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Tryptophan and GABA for relaxation, jaw pain, sleep, anger and mood symptoms

June 13, 2025 By Trudy Scott 10 Comments

I typically start clients on tryptophan if they have signs of low serotonin: stressed, overwhelmed worry, fears, obsessing, feeling anxious, ruminations, low mood, anger issues/rage, sleep problems, pain issues, PMS, low self-esteem, imposter syndrome, and afternoon/evening carb cravings etc. If we don’t get expected results we switch to 5-HTP as some people do better on one vs the other.

With signs of low GABA – a more physical kind of anxiety, with some overwhelm, intrusive thoughts, tension, sleep issues (often lying awake tense), stress-eating and/or drinking and pain – I typically recommend a GABA only product (as a powder or capsule opened) or GABA Calm (a sublingual). In some cases we may consider theanine and pharmaGABA.

The best way to assess low GABA and low serotonin is the symptoms questionnaire and a trial of the respective amino acids – one at a time. But the key is to find the ideal amount for the unique needs of each person. We do that by methodically and systematically increasing the amino acid slowly and tracking improvements for each increase.

In this blog you can read some success stories from women who used tryptophan and GABA for relaxation, jaw pain, sleep, anger and mood symptoms, and my commentary with some additional insights.

Tryptophan and GABA (as powders) – for her stress and pain

Amy uses both tryptophan and GABA for relaxation and jaw pain:

I use both tryptophan and GABA, I just take them separately. When my jaw was really bad the tryptophan really helped. I also do vagus nerve stimulating exercises that make me yawn and it stretches and releases the jaw.

As for the GABA …when I’m very stressed, I need extra to feel the effects. I use a pinch between the fingers of the Now powder and let it dissolve on my tongue. I feel my body relax in about 30 seconds. If nothing then I take a second pinch. Most days 1 pinch is enough.

I also let tryptophan dissolve in my mouth and most days I feel the same physical relaxation after a few moments. It’s not always obvious with the tryptophan though. I use 1/4 tsp of powder but you can use capsules. I mix the powder with pudding powder because it’s very bitter.

Both tryptophan and GABA can help with pain, and also feeling anxious and stressed.

The benefits are via different mechanisms – tryptophan boosts low serotonin and it’s typically more of a mental type of relaxation. This blog illustrates the use of tryptophan for TMJ (temporomandibular joint) – Tryptophan ends TMJ pain, headaches and worry, and improves mood and sleep: a success story.

The amino acid GABA boots low GABA levels and it provides more of a physical type of relaxation and also helps with pain relief.

I like that Amy is using both amino acids as powder and I’m happy for her. GABA powder tastes pleasant and is much more effective used this way (or capsule opened or sublingual).

Tryptophan can be swallowed but many find it more effective as a powder or capsule opened. As Amy says, it’s very bitter as a powder.

Tryptophan or 5-HTP and different forms of GABA – for sleep, anger and mood symptoms

Kerry tried 5-HTP and pharmaGABA but did better with tryptophan and GABA Calm:

My naturopath had me on 5-HTP but I never felt a benefit, and pharmaGaba was a histamine trigger. After reading your book I tried tryptophan and spent many months on 2 x 500mg at bedtime. This helped with sleep and definitely stopped the surges of anger that happened often.

I read a lady say her staple was 2 x Gaba Calm at bedtime and on rising, so I tried this and it helped.

I now take both tryptophan and Gaba Calm only if I feel niggly mood symptoms.

My previous diet was standard vegetarian, then vegan for several years. I now have lots of protein in the form of beef liver capsules, eggs and protein powder. I don’t like meat.

Kerry shared all this in a recent blog comment, describing how tryptophan and GABA Calm were big game-changers for her, in addition to “a long slow mold detox …addressing nutritional deficiencies and implementing dietary changes.”

Mycotoxins caused by mold, nutritional deficiencies and a poor quality diet can impact neurotransmitter production. The good news is that when you find the right combination of amino acids – in this case tryptophan and GABA Calm – you can get relief right away while the other factors are being addressed. It reduces the overwhelm, stress and fears too.

Kerry’s approach of consistent use of both amino acids is the best way to go and I’m so happy for her. And once levels are sufficient they can be used as needed, provided other underlying causes (like toxins, diet etc) are being addressed.

