GABA

Using tryptophan and GABA amino acid supplements together for anxiety, sleep, ruminations and TMJ: questions and answers

February 23, 2024 By Trudy Scott 18 Comments

I am taking 250 mg tryptophan, 100-200 mg GABA. Tryptophan is helping with rumination. GABA is helping with feeling less tension in the body. I am also taking 500mg DPA. DLPA used to help me but I thought it was too stimulating so I’m trying DPA now. I couldn’t feel much when taking it on its own.

But the combination of tryptophan, DPA & GABA is generally helping me to feel less wound up. I still struggle with rumination and I have a really difficult time making decisions. I get really overwhelmed when I have a lot of decisions to make – it sends me in a tailspin and leads to more rumination. I’m not sure which amino acid would be good for that?

I generally have trouble relaxing and feeling calm and I feel the tension in my body. I am not sure if I should try increasing the dosage of one of the above?

I am wondering, is it important to take l-tyrosine to balance the tryptophan since tryptophan can lower dopamine over time? Or is the DPA enough since it’s a precursor to tyrosine?

I get many questions like this about using both tryptophan and GABA amino acid supplements together for easing anxiety and today I’m sharing some of these questions and my answers. This will also give you the opportunity to ask questions you may have related to using both these amino acids together. You’ll also read many success stories like the above and how to tweak the amino acids for optimal results.

Read on for my response to the above question from TT and other questions about using GABA and tryptophan together – how to measure GABA and serotonin levels for using with teens, adding tryptophan for sleep separately from GABA, how to test both for jaw clenching, and the precaution about serotonin syndrome.

My response and feedback for TT – adjustments for even better results

My response and feedback for TT … It’s wonderful that this combination is helping so much. It’s a great start but there are adjustments I’d consider to get even better results. The tryptophan dose is low, with a typical starting dose of 500mg so I’d consider increasing this a few times over a few weeks to see if the ruminations decrease even further. This may also help with the overwhelm and decision making.

Increasing the GABA over a few weeks (after the trial of increased tryptophan) may well improve her ongoing tension and inability to relax. I’d want to make sure she is using GABA sublingually for the best effects.

She asks about the need to take tyrosine to balance the tryptophan but I don’t have clients do this as a rule of thumb and only have clients take tyrosine if they have symptoms of low dopamine. In this instance since TT mentions difficulties with decision-making, a trial of tyrosine may be worth considering, after she has increased tryptophan and increased GABA. More about tyrosine benefits here.

I do want to mention that DPA is not a precursor to dopamine but DLPA does offer some dopamine support. I share more about the differences between DPA and DLPA here.

I want to give my teens GABA and tryptophan – how do I measure GABA and serotonin levels?

I have two teenagers ages 14 and 16 who suffer from anxiety and depression. My daughter has more difficulty with depression and my son with ruminating thoughts . My father had similar issues. We have tried supplements, and medications that help a little.

I want to try giving them GABA and tryptophan, but to make sure that they in fact meet the criteria you describe. Is there a lab test that measures GABA and serotonin levels? Also, how can I figure out the dose and times to give them?

Here is my feedback for Maria …. The best way to determine if someone may have low GABA/serotonin is to look at the low GABA/serotonin symptoms questionnaire (here is that link), rate 1 or 2 symptoms on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being worst, do an initial one-off trial of the respective amino acid and rate the symptoms again right afterwards (in the next 2 to 30 minutes). Based on this we decide if we’ll continue with the amino acid and how much to use.

Dosing is unique to each person’s needs and timing differs for each amino acid – tryptophan is best mid-afternoon and evening and GABA throughout the day and evening if needed too.

I don’t use the urinary neurotransmitter test as it’s not considered an accurate assessment. I blogged about this here.

It’s a comprehensive approach – amino acids AND diet. This mom mentions supplements and medications but nothing about what their diets are like right now – gluten-free, sugar-free, caffeine-free, eating protein at breakfast for blood sugar control, real whole foods, grass-fed red meat, wild fish, fermented foods etc?

I also suggest my book “The Antianxiety Food Solution” as a great place to start when you are new to the amino acids and other anxiety nutrition solutions like gluten/sugar/caffeine removal, blood sugar control, gut health, pyroluria etc.

