5-HTP

My son has alcohol dependence and I want to help him quit drinking with GABA and other amino acid supplements

September 8, 2023 By Trudy Scott 15 Comments

My son has alcohol dependence and I want to help him quit drinking with GABA and other amino acid supplements. Alcohol and the benzodiazepines used in treatment both block GABA receptors, but I assume having GABA available in your system is better than none (especially as nutrition has been very poor). Have you an article on this? Thank you for your knowledge and understanding.

MJ posted this question on one of the GABA blogs and I shared a few blogs to get her started (some of those are listed below). I also shared that with addictions to alcohol (and sugar and drugs) it’s a matter of figuring out which amino acids are needed in order to balance the neurotransmitters and help you to quit with no willpower and without feeling deprived. This can differ for each person and it’s a matter of doing a trial of each amino acid based on unique needs.

He may well need GABA if he self-medicates with alcohol when under stress, but he may also need serotonin support with tryptophan or 5-HTP if he drinks when depressed and needs a mood lift.

I decided to create a new blog because it’s a much needed topic and so I could share additional resources and a table I use (see below) to help you figure out where your need may be. We use this in conjunction with the symptoms questionnaire for each neurotransmitter.

In addition to addressing her benzodiazepine question, I also shared the need to address low blood sugar, low vitamin B1 and overall nutrient status. She does mention nutrition has been poor and it often is with alcohol addiction.

Which emotions are driving the need to self-medicate with alcohol and which amino acids to trial?

This is how I help you figure out which emotions are driving the need to self-medicate with alcohol and which amino acids to trial:

How do you feel before drinking alcohol?	How do you feel after drinking alcohol?	Likely brain chemistry imbalance	Amino acid/s to supplement
Anxious or stressed (physical anxiety)	Calm or relaxed	Low GABA	GABA, pharmaGABA or theanine
Depressed or worried? (mental anxiety)	Happy or content	Low serotonin	Tryptophan or 5-HTP
Tired or unfocused	Energetic, alert, or focused	Low catecholamines	Tyrosine
Wanting a reward or treat, and sad (weepy)	Rewarded or comforted	Low endorphins	DPA (d-phenylalanine) or DLPA
Irritable and shaky	Grounded or stable	Low blood sugar	Glutamine

We use this in conjunction with the symptoms questionnaire for each neurotransmitter.

Many individuals with alcohol addiction have imbalances in all areas. We use the same approach when it comes to alcohol addictions that we use sugar/carb/junk food addictions i.e. we tackle one imbalance at a time so we know which amino acid is helping and how much is needed.

The amino acids play many roles in addressing alcohol addiction:

They help you to quit alcohol with no willpower and without feeling deprived
They help to mitigate many of the adverse effects of quitting (like insomnia and increased anxiety and depression)
They address the root cause of the addiction i.e. neurotransmitter imbalances
They address the emotional aspect so mood and anxiety is improved
They help to heal the damage that has been done to the gut: glutamine, GABA and tryptophan
They prevent the need to find a replacement like sugar, coffee, Diet soda and cigarettes (intake is often ramped up when drinking ceases)
They even help children who have had prenatal exposure to alcohol – 5-HTP benefits both adopted daughters who had prenatal exposure to alcohol: they are happier, more focused and can stay on task

PharmaGABA eases physical anxiety, amino acids ease alcohol withdrawal symptoms, and tryptophan turns you off alcohol

These blog posts illustrate the many applications of amino acids when it comes to quitting alcohol

PharmaGABA eases physical anxiety in a young man who has recently given up Adderall, alcohol and nicotine (some folks do better with GABA and some with pharmaGABA)
An amino acid supplement with DLPA, glutamine and 5-HTP eases alcohol withdrawal symptoms at an inpatient detoxification program
Tryptophan had the added benefit of turning me completely off alcohol when I took it to improve mood and sleep during perimenopause (this need for serotonin support could be applicable for a male too and at any age)

As I mentioned above, be sure to use the search feature to find other blogs on this site: use alcohol, addiction and sugar (and replace sugar with alcohol in the sugar blogs).

Does his prior benzodiazepine prescription prevent him from being able to use GABA?

MJ asks if her son’s prior benzodiazepine prescription will prevent him from being able to use GABA. He will need to taper very very slowly under the guidance of someone knowledgeable and with oversight by the prescribing physician.

It is true that GABA receptors can be affected by benzodiazepines but despite this, many of my clients and others in my community do get relief from GABA during the taper period and afterwards.

We do start with a very small dose – I typically have someone start with 25mg GABA and go up from there – and only use sublingual GABA (or pharmaGABA). For some very sensitive folks we will start even lower as in this example where Syd gets sleep and body anxiety benefits with just 1.5 mg to 3 mg GABA.

I share more on this blog – Rebound insomnia after tapering a benzodiazepine: will taking GABA or any other natural supplement interfere with healing?

One big caveat is that nutritional stability is key when it comes to tapering benzodiazepines. It is also imperative when it comes to addiction recovery.

Good nutritional status, low blood sugar and low vitamin B1

MJ does mention that her son’s nutrition has been poor. It often is with alcohol addiction. I also shared with her the need to address low blood sugar and overall nutrient status.

When you are new to the amino acids and anxiety nutrition solutions my book “The Antianxiety Food Solution” is an excellent resource for all of the above – and the information applies to those with addictions too.

