dopamine

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

January 15, 2021 By Trudy Scott 3 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.

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.

Toxoplasma gondii: schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, OCD and unresolved anxiety?

August 14, 2017 By Trudy Scott 11 Comments

Toxoplasma gondii is a microscopic parasite that infects cats and can be found in the soil – research shows it may be a factor in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and OCD in susceptible individuals. Could toxoplasma gondii could be one of the root causes of unresolved anxiety? I believe so and feel it’s under-rated.

This is the one of the parasitic infections I cover on The Parasite Summit which is online from September 11-18, 2017.

Here are a few snippets from my interview:

A single-celled parasite called Toxoplasma gondii causes a disease known as toxoplasmosis.

Toxoplasma gondii is a microscopic parasite that infects cats and can be found in the soil. The infection can be acquired by ingesting contaminated food or water, by handling contaminated cat litter, or by transmission from mother-to-child.

According to the CDC – as of Mar 1, 2017 – in the United States it is estimated that 11% of the population 6 years and older have been infected with Toxoplasma. In various places throughout the world, it has been shown that up to 95% of some populations have been infected with Toxoplasma.

I love cats and have always been a cat person and pets are wonderful companions helping many of us humans recovering from PTSD and trauma – but we always need to dig deeper:

some individuals don’t respond as well to dietary changes, brain chemical balancing and addressing other biochemical/nutritional factors
I’m always looking for root possible causes. I’ve identified 70+ causes of anxiety and one of them is parasites
any parasite could be a factor – it causes stress and inflammation in the body, and we may see high cortisol leading to increased anxiety, insomnia and inflammation
could toxoplasma gondii could be one of the root causes of unresolved anxiety? I believe so and feel it’s under-rated – and believe we’ll be hearing more about it as more research comes out

I discuss this review paper published this year: Is Toxoplasma gondii a Trigger of Bipolar Disorder?

The association between T. gondii and schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder is one of the most studied links between one pathogen and a psychiatric disorder.

However, growing emerging evidence has also documented an association between latent toxoplasmosis and the risk of [bipolar disorder] and suicidal/aggressive behaviors. T. gondii infection, as previously suggested for schizophrenia, may contribute to the onset and the progressive course of the disease interacting with genetic hereditary predisposing factors, as well as affecting neurotransmitter systems and immune responses, which have recently been shown to be closely linked to the pathogenesis of BD and its medical comorbidities.

The link between this parasite and psychiatric disorders could be also explained by its ability to influence neurotransmitter pathways. Indeed, T. gondii has been shown to increase dopamine levels, as well as to modulate serotonin, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate signaling.

With the impacts on neurotransmitters it’s clear how this parasite could directly trigger anxiety, panic attacks, fears, worry and even OCD. I cover this and more (malaria and malaria medications too) on the upcoming Parasite summit that starts September 11^th.

At the Parasite Summit, experts will help you determine if parasites are silently impacting your health – they’re FAR MORE COMMON than you think! Parasites aren’t just found in third-world countries, millions are already infected in industrialized countries and parasites could be silently hampering your health. Fortunately, with awareness and appropriate care, parasites can be prevented and treated, once detected.

If you’re struggling with any of the following, don’t miss this event:

Gastrointestinal: pain/cramps, excess gas, bloating, constipation/diarrhea
Infertility and hormone disorders
Skin issues: acne, itching, rashes
Mental health: depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, OCD, schizophrenia
Challenges with autoimmune disease recovery (Toxoplasma gondii may also be a factor in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis)

The Parasite Summit is online from September 11-18, 2017 and you can register here I hope you can join us!

Please share feedback and ask questions in the comments below.

Neurotransmitters in food addiction: dopamine, endorphins, GABA and serotonin

April 11, 2014 By Trudy Scott 20 Comments

chocolate-cake-icecream

Food can be as addicting as drugs and we often see mood changes when someone has addictions or out of control cravings.

In this blog post Why do you crave and how do you self-medicate? I covered a simple way for you to figure out why you crave something or why you’re drawn to a particular food, substance, or behavior. I also said that it can be challenging to determine which part of your brain chemistry it’s affecting, and you may not associate cravings with mood issues.

In a series of connected articles I’m going to share some of the research supporting this. If you’ve read my book, The Antianxiety Food Solution, or have been reading my blog posts, you know I like to share research-based evidence. Unfortunately there are not many double blind studies on intervention and symptom management when it comes to amino acids, but I’ll be sharing the research that has been done – focusing on each neurotransmitter and amino acid individually.

Let’s start with this 2013 review titled Pharmacotherapies for Overeating and Obesity. Although the focus of the review is drug-based interventions for finding solutions to food addictions, the mechanisms of food addiction is nicely spelled out: neurotransmitter or brain chemical imbalances. I’d like to add that all of this can be in play even if you are not obese – you just have to love sugar/carbs, wine, coffee etc and eat or drink them to self-medicate.