And this blog is a wonderful example and gives hope to moms – Tryptophan for my teenager: she laughs and smiles, her OCD and anxiety has lessened, and she is more goal oriented and focused on school. It’s one of many similar blogs so be sure to use the search feature to find others.

GABA and theanine help my anxiety, if I add tryptophan for sleep should I take it separately?

I have taken Gaba and L-theanine for anxiety for the last few years on and off as recommended by a doctor, it really does help although I still have sleeping problems. I also have a lot of symptoms on your low serotonin list so if I add tryptophan to see if it helps with sleep should I take it with the Gaba or separately?

Here is my response and feedback for Diane … I was glad to hear GABA and theanine are helping with the anxiety. I have many clients with low serotonin and low GABA symptoms take GABA, theanine and tryptophan at bedtime at the same time for improving sleep that is caused by low serotonin.

Diane has already identified that she has a lot of low serotonin symptoms from the questionnaire, so like I shared for Maria above, a trial is worth considering.

We always want to capitalize on what is already working so when GABA/theanine is helping with anxiety and offers some help with sleep we will often increase that before considering a trial of tryptophan.

I’m assuming she is addressing dietary factors too and other root causes that may also affect her sleep – like low blood sugar and high cortisol.

Would GABA or tryptophan help with jaw clenching and how do I test to see if they would help?

Would Gaba or tryptophan help with jaw clenching, not grinding, which I assume is an anxiety thing even when I’m unaware of any anxiety? Since I already use Gaba on and off for anxiety or if I can’t sleep (only taking 200 mg) how would I go about testing tryptophan to see if it would help for clenching?

Here is my feedback for Diane … Jaw clenching/TMJ (temporomandibular joint) issues can be related to both low GABA because of the muscle tension and also when serotonin is low.

In the same way we do a trial with the amino acids for anxiety or low self-esteem (or another symptom like cravings) we would do a trial for the jaw clenching i.e. rate the severity on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being worst, do a trial of tryptophan and then GABA (separately) and rate the symptoms again right afterwards (in the next 2 to 30 minutes). And go from there, increasing each as needed (one at a time) and tracking symptom improvement.

Here is a case as an example: Tryptophan ends TMJ pain, headaches and worry, and improves mood and sleep.

Precaution about serotonin syndrome with tryptophan/5-HTP

There are precautions when using certain amino acids and I always review them with all my clients. If they have been prescribed an SSRI, I have them discuss the use of tryptophan/5-HTP with their prescribing doctor so they can be monitored for serotonin syndrome. With careful monitoring and doctor approval I feel comfortable having my clients use tryptophan/5-HTP 6 hours away from their one and only SSRI.

If they are using more than one SSRI and/or a combination of psychiatric medications, the use of tryptophan/5-HTP is not advised.

None of the above applied in these situations but it’s important to be aware of.

Tryptophan and GABA product options

Products I recommend include Lidtke 500 mg Tryptophan, Source Naturals GABA Calm lozenges and Now GABA Powder. You can purchase these from my online store (Fullscript – only available to US customers – use this link to set up an account).

If you’re not in the US, Doctor’s Best L-Tryptophan 500mg and Source Naturals GABA Calm lozenges and Now GABA Powder are products I recommend on iherb (use this link to save 5%).

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

We use the symptoms questionnaire to figure out if low serotonin or low GABA or other neurotransmitter imbalances may be an issue for you.

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 importance of quality animal protein and healthy fats is also covered.

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), if you need serotonin support, the Serotonin QuickStart Program is a good place to start. This is 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. We take a deep dive into product options including Lidtke products and others if you’re not able to access Lidtke.

Low GABA can also affect sleep and cause stress eating. If you also have low GABA symptoms, the next step to get help is the GABA QuickStart Program. This is also 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 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.

This blog is a follow-on from the previous blog on this topic so be sure to read that blog too. It also features many valuable questions in the comments and my responses, hence this new post. I hope this has been helpful for you.

Wrapping up

Now I’d love to hear from you…

Have you had success using GABA and tryptophan together for anxiety, insomnia, ruminations, depression, overwhelm, TMJ etc?

Have you tweaked your dosing to find the ideal doses for your needs?

If yes, what doses and which products have helped?

If you’re a practitioner do you use tryptophan and GABA with clients/patients with these low serotonin and low GABA symptoms?

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.

