powder under her tongue
She is in the process of educating herself (and says she’ll get a copy of my book)

A few GABA product options – a sublingual, a powder and a cream

Some of the many GABA products I recommend include Source Naturals GABA Calm lozenges (a good low dose of 125 mg) and Now GABA Powder (which does need to be measured out to provide a 125 mg typical starting dose). Keep in mind, some individuals need less to start.

When using GABA powder I have clients use a handy mini measuring spoon like this one (my Amazon link) and share more about how to accurately measure out GABA powder on this blog.

For Source Naturals GABA Calm lozenges and Now GABA Powder:

You can purchase these from my online store (Fullscript – only available to US customers – use this link to set up an account).
If you’re not in the US, you can purchase these at iherb (use this link to save 5%).

Somnium GABA Cream is available in the US and elsewhere with international shipping. Read more about the product and who may benefit from using a cream, and grab my coupon code to save 15%.

Additional resources when you are new to using GABA and other amino acids as supplements

As always, I use the symptoms questionnaire to figure out if low low GABA or other neurotransmitter imbalances may be an issue.

Wrapping up and your feedback

I appreciate Tiffany for sharing and giving me permission to blog about this. I do hope it’s been helpful for you and her too.

Now I’d love to hear from you – does any of this resonate with you? If yes, how high a dose of GABA did you start with and what was your adverse reaction? And how much helps now and how does it help? Feel free to share which product too.

If you’re a practitioner is this how you advise your clients/patients?

Feel free to share and ask your questions below.