5-HTP

GABA for easing physical anxiety and tension: some questions and answers

April 2, 2021 By Trudy Scott 79 Comments

GABA is an amino acid used as a supplement to ease low GABA levels. With low GABA you’ll experience physical-tension and stiff-and-tense-muscles type of anxiety, panic attacks and insomnia. You may feel the need to self-medicate to calm down, often with alcohol but sometimes with carbs and sugary foods. GABA also helps with muscle spasms and provides pain relief when muscles are tight.

When I share my GABA blogs on Facebook I receive so many great questions (some basic questions and some more complex). Today I’m going to share some of these and my answers so you can get the benefits too.

Let’s start with the basic questions about using GABA.

Amanda asks:

What time of the day is best to take GABA?

The best time is 1 to 4 x a day, depending on your symptoms, between meals and always away from protein so it doesn’t compete for absorption with the other amino acids.

Brian asks:

What dose do you recommend starting at?

I have clients start with 125mg and go up from there based on how they respond i.e. are they getting symptom resolution.

Based on the above 2 questions it’s clear that Amanda and Brian are new to using the amino acid GABA. If you are new to using GAB and the other 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.

I don’t cover specific brands in my book because brand formulations change and come and go so this is a great question from Olivia who asks:

Which brand would you recommend? thank you

My favorite is Source Naturals GABA Calm but since it’s been in short supply during the pandemic I list many other GABA options here. I’ve updated the main supplements blog with these additional GABA options too.

Now for some of the more advanced questions:

Salome asks:

I’m super sensitive to supplements (Histamine Intolerance / MCAS / Multiple chemical sensitivity). Are there any potential reactions from taking GABA that you know of?

As far as I know there are none (clinically or in the research) but, as always, the best is to do a trial. For clients who are very sensitive we start super low and may use 1/8 to 1/4 of the starting dose of 125mg GABA, and increase from there if there are no adverse effects.

Dena asks:

Does GABA help the same way Xanax does? I only take 0.5mg Xanax a few times a week when I really need it but if GABA works I’d like to try it but worry it won’t help like Xanax does. It calms me down and makes me feel normal

Many of my clients report back that GABA works just like Xanax used to work for them. But do keep in mind it’s important to work with your prescribing doctor and that the benzodiazepine taper should be very very slow. And it’s important to be aware that for some folks tapering can be very challenging (more on that here).

Boyd asks:

In New Zealand GABA is classed as a prohibited Class B drug so what can be used as an alternative for anxiety?

Taurine or theanine are good options if GABA is not available and mail order is not an option. Glutamine can be calming for some folks who are able to convert some of it to GABA. For others it can be too stimulating if it converts to glutamate. Addressing gut health and using precursors like magnesium, zinc and vitamin B6 are also key but this takes longer to see results.

Debbie asks:

Can u take GABA if taking a very low dose SSRI (sertraline). I’ve had to start it because I couldn’t find a GABA product when I needed it.

GABA is safe to take with an SSRI (antidepressant) but this should always be discussed with the prescribing doctor. Also, keep in mind that Sertraline works on serotonin so GABA may not be the best solution and tryptophan or 5-HTP may be. Looking at the low GABA and low serotonin symptoms and doing a trial is the best way to figure this out.

Cornina asks:

What could be used instead of Ativan for travel anxiety?

I would trial GABA if the anxiety is more physical with neck tension and butterflies in the stomach or tummy pain. I would trial tryptophan or 5-HTP if it’s mental like imagining-the- worst or if you have a phobia about flying or you are worrying and obsessing. Ideally you would want to build up levels before travelling and also use the amino acids as needed while traveling. Keep in mind that both GABA and serotonin support may be needed.

Kelly asks:

Is 4,000 mg of Now GABA too much for a person to take a day. This person is 86 years old.

This dose of 4,000mg GABA is high so I’d want to know if she is seeing benefits (and what benefits) and having any adverse reactions. I’d also want to know what product and how it’s being used (swallowed or opened on to the tongue).

I asked the above and Kelly shared this additional information:

Yes, it lessens the anxiety but also makes her very sleepy. She doesn’t take that many mg every day. She just swallows it.

When the GABA capsules are opened less can be used. Also, taking it at night helps improve sleep and avoids the sleepiness in the day and the anxiety-relief benefits often carry over to the next day too. We commonly experiment with different timings and dosing to find what works best for the client as there is no one-size fits all.