“Research has shown that obesity can and does cause changes in behavior and in the brain itself that are very similar to changes caused by drugs of abuse”

“While food addiction is not the causal agent of all obesity, it is clear that many people no longer eat to survive, but instead survive to eat.”

“This review considers the importance of the brain’s reward system in food intake.”

“…research has recently demonstrated that each of these nutrient elements affects specific neurotransmitter systems in the brain providing the potential for targeted pharmacologic treatments” [instead of targeted drug treatments, we can use targeted amino acid supplements]

“The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) now recognizes addictions as a brain disorder, and as such, treatments aimed at addressing food addiction must address the dysfunctions at the level of the brain”

“There are a number of such therapies under investigation targeting neuropathways and neurotransmitters implicated in addiction, including: dopaminergic [i.e. low or high dopamine, a catecholamine], opioid [i.e. low endorphins], GABAnergic [i.e. low GABA or a need for glutamine], cannabinoid, serotonergic [i.e. low serotonin], and other novel treatment options.”

If this scientific information is of interest to you, I encourage you to read the whole paper here.

In this 2014 study looking at food addiction, in 233 participants, they did find a relationship between food addiction and negative mood i.e. there was: “an inclination toward behaving irrationally while experiencing negative mood states (Negative Urgency) and low levels of task persistence (lack of Perseverance)”

As a reminder here is the table again:

How you feel before	How you feel after	Brain chemistry imbalance	Amino acid to supplement
Anxious or stressed	Calm or relaxed	Low GABA	GABA
Depressed or anxious	Happy or content	Low serotonin	Tryptophan or 5-HTP
Tired or unfocused	Energetic, alert, or focused	Low catecholamines	Tyrosine
Wanting a reward or sad	Rewarded or comforted	Low endorphins	DPA (d-phenylalanine)
Irritable and shaky	Grounded or stable	Low blood sugar	Glutamine

As I said, the research is important, but more important are the incredible results my clients get when they have brain chemical deficiencies and use the amino acids in a targeted manner addressing each area of deficiency.

Meme Grant, GAPS Practitioner, Nutritional Therapist, FNTP, givennewlife.info participated my Amazing Aminos for Ending Emotional Eating program and this is what she said afterwards:

“I still am amazed at how quickly the panic attacks, binge eating, and mood swings disappeared. Tyrosine enabled me to focus and gave me energy to do things again, glutamine allowed me to walk past the gluten and dairy free junk foods, d-phenylalanine [DPA] stopped my comfort eating, tryptophan enabled me to stop my negative thoughts and helped me sleep but the best was when GABA was introduced, the panic attacks disappeared.”

This is why I call them the amazing amino acids. And this why addressing neurotransmitter deficiencies can end food addiction and out-of-control sugar cravings (and at the same time they help to eliminate or reduce anxiety, mood issues and insomnia).

Update June 24, 2016:

Research is now further highlighting the connection between food addiction and depression and anxiety.

In this May 2016 paper, Food addiction associations with psychological distress among people with type 2 diabetes they looked at the relationship between food addiction and psychological distress among 334 patients with type 2 diabetes and found that those:

meeting the FA [food addiction] criterion had significantly higher depression, anxiety, and stress scores as compared to participants who did not meet the FA [food addiction] criterion.

This applies whether or not you have type 2 diabetes and whether or not you are overweight.

As you can see in this blog post: GABA for ending sugar cravings (and anxiety and insomnia), Melissa started taking Source Naturals GABA Calm in anticipation of stressful holiday travel and holiday gatherings. She felt much calmer when she used GABA Calm and discovered that a wonderful side-benefit (we like side-benefits vs side-effects!) was reduced cravings (as well as improved sleep):

An unexpected result was that I stopped craving sweets after about a week of taking it! I didn’t even realize this until I was grocery shopping and out of habit walked towards the ice cream – I stopped and realized I didn’t want ice cream. So I walked toward the chocolate – same reaction. For once in my life, I was not craving sweets. I made truffles for a NYE party and only ate two. But what is really shocking is that the leftovers are still in my refrigerator two days later and I haven’t touched them. I don’t understand what is going on! Can this be the GABA Calm?

She was pleasantly surprised as many of my clients are – she felt more calm, she had better sleep and saw an end to her cravings!

If this is new to you this is what I do with my clients:

Have them do the Amino Acid questionnaire so they can figure out if they may have low brain chemicals that are affecting both mood and playing a role in food addiction or cravings.
Review the Amino Acid Precautions
Have them do a trial of the relevant amino acids, one at a time and monitor how they feel in terms of reduced cravings, less anxiety, improved mood and sleep

Let us know if this resonates with you and if you have tried the amino acids for food addiction or sugar/carb cravings? And what results you have seen?