Tryptophan 500 mg daily for a month: helps reduce negative thoughts, that scary wave of fear, panic attacks and anxiety

December 22, 2023 By Trudy Scott 32 Comments

Sylvie learned about my work after hearing me speak about nutritional solutions for anxiety on a summit. I discussed the use of tryptophan for low serotonin type of anxiety and panic attacks. She shared how much just 500 mg of tryptophan helps her and asks about using pharmaGABA too. In this blog I share my insights on next steps for someone in her shoes: using more tryptophan and/or more GABA and/or another GABA product. I also suggest that she reconsiders her vegetarian diet which can definitely play a role in low serotonin and some of the other neurotransmitters. Here is her wonderful feedback about tryptophan and her question in her own words:

I’ve been dealing with anxiety and panic attacks for a while. I am a vegetarian and really have no apparent reason why to have these two ghosts (anxiety and panic attacks) stealing the show in my present life. I don’t have anything causing intense stress or trauma and I take good care of myself. I went to see a Ph.D. in Psychotherapy and she couldn’t help me much, then I heard you talking about Tryptophan.

I got it the next day and I have been taking 1 x 500 mg at night daily, for about a month now. I have had almost no negative thoughts and that scary wave of fear in my body. Ok, maybe a couple of times, but really, very minimum. I was having a panic attack about once a week, ever since I took Lidtke Tryptophan so far I think I wanted to have a couple of them in the whole month, but they came very mildly and they disappeared.

May I take advantage and ask a question? When I felt I was going to have a panic attack I tried a 100mg of Pharmagaba that I found at Whole Foods, but I don’t think it did much for me. I know you recommend the GABA Calm, but I’ve suffered from migraines in the past, and I am afraid that the tyrosine will trigger one (one of my triggers for panic/anxiety are migraines), so what other brand/amount could I take that does not have tyrosine?

I don’t take any medications and am very healthy (had a yearly check up with complete lab work done in January), so the minimum dose of Tryptophan seems to be working well for me. THANK YOU SO MUCH for sharing this information. I now understand the power of nutrition in our brain’s health, thanks to your book, etc…

Use what is already working and increase to find the ideal dose

It’s wonderful to hear how just 500 mg tryptophan once a day had such an impact on her and I appreciate her for sharing this on the blog so I can share here.

When I’m working with a client we always use what is already working well – in this case it’s tryptophan – and increase it to see if we can find the ideal dose and alleviate all the low serotonin symptoms.

Her negative thoughts and the scary wave of fear have been dramatically reduced but do happen from time to time. By increasing tryptophan she may well be able to completely eliminate them.

Panic attacks are a classic sign of low serotonin and with this amount of tryptophan they have decreased from once a week to a mild version once a month. This is another clue that tryptophan is helping and that it’s worth considering an increase. I would start with this before adding in pharmaGABA or another GABA product (but more on that below).

I would also review the list of low serotonin symptoms (you can find these here) and rate what else may still be causing any issues – like insomnia, PMS, anger, afternoon sugar cravings etc.

As far as increasing tryptophan a few options could be considered:

500 mg tryptophan mid-afternoon and 500 mg tryptophan at night OR
2 x 500 mg tryptophan at night (this would be a good option if sleep is still not ideal)

Precaution about serotonin syndrome with tryptophan/5-HTP

There are precautions when using certain amino acids and I always review them with all my clients. If they have been prescribed an SSRI I have them discuss the use of tryptophan/5-HTP with their prescribing doctor so they can be monitored for serotonin syndrome. With careful monitoring and doctor approval I feel comfortable having my clients use tryptophan/5-HTP 6 hours away from their one and only SSRI.

If they are using more than one SSRI and/or a combination of psychiatric medications, the use of tryptophan/5-HTP is not advised.

None of the above applied in this situation but it’s important to be aware of.

When to consider GABA and some products to trial

Low GABA can also be a factor when it comes to anxiety and panic attacks. But it’s best to get a good baseline of serotonin support before adding a new amino acid like GABA.

I would also review the list of low GABA symptoms (you can find these here) and rate which ones may still be causing issues – like how severe her physical anxiety/tension is when she has a panic attack, if she eats more sugar/drinks more alcohol when stressed and has low GABA tension-type of insomnia.