Here is a blog with additional information and a study on the importance of addressing low blood sugar when it comes to anxiety and also addictions – Anxiety and Hypoglycemia Symptoms Improve with Diet Modification.

This highlights the importance of consuming enough protein, fats and fiber, especially at breakfast. There is an entire chapter on blood sugar in my book – it’s that important.

Finally, low thiamine/vitamin B1 must be addressed: “alcohol misuse is the most common risk factor for thiamine deficiency.” More about this here.

A complete nutritional assessment for other issues should be done too: low vitamin D, low zinc, other vitamin B deficiencies, low magnesium, adrenal insufficiency, leaky gut and more.

Medically assisted withdrawal treatment

If you are wanting to quit alcohol and don’t have an alcohol use disorder, all of the above approaches can be safely used.

However, medically assisted withdrawal treatment may be needed in some instances: “Excessive chronic alcohol users, and particularly patients with alcohol use disorder, may present an alcohol withdrawal syndrome if they abruptly stop drinking. Alcohol withdrawal syndrome requires pharmacological treatment for the treatment of withdrawal symptoms and to prevent withdrawal complications. Medically assisted withdrawal treatment is used in alcohol treatment units, but it is also frequently required in patients admitted to hospital for other conditions.”

It’s important that this is recognized for those who need it. MJ mentions benzodiazepines were used in her son’s treatment so presumably he had medically assisted withdrawal treatment.

In this situation, once her son has safely quit alcohol everything I mention above would then apply – looking at the amino acids and nutritional status so there is no relapse. And so recovery is easier and sustainable with a stable mood and no anxiety.

Resources if you are new to using amino acids as supplements

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, 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. You can find them all in my online store.

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 too). This is a paid online/virtual group program where you get my guidance and community support.

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.

Have you or a loved one used the amino acids to help with alcohol dependence/alcohol use disorder?

If benzodiazepines were used in the treatment center, was GABA still helpful?

Have the amino acids helped prevent new addictions to sugar/coffee/cigarettes and improved anxiety, depression and insomnia?

If you have questions and other feedback please share in the comments too.

GABA helps ease symptoms of anger, rage, and dark moods (symptoms we typically associate with low serotonin)

June 30, 2023 By Trudy Scott 23 Comments

As a result of this wonderful feedback from a mom in the online GABA QuickStart program, I’ve been looking into GABA-anger connections. I’ve been trying to understand how GABA could offer similar benefits to tryptophan/5-HTP for anger, rage and dark moods, which we typically associate with low serotonin. She shares this:

My son who is 19 and on the autism spectrum was having issues with outbursts of anger and stuttering. These issues seemed to worsen during his senior year of high school. Since starting GABA and tailoring his dosage from Trudy’s instruction and feedback, we have seen a 90% reduction in stuttering and 80% reduction in anger and outbursts. We have done many supplemental protocols over the years and this is one of the few we have seen have an impact.

I am so happy for this young man and his family, and was also very intrigued. I’ve seen GABA help with stuttering. I have not noticed that GABA helps very much with anger/rage in clients but possibly because they are making other changes at the same time. Since they were in the program and he also had anxiety, we decided to continue with GABA.

I worked with them in the program over a few months and know he only changed one thing – GABA, starting low and increasing to find his ideal dose (with my guidance).

So I started to dig into the research, search through prior blog posts and ask on Facebook and the feedback is robust – folks are seeing GABA help with symptoms of anger and rage.

I share a few case studies below: how PharmaGABA helps a 9 year old boy with rages (part of his OCD/PANS), how GABA helps a young boy with Lyme-induced anger and how GABA helps a 9 year old girl with anger and dark moods (part of her PCOS).

I also share my insights with each case. And some possible mechanisms because we always want to understand why.

PharmaGABA helps 9 year old with rages that are part of his OCD/PANS

Kathy shares how pharmaGABA helped her son (on a pharmaGABA blog):

My 9 year old son had a lot of benefits from PharmaGABA. He used to have rages as part of his OCD/PANS. PharmaGaba 3 times a day was a miracle to get him through that period.

PANS is a neuropsychiatric disorder that falls under the same umbrella as PANDAS but is triggered by an infection other than strep.

If you’re new to PANS/PANDAS, I share the definition of PANDAS, from the PANDAS Network, in this blog: “PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections) occurs when strep triggers a misdirected immune response that results in inflammation on a child’s brain. In turn, the child quickly begins to exhibit life changing symptoms such as OCD/obsessive compulsive order, anxiety, tics, personality changes, decline in math and handwriting abilities, sensory sensitivities, restrictive eating, and more.”

Both PANS and PANDAS trigger OCD/obsessive compulsive disorder. OCD is typically supported with tryptophan and/or inositol i.e. these obsessive thinking and behaviors are typically related to low serotonin even when there is an infection involved. The infection needs to be addressed but the tryptophan and/or inositol help to ease the obsessive symptoms.

Rage is a common symptom when serotonin is low. Tryptophan addresses low serotonin and can have a huge impact as I share in this blog – Rage, anxiety, cravings & insomnia in 11-year old girl with RAD/reactive attachment disorder: chewable tryptophan turns things around.

However, in this instance, pharmaGABA worked for the rages Kathy’s son experienced.

PharmaGABA is one form of GABA that has been shown to help with relaxation and anxiety.