Rhonda asks:

Which would be best for a truck driver that drives all night – GABA or 5-HTP?

For someone who drives all night and wants to sleep in the day I would want to know why he or she can’t sleep (assuming it’s related to disrupted circadian rhythm). If it’s physical tension then I’d trial GABA, and if it’s worry and over-thinking then I’d trial 5-HTP or tryptophan for serotonin support. Often a combination is helpful, Research shows the sleep promoting effects of combined GABA and 5-HTP for some folks.

We appreciate these folks for asking questions and allowing me to share here on the blog.

As always, it’s not only the low GABA we need to address. GABA offers quick relief but we must always do a full functional workup looking at diet, nutritional deficiencies, digestion, all hormones, toxins and infections (and so on) so we can address all possible root causes.

Have these GABA questions and answers been helpful? Have you seen benefits from using GABA and do you have questions?

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

And join us on Facebook – TrudyScottAntianxietyFoodSolution – to read and ask questions there too.

5-HTP in Parkinson’s disease: benefits for depression, levodopa-induced motor complications, anxiety and sleep issues

March 19, 2021 By Trudy Scott 37 Comments

Research shows that the amino acid 5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan), the intermediate metabolite of tryptophan in the production of serotonin, offers benefits for Parkinson’s disease patients. It has been reported to ease depression and to reduce levodopa-induced motor complications. This was reported in two separate studies by the same research team at the University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. They were small studies and considered preliminary. However, given what I know about the effectiveness of 5-HTP (for depression, anxiety and insomnia), I consider it a major step forward for Parkinson’s disease patients.

In this study, Efficacy and safety of 5-hydroxytryptophan on depression and apathy in Parkinson’s disease: a preliminary finding, 25 individuals with Parkinson’s disease were enrolled and “patients received placebo or 50 mg of 5-HTP daily over a period of 4 weeks”

The findings were as follows:

a significant improvement of depressive symptoms during the 50-mg 5-HTP treatment compared with placebo.

In this study 5-HTP was not shown to reduce apathy symptoms. This is not surprising to me, given that we typically see the amino acid tyrosine help with apathy symptoms associated with low catecholamines, rather than low serotonin.

In this study, Efficacy and safety of 5-Hydroxytryptophan on levodopa-induced motor complications in Parkinson’s disease: A preliminary finding, 12 Parkinson’s patients who were diagnosed with levodopa-induced dyskinesias (involuntary, erratic, writhing movements of the face, arms, legs or trunk) and motor fluctuations were included. Patients received placebo or 50 mg of 5-HTP daily over 4 weeks.

The findings were as follows:

a significant improvement of levodopa-induced dyskinesias during the 50 mg 5-HTP treatment.

The study authors make the serotonin-dyskinesias connection, stating that “Several studies have indicated that altered serotonergic neurotransmission may contribute to the motor features commonly associated with Parkinson’s disease drug treatment such as levodopa-induced dyskinesias.”

Both studies were single-center, randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled cross-over trials, and both recommend larger studies, longer treatment duration and different doses in order to corroborate these early findings.

Sleep disorders, gastrointestinal dysfunction, and anxiety in Parkinson’s disease

As reported in this paper, Spectrum of Non-Motor Symptoms in Parkinson’s Disease

Despite their significant clinical importance, the awareness of non-motor symptoms is quite negligible. Sleep disorders, gastrointestinal dysfunction, olfactory disturbances, anxiety, and depressive episodes are some of the most common non-motor presentations.

5-HTP helps with depression, anxiety, sleep issues (more here: Sleep promoting effects of combined GABA and 5-HTP) and digestive issues.

Given what I know about the effectiveness of 5-HTP in my clients with anxiety, low mood and sleep issues, I consider this research a major step forward for Parkinson’s disease patients who may also experience anxiety, depression and sleep issues.

5-HTP also improves focus and when to switch to tryptophan

I was surprised to read that it has been hypothesized that ADHD and Parkinson’s disease share “several overlapping anatomical and neurochemical changes.”

As you can see from these blog posts, in addition to boosting mood, 5-HTP also improves focus and ADHD symptoms:

One caution with 5-HTP is that it can raise salivary cortisol and cause a “wired-tired” feeling. When this happens we switch to tryptophan, always starting with a trial in order to figure out the ideal dose.

