Today I’m addressing a great question I received on a recent tryptophan blog about insomnia and the use of the amino acids GABA and 5-HTP in a combination product together with melatonin, and what the next steps should be when you are not getting the expected results. And if continuing with tryptophan is a good idea when it seems to be causing a migraine and isn’t leading to a whole night’s sleep. Here is the question:
I have suffered from insomnia for most of my life. I just got your book and am loving it! Thank you for all that you do. My symptoms seem to be high for both low GABA and low serotonin [here is the questionnaire].
I also believe I have a blood sugar problem, so I’m starting to follow your suggestions for that.
I’ve been taking a supplement for sleep that has both GABA and 5-HTP in it, along with melatonin. It worked for a year, however it just recently stopped working.
I thought maybe I should try tryptophan. After taking only 220 mg per night, along with 5 mg of melatonin, I was able to sleep, but not through the entire night. However, the next day I woke up with a horrible headache/migraine. I know it was the tryptophan because I did a trial and tried a night without it and then again with it and the nights I took it, sure enough, the migraine would return.
I must add that I had bloodwork done and tested low for melatonin, which is why I was adding the melatonin into my protocol.
My question is: do I continue with a higher dose of GABA, 5-HTP and melatonin, since it worked for a year i.e. do I up the dosage of the supplement I’ve been taking? Or do I continue trying different doses of tryptophan?
I shared this response in my comment (with some additions for this blog post).
Always first address the nutritional foundational aspects
Firstly, I was glad to hear she is loving my book The Antianxiety Food Solution (my Amazon link) and implementing dietary changes. This is so foundational to any protocol for both anxiety and insomnia. Too often, someone hears me talking about the amazing amino acids and forgets the nutritional basics of real whole food, quality animal protein (like wild fish, pastured eggs and chicken, grass-fed red meat), organic veggies and fruit, healthy fats (like olive oil, coconut oil and butter), fermented foods and broths, and no gluten, caffeine or sugar.
I don’t ever have clients push through
With regards to her trial of tryptophan I shared that I don’t ever have clients push through on a product that is causing any adverse effects, and especially when it’s a migraine. She was smart and trialed the tryptophan twice to make sure it was the tryptophan that caused the migraine and not something else.
Capitalize on what has worked and increase one at a time
With regards to the GABA, 5-HTP and melatonin I shared that I always like to capitalize on what has worked in the past (or is currently working) and would rather increase the 5-HTP and/or melatonin and/or GABA one at a time.
Notice that I said increase these products one at a time. She is taking a combination product so it’s impossible for her to do this. Maybe her GABA levels are now good (because her progesterone levels have improved due to be on a regular zinc supplement or because she has been doing regular yoga sessions) and maybe she needs more serotonin support (because her estrogen levels are off because of recent exposure to xenoestrogens in plastics).
Even though is research showing that a combination product containing GABA and 5-HTP improved sleep and sleep duration more than the use of either of the two amino acids alone, based on her feedback, if we were working together I would have her do each of the GABA, 5-HTP and melatonin separately. This way it’s easy to mix and match and increase one and possibly lower the other, until the ideal combination is found for her unique needs at this time in her life.
She may even find she only needs GABA or only needs 5-HTP or only melatonin. She may also find she needs sublingual melatonin for helping her fall asleep and timed-release melatonin for helping her stay asleep.
She mentions the amino acid questionnaire so it sounds like she is clear on her symptoms: low GABA physical anxiety affecting her sleep and low serotonin mental worry-type of anxiety affecting her sleep. So as she trials the individual amino acids she can see how she does symptom-wise in order to find the ideal amount.
Other factors to consider with insomnia
It’s often straight-forward with the amino acids and the great thing is that one you have the correct combination you will see results in a few days to a few weeks. But There are other factors we may need to consider with insomnia:
- Keep in mind that 5-HTP can raise cortisol and low blood sugar can indicate adrenal issues so looking at high cortisol as a factor in the sleep problems would be something to consider. A 4-collection saliva test will measure this and my favorite product for lowering high cortisol is Seriphos. Other nutrients for adrenal support may be needed too.
- Just addressing low blood sugar can often improve insomnia. Eating to support blood sugar swings, early morning sunlight and no blue light after dark can make a world of difference.
- Other sleep factors we always want to consider: sex hormone imbalances, parasites (they are more active at night and can keep you awake and play a role in high cortisol), accidental gluten exposure, SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth), candida, sleep apnea and mouth breathing, EMFs (WiFi in the home, commuting with the iphone on, a new cordless phone etc.) and medication side-effects (benzodiazepines are a common one).
I really appreciate questions like this being posted on the blog so others like you also get to benefit. This question also demonstrates just how our needs for certain nutrients can change over time and how we may to keep adjusting what we are doing.
In case you have questions about specific products that I use with clients, here is my supplements blog and more information on GABA for the physical type of anxiety and 5-HTP/tryptophan for the worry-type of anxiety.
Can you relate to this scenario? Feel free to ask your questions about sleep, GABA, 5-HTP, tryptophan and melatonin and share your experiences with these products and how they have helped you or if you’ve had issues with any of them.