GABA helps a young boy with Lyme-induced anger

Another mom shared this on a Lyme disease post on Facebook:

One kid has developed fits of anger that come out of nowhere but the GABA seems to be able to help him to play longer periods.

Lyme disease can also have a neuropsychiatric aspect, as shared by Dr. Suruchi Chandra MD. I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Chandra on one of the Anxiety Summits and hear her present at integrative mental health conferences.

In one conference presentation she shared this: “Lyme disease is one of the fastest growing infectious diseases in the United States. It can remain dormant for years and then later mimic a number of psychiatric illnesses, including anxiety disorders, mood disturbances, psychosis, and autism-like behaviors. It can be further complicated by the presence of co-infections.”

Anger and rage are also common symptoms. In one study, “Lyme rage” is described as an anger episode that “had a very abrupt onset and was extremely intense and often with minimal cognitive control.”

Yet again, we often see GABA help ease some of the anxiety symptoms, as I share here – GABA helps with Lyme anxiety (while addressing the underlying disease).

However in this instance, GABA helped with her son’s anger symptoms induced by the Lyme bacteria.

GABA helps a 9 year old girl with anger and dark moods (part of her PCOS)

Debbie was diagnosed with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) and GABA helped ease her lifelong anxiety, wean off anxiety medication, ovulate each month and stop her PCOS medications. She was thrilled that GABA helps her daughter too. She shared how her oldest daughter who is 9 has been showing early signs of developing PCOS and other issues similar to hers:

When her mood started changing and she was getting angry out of nowhere and very dark and moody, I started her on a small dose of GABA. Immediately both of us saw the difference in her mood. She now asks for her “happy pills” daily because she doesn’t want to feel those dark feelings anymore. I wish this information was around when I was young. It could’ve helped so much of what I had to struggle with for years.

I typically think of tryptophan or 5-HTP as “happy pills”, and anger and a dark mood as symptoms of low serotonin.

However, yet again, GABA resolves these symptoms in Debbie’s daughter.

These are just a few of the many recent success stories I’ve heard about GABA and anger/rage.

Does low GABA anger/rage look different from low serotonin anger-rage?

This is all new to me so I honestly don’t know. We do know that low GABA leads to more of a physical kind of anxiety (i.e. felt in the body) and it’s different from low serotonin worry-type anxiety (i.e. it’s felt in the head).

Therefore, it’s possible that low GABA anger and rage has more of a physical aspect too.

I have yet to explore this aspect but feel it may be helpful to figure out if there is a difference in order to effectively use the neurotransmitter symptoms questionnaire. This questionnaire is used to decide whether to trial GABA or tryptophan/5-HTP and the low GABA section will be updated with anger/rage once I’ve gone a bit deeper with all this.

The kind of anger symptoms may well look the same and then we’ll use the clustering of either low GABA or low serotonin symptoms to base our decision for doing an amino acid trial.

Research: GABA may be critical in the neurochemical control of aggressive behavior and rage

There is no research that I am aware of where the amino acid GABA has been used to ease rage, anger or dark moods.

However, this letter, Tiagabine for Rage, Aggression, and Anxiety published in the Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neuroscicnes in 2015 offers some round-about support to this GABA-rage observation. They are discussing patients with treatment-resistant rage and aggression and they propose that:

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter, may be critical in the neurochemical control of aggressive behavior.

They share that the prescription medication called Tiagabine, a selective GABA reuptake inhibitor (SGRI), increases synaptic GABA availability.

And that 20 out of 36 patients aged 15-54 years (69%)

with symptoms of rage, aggression, or anxiety in association with one or more of the following disorders: bipolar, intermittent explosive, major depression, panic disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or substance abuse …demonstrated a good or excellent response to tiagabine, with reduction or elimination of the symptoms of rage, aggression, or anxiety.

This and the few studies on anger and glutamate (like this one) offer the most plausible explanations for the quick results we expect when using GABA and other amino acids i.e. quick as in results in 1-30 minutes.

Other than this there is not much direct evidence supporting this GABA-rage connection. GABA likely also helps quickly because of reduced anxiety, improved sleep, and being easil able to quit or eat less sugar (and in adults quit alcohol).

Based on some research I’ve found and my experience with GABA, I suspect GABA may also help in these ways over a longer period: countering a histamine reaction, reducing inflammation and impacting cytokines, improving progesterone levels, beneficial impacts on the microbiome, supporting the liver and toxin removal (such as fluorides), gut healing and reducing high blood pressure. I am still digging into the research.

I thank these families for sharing their stories so we all benefit.

I also really appreciate this opportunity to learn from you – my community – and I will always strive to keep an open mind.

Resources if you are new to using amino acids as supplements

If you are new to using amino acids as supplements, here is the Amino Acids Mood Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution (you can see all the symptoms of neurotransmitter imbalances, including low GABA and low serotonin).

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, sugar cravings, anxiety and mood issues.

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. Another option is the budget-friendly GABA QuickStart Homestudy program.

[The 19 year old young man/his mother were part of an earlier version of the GABA Quickstart program].

If you also need serotonin support, the Serotonin QuickStart Program is a good place to get help. This is also a paid online/virtual group program where you get my guidance on using tryptophan and 5-HTP safely, and community support during 5 LIVE Q&A calls. You can sign up to be notified when the next live launch of this program is happening.

Now I’d love to hear from you ….

Has GABA helped you or your child with symptoms of anger, rage or a dark mood? And if yes, how did it help, how much helped and which product helped?