Tyrosine is a precaution with migraines so it was wise not to use GABA Calm but the pharmaGABA dose she used may not have been high enough. It’s worth increasing the dose to see if that helps before adding a different GABA product. A GABA only product like NOW GABA powder or a liposomal GABA/theanine product would be something to consider if the pharmaGABA doesn’t help. I shared a link to many of the GABA products that I use and recommend

The role of a vegetarian diet in low serotonin

I also suggest that Sylvie reconsiders her vegetarian diet which can definitely play a role in low serotonin and some of the other neurotransmitters.

She does share that she is surprised about the anxiety and panic attacks but it’s not really surprising to me because it’s a fact that you can become nutrient depleted on a vegetarian diet: low iron, low vitamin B12, low omega-3s and low vitamin D, as well as low intake of amino acids are common. All of the above are needed to make serotonin and other neurotransmitters.

She says “I now understand the power of nutrition in our brain’s health, thanks to your book.” I do address the issue with vegetarianism in my book so hopefully she is open to considering some changes.

Here are a few blog posts to illustrate the power of eating real whole food that does include quality animal protein:

If she doesn’t make changes to her diet it’s possible she may need to use tryptophan and/or GABA long term.

Tryptophan and 5-HTP product options

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

Products I recommend include Lidtke 500 mg Tryptophan, and Pure Encapsulations 50 mg 5-HTP. You can purchase these from my online store (Fullscript – only available to US customers – use this link to set up an account).

If you’re not in the US, Doctor’s Best L-Tryptophan 500mg and Source Naturals 50 mg 5-HTP are products I recommend on iherb (use this link to save 5%).

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

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

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

The book doesn’t include product names (per the publisher’s request) so this blog, The Antianxiety Food Solution Amino Acid and Pyroluria Supplements, lists the amino acids that I use with my individual clients and those in my group programs. You can find them all – including the Lidtke Tryptophan 500 mg and some of the GABA products mentioned above – in my online store.

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

Have you had success using tryptophan and/or GABA for your anxiety, panic attacks, negative thoughts and scary waves of fear? If yes, how much helps? Did you start low and then increase?

If you’re a practitioner do you have success using tryptophan and GABA this way with your clients/patients?

Feel free to share and ask your questions below.

Tryptophan 3x/day: OCD and ruminating thoughts are no longer ruling my grandson’s life and he has the most beautiful serene smile

December 15, 2023 By Trudy Scott 34 Comments

I recently received this wonderful feedback from a grandmother who is so happy about tryptophan helping her 17-year old grandson. He had been struggling with OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) and ruminating thoughts for years:

We started with Lidtke L-Tryptophan Chewables. I was thrilled beyond my greatest hopes to see that it helped immediately! So, we went forward with having him chew a tryptophan when the thoughts started taking hold. This helped for a while, but the thoughts would return.

Finally I read one mother on your blog who gave her son tryptophan 3x/day. So we tried this. That was the magic bullet for my grandson. Getting the tryptophan in before the thoughts could take hold made the difference. And so we have stuck with this plan and have been so happy to see that OCD is no longer ruling my grandson’s life.

Last week I heard the most beautiful words I could imagine. “Hey grandma! The OCD is permanently gone!” Truly a miracle! That’s how it feels to him. As long as we continue to take the tryptophan 3x/day, there is no sign of OCD or ruminating thoughts!

We keep GABA Calm on hand as well and if a bothersome thought enters his mind, he chews a GABA and we don’t hear any more about it.

I honestly don’t even know how to tell you what a blessing your information has been to my grandson. He has the most beautiful, serene smile almost all the time now.

In all my reading and searching for all these years, you’re the only one I saw talking about this. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for guiding us to giving this kid his life back. I pray that all the good things you have done to help people come back to you tenfold, Trudy. You are a Godsend.

How much tryptophan helped him and why using it 3 x a day was key

The amino acid tryptophan, used as a supplement, supports low serotonin levels which can cause the worry type of anxiety, ruminating thoughts and OCD (behaviors and thoughts). You can see all the low serotonin symptoms here.

Each of the Lidtke L-Tryptophan Chewables provides 100 mg tryptophan which is often a great starting dose for children and teens. Because it’s chewable and tastes sweet it’s also a great format for children and teens (and “pixie dust” adults who need a very small amount). The bad aspect is that it does contain sugar and is quite sweet. Because you are continually consuming something sweet you may end up over-consuming them if sugar addiction is your issue.