I have heard that if Vitamin D is low, melatonin will not be effective.
Sandra
Yes vitamin D and melatonin are related – this MS study shows this https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23665342. It goes without saying that all nutritional deficiencies need to be addressed with each person and this would include vitamin D if it’s low (based on blood work). Please share the article/s you have read on this topic.
I have slept poorly since having my first child 16 years ago, regularly waking up after just a few hours of sleep and lying awake for the remainder of the night. I have taken magnesium and 5htp for several years but it did not keep me sleeping through the night although it relaxes me and gives me a little lift in mood. I began taking collagen (by dr.axe) about a year ago and now generally sleep soundly all the night through. Works amazing! Hope this helps someone.
Sharon
Thanks for sharing – glad you’ve found your solution!
If you feel so inclined it would be super for you to also comment on the collagen blog since for some people collagen makes sleep and anxiety worse and I’m trying to gather both positive and negative outcomes https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/collagen-gelatin-lower-serotonin-increase-anxiety-depression/
also ,check if your electric meter has been changed out for a “smart” meter (digital)…they generate a ton of high voltage transients throughout the household wiring along with thousands of pulsing rf transmissions ..they started my insomnia nightmare .if so ,demand it be removed and replaced with a traditional analog mechanical meter that wasnt causing anyone headaches ,insomnia ,and a host of other health effects that get worse over time . google smartmeter harm ,or smartmeter sickness ,see if your symptoms match .ringing in the ears occurs after time too but headaches and interupted sleep ,massive insomnia ,anxiety and agitation come relatively soon ,and many times immediately after installation .
Deanna
Yes I would always consider smart meters and all EMF exposure. I share more here https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/wi-fi-threat-to-human-health-anxiety-sibo-oxalate-issues-high-cortisol/
Hope your insomnia nightmare is over!
Hello Trudy,
I read your book ” The anti-anxiety food solutions” and it was so helpful. I have a question about 5 HTP and GABA. Can my husband continue taking them if we are trying to conceive? Thanks in advance !
Alena
None of the amino acids have been studied to determine their effects on conception so there is no definitive answer. But consider this fact: “stress as a causative factor in male infertility” (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26057063) and check with your practitioner
Glad you found my book so helpful!
Hi Trudy, here is my story….
About a year ago I took an SSRI (Citalopram) to cure my anxiety. It was a big mistake, it caused me to have sleeping problems (waking up 2-3 times at night, and sometimes being unable to return back to sleep). Anyway, I spoke to my nutritionist, she said the SSRI disrupted my serotonin levels as I did not feel as happy as I used to and of course the sleep problem it gave me. She put me on a natural form of melatonin called Asphalia (I recommend you look into this for your clients). It did help a lot, I would only wake up once and then immediately fall back to sleep. I currently, take Omega 3, multivitamin, 2g of vitamin C and 500mg of magnesium as my standard supplement programme.
Anyway, I took 5 HTP, and it cured everything, my sleep, anxiety, confidence, mood, concentration and motivation, anger. In short, it was brilliant and worked like a drug.
I gave it a break for a while, and during that break, about 5 weeks ago from today, I tried a multivitamin from my health food shop which contained 50mg of Green Tea leaf extract and 25mg of Siberian Ginseng. These 2 culprits really disrupted my sleep and I now wake up 2-3 times ever since. I cant get my sleep back like I could with the Asphalia. Now, I took 5 HTP (50mg) and it caused my heart to race really fast, I could not fall to sleep, everytime I tried to my heart would just beat really fast, like my body just did not want to switch off. It did not cause anxiety or anything else, only the beating heart was the side effect. The beating heart problem is only about 5-10% as bad as it was from the start, so it’s not a problem anymore. I have taken 300mg of 5 HTP before with no problems, so I totally blame the Ginseng and Grean Tea Leaf for the reaction.
So, what do you think I can do to get my body to accept 5 HTP? I feel like my body is now allergic to it or something. Im a really sensitive person and I cant handle synthetic items very well. Tryptophan made me crazy and messed up my brain (I’m fine now), and melatonin seems too risky (I stick with Asphalia instead). Only 5HTP cured my problems and I am really concerned now.
Link to Asphalia: https://www.healthleadsuk.com/supplements/asphalia/asphalia-for-natural-sleep-x-30-capsules-1-month-s-supply.html
Link for the multivitamin that disrupted my sleep: https://www.naturesaid.co.uk/men-s-health-multivitamin.html
Thank you in advance Trudy 🙂
Jon
I’m sorry to hear about your sleeping issues. I feel you’d be better served asking these questions of the makers of asphalia and the other product. I have not used either with clients and can’t find much on asphalia
I can share that in some instances 5-HTP isn’t tolerated or causes increased anxiety/restlessness when cortisol is high so I’d ask your practitioner about checking that. When the amino acids don’t work as they have in the past it means they are no longer needed or some underlying biochemistry has changed
Thank you for the reply. I can tell you that I do definitely need 5 HTP, it’s the only thing that made me feel normal again and improved my sleep. I think my cortisol is fine. Like I said, the 5 HTP only caused heart palpitations – no increased anxiety. I only took the multivitamin 2 times, I would have thought my body would have adjusted by now. Is there anything I can do so that my bio chemistry/body can tolerate it again?