Typical dosing of 5-HTP for low serotonin-type anxiety

I find that using 50 mg of 5-HTP 1-3 times a day is a typical starting dose for my adult clients who have the low serotonin-type of anxiety (mental anxiety, worry, panic attacks, ruminations), low mood, insomnia, sugar cravings, irritability, PMS, anger issues and TMJ.

Keep in mind that in these 2 studies, 50 mg of 5-HTP was used only once a day, and everyone was given the same dose. There is never a one-size fits all approach with the amino acids and we adjust up or down based on symptoms, using a trial approach. I’d love to see this approach used with follow-up studies.

If you are new to the concept of low serotonin and the use of tryptophan or 5-HTP you will find this blog helpful.

Parkinson’s disease and GABA, flavonoids in parsley and insecticides

Here are some other useful blogs on Parkinson’s disease:

Have you or a family member with Parkinson’s disease used 5-HTP (or tryptophan) for easing depression and improving levodopa-induced motor complications?

Have you seen reduced anxiety, improved sleep, better digestion and better focus too?

If you’re a practitioner working with Parkinson’s patients have you used 5-HTP or tryptophan with success?

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

5-HTP benefits both adopted daughters who had prenatal exposure to alcohol: they are happier, more focused and can stay on task

March 5, 2021 By Trudy Scott 10 Comments

A grateful mom, Besty, posted wonderful feedback on the 5-HTP and ADHD blog. She shared how 5-HTP benefits both her adopted daughters who had prenatal exposure to alcohol i.e. exposure to alcohol while in the womb. When using the supplement 5-HTP, an amino acid precursor to serotonin, both girls are happier, more focused and can now stay on task. Here is the feedback Besty shared on the blog:

After listening to Dr. Michael Murry’s interview on your Anxiety Summit, I decided to try 5-HTP on my 18-year-old daughter (a senior in high school) who was adopted at 5 years of age. She has always had some issues with focus, but she has never been medicated for this. She has had some learning struggles. She was exposed to alcohol in the womb, so some of her learning difficulty has been attributed to this.

She started 5-HTP in December and doesn’t ever want to miss a day on it. She says that she can better complete her assignments because it helps her to “stay on task”.

Even on days that she is not in school, she wants to take it, because it makes her feel happier.

Because she has done so well on it, her 23-year-old biological sister (also adopted) started on it. She was also exposed to alcohol while in the womb and has some learning struggles. She is in college. She also doesn’t want to miss a day, because she says that “it keeps her on her toes,” which she says means that it “keeps me focused,” when she is working on her school work.

I am so thankful that I learned about this therapy through your summit!

I thanked Besty for her kind words and for sharing this wonderful outcome both her daughters experienced. I love hearing stories like this and I am sharing this as a blog post so more folks are inspired and have hope.

Prenatal exposure to alcohol: the adverse effects, and impacts on serotonin and dopamine

This 2012 paper, Moderate prenatal alcohol exposure and serotonin genotype interact to alter CNS serotonin function in Rhesus monkey offspring, describes fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD):

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is associated with a range of adverse effects that can be observed in children prenatally exposed to alcohol.
Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), which includes growth retardation, craniofacial anomalies, CNS dysfunction, and cognitive and behavioral impairments, is the most serious of the FASD outcomes of prenatal alcohol exposure.
Alcohol-related neuro-developmental disorder (ARND) is the term used to describe prenatally alcohol-exposed children with problems that are primarily neurobehavioral, including cognitive effects, hyperactivity, impulsivity, reduced attention span, and lack of inhibition.

It appears these young girls may fall into the ARND category with their reduced attention span and cognitive issues, and some possible neurobehavioral issues. I’m not, however, aware if a diagnosis was made. I’m also not aware if hyperactivity, impulsivity and lack of inhibition have been issues too.

This paper also discusses the research on prenatal alcohol exposure and deficiencies in the serotonergic neurotransmitter system, and the possibility that genetic factors might predispose someone to fetal alcohol effects during a sensitive period. These are primarily genes affecting serotonin production. The authors also report that prenatal exposure to alcohol also affects dopamine levels.

Addressing neurotransmitter imbalances with tryptophan, 5-HTP and tyrosine

We don’t often associate low serotonin with ADHD (attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder) and poor focus but the research and clinical outcomes like this one (and the other success story below with 5-HTP melts) is very promising.