As you can see 100 mg tryptophan did provide some relief in the moment but using the amino acids consistently throughout the day is what I always recommend for best results. In this instance 100 mg tryptophan 3x day worked perfectly for this young man.

Keep in mind there is no one-size fits all for dosing and 100 mg tryptophan x3 per day is considered quite low with many individuals needing 500-1000 mg tryptophan two or three times a day. Also some individuals do better on 5-HTP so this should always be considered too (10 mg 5-HTP is equivalent to 100 mg tryptophan).

Precaution about serotonin syndrome with tryptophan/5-HTP

If they are using more than one SSRI and/or a combination of psychiatric medications, the use of tryptophan/5-HTP is not advised.

None of the above applied in this situation but it’s important to be aware of.

How GABA also helps and my recommendation about consistent use too

The amino acid GABA, used as a supplement, supports low GABA levels which can cause physical anxiety and tension, and also an inability to stop intrusive thoughts. You can see all the low GABA symptoms here.

Each GABA Calm provides 125 mg GABA and he uses it as needed: “We keep GABA Calm on hand as well and if a bothersome thought enters his mind, he chews a GABA.”

My recommendation is to assess for low GABA symptoms and consider using GABA consistently throughout the day, typically 2-4 x day.

OCD research: glutamatergic and serotonergic pathway dysregulation

This 2011 paper, Nutraceuticals in the treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD): a review of mechanistic and clinical evidence, states the following:

Current preclinical research investigating nutraceuticals (natural products) for OCD, reveals encouraging novel activity in modulating key pathways suggested to be involved in the pathogenesis of OCD (glutamatergic and serotonergic pathway dysregulation).

With glutamatergic pathway dysregulation, we would expect GABA to help; and with serotonergic pathway dysregulation, we would expect tryptophan (or 5-HTP to help), as this young man found.

However there are no studies that have used tryptophan for OCD and the above paper concludes that “the serotonin precursor tryptophan is unlikely to be of use in treating OCD while 5-HTP may possibly be a more effective precursor strategy.” The authors state this about 5-HTP because it has been used with success for OCD in conjunction with medication (read the study here).

This lack of research on tryptophan for OCD is one of the reasons I feel compelled to share wonderful success stories like this. And until we have tryptophan research, we must use what we see works clinically and recognize that tryptophan and 5-HTP work in very similar ways.

Other nutrients when tryptophan or 5-HTP or GABA doesn’t help

The above paper does mention other nutrients that are tentatively supported by research and which modulate these pathways: N-acetylcysteine (NAC), myo-inositol, glycine, and milk thistle.

These nutrients could be considered when tryptophan or 5-HTP or GABA doesn’t help or doesn’t help enough. I’ve had much success with myo-inositol for OCD and have always used it in conjunction with tryptophan or 5-HTP. We start with tryptophan or 5-HTP and find a good base line and then add inositol, starting with 500 mg and working up to 18 g/day (as reported in the research).

As you can see, in one study, NAC was shown to be helpful for trichotillomania, a behavioral disorder characterized by the recurring or obsessive habit of pulling one’s hair, resulting in secondary alopecia. I blogged about this here.

They tried many approaches and it took 3 years before they used the amino acids

Patricia, the grandmother, also shared what other approaches they had tried from the age of 14-17 years before seeing success with tryptophan and GABA: therapy, tapping, breathing techniques, acupuncture, yoga and tai chi. None of this helped enough and they rejected pharmaceutical approaches.

It breaks my heart that it took 3 years for her grandson to find relief:

I have been reading your information on OCD for several years (in all my reading and searching for all these years, you’re the only one I saw talking about this) and though I thought it was the best hope I’d heard of for stopping OCD and ruminating thoughts, I was afraid to try the amino acids because I knew so little about them.

So I studied and studied and gained confidence by reading the published reports that seemed to back up what you said about amino acids.

Still, since I was hoping to help my grandson, who was 14 at the time, I was overly cautious. I’m not a medical professional and I’m aware that even really safe and effective treatments can change more than just the issue I was hoping to address.

So, more reading and searching ensued. Meanwhile my grandson’s life was deteriorating. He couldn’t function in many ways because he had no peace. Even sleep was difficult because the thoughts wouldn’t rest – the poor kid had no time at all when his mind wasn’t racing. It broke my heart to see him suffer so much.