Can you be sure GABA helped i.e. is this the only change you made?

Has serotonin support with tryptophan or 5-HTP also helped? And if yes how would you describe the low serotonin anger symptoms vs the low GABA anger symptoms? Are they different?

If you are a practitioner, have you observed any of the above?

Feel free to post your feedback and questions here in the comments.

Would using 5-HTP or tryptophan help when you crave sugar (as a sort of antidepressant) late afternoon/evening?

June 2, 2023 By Trudy Scott 29 Comments

Would using 5-HTP or tryptophan also help when you crave sugar (as a sort of antidepressant) late afternoon/evening? ~ Kimberley

This question was posed in response to my recent blog post about using tryptophan or 5-HTP to help with alcohol cravings/addiction in the late afternoon/evening – to help you wind down and relax, improve mood and sleep, and also as a reward/treat.

I said yes it is often the same cause when it happens late afternoon/evening and when there are other low serotonin symptoms like low mood, anxiety, worry, insomnia etc. When serotonin is low we self-medicate with wine, sugar, carbs, gluten, dairy and chocolate etc. in order to feel good, get a mood boost and reduce stress. 5-HTP or tryptophan stops the sugar cravings, acts as an antidepressant (improving mood) and eases other low serotonin symptoms too.

It turns out Kimberley was craving sugar late afternoon: “it’s definitely late afternoon for me, while I’m making dinner. Maybe it’s time to go back on 5-HTP.”

And then 2 days later she posted how quickly 5-HTP helped when she added it back mid-afternoon:

I was taking a break from tryptophan/5-HTP and realized after reading this post that that might be a mistake! So I added 5-HTP back in mid-afternoon and my sugar cravings are almost completely gone. It’s funny how I forget the symptoms of low neurotransmitters. Thanks for reminding me!

5-HTP works quickly when it’s low serotonin

How wonderful are these results for Kimberley. I never get tired of hearing feedback like this! I appreciate her sharing and giving me permission to share as a blog so you get to learn and be inspired too.

It’s not unusual for 5-HTP to work this quickly and when it does it’s a clue that the symptoms are related to low serotonin and that she found the ideal dose for her needs.

Kimberley had good results with 5-HTP in the past so she went back to what had worked for her before and it worked for her again.

But do keep in mind, some folks do better with 5-HTP and some do better with tryptophan so it’s a matter of doing a trial of each one each.

50 mg 5-HTP: the sadness and despair lifts in a few minutes

A week later she kindly came and shared additional details in the comments of the tryptophan/ 5-HTP alcohol cravings blog, saying:

It’s possible that I was already in the middle of my daily, mid-afternoon chocolate chip binge when I saw your post

I took a 50 mg 5-HTP along with my mid-afternoon Endorphigen capsule, and within just a few minutes I felt the sadness and despair that I often feel in the late afternoon, start to lift. I was astonished at how quickly it worked! I didn’t open the capsule, or chew it, I just swallowed it with water and had a snack afterwards. I really can’t thank you enough for asking that question because I was really struggling with low mood and sadness almost every day.

Even though KImberley had used 5-HTP with success in the past, she was still astonished how quickly it worked and how effective it was. She was also surprised she had forgotten her prior low serotonin symptoms:

Up until January I had taken 5-HTP in the mid-afternoon and then Tryptophan at bedtime, but I wanted to try a program to support my thyroid. That program told me that too much serotonin is often at the root of gut damage, so I weaned myself off of the 5-HTP and tryptophan. I didn’t really notice much difference, except the daily sugar cravings.

I’m not sure how I could so easily forget the symptoms of low serotonin, but I did.

Your question really was a God-send for me, Trudy. It reminded me that there was an option for feeling better (in fact, MUCH better than sugar makes me feel) that didn’t involve something that’s not good for me.

And I really did feel remarkably better the same day, and those results have continued.

Thanks again, Trudy, for continuing to bring these topics up. Some of us are forgetful and need reminding. Usually, when you have symptoms of low serotonin there are enough other issues going on in your life that it’s easy to overlook the obvious. So I’m very grateful that you asked the question, because I feel so much better able to deal with my circumstances now that I’m back on the 5-HTP. Blessings to you!

I am curious about the program that told her too much serotonin is often at the root of gut damage and if they suggested stopping 5-HTP and tryptophan. It doesn’t make any sense to me. I’ll report back when I learn more about this.

More tired during the day and a headache: what to consider

She did mention “I’m finding myself more tired during the day and have also had a headache for the last few days.” I would suspect chocolate/caffeine withdrawal may have caused her headache.

With feeling more tired I’d also watch the dose of 5-HTP. She may find less is better for her needs.

She is also trying tryptophan at bedtime so that may be making her more tired the next day. Doing one amino acid at a time is often the best way to know how each one is affecting you.

Finding what works for your unique needs

Here are some other amino acid/sugar cravings blog posts that illustrate how we all have unique needs and different biochemical imbalances:

The individual amino acids glutamine, GABA, tryptophan (or 5-HTP), DPA and tyrosine are powerful for eliminating sugar cravings, often within 5 minutes

The individual amino acids glutamine, GABA, tryptophan (or 5-HTP), DPA and tyrosine are powerful for eliminating sugar cravings, often within 5 minutes. It seems that this wonderful benefit – over and above the anxiety-reducing and mood-boosting benefits – is often overlooked or poorly understood.