I will add that some individuals do better on 5-HTP and some do better on tryptophan so it’s often a matter of doing a trial of both. I typically recommend tryptophan to start because 5-HTP can be an issue if cortisol is high.

I also always recommend starting with some forms of GABA because of the potential histamine issues with pharmaGABA. That said, some individuals do tolerate pharamGABA so it’s worth doing a trial of both. And we may also consider theanine when we want to support low GABA, low serotonin and low dopamine.

Theanine and tryptophan and diet/lifestyle changes – and feeling her best!

Luna worked with a health practitioner to taper off Prozac (very slowly) and used amino acids during the taper and afterwards:

As someone who took Prozac for years and eventually came off, please pay special attention to Trudy’s advice to come off it SLOWLY. I’d say do it so slowly it may seem ridiculous.

I tried three times to get off Prozac and it was only with the help of an ND/PharmD did I finally get the info needed to come off it without *awful* side effects. To do it well, the process takes MONTHS – not weeks as many doctors recommend.

These days, I take L-Theanine and L-Tryptophan. And I’m preparing to add some GABA soon. Combined with daily 45 minute walks outside, and a low-sugar/low-gluten diet, I’m doing the best I have in my adult life.

A comprehensive approach that includes amino acids, dietary changes, and getting out in nature can make a world of difference. I love it when I hear feedback like this.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Now I’d love to hear from you – how has tryptophan and GABA helped you or a loved one?

If you’d like to get on the notification list for the next Serotonin Quickstart Program (a paid online/virtual group program where you get my guidance and community support during 5 LIVE Q&A calls), please do so here.

If you’re a practitioner do you use tryptophan and GABA with your clients/patients?

Feel free to share and ask your questions below.

How to use GABA cream for a 9 year old boy who is anxious, has sensory issues, is a picky eater and has anger outbursts?

May 3, 2024 By Trudy Scott 8 Comments

Devon is looking for input on using a GABA cream product to help her anxious 9-year old son who has some anger and sensory issues. She’d like advice on timing too. He is a picky eater and doesn’t like GABA Calm. I share my insights about using GABA cream for raising levels of GABA (a calming neurotransmitter), some of the GABA sensory connections, the GABA anger connections and other factors to address (nutritional imbalances, diet and infections).

Here is her question and some additional background information from our online discussion:

My son has SPD/GAD (sensory processing disorder/generalized anxiety disorder). His anxiety is causing school refusal and a lot of angry outbursts. I suspect PANDAS but his primary care doctor doesn’t think he has that (I might try a different path).

He doesn’t have a problem with sleep, it is mostly anxiety/anger in the day. I am wondering if he can use this GABA cream during the day vs at night?Or would applying this at night help him through the day?

I am really hopeful that the GABA cream will help him attain a little more peace in his days.

Devon doesn’t recall if ARFID (Avoidant restrictive food intake disorder) was part of his diagnosis but he is a picky eater and

has a carb heavy diet that centers only around certain foods. He recently added corn on the cob and artichokes.

He has tried GABA here and there but can’t get past the flavor of the chewable so has never taken it consistently.

Any thoughts on this would be great. I have learned so much from your blog. Thank you for all of the info you share.

Using GABA cream for a child with these symptoms

Devon asked this question on the Somnium Nighttime GABA Cream blog where I write about using it for insomnia, anxiety, bloated belly, muscle spasms, MS (multiple sclerosis), ARFID, anorexia, Alzheimer’s and autism.

I shared that I’ve had many parents use GABA cream during the day with success to help with anxious feelings their children are experiencing. With sleep not being an issue for her son I would start really low and increase the amount and timing from there based on symptom resolution. A pea-size amount is recommended and I’d start with a 1/4 of this in the morning before school when the symptoms are causing school refusal.

Devon doesn’t mention if they noticed benefits with GABA Calm but we use sublingual /powder/liposomal GABA in a similar way. So when this has helped in the past it’s a good clue that GABA cream will help.

Sublingual /powder/ liposomal GABA is typically used morning, mid-morning, mid-afternoon, evening and during the night if needed. Similar timing can be followed with the cream, however, for some children (and adults) just once a day may be enough with additional use based on the situation, for example anger outbursts at a play date. The key to use is to start low and go slow and figure out what works for each child’s unique needs. More severe symptoms don’t necessarily mean more GABA is needed. The other key is consistency in order to increase GABA levels.