If you are new to addressing neurotransmitter imbalances with targeted amino acids you may find these blogs helpful:

Using tryptophan to address low serotonin eases worry, rumination, anxiety and negative self-talk. Keep in mind that some folks do better with tryptophan and some do better with 5-HTP.
ADHD: 5-HTP melts have been a miracle for one of my adopted kids. I summarize the role of serotonin in ADHD, the interplay with dopamine and the use of oral tryptophan (a serotonin precursor similar to 5-HTP). And this is the blog post that Besty commented on.
We typically consider the use of tyrosine to address low dopamine (one of the catecholamines), leading to better focus, good energy and better motivation so you are more likely to finish tasks. It also improves mood.

Questions I still have about the 5-HTP trials

I have these questions I posed to Betsy and hope to hear back as I feel these answers may be helpful as you navigate your trials with 5-HTP (for yourself or your loved ones):

Which product are they using and how much is helping?
Did your daughters make any other changes (diet or other supplements) at the same time?
What have they tried over the years to help with focus and learning issues?
Why did you initially decide to trial 5-HTP with your younger daughter?
Did your younger daughter encourage her older sister to trial 5-HTP too?
Did either daughter have any of the classic low serotonin symptoms too: worry-type of anxiety, ruminations, OCD, fears, PMS, irritability, insomnia, afternoon/evening cravings, anger issues, lack of confidence? And did the 5-HTP help with any of these symptoms too?
Were some of the classic low serotonin symptoms a factor when it came to lack of focus? For example, did the worrying or feelings of fear or insomnia contribute to the inability to stay on task and keep focused?

I’ll report back once I get Besty’s feedback. But keep in mind that dosing/timing doesn’t really matter as the doses that work for her daughters are unique to their own biochemistry and needs.

Additional resources when you are new to using GABA, 5-HTP 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.

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

Have you found that 5-HTP (or tryptophan) helps your child (who was exposed to alcohol in the womb) with focus and ADHD symptoms? Are they happier when using one of these serotonin precursors?

If you’re a practitioner working with children or adults who have had prenatal exposure to alcohol, have you had good results with 5-HTP or tryptophan?

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

ADHD: 5-HTP melts have been a miracle for one of my adopted kids

January 15, 2021 By Trudy Scott 77 Comments

A mom in my community responded to an ADHD blog sharing how 5-HTP melts have been a miracle for one of her adopted children – after one week! 5-HTP is not where I typically start with ADHD so I quizzed her to get more details and then went looking for the research to understand the mechanisms. This blog shares her rationale for using 5-HTP, the truly wonderful results her son experienced, some of the research and some possible serotonin/dopamine mechanisms. This is what she posted:

5-HTP melts have been a miracle for one of my adopted kids. He had lots of trauma and off the charts ADHD. 5-HTP is better than methylphenidate (Ritalin) and we are now weaning off the non-stimulants.

Just 80mg 5-HTP in the morning is all he needs. He was super ADHD, he had a para (teacher’s aide) in public school for years to keep him on track and this year at a school for ADHD the teachers were complaining that he was never on task.

Now after a week it has changed his life. I am so thankful for the anxiety summit. Thank you Trudy

This is truly wonderful to hear! I responded saying how thrilled I was to hear the impact it was having and asked why this mom decided to try 5-HTP? This amino acid, which is a serotonin precursor, is not typically my first choice for alleviating ADHD symptoms. I consider low GABA (and using GABA) or low catecholamines (and using tyrosine), together with dietary changes, blood sugar control, and assessing for low zinc, low iron and low omega-3s – as a starting point.

I wanted to know if he had low serotonin symptoms such as the worry, ruminating, and obsessive type of anxiety which could have possibly been driving the ADHD symptoms? Were there any other symptoms that were a clue that low serotonin may be a factor: insomnia (with fatigue the next day impacting focus) or sugar cravings in the afternoon/evening (causing blood sugar swings affecting focus and mood)?

Why she used 5-HTP and which low serotonin symptoms he had

This was her response about why she used 5-HTP and which low serotonin symptoms he had:

We have tried all the amino acids over the years. I tried 5-HTP this time because SSRIs were the only class of medication he has not tried. I thought maybe it was worth a try and I also found this study: Comparative study of efficacy of 1-5-hydroxytryptophan and fluoxetine in patients presenting with first depressive episode (where the therapeutic efficacy of 5-HTP was considered as equal to that of the SSRI fluoxetine).

As for cravings or insomnia: he is a kid who loves sugar so I’m not sure if it’s a craving or typical. He takes 0.3mg of melatonin each night because guanfacine, the non-stimulant, prevents the production of melatonin.