GABA for ending sugar cravings (and anxiety and insomnia)

For Melissa, an unexpected result was that she stopped craving sugar (chocolates, ice cream and truffles) after about a week of taking GABA for her travel anxiety.

It’s a matter of finding what works for your sugar cravings and unique needs. GABA worked for Melissa and yet 5-HTP works for Kimberley – for their sugar cravings.

Here is the tryptophan/5-HTP alcohol cravings blog that started the discussion: Tryptophan had the added benefit of turning me completely off alcohol when I took it to improve mood and sleep during perimenopause. In this case, tryptophan helped Victoria quit the wine that she was self-medicating with in order to feel good and relax.

Resources if you are new to using amino acids as supplements

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, sugar cravings, anxiety and mood issues.

Has 5-HTP helped reduce your cravings and/or feelings of despair and sadness? How much helps and how quickly?

Or do you find tryptophan works better for you? If yes, how much helps and how quickly?

What sugary food/s do you self-medicate with in order to feel good?

If you’re a practitioner, do you use this approach with your clients/patients?

Feel free to post your feedback and questions here in the comments.

Tryptophan had the added benefit of turning me completely off alcohol when I took it to improve mood and sleep during perimenopause

May 12, 2023 By Trudy Scott 33 Comments

I started taking tryptophan 3 years ago to improve mood and sleep (not recognizing I was in perimenopause which it helped), but had the added benefit of turning me completely off alcohol! Lol. What serendipitous timing! I use amino therapy with pretty much all my perimenopause patients now. Thanks to you and Julia Ross’s work. Forever grateful.

Victoria shared this wonderful feedback about the benefits she experienced with tryptophan on a recent Facebook thread and kindly gave me permission to share.

Self-medicating with wine (and other alcoholic beverages) is common when we are anxious or stressed and typically we use it to wind down at the end of the day and to fit in socially. This is common when GABA levels are low and also happens due to low serotonin which declines from mid-afternoon into the evening.

I asked what she had been drinking and how often? And if it was calming for her? This was her response:

Red wine the minute I walked in the door in the evening. I guess it was calming… maybe more reward driven? It would be my reward for getting home from work via picking kids up from sport and doing a grocery shop and … (fill in the blank) that we working mums do and then having to walk straight into the kitchen to start on dinner.

The wine was like my little treat or reward to motivate me to just keep moving with my chores. No time to sit and unwind, just pour the wine and start chopping! Lol… I had tried to stop before but just couldn’t pick up a knife without the wine glass!

Within days, the tryptophan made the wine taste like cat’s pee! Haven’t touched it since. No desire at all. Almost hypnosis like?

How much tryptophan Victoria used and how did it help her quit?

Victoria used the Now Tryptophan 1000 mg at 3pm and 9pm for about a year, eventually stopping it and saying: “Alcohol still does not interest me at all.”

What wonderful results! A typical starting dose for tryptophan is 500 mg midafternoon and evening and she increased this to find her ideal dose of 1000 mg twice a day. She did report that 5-HTP didn’t work for her the way tryptophan did. This is not unusual as some folks do better with one versus the other.

She has a great explanation regarding how tryptophan helped her quit without having to use willpower. She had no time to sit and unwind ….. so she was experiencing some of the calming aspects of getting serotonin support with the amino acid tryptophan. This is a very common benefit.

Serotonin appears to regulate the secretion of beta-endorphins

It is interesting that Victoria mentions a reward/treat benefit which is often due to low endorphins rather than low serotonin. This paper, Roles of β-Endorphin in Stress, Behavior, Neuroinflammation, and Brain Energy Metabolism, states that β-endorphins, in addition to their “potent analgesic effects” i.e. pain relief (both physical and emotional pain), are also involved in “reward-centric and homeostasis-restoring behaviors.”

However, as stated in this same paper, beta-endorphins play a role in stress-relief (common with working moms like Victoria) and are closely connected with serotonin. In fact “serotonin appears to regulate the secretion of β-endorphins” and vice versa. The body is fascinating and so smart.

Amino acids for alcohol addiction: 5-HTP, DLPA and glutamine

We know that amino acids help with alcohol cravings and addiction and have even been used in inpatient settings. This blog illustrates this well – An amino acid supplement with DLPA, glutamine and 5-HTP (and a few other nutrients) eases alcohol withdrawal symptoms at an inpatient detoxification program.

The study authors state that: “the physiological craving for alcohol may be the result of a deficiency of the naturally occurring opiate like substances as well as other neurochemical deficits (i.e., dopaminergic, GABAergic, and serotonergic).

Both tryptophan and 5-HTP support low serotonin worry-type anxiety, low mood and insomnia. Victoria happened to benefit from tryptophan. Someone else may benefit more from 5-HTP or DLPA or glutamine or a combination as illustrated in the above study. And even GABA, which can help with stress-drinking or stress-eating, as well as physical anxiety.

DPA and DLPA support endorphins and provide the reward/treat benefits from red wine that Victoria mentions. You can read about the difference between DPA and DLPA here.

What if you have afternoon and evening sugar cravings instead of wine?

You may self-medicate with sugar, carbs, gluten, dairy instead of wine. Late afternoon/evening cravings are typically related to low serotonin when there are other low serotonin symptoms like low mood, anxiety, ruminations, worry, insomnia, PMS etc. You can see all the low serotonin symptoms here.