It can be applied behind the ears, inner forearm and belly but keep in mind that mom or the caregiver applying it will be getting a dose of GABA too.

A clue that too much is being used is increased sleepiness. If benefits are seen but the child is too sleepy another option is to use it at night and observe if benefits are carried through to the next day.

The GABA research: autism, social impairment and sensory issues

In this paper looking at autistic children, the authors report “increased cerebellar glutamate levels compared to neurotypical children” which means lower GABA levels. They also found that “altered excitatory/inhibitory signaling in the cerebellum was more clear-cut when analyses were restricted to male participants.” And this altered signaling of GABA/glutamate correlated with “more severe social impairment” in males.

This paper looking at adults with autism highlights the relationships “between sensory processing difficulties, loneliness, and anxiety.” And another study identifies “reduced inhibitory neurotransmission (reduced GABA) in a higher-order motor area, which modulates motor commands and integrates multiple sensory modalities” and “may underlie sensory hyper-responsiveness in ASD (autism spectrum disorder).”

Although Devon’s son hasn’t been diagnosed with autism, many of the studies have been done in this population and much can be gleaned from them.

There is also much clinical evidence supporting how GABA can help in situations like this and it’s not only in boys. This blog is just one example that highlights how GABA Calm helped a young girl improve her sleep issues, anxiety feelings and sensorimotor skills.

Picky eating, carb cravings, ARFID and the neurotransmitters

When the picky eating and carb cravings are driven by low GABA and stress/physical anxiety, GABA cream can help reduce those in the same way sublingual GABA does.

Anger is typically associated with low serotonin but can often be low GABA too. More here – GABA helps ease symptoms of anger, rage, and dark moods. I share one paper that reports “Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter, may be critical in the neurochemical control of aggressive behavior.”

I’d also consider low serotonin as a possible contributing factor because other signs are increased anxious feelings, and also late afternoon and evening cravings.

Devon is not sure if ARFID is part of her son’s diagnosis but addressing low serotonin can help if there is an element of fear around eating too. More on ARFID here.

Just like we track his anxious feelings and outburst of anger, tracking his eating is important too. And introducing one amino acid at a time so there is no confusion as to which one is helping which symptoms.

Pyroluria, low zinc, low vitamin B6, low magnesium and dietary factors

Zinc, vitamin B6 and magnesium are needed for neurotransmitter production i.e. to make GABA and serotonin. They are also very common deficiencies and looking at and addressing low levels are important. Zinc also affects appetite and low levels can make sensory issues more severe.

Devon shares that suspects his zinc levels a few years ago were good, based on the liquid zinc test. Levels can change and given her son’s school refusal I’d assess for the social anxiety condition called pyroluria (zinc and vitamin B6 are key). The liquid zinc is also a great way to increase zinc since it tastes like water if you are deficient.

Topical magnesium is an excellent option – as a spray, a roller (she has been using this with him) – or epsom salts baths are another option for increasing magnesium.

As always dietary factors need to be addressed as and when his sensory issues improve: real whole food, quality animal protein (especially at breakfast for blood sugar control), organic fruits and veggies, healthy fats, fermented veggies, gluten-free (and possibly grain-free), sugar-free and caffeine-free. And special diets may need to be considered too – low oxalate, low salicylate, low glutamate and/or low phenol.

PANDAS, Lyme disease and addressing the infection/s

Devon mentions that she suspects PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections) and it’s unfortunate that she is being dismissed but sadly it’s not unusual. It’s important to find a doctor who will support her in getting testing for this and either ruling it out or addressing the infection/s. You can read more about PANDAS and PANS here.

She doesn’t mention Lyme disease but I’m mentioning it because many infections can cause neuropsychiatric symptoms and should be considered.

The good news is that supporting low GABA, low serotonin and other imbalances, does provide much symptom relief. But we always want to get to the root cause as to why there are imbalances.

A topical GABA product: Somnium

Use this link to read more about Somnium and get the coupon code.

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

As a reminder, low GABA can cause physical tension, anxious feelings, feelings of panic and problems sleeping, as well as self–medicating with alcohol or carbs to relax or fit in. As always, I use the symptoms questionnaire to figure out if low GABA or other neurotransmitter imbalances may be an issue.

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.