I really need 5 HTP to get my life back, Trudy
Thanks again 🙂
Jon
I stand by my previous comment…in some instances 5-HTP isn’t tolerated when cortisol is high so I’d ask your practitioner about checking that. You only know by testing. When the amino acids don’t work as they have in the past it means they are no longer needed or some underlying biochemistry has changed.
I also check the actual product in case it has changed – new supplier, other fillers and even switching from gelatin capsule to vegetable/cellulose.
Hello, I’ve dealt with insomnia for many years now and tried many supplements and nothing seemed to really help. Recently I started taking tryptophan, gradually increasing to a total of 3000 mg a day. I would take the last 1000 mg 1 hour before bed. I slept much better,fewer night wakings and more than doubled my time in deep sleep. I’ve only been taking it for about a month. But now it doesn’t seem to be working anymore. Back to difficulty falling asleep and waking up more at night. Is this common? Can the tryptophan stop working? Any suggestions? Thank you.
Sue
When tryptophan stops working when I’m working with someone (especially with great results like this) we look at whether it’s needed anymore, is it enough, which product/quality and other factors like increased stress, toxin exposure, changes in sex hormones or adrenal issues (like high cortisol), gut issues or infection, a new medication and even consuming too much collagen. It’s a matter of doing detective work to figure thing out
The answer is not more 5htp, tryptophan, etc.
“The most significant side effects and adverse reactions may occur with long-term use (many months or longer). Administration of 5-HTP alone depletes catecholamines (dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine).12,15 When dopamine depletion is great enough, 5-HTP will no longer function.15
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/230659139_5-HTP_efficacy_and_contraindications
I found tryptophan to be excellent then started to decrease in efficiency, maybe this is why. Reading the article says it decreases catecholamines, could one take some tyrosine to balance it out?
Hi Trudy,
I just found your website, and haven’t ordered your book yet, but I did read many of your articles and answered the questionnaires which point to low serotonin, GABA & catecholamines. (The catecholamines was my worst score.)
I’ve been struggling with terrible insomnia for over 10 years-trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, fractured & non-restorative sleep due to excessive dreaming, and waking up with fear and anxiety. For the past 3 years I’ve been in treatment with a functional neurologist, and have made many changes to diet & activities (am taking supportive nutrients: zinc, fish oils, Vit Bs, P5P, phosphatidylserine, etc) but sleep issues still persist.
The supplement I’m taking now an hour before bedtime contains L-tryptophan 665 mg, melatonin 4 mg, glycine 50 mg plus an herbal mixture. It’s the best thing I’ve tried so far over the years but not always helpful for falling asleep. I’m not waking up as many times as I used to but it’s still not totally helping me stay asleep, or with the excessive dreaming, or the fear & anxiety I have when I wake up.
Recently I added 15 mg of melatonin (Natrol gummies) at dusk and Natrol liquid melatonin drops (about 1 mg.) when I wake up at 4 or 6 am. This has helped a bit more, mostly with alleviating the terrible anxiety & fear upon awakening.
I’d like to do a trial of tryptophan (and later GABA for other symptoms) but what would be the best way to add more tryptophan now? And I’m wondering if I should I continue taking the same amount of melatonin.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Taran
I prefer tryptophan-only products so it’s easier to increase and decrease as needed. Same with GABA. When doing new trials it’s best to change one thing at a time.
Since 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
Apologies for the delay in your comment approval and my response. We had a computer glitch where a large number of comments were hidden from view in a spam folder. It mostly affected new folks who were commenting for the first time but it’s hopefully resolved now.
Hi Trudy
Before 6 month i was having big insomnia i cant sleep at all
But when i started to take
L theanine Around 400 mg
Tryptophan around 2 gm
Tyrosine around 2 gm
For the first time of my life these things helped me alot and i was feeling happy and finally i sleep good
but now it has been almost
2 month i cants sleep more than 2 hours
I always wake around 3-4 am and cant get back to sleep i cant work because of these 2 hour
I cant even thing of any thing ,every day i think maybe i will die because i cant sleep more than 2 hour ,icant do anything at all
Plz help me im in Kuwait and here they don’t understand anything about these thing
Plz save my life
What test to do
Plz help
Sorry for bothering
Shaheen
Glad to hear the amino acids theanine, tryptophan and tyrosine helped so much initially. I can’t give you specific feedback but can share that 2g of tyrosine is a high dose and this can sometimes start to impact sleep so we reduce the dose or make sure to use it before noon.
With 3am waking we also look into high cortisol and address that if needed. And we consider the gallbladder and oxlates: https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/waking-in-the-night-due-to-environmental-toxins-impacts-on-the-liver-gallbladder-and-fat-digestion-making-oxalate-issues-worse/
I encourage you to also check out gluten, sugar, caffeine, alcohol, SIBO, Candida … all addressed in my book “The Antianxiety Food Solution” https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/the-antianxiety-food-solution-by-trudy-scott/