Finally, I got the strength to trust my gut and try the amino acids.

I admire Patricia for reading, searching and studying and finally being well-informed enough to help her grandson. And then sharing his story with me so I can share it here with you. She was inspired by one of my other blogs and hopefully you will be inspired and motivated by this wonderful success story.

My hope, with stories like this, is that the amino acids and nutritional approaches are considered first and not after all else has failed.

Additional resources when you are new to using tryptophan, 5-HTP, GABA and the other amino acids as supplements

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

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.

Have you had success using tryptophan (or 5-HTP) and GABA this way for your OCD and ruminating thoughts or for a loved one? If yes, how much helps?

If you’re a practitioner do you have success using tryptophan (or 5-HTP) and GABA this way with your clients/patients who have OCD and ruminating thoughts?

Feel free to share and ask your questions below.

One of the most common myths: “GABA supplements don’t work – GABA is too big a molecule to get across the blood brain barrier”

December 8, 2023 By Trudy Scott 30 Comments

GABA supplements don’t work – GABA is too big a molecule to get across the blood brain barrier. They don’t typically work unless you have a leaky gut which means you have a leaky brain” (also referred to as leaky blood brain barrier/BBB).

This is one of the most common myths I hear about GABA. Neither of the above statements are true. I stand by my recommendations of GABA Calm and other GABA products as an effective way to boost GABA levels that are low, and ease physical anxiety symptoms and the other symptoms you can experience with low GABA levels.

A few weeks ago, Suzanne asked a question on the blog after hearing a doctor state the above about GABA supplements not working for anxiety. She was justifiably confused and concerned:

I stumbled across this video on Youtube and am seeking your thoughts on it please. In my quest to achieve a state of calm as naturally as possible, I research a lot of stuff. I have always taken on board the knowledge you share about GABA.

The video, made by a quite well known fitness trainer, focuses on GABA. Your team suggested I time stamp the part of the video of interest, but frankly, there are poignant points made throughout.

I would be really appreciative if you have time to watch it, as now I’m unsure that the GABA Calm I have purchased, and yet to take, is in fact, going to be effective.

The video she had watched was a very recent Youtube video where a well-known fitness trainer interviews an integrative medical doctor. It’s the doctor who said: “GABA supplements don’t work.”

I reassured Suzanne and provided her with some additional reading (more on that below). This topic has been discussed by me before but it’s time for another blog post that gathers the information into one place. Hopefully it offers you confidence if you are also uncertain and can be a resource for you to share with the naysayers or those who just don’t yet know that GABA supplements really do work (when used in a specific way)!

The effects of GABA supplements may be exerted through BBB passage or indirectly, via an effect on the enteric nervous system (but we don’t really know)

I first discussed GABA and the blood brain barrier controversy during one of my interviews during The Anxiety Summit in 2016. I shared this October 2015 paper, Neurotransmitters as food supplements: the effects of GABA on brain and behavior, which states that we don’t really know how GABA supplements work:

There is some evidence in favor of a calming effect of GABA food supplements, but most of this evidence was reported by researchers with a potential conflict of interest. We suggest that any veridical effects of GABA food supplements on brain and cognition might be exerted through BBB passage or, more indirectly, via an effect on the enteric nervous system. We conclude that the mechanism of action of GABA food supplements is far from clear, and that further work is needed to establish the behavioral effects of GABA.

I also discuss the fact that GABA’s relaxing effect may be due to peripheral effects rather than the effect on/in the brain. Here is an excerpt from this paper: GABA-receptors in peripheral tissues

GABA and its receptors are found in a wide range of peripheral tissues, including parts of the peripheral nervous system, endocrine, and non-neural tissues such as smooth muscle and the female reproductive system.

Feel free to read more about this here

Valuable feedback about GABA’s effectiveness from other practitioners

Dr. Josh Friedman, integrative psychotherapist uses amino acids and other nutritional approaches in his practice:

[GABA] is definitely something I use. I am not a biochemist, so I actually don’t really know whether it crosses the blood/brain barrier, nor do I care actually. The first question should be, is it harmful? Are any of these things going to cause harm? And the answer with all the amino acids is no, they’re not going to cause harm, especially when compared to psychiatric medicines. The second question is, does it work? Is it helpful for our patients that we see in our practice? Yes it is.