Wrapping up and your feedback

I do always appreciate questions like this so keep them coming so I can share and educate further. I will also update this blog once I hear back from Devon. She has purchased Somnium GABA Cream and plans to have her son use it.

And keep in mind, although this blog is specific for sensitive children and teens, it’s applicable to adults and folks who prefer a cream to a supplement.

Now I’d love to hear from you – does your child have low GABA levels and have you considered using a GABA cream?

If you have had success with Somnim please do share how it helps, how much you use and where you apply it?

Have you also addressed other nutritional imbalances, infections and diet?

If you’re a practitioner do you use GABA cream with your clients/patients?

And please let me know if it’s helpful that I’m now including product recommendations and where to get them.

Feel free to share and ask your questions below.

Seasonal PMDD/PMS and hormonal binge eating, wine drinking and anxiety – symptoms ramp up from October

November 17, 2023 By Trudy Scott 3 Comments

Someone in the community asked for help for the seasonal aspect of her PMDD symptoms i.e. more severe symptoms in winter …

My PMDD symptoms massively increase around the beginning of October right through to March. Would love some advice.

The binge eating and wine drinking is becoming habitual

She specifically mentions binge eating and wine drinking but I assume her other PMDD symptoms – such as anxiety, tension, anger, irritability, depression, sadness, hopelessness, insomnia, overwhelm, low energy, breast tenderness, headaches, pain, bloating, and/ or weight gain – are more severe at this time too.

As you can see, her symptoms are much more severe from October through March (winter in the Northern Hemisphere). If you live in the Southern Hemisphere you could expect more severe symptoms from May through September (or thereabouts).

There is a seasonal aspect to PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder) and PMS (premenstrual syndrome and other hormonal imbalances. It’s not well recognized despite the fact that it’s documented in the research and seen clinically.

My feedback for her is to look into and address low serotonin, low GABA and/or low endorphins with the respective amino acids (adjusting up and down based on the season and symptoms), using recognized SAD (seasonal affective disorder) approaches and addressing pyroluria if needed (the nutrients are cofactors for neurotransmitter production.) I share more about each of these approaches and the research below.

The research: patients with PMDD have substantial seasonal patterns in mood and premenstrual symptoms

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) “accounts for the most severe form of PMS with the greatest impairment of women’s functioning and perceived quality of life, often prompting them to seek treatment.”

This older paper from 1997, Seasonality of symptoms in women with late luteal phase dysphoric disorder

Out of 100 patients treated in a subspecialty clinic in a university teaching hospital, “a significantly higher rate of seasonal affective disorder (38% versus 8%) as determined by Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire criteria.”
Also, 25% of the patients with seasonal variations in their premenstrual symptoms, consider them marked or a severe problem

The authors conclude that:

These results suggest that patients with LLPDD [or PMDD] have substantial seasonal patterns in mood and premenstrual symptoms. These seasonal patterns have implications for the clinical assessment and treatment of LLPDD [or PMDD]. For example, light therapy may be beneficial for women with seasonal worsening of LLPDD [or PMDD].

As you look at the research keep in mind the fact that late luteal dysphoric disorder (LLDD),“is now known as premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)”, as mentioned in the above paper and other older studies.

Seasonal variations in serotonin and GABA

Seasonal variations in serotonin have long been documented with much research on the winter blues. This paper, The chronobiology and neurobiology of winter seasonal affective disorder describes winter seasonal affective disorder (SAD) as “a mood disorder characterized by the predictable onset of depression in the fall/winter months, with spontaneous remissions in the spring/summer period.” They also state that “The typical patient with SAD is a premenopausal woman who experiences carbohydrate craving, hypersomnia, and prominent fatigue during winter depressive episodes.”

There is less awareness about GABA seasonality but GABA levels may also be lower in the winter months. In this animal study, Effect of the pineal gland on 5-hydroxytryptamine and γ-aminobutyric acid secretion in the hippocampus of male rats during the summer and winter, it is reported that: “GABA secretion in the hippocampus of rats had a seasonal rhythm consisting of increased secretion in summer and decreased secretion in the winter.” I share more about this and the seasonality of GABA here.

It makes sense that supporting these lower levels in winter is going to help with the more severe PMDD symptoms that correlate with each neurotransmitter imbalance.