In this case, tryptophan or 5-HTP can be used in a similar way to stop the cravings with no willpower required and no feelings of being deprived. You’ll also experience reduced anxiety, improved mood and better sleep. Read more about this on this blog: Would using 5-HTP or tryptophan help when you crave sugar (as a sort of antidepressant) late afternoon/evening?

Other changes Victoria made and how is she doing now?

Victoria did also share that hot flushes “got me in the end though and I gave in to body identical progesterone for the final year of peri” and takes estradiol transdermally now that she is in menopause. Based on seeing these benefits while in perimenopause, she is now trialing tryptophan again for increased irritability. That is a huge plus with amino acids: once we’ve experienced the benefits, you have them at our disposal again and again in the future as your hormones or situation starts to change.

I love that she now uses tryptophan with her patients. She is a physio/physical therapist and exercise scientist turned Functional Health Practitioner having studied with IFM during the pandemic.

Of course, I thanked her for the kind words and shared how fortunate I was to work in Julia Ross’ clinic for 2 years. I also appreciate her for sharing this feedback and allowing me to share it here as a blog post so you get to learn, be inspired and have hope.

And finally, all this illustrates that there is no one-size-fits-all and we often get unexpected side-benefits when using amino acids.

Tryptophan and 5-HTP product options

Victoria happens to respond well to tryptophan and yet some folks do better with 5-HTP so it’s a matter of doing a trial of each.

Products I recommend include Lidtke 500 mg Tryptophan, and Pure Encapsulations 50 mg 5-HTP. 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, Doctor’s Best L-Tryptophan 500mg and Source Naturals 50 mg 5-HTP are products I recommend on iherb (use this link to save 5%).

Resources if you are new to using amino acids as supplements

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, sugar cravings, anxiety and mood issues.

Has tryptophan helped you quit alcohol easily when you could not do so with willpower alone?

Does tryptophan also help with your low mood, anxiety and sleep issues?

What about 5-HTP (some folks do better on one versus the other)?

And has either tryptophan or 5-HTP helped with other afternoon/evening cravings like sugar and other carbs?

If you have questions and other feedback please share it here too.

Sundowning in Alzheimer’s and dementia: melatonin/tryptophan for the agitation, restlessness, anxiety, disturbed sleep and aggression

March 3, 2023 By Trudy Scott 8 Comments

The terms “sundown syndrome” or “sundowning” are used to describe a wide range of neuropsychiatric symptoms occurring in individuals with dementia in the late afternoon, evening, or night. These symptoms include confusion, restlessness, anxiety, agitation, aggression, pacing, wandering, screaming, yelling, and hallucinations. The treatment of sundown syndrome is challenging, and pharmacological therapies are not particularly effective.

This definition is from a very encouraging case study published as a letter to the editor of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society – Melatonin for Sundown Syndrome and Delirium in Dementia: Is It Effective?

This case study is very typical in terms of symptoms and a pharmacological approach:

An 81-year-old man with Alzheimer’s disease diagnosed 4 years previously was admitted to the elderly department because of behavioral disturbances, sleep disorders, and wandering. His wife said that his cognitive and functional impairments had gradually worsened over the past 4 years and that, in the last 6 months, her husband had become verbally aggressive, agitated, and restless; wandered; and paced. He did not sleep for long and had difficulty falling asleep. The symptoms increased in the late afternoon and at night. He had no hallucinations or delusions. One month before admission, delirium was suspected, and his general practitioner prescribed haloperidol, but it was not effective.

During admission, sundown syndrome was diagnosed, and he received pharmacological and nonpharmacological interventions for behavioral and sleep disturbances, but none was effective, and some aggravated symptoms. The pharmacological interventions consisted of benzodiazepines, antipsychotics, cholinesterase inhibitors, mood stabilizers, and antidepressants, all given in an optimal dosing schedule.

Melatonin led to much improved symptoms within a few hours

None of the medications were effective and some made his symptoms worse. This case study is atypical in that his doctors were open to the use of melatonin. This led to much improved symptoms within a few hours and complete resolution in 2 weeks with a second dose:

After extensive review of his history, the effect of past treatments, and the published literature, melatonin was started at a dose of 2 mg at 8:00 p.m. for sleep disorders. Not only did his sleep quality improve within a week, but there was also significant improvement in his behavior within 2 hours of initiation of melatonin. A therapeutic trial with an additional dose of 2 mg given at 3:00 p.m. was started, and his symptoms gradually improved over the subsequent 2 weeks (NPI score 20). No behavioral changes were observed in the 2-month follow-up.

These results are powerful and mirror what a number of other studies are showing, for sundowning and to also slow “down the progression of cognitive impairment”). We also see melatonin working clinically for this population.

I share this case study so if you are a carer or have a parent or loved one with Alzheimer’s or dementia, you have a resource to share with the medical team. There is growing awareness of this research and some neurologists are prescribing melatonin with success. Typically 0.5 mg to 5 mg melatonin is used once or twice a day.

My hope is that this becomes the standard of care instead of prescribing psychiatric medications which the authors acknowledge are not particularly effective. And they don’t get to the root cause that is triggering these symptoms: low melatonin and low serotonin (more on low serotonin below).