She also mentioned that she has followed me for years and that DPA, an endorphin-boosting amino acid, works for her. She is a dietitian and shares my handouts and blog posts with her clients, so she clearly felt comfortable experimenting with the amino acids with her son.

5-HTP products and dosing

I also asked which product they were using and how she landed at 80mg. She wanted a fast-acting supplement that would dissolve in his mouth and purchased Natrol 5-HTP:

They are 100mg but we are breaking off a little because he was falling asleep in class.

I reminded her that 5-HTP (or tryptophan) is typically best used late afternoon and evening so if someone is falling asleep in the day I’d switch to bedtime dosing. If he needs it during the day for the ADHD symptoms then reducing the dose is the smart thing to do.

I love the sublingual/melt aspect of this product for quick results and because children do so well with a product that tastes pleasant.

However, I do not recommend this particular product because of very mixed ingredients information online. I have not seen the bottle of the actual product used but some of the online information states the product is gluten-free and soy-free and yet other information states it does contains gluten and soy. In some places they state it contains sucralose and an artificial flavor and in other places you see xylitol and natural flavor. This is all rather concerning. I’ll update this section as soon as I can confirm.

What does this mean for this mom? Now that she has figured out that 5-HTP helps her son, it’s best to find a better quality product so as not to cause other problems.

There are two chewable products in my online supplement store that come close to this product:

Serotrex Chewable: Two chewables contain 200mg theanine and 60mg 5-HTP. This could be used in the day or at night.
Designs for Health Insomnitol Chewables: Two chewables contain 10mg vitamin B6, 500mg inositol, 200mg theanine, 100mg 5-HTP and 3mg melatonin. This would need to be used at night instead.

Both of these contain theanine. Research shows that theanine reduces anxiety and improves cognition via “improvements in verbal fluency (especially letter fluency) and improvements in executive function (planning, multi-tasking etc).”

The research on 5-HTP and tryptophan for ADHD

This paper, The effects of 5-hydroxytryptophan on attention and central serotonin neurochemistry in the rhesus macaque, shares that

Individuals with depression and anxiety typically experience impaired executive function and emotional cognition, symptoms that are generally studied by examining disruptions in attention.

This study used 5-HTP as an intramuscular injection, rather than using it orally but the authors did report the following:

Our findings provide unique causal and mechanistic evidence suggesting that enhancing central serotonergic function results in categorically distinct changes in fundamental cognitive operations such as attention.

This paper, Does serotonin deficit mediate susceptibility to ADHD? summarizes the role of serotonin in ADHD, the interplay with dopamine and the use of oral tryptophan (a serotonin precursor similar to 5-HTP):

A chronic deficit of serotonin at the synapse may trigger symptoms of childhood ADHD (developmentally inappropriate levels of hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention).
Studies from animal models of ADHD indicate intimate interplay between serotonin and dopaminergic neurotransmission.
Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs)…as non-stimulant drugs acting on the serotonin system are … clinically effective.
Oral administration of l-tryptophan, the amino acid precursor of serotonin, significantly alleviates ADHD symptoms.
Serotoninergic gene variants are associated with increased risk of ADHD.

I appreciate this mom for giving me permission to share here on the blog so we can inspire hope (and I wish for more and more improvements for this young boy):

My son is a 10-year old RAD (reactive attachment disorder) kid that was meth exposed and adopted at 3 years old. 5-HTP has worked so well. He has not thrown a fit in a month. Before fits were a daily occurrence. This might give hope to other parents.

Additional resources when you are new to using GABA, 5-HTP 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.

Wrapping up and your feedback

Have you found that 5-HTP (or tryptophan) helps/helped you or your child with ADHD symptoms? If yes, do you feel the ADHD was caused in part because of anxiety and/or fear and/or feeling inadequate and/or perfectionism and/or poor sleep (all signs of low serotonin)? Or were the main symptoms poor focus, low energy, low motivation and depression caused by low catecholamines/low dopamine? Or a mixture of both?

If you’re a practitioner working with children or adults with ADHD, have you had good results with 5-HTP or tryptophan?

Please do share in the comments below.

PharmaGABA eases physical anxiety in a young man who has recently given up Adderall, alcohol and nicotine

December 11, 2020 By Trudy Scott 45 Comments

Today’s blog is about a young man diagnosed with ADD (attention deficit disorder) in his early twenties and prescribed Adderal (a stimulant). He was a cigarette smoker and drank alcohol too. His mother shared this encouraging feedback about the recent changes he has made and the benefits he reports with pharmaGABA on a recent blog. She aslo has a question about the GABA timing.