One solution: address low levels of neurotransmitters with amino acids

As you can see the PMDD symptoms mentioned above could fall into the categories of low GABA, low serotonin and/or low endorphins (and possibly low dopamine/catecholamines and low blood sugar too: binge eating, wine drinking, anxiety, tension, anger, irritability, depression, sadness, hopelessness, insomnia, overwhelm, low energy, breast tenderness, headaches, pain, bloating, and/ or weight gain.

(You can read this StatPearls ebook for the full description of the above symptoms: Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder)

It’s for this reason I always have clients with PMDD (and other hormonal issues) do the Amino Acids Mood Questionnaire and trials of the respective amino acids.

Using a food mood log and tracking what time of day you binge eat and drink wine (and all the other symptoms) is a clue as to which amino acids may help most. I would expect tryptophan, GABA and DPA would be at the top of the list, and possibly tyrosine and glutamine too.

Because of the seasonality aspect, a higher dose is likely to be needed in the winter time so if you’re just starting your amino acid trails keep this in mind. If you are already using amino acids with success in summer, then bumping up the amounts during winter is going to help further. And then be sure to reduce amounts once winter is over.

Hopefully you’ve also been working on diet, gut health, liver health, adrenal function, toxin removal and other factors to reduce or eliminate PMDD/PMS so the amino acids are not needed long term.

How targeted individual amino acids may help – some examples

As you can see from one study, tryptophan can help with premenstrual dysphoria/sadness, mood swings, tension, and irritability.

Low endorphins and low dopamine may also be a factor. I share more on this blog: DLPA (DL-Phenylalanine) eases PMDD/PMS symptoms in women who experience declining endorphin levels in the second half of their cycles

Here are some specific amino acid cases around binge eating/cravings and excessive wine drinking:

None of the above are specific to seasonal changes in symptoms but illustrate the use of amino acids.

Supportive solutions: a SAD lamp when serotonin is low and addressing pyroluria

The late luteal phase dysphoric disorder paper above doesn’t mention amino acids (which is unfortunate but not surprising) but it does mention light therapy. I do recommend the use of a SAD lamp (full spectrum light) when there are low serotonin symptoms that get more severe in the winter.

With PMDD/PMS and other hormonal imbalances, we also always consider pyroluria and the use of higher amounts of zinc, vitamin B6 and evening primrose oil. The “stress” of winter and increased sugar consumption can deplete zinc and vitamin B6 for everyone but more so if you have pyroluria. These nutrients are also key for hormonal imbalances.

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

We use the symptoms questionnaire to figure out if low GABA or low serotonin or low endorphins or low dopamine or low blood sugar may be an issue with your seasonal PMDD/PMS.

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 too). 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.

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 like to hear from you

Does any of this resonate with you? If yes, has any of the above helped with the seasonal aspect of your PMDD, PMS or other hormonal issues?

Feel free to share and ask your questions below.

GABA worked amazingly for 18-year-old during a MCAS/histamine flare, helping with OCD, anxiety, rage and skin issues

October 27, 2023 By Trudy Scott Leave a Comment

Bonnie shared how effective GABA was for her 18 year old son with suspected MCAS (mast cell activation syndrome/histamine issues) and his associated anxiety/OCD/rage and skin issues:

GABA worked amazingly for us during a flare! Flares began with OCD [obsessive compulsive disorder]and anxiety increasing before our eyes and then the rage followed.

He would wake up very early and his upper back, shoulders and upper chest would have acne all over, this would come and go, but never completely go.

GABA capsules worked in 20 minutes and thanks to you Trudy, I read and found GABA chewables worked in 5 minutes. We used to buy GABA all the time to stop the flares and to prevent them from coming! The GABA was absolutely 100% a godsend!

Once I started focusing on keeping histamine down, we don’t buy or use GABA much! Haven’t had a flare in almost a year!!

It’s so wonderful to hear that GABA helped Bonnie’s son so much. No MCAS/histamine flare in a year!

I checked with Bonnie and they primarily used 3 x Source Naturals GABA Calm chewables (each one contains 125 mg GABA). They initially used up to 3 x 250 mg GABA if he was having a really bad flare, 1 if he was not so bad and 2 if somewhere between.

Histamine issues frequently cause physical tension and anxiety so we’d expect GABA to help. Wth rage and OCD, we typically consider low serotonin as a possible cause but in her son’s case, GABA clearly was his root cause. I share another case where GABA helped ease symptoms of anger, rage, and dark moods.