Melatonin and anxiety

Melatonin also improves sleep quality and reduces anxiety after a TBI (traumatic brain injury). I blogged about a study that used timed-release melatonin here. The study participants used 2 mg of timed-release/prolonged-release melatonin for 4 weeks. This improved sleep quality and melatonin was also associated with a small decrease in self-reported anxiety.

As outlined in this paper, Melatonin as a Potential Approach to Anxiety Treatment, “melatonin’s benefit in anxiety may reside in its sympatholytic action, interaction with the renin-angiotensin and glucocorticoid systems, modulation of interneuronal signaling and its extraordinary antioxidant and radical scavenging nature.”

The serotonin connection and using tryptophan or 5-HTP

Keep in mind the strong serotonin connection: these sundowning symptoms start late afternoon and evening (hence the name sundowning) and serotonin is a precursor to melatonin production.

I look forward to seeing research on the use of tryptophan or 5-HTP for sundowning symptoms too. Until then, based on the above, and the fact that many of these symptoms are classic signs of low serotonin, I feel comfortable recommending either of these amino acids.

As always, we start low, use afternoon and evening doses and increase based on symptom resolution. The typical adult dose of tryptophan is 500 mg and 50 mg of 5-HTP. I recommend starting with 100 mg tryptophan and 10mg of 5-HTP. The amino acid precautions are always reviewed. I would not recommend either tryptophan or 5-HTP if the individual is currently prescribed an antidepressant, unless you are working with a knowledgeable practitioner and always with the approval and monitoring of the prescribing doctor. This is because of the possibility of serotonin syndrome.

Dr. Dale Bredesen recommends tryptophan and melatonin

Dr. Dale Bredesen is the author of The End of Alzheimer’s (my Amazon link) and a number of other books on Alzheimer’s. He is an authority on Alzheimer’s and recommends both tryptophan and melatonin. In this paper, Reversal of cognitive decline: A novel therapeutic program, he reports the use of 0.5 mg melatonin and 500 mg tryptophan used (3 x week) for sleep issues.

Interestingly and surprisingly, he doesn’t mention sundowning in his books or papers. However, if you are new to his work, I encourage you to look into his functional medicine approach, which is extensive and offers results and hope for many.

Low GABA in Alzheimer’s disease and dementia

This paper, Implications of GABAergic Neurotransmission in Alzheimer’s Disease, shares that “of the two major types of synapses in the central nervous system (CNS): glutamatergic and GABAergic, which provide excitatory and inhibitory outputs respectively, abundant data implicate an impaired glutamatergic system during disease progression.”

The amino acid GABA may also help anxiety, disturbed sleep and restlessness. And it’s common to have both low serotonin and low GABA.

This case study illustrates how using the amino acid GABA can help ease the anxiety often experienced in those with Alzheimer’s disease.

It’s too entrenched in our thinking that there is nothing to be done

It saddens me that it’s too entrenched in our thinking that there is nothing to be done. Unfortunately, many family members and medical professionals consider sundowning a normal part of the disease progression and question whether it’s worth doing anything.

My feedback is this: please don’t discount the power of the amino acids, melatonin and other nutritional approaches to offer some relief and improved quality of life for the patient. And when they are calmer, less aggressive and sleeping better it’s so much easier for the caregivers too.

Resources if you are new to using tryptophan or GABA as supplements

If you are new to using tryptophan or GABA as supplements, here is the Amino Acids Mood Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution (you can see all the symptoms of neurotransmitter imbalances, including low GABA and low serotonin).

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, sugar cravings, self-medicating with alcohol and more.

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.

Have you used melatonin to help with sundowning symptoms with your loved one and if yes how much helps?

Was melatonin prescribed or did you research it and bring the information to the doctor?

Have you used melatonin to help with sundowning symptoms in your clients/patients? What ranges have you seen to help?

Have you also found tryptophan, 5-HTP and/or GABA to help?

If you have questions and other feedback please share it here too.

My 6 year old was having panic attacks getting out of the car for Kindergarten: GABA has completely relieved him of his fears

January 27, 2023 By Trudy Scott 12 Comments

My 6 year old son was having panic attacks getting out of the car going to Kindergarten and taking two GABA Calm has completely relieved him of his fears. He has been going for 3 straight weeks in a row.

I thought it may be low serotonin since this happened last winter as well but I gave him 5-HTP for a couple months and it didn’t seem to affect him and his anxiety. We had to have him repeat Kinder this year.

But wow, the GABA has been fabulous and Kindergarten is in full swing because of your help.

This is from Lisa, a mom in the community. I never get tired of getting feedback like this – how wonderful for this young boy and his family. She shared this very positive outcome on one of the GABA blogs, asking this question (which I address below):

Quick question…does the GABA have to be taken on an empty stomach to work? We try to give it as soon as he is awake and wait to eat for 15-20 mins but sometimes it’s not possible.

The timing of GABA and tracking symptoms

I share that GABA is best taken on an empty stomach and ideally 30 minutes away from protein-containing food. But I also say that the way she is having him use it is clearly working for him. In a situation like this it’s simple enough to track the outcome on days they do wait 15-20 mins and on days when it’s not possible to wait the 15-20 mins (and make a note of how close to food he does take GABA). How is his anxiety, fears and panic attacks in these two situations?

Lisa shared that GABA works well in both instances:

We will keep doing the no food for 15-20 minutes after taking it because it is obviously working. We’ve only had it happen where he eats after about 5 mins and it seems to still do the job.