If you’re new to the low GABA type of anxiety, here is a recap: with low GABA the anxiety is the physical anxiety type with stiff and tense muscles and there is often the need to self-medicate with alcohol in order to relax, feel calm and fit in socially. Cigarettes can also be calming for many folks. Anxiety can cause poor focus issues and the inability to focus can drive up anxiety.

Here is her feedback and question:

I have a son that just started GABA after I recommended it from following you all these years. He has given up Adderall, alcohol, and nicotine all this past six months and is feeling so much better than the past ten years of his life. He is 32. He had been diagnosed with ADD in his early twenties.

He has symptoms that fall under low GABA and tried a chewable PharmaGABA 100mg tablet yesterday. He took 2 tablets (200mg total) with his meals three times the past two days and said he felt it work immediately. I told him I thought perhaps on a podcast I heard dosing 30 minutes before meals or an hour after was best?

This was my feedback for this mom about the timing of the pharmaGABA:

It’s wonderful to hear that the chewable pharmaGABA worked immediately to ease his low GABA physical anxiety symptoms
The amino acid GABA is best used away from protein so, yes, 30 minutes before meals with protein or an hour after is best.
Your son will likely find he needs less GABA doing it this way and it’ll be more effective.

I had this encouragement and feedback about quitting and using GABA:

Good for him getting off Adderall and quitting alcohol and nicotine. It can be tough when using just will-power alone.
The amino acids actually make it easier to quit because of the self-medication aspect and alcohol and nicotine are often used as a way to ease anxiety.
Even so, addressing low GABA levels after the fact will make it so much easier for him to stay away from nicotine and alcohol without having to use will-power.
There is also research showing that GABA may offer gut protection after alcohol consumption
As I mention above, anxiety can cause poor focus issues and the inability to focus can drive up anxiety. GABA can help improve focus and reduce anxiety)

Imbalances of other neurotransmitter (like low serotonin and low endorphins)

If I was working with young man I would also consider imbalances of other neurotransmitter too (like low serotonin and low endorphins) especially because alcohol and nicotine addictions are so often replaced by sugar and carb addictions.

In this randomized, double blind study, The use of a food supplementation with D-phenylalanine (DPA), L-glutamine and L-5-hydroxytriptophan in the alleviation of alcohol withdrawal symptoms, amino acids were “used to replenish a lack in neurotransmitters and alleviate the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal.”

In the study 20 patients were given these amino acids before quitting alcohol and this combination was found to alleviate withdrawal symptoms. Based on my experience even when will-power is used to quit (as in this case), many of these withdrawal symptoms linger.

Another reason to look at all the neurotransmitter imbalances is that low blood sugar and gut damage is often a factor with drinkers so glutamine may also be helpful for blood sugar stability and gut healing.

Finally, poor focus can also be caused by low catecholamines, so looking into this and considering a trial with tyrosine may also be worthwhile. This may also prevent the caffeine addiction we see once someone quits alcohol too.

Addressing his diet and probable nutrient deficiencies would be the next step for him. Also looking into adrenal health, possible candida and gut issues and food sensitivities.

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 GABA may be an issue. The low GABA symptoms include: physical tension, overwhelm, fears, anxiousness, stiff and tense muscles, sleep issues, feelings of panic and stress-eating and drinking.

Wrapping up and your feedback

I appreciate this mom for sharing and applaud her for telling her son about GABA. I also take my hat off to this young man for making these huge changes in his life and being willing to try GABA.

Have you successfully used GABA or any of the other amino acid to help quit alcohol or cigarettes? Or have you used them after you quit to prevent sygar cravings taking the place of alcohol or cigarettes?

Has GABA or pharmGABA helped ease the physical anxiety you experienced and also helped with focus issues?

Feel free to post your questions here on the blog too.

Gelatin triggers Enid’s anxiety in 2 weeks but also lowers her high blood sugar

December 4, 2020 By Trudy Scott 59 Comments

gelatin anxiety blood sugar

Are you aware that collagen and gelatin lower serotonin and may increase your anxiety and depression and worsen sleep? I blogged about this in 2017 and how susceptible individuals who are prone to low serotonin need to be aware of this and use 5-HTP or tryptophan to counter these effects. (You can read that blog here: Collagen and gelatin lower serotonin: does this increase your anxiety and depression?)