It’s been a long road – ruling out PDD-NOS, PANDAS and PANS

But as amazing as GABA was for him there was more to it and it has been a long road for him. Bonnie shared this too: “At 4 years old he was diagnosed with PDD-NOS, then at 5 years old they said no it’s PANDAS, and at 6 years old no it’s PANS.”

Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) refers to a group of disorders characterized by impairment in the development of social interaction, verbal and non-verbal communication, imaginative activity and a limited number of interests and activities that tend to be repetitive.

Both PANDAS and PANS are associated with OCD, rages and other mental health issues which are often sudden onset and caused by infections – PANDAS is Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections, and PANS is when the severe onset of OCD symptoms is linked to another infection. More on these conditions here. It’s important to either rule out or address these conditions.

They tried several doctors and several protocols over the years: “B12 injections early but only saw a small gain. No reactions for years whatever we tried. IV treatment about 5 years ago was the second time we had gains.

Histamine was off the chart and flares were worse during allergy season and better in winter

I share all this to give you hope and to send the message that you don’t want to ever give up. Even with few gains, Bonnie persevered and started making the connections with allergies. She shared this: “During these years 2 different allergy tests matched and histamine was off the chart for both, but 2 different doctors did not address it. Maybe there was no connection then.”

She noticed flares were worse during the beginning of allergy season and better in winter, and started to histamine support:

We use DAO enzymes with high histamine foods. We tried quercetin, isoquercetin and curcumin with no gains. Started stinging nettles and bromelain and they are definitely helping us with gains.

Our son seems to be much better, being more social and we are just seeing better connections socially.

Just started Seeking Health Serotonin Nutrients to see if this can further add gains. Probably a different topic now! Sorry so long!! Love to share!!!

Bonnie noticed her son’s flares were better in winter but keep in mind there may be seasonality of GABA with worsening anxiety, insomnia and intrusive thoughts in winter (and the need for increased GABA supplementation). I blog about this here.

The research: Neurotransmitter and neuropeptide regulation of mast cell function

Bonnie shared her son’s results in response to a Facebook post where I shared the research that GABA (a well-known inhibitory neurotransmitter) helps with MCAS/mast cell activation syndrome and histamine issues.

This 2020 paper, Neurotransmitter and neuropeptide regulation of mast cell function: a systematic review, reports that:

Some reports link GABA to the inhibition of MC (mast cell) activation in allergies. GABA suppresses degranulation in rat basophilic leukemia RBL-2H3 cells via the GABA(B) receptor on the cell surface

….The administration of GABA in a dose-dependent manner reduced the development of AD [atopic dermatitis] – like skin lesions in mice by suppressing serum IgE and splenocyte IL-4 production.

(Keep in mind that the RBL-2H3 cell line mentioned in the above research is a commonly used histamine-releasing cell line used in inflammation, allergy and immunological research.)

My additional feedback about serotonin support and pyroluria

They also used (and still use) 5 mg lithium orotate and 100 mg 5-HTP. Bonnie will soon be stopping one at a time to see if that makes a difference. I’ll share what she reports back.

Bonnie mentions wanting to trial a combination product for serotonin support. I shared with her that I prefer individual amino acids so we know what’s helping. This is especially important with sensitive folks who may react to any one of the ingredients. My choice would be exploring 5-HTP further or doing a trial of tryptophan instead of 5-HTP (or possibly a combination of both) if there are still low serotonin symptoms.

She also mentions that her son is “more social and we are just seeing better connections socially.” This is great but if she feels he could make even more social gains I’d encourage looking into the pyroluria protocol too. There are many added benefits of addressing pyroluria (a social anxiety condition) when someone has MCAS, histamine issues, Lyme or another chronic condition. The zinc, vitamin B6 and other nutrients also support neurotransmitter production.

Resources if you are new to using amino acids as supplements

We use the symptoms questionnaire to figure out if low GABA or low serotonin may be an issue.

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

I really appreciate Bonnie for sharing her son’s story and giving me permission to share as a blog.

Has GABA helped with your symptoms (or your loved one’s symptoms) triggered by MCAS/mast cell activation syndrome and histamine issues – like anxiety, insomnia, OCD, racing heart, rage, allergy symptoms and even rashes/dermatitis?