This sounds like a great plan. If they can, I would also do a trial waiting the full 30 minutes and see how he does on those days. She may find with the longer duration he only needs one GABA Calm.

It may also be that because GABA is being used in a sublingual manner like this, it can be used closer to food. Perhaps a trial right after food is worthwhile. I’m sure it will reduce some of the early morning stress and rush getting ready for Kindergarten.

I also confirmed with her that he is using the Source Naturals GABA Calm product. This is the sublingual product (with just 125mg of GABA and a few other ingredients) that I have so much success with. You can read more about it here – Source Naturals GABA Calm™: Why I recommend it for anxiety.

The school is in shock at how well carpooling is going for him

I love that the school is now in shock and that this mom went with her instinct and pulled him out of school the first year his fears showed up:

We just got a call from the school today and they are in shock at how well carpooling is going for him. They wanted to know what I was doing, ha! He had been a star student so they were shocked when he started to have meltdowns and panic attacks, running away and into traffic about 3 months into school. We deal with a bit of ADHD at home (it’s manageable with the diet) but anxiety is what most see on the outside.

We are repeating Kindergarten because half way through last year he started to panic getting out of the car. The previous school wanted to grab him out of the car and have me drive off. They said he would calm down better without me. What? Just what I want to do is traumatize my child at the start of his academic life. I pulled him and we waited since he was on the younger side and put him in a fabulous charter school this year.

The GABA has taken all those fears out and has been a huge bridge for him to get to school.

I do hope Lisa told the school exactly what he’s doing with GABA and how quickly it’s helped him. So many children are struggling with anxiety and mental health issues and could do with nutritional support like GABA and some of the dietary changes he had made before using GABA (more on that below).

5-HTP didn’t help and why a switch to tryptophan may have helped

You’ll notice she mentioned that 5-HTP had not helped the previous year:

I thought it may be low serotonin since this happened last winter as well but I gave him 5-HTP for a couple months and it didn’t seem to affect him and his anxiety.

Fear and panic attacks are common with low serotonin so it’s good that she did a trial of 5-HTP. Here are some of my insights:

I would not have someone use 5-HTP for a couple of months – the amino acids work quickly so a week or possibly two should be enough to decide whether to continue or stop
You always want to increase until you find the ideal dose. I’m not sure how Lisa approached this aspect.
When there are low serotonin symptoms and 5-HTP doesn’t work, we switch to tryptophan. 5-HTP works well for some and tryptophan works better for others. You can see all the low serotonin symptoms here

It’s possible her son may still benefit from additional serotonin support. Or it may be that the GABA is all he needs. With ADHD it may be worth investigating tyrosine too.

Dietary changes: gluten, dairy, phenols and high histamine foods

It’s important to always address the foundational diet so I checked with Lisa about dietary changes. This is key to not needing long-term GABA supplementation (once other causes of low GABA are addressed – such as Lyme disease, phthalates, aspartame, gut health etc). She shared this about his diet:

He has always been gluten free and dairy free (only goats milk as a baby). We follow the Feingold Diet and try to stay away from high histamine foods as it causes his anger and anxiety to be worse.

It’s great she has made these foundational dietary changes with gluten and dairy – both can exacerbate mood issues. The Feingold diet eliminates phenols. Both phenols and high histamine foods can be problematic for many children too, as she reports.

All these dietary factors are so key but even then additional neurotransmitter support is often needed and in this instance it’s GABA that he clearly needs. Because of his issue with histamines it’s possible he may not have tolerated pharmaGABA (a fermented GABA) so GABA Calm was a good first choice for the initial trial.

Pyroluria testing – why I often don’t use this urine test

I know he has some imbalances so we need to do an OAT test and pyroluria test (I have pyroluria so I know he is bound to have it). Money is the issue at the moment so the GABA chewables have been a true lifesaver. I can’t thank you enough!

I let her know that I don’t often have clients do the urine test for pyroluria because of the false negatives. He’s doing really well but children with pyroluria are really good at masking and pushing through (and so are adults, as I’m sure Lisa already knows). The pyroluria protocol (zinc, vitamin B6 and evening primrose oil) provide raw materials for neurotransmitter production and can help with ADHD symptoms too. We simply do a trial of the protocol when symptoms exist and determine if they are helping.

I love her comment: “the GABA chewables have been a true lifesaver.” This and the outcome for this 6 year old is the reason I love the amino acids. They offer incredible results and relief from anxiety, fears and panic attacks, while you are working through testing (like the OAT and others) and other contributing root causes.

I said her feedback is really inspiring and I’d love to share it as a blog post for other families. She kindly responded with this:

You can definitely write up a blog post about it. If I can help other families going through the same thing it was all worth it. If you have any other questions don’t hesitate to ask. Thank you again for sharing all your knowledge.

I appreciate her willingness to post their success and her permission to share as a blog post.

Resources if you are new to using GABA and other amino acids as supplements

If you are new to using GABA or any of the other amino acids as supplements, here is the Amino Acids Mood Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution (you can see all the symptoms of neurotransmitter imbalances, including low GABA and low serotonin).

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.

Have one of your children experienced similar results with GABA offering relief for anxiety, fears and panic attacks? Which GABA product helped your child and how much helped?

When using sublingual or chewable GABA products like GABA Calm, have you found the timing in relation to foods being important?

What dietary changes has your child also made and how have they helped?

If you have questions and feedback please share them here too.