I’m sharing an example today from one of the many comments on the above blog as a reminder or in case this is new to you. It’s not well-recognized as being an issue even amongst practitioners and producers of collagen. This is also one of my most commented-on blogs so it’s clearly a big issue. And gelatin and collagen continue to become more and more popular.

As a reminder, gelatin is derived from collagen: when collagen breaks down, it becomes gelatin. Also, collagen and gelatin are an excellent source of these amino acids: proline, glycine, glutamine and arginine, but they do not contain the amino acid tryptophan, so they have the potential to lower serotonin levels.

Tryptophan-depletion studies have been done for years – using a tryptophan-deficient amino acid mixture – as a way to study the relationship between low serotonin and depression.

More recently, collagen and gelatin are being used in these tryptophan-depletion studies because they do not contain the amino acid tryptophan. This paper, Pharmacokinetics of acute tryptophan depletion using a gelatin-based protein in male and female Wistar rats, summarizes what we find in a number of studies that use gelatin for the purpose of lowering serotonin levels (in order to study the relationship between serotonin and mood issues):

The essential amino acid tryptophan is the precursor of the neurotransmitter serotonin. By depleting the body of tryptophan, brain tryptophan and serotonin levels are temporarily reduced.

What does this mean? If you consume gelatin or collagen, you end up depleting the body of tryptophan and serotonin levels are reduced for a short time. This can cause the classic low serotonin symptoms of anxiety, worry, panic attacks, fears, phobias, insomnia, PMS, afternoon and evening carb cravings, TMJ, PMS and even anger issues and obsessions/ruminations.

For Enid, adding gelatin to her weight-loss shake powder triggered the anxiety she used to experience:

I wanted to give you a sincere thanks for all the work you’ve done on this blog and for studying collagen and serotonin. I have been taking quite a bit of gelatin because I started a medically supervised weight-loss program a month ago and was adding the shake powder to gelatin to thicken it. I have a long history of anxiety but it has been better for several years. However, I have been really concerned because my heart hurts with anxiety like I used to have. So your article and the follow up comments have helped me since I would have continued to eat a lot of it But now I will stop. So thank you.

Edid also shared how the gelatin she was consuming lowered her blood sugar in 2 weeks:

What’s interesting is in 2 weeks of being on the diet and eating a lot of gelatin my glucose went from 190 (which is diabetes) to 113 which is perfectly normal. I’ve read that collagen lowers blood sugar. So hopefully it will stay down even after stopping eating gelatin.

I found it very interesting to learn about Enid’s lowered glucose and that it went down so much in just 2 weeks.

So I went looking into the research and found this paper, Therapeutic effects of marine collagen peptides on Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and primary hypertension, stating that marine collagen “significantly reduced levels of fasting blood glucose.” The study concluded that marine collagen:

may benefit glucose and lipid metabolism, insulin sensitivity, renal function and hypertension management in Chinese patients with T2DM [type 2 diabetes] and hypertension.

This research is new to me and is a good reason to continue with gelatin or collagen and address why it’s causing her anxiety to ramp again after just 2 weeks.

My message in this blog post – Collagen and gelatin lower serotonin: does this increase your anxiety and depression? – is not to stop gelatin or collagen, but rather help you to figure out if your consumption of collagen or gelatin is causing your anxiety, depression or insomnia (or other low serotonin symptoms), or making it worse.

Once you have made this connection then you need to figure out what the mechanism is. The fact that the consumption of collagen and gelatin lower serotonin is one possible factor for susceptible folks. The easiest way to figure out if it is low serotonin for you is to do a trial of tryptophan or 5-HTP while continuing to consume gelatin or collagen and see if your new symptoms resolve. (You can read more about that here: Tryptophan for the worry-in-your-head and ruminating type of anxiety)

I would love your feedback. Do you use gelatin or collagen regularly i.e. daily or weekly? And why do you use it? How do you use it and what benefits do you notice?

Have you noticed an increase in anxiety or worsening of mood or any of the other low serotonin symptoms? Do you take tryptophan or 5-HTP to offset the fact that gelatin or collagen doesn’t contain any tryptophan and does that help?

Have you done the off/on test with collagen/gelatin and tryptophan or 5-HTP – and what was the outcome?

Have you found collagen or gelatin helped to lower your high glucose levels?

Feel free to post your questions here too.