Do you also find that the sublingual/chewable GABA Calm product worked/works quicker than swallowed GABA products?

Has addressing pyroluria helped MCAS/histamine issues and social anxiety?

Feel free to share and ask your questions below.

Psychiatric Complications of Primary Hyperparathyroidism and Mild Hypercalcemia: anxiety, depression, anger, irritability, delusions and impaired cognition

July 7, 2023 By Trudy Scott 38 Comments

In samples of patients undergoing parathyroidectomy for primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT), these disturbances have been identified at a rate of 43.1%–53.0% for anxiety, 33.0%–62.1% for depression, 22.0% for thoughts of death or suicide, 51.9% for anger and irritability, 5.0%–20.0% for hallucinations and delusions, and 37.3%–46.5% for impaired cognition.

In fact, it has been noted that there are more neuropsychiatric phenomena in PHPT than is often recognized and that these symptoms are easily missed, particularly in the elderly population.

This excerpt is from, Psychiatric Complications of Primary Hyperparathyroidism and Mild Hypercalcemia, published in Psychiatry Online.

I’ve recently been reading as much as I can about this condition, for personal and professional reasons. As soon as I learn about something new I go digging to see if there is an anxiety connection. And I must say I was very surprised to read these stats. It’s not something I’ve heard discussed or taught at mental health conferences.

The authors also state this about the condition:

The incidence of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is about 21 cases per 100,000 person-years, and the disorder is usually caused by a solitary parathyroid adenoma. PHPT has traditionally been recognized by its characteristic symptoms, including urolithiasis (“stones”); osteopenia and osteoporosis (“bones”); abdominal cramping, nausea, and peptic ulceration (“moans”); and depression, anxiety, cognitive dysfunction, insomnia, confusion, and personality changes (“psychiatric overtones”).

How do changes in serum calcium levels contribute to mental health and cognitive symptoms?

It’s always helpful to understand the mechanism and it was the first thought that went through my mind – how does hyperparathyroidism and changes in serum calcium levels cause these mental health and cognitive symptoms? The authors share this:

Although the pathogenesis [or cause] of psychiatric symptoms in primary hyperparathyroidism remains unclear, calcium is thought to figure prominently in determining changes in monoamine metabolism in the central nervous system(CNS), thereby modifying neurotransmission and resulting in alterations in mood and cognition.

I went digging and found this paper – Acute psychosis secondary to suspected hyperparathyroidism: A case report and literature review.

The authors also state that the mechanism isn’t known for certain. And although they are referring specifically to psychosis, the explanation could be applied to other symptoms too: “It is thought that the changes in serum calcium level slow down nerve function and neurotransmission rate, inducing psychosis (and other symptoms like anxiety, depression, anger, irritability and suicidal thoughts).

Understanding this possible mechanism helps us find a temporary solution for these symptoms until the hyperparathyroidism is addressed with surgery i.e. using amino acids as supplements.

Using amino acids to ease symptoms while you are seeking the root cause/s

If you’ve been following my work and have read my book The Antianxiety Food Solution, you’ll be familiar with using targeted amino acids as supplements to support low levels of neurotransmitters. These provide quick relief of symptoms (in a day or less) while you are seeking the root cause.

If we look at the above symptoms:

Anxiety can be a sign of low serotonin (worry type of anxiety) and/or low GABA (physical type of anxiety) – and tryptophan/5-HTP and/or GABA help ease symptoms.
Depression can be a sign of low serotonin (negativity), low dopamine (curl-up-in-bed depression) an/or low endorphins (weepy depression) – and tryptophan/5-HTP, tyrosine and/or DPA help ease symptoms.
Irritability and anger are common with low serotonin – and tryptophan/5-HTP helps to ease symptoms.
Low GABA can also be involved with anger and rage
Cognitive issues can be caused by low dopamine and low GABA – and tyrosine and/or GABA help ease symptoms

(You can find the symptoms questionnaire here. As always, amino acids are used based on symptom clusters and dosed according to your unique needs.)

If you find you have been using the amino acids long term and have explored all the possible root causes described in my book and summarized here, it may be worth investigating primary hyperthyroidism especially if you’re menopausal.

Case: “I had to have a parathyroid gland removed a few years ago… I literally felt better from the moment I came round from the surgery”

We always want to find the root cause when we have various symptoms. With this condition, it’s common to observe very quick resolution of symptoms after parathyroid surgery to remove the adenoma/s. Someone in our community shared this:

I had to have a parathyroid gland removed a few years ago … I literally felt better from the moment I came round from the surgery. It’s a miserable disease. I thought I was going to die! Lots of people get so low that they don’t feel like they can go on.

Bone pain was awful. Fatigue, depression etc.

I had had some dental issues around that time. One of my teeth crumbled. My Vitamin D went down to 9 so I am sure that was a large part of the puzzle.

I was actually diagnosed fairly quickly but was retested many times. I self-referred to a surgeon that was in-network in the end as my insurance wouldn’t cover various surgeons that my doctor wanted me to go too.

I had had breast cancer a few years ago and so had had weekly blood tests and, when I went back and looked, my calcium had been high for years. So important to read our own results.

The surgery was so easy.

What an amazing outcome for this woman and I appreciate her for sharing so we all get to learn and benefit from her journey. And yes, I agree, we need to advocate for ourselves and ask for and keep copies of all our labs. And get educated and ask questions. It’s really unfortunate that high calcium and hyperparathyroidism is so often missed.

Not everyone has all the listed symptoms of primary hyperparathyroidism. This woman did experience fatigue, depression and bone pain. She did not experience anxiety and didn’t have kidney stones. I do suspect dietary oxalate issues (without kidney stones) can be an issue for some folks because of the calcium disruption.

Some reasons why hyperparathyroidism is underdiagnosed

In the last few months I have learned that primary hyperparathyroidism is underdiagnosed. PTH (parathyroid hormone) is not routinely tested and I believe that it should be. Also, as you read above, elevated calcium levels are often ignored or brushed off as being a non-issue. And to complicate things further calcium is not always elevated. Hyperparathyroidism is also underdiagnosed and undertreated in the elderly.

For many women (and men) the discovery happens after they are diagnosed with osteoporosis and then calcium and PTH are tested, and/or past elevated calcium levels are “discovered.” If the hyperparathyroidism diagnosis happens first then osteoporosis screening is not always done and I believe it should be. And don’t get me started on when I believe osteoporosis screening should start (at 45 and not 65 or 70 years old) and issues with DEXA screening (more to come on this).

The good news is that primary hyperparathyroidism is a well-established cause of secondary osteoporosis which starts to resolve after the surgery too.

I’m still very much in learning mode

Primary hyperparathyroidism only recently appeared on my radar as a result of the 2023 osteoporosis summit, hosted by my friend and colleague, Margie Bissinger, Physical Therapist and osteoporosis coach. Dr. Deva Boone was a speaker on this condition on the summit and her site is a wealth of information. I appreciate them both.

As I mentioned above, I am also amazed it’s not something I’ve heard about at mental health or integrative health conferences and when doing continuing education.

I will admit I’m no expert and I’m still very much in learning mode – for myself and for you and this community. But, as you know, I like to share what I learn. As I continue to learn, I plan to share additional perspectives and the osteoporosis/menopause and oxalate links.

I am also in the process of creating a hyperparathyroidism questionnaire to use with my clients. Not everyone has all the above symptoms and not all the papers and resources list all the symptoms covered here today. For example, fatigue is listed on many sites but not in the above two papers and very few sites emphasize the mental health symptoms.

I’m also learning there are clues to look for – like forearm results on the DEXA scan and a good TBS/trabecular bone score has some significance. Stay tuned.

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, low serotonin, low dopamine and low endorphins).

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

If you’ve been diagnosed with hyperparathyroidism (or a family member has been) you can likely relate to much of this. Please share your/their journey. I’d love to hear how long it took for a diagnosis and treatment and what symptoms resolved after surgery, and how quickly.

Did you find the amino acids helped anxiety, mood and cognition symptoms in the short term, and then were no longer needed after surgery?

If you’re new to hyperparathyroidism, feel free to ask your questions and share what you’d like to hear more about in the follow-up blog.

If you are a practitioner, is primary hyperparathyroidism on your radar and do you recommend PTH testing in addition to calcium testing? Have you found the amino acids to be a good short-term solution for your clients/patients?

And if hyperparathyroidism is your area of expertise, feel free to add to the discussion.

Feel free to post your feedback here in the comments.

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

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

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.