Jonathan Prousky, ND, MSc, editor of the Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine and author of Anxiety: Orthomolecular Diagnosis and Treatment shared this in our season 2 interview: Tapering off psychiatric drugs so they do not ruin your life

I have found GABA to be invariably helpful and I don’t really know exactly how GABA works but I know it to be very, very safe and, to me, that is fundamentally important. It’s not associated with any withdrawal, with any tolerance, with any habituation, so people can try it without a lot of concern.

I feel the same way – GABA supplementation works, it is safe and it doesn’t really matter how it works.

Dr. Kharrazian’s GABA Challenge for a leaky blood brain barrier is a theory

In addition to sharing the above with Suzanne, I also shared this blog with her: Dr. Datis Kharrazian’s GABA Challenge for a leaky blood brain barrier is a theory and we still have much to learn.

I had the pleasure of interviewing him late in 2019 and we talked about his GABA challenge for testing for a leaky blood brain barrier. Read the above blog to learn how Dr. Kharrazian came up with the GABA Challenge and the fact that it’s just a theory.

GABA case studies/success stories if you’re still unsure

If you’re still unsure I encourage you to read the many case studies published in my book “The Antianxiety Food Solution” and on this blog. Here are some of them:

Do a trial of GABA and use it in a specific way

Doing a trial of GABA is another way to find out how effective it is. Keep in mind GABA will only work if you have the low GABA type of physical anxiety, stiff and tense muscles, insomnia caused by low GABA, overwhelm and panic attacks, and other low GABA symptoms. You can see all the low GABA symptoms here.

Also, GABA needs to be used in a specific way. It is most effective provided it’s used as a sublingual, liposomal, a powder or capsules opened on to the tongue or rubbed inside the cheek, or as a GABA cream (as you’ll read in the case studies above). It’s best to start low – at 125mg – and increase from there based on your own unique needs. I believe many practitioners are not on board because they have clients and patients swallow GABA capsules, and often use high dose GABA capsules.

I appreciate Suzanne for asking this question and I’m hoping my feedback gave you and her confidence.

It also helps me to know what is still being taught so I can offer educational resources – for both the consumer like Suzanne and practitioners – and hopefully further the field.

Am I surprised to hear that this myth is still being shared? Not really. So I’ll continue to share what I know and the wonderful GABA success stories so this message gets out there.

Additional resources when you are new to using GABA and the other 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 for you.

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.

How many times have you heard this myth about GABA not working? How long ago and where from?

Has GABA helped you? If yes, I’m thrilled for you. Please do share how it’s helped, how much helps and how you use GABA (as a sublingual, liposomal, a powder or capsules opened on to the tongue or inside the cheek, or as a GABA cream)?

If you’re a practitioner do you have success using GABA this way with your clients/patients? And were you also taught – in the past – that GABA supplements don’t work or taught the GABA leaky BBB theory?

Feel free to share and ask your questions below.

Anxiety and vomit phobia in an 8-year-old: within a week of starting vitamin B6 she made a complete turnaround

December 1, 2023 By Trudy Scott 15 Comments

Debbie, a mom in the community, shared this wonderful feedback about how vitamin B6 helped her daughter with terrible anxiety and a phobia of vomit:

My youngest (who is 8 now) started exhibiting terrible anxiety about a year ago, specifically around the phobia of vomit. Her anxiety is mostly about other people throwing up. But her anxiety became so strong it was preventing her from going to school or even staying in her classroom, kept her from eating (because her anxiety hurt her tummy) and even from wanting to do extracurricular activities that she previously loved but now was afraid to attend in case a child might throw up there.

We started her on weekly therapy sessions, and I started her on GABA and tryptophan. While the amino acids helped a little, it wasn’t enough to calm the thoughts that plagued her all day at school and home. Most days I still couldn’t get her out of the car for school.

Through your website and some other research, I decided to try supplementing her with vitamin B6. Within a week of her starting B6 she made a complete turnaround. The anxiety would still come when a kid at school would say their tummy hurt, but she was able to calm herself down within minutes and talk through the worry.

We still have some low days (especially if we haven’t taken her supplements in a few days) but overall, she’s a new kid. Even the school asked what we are doing differently to get her to be calm again.

It’s wonderful to hear that within a week of starting vitamin B6 she made a complete turnaround.

This blog addresses some of the possible mechanisms (possible serotonin and GABA support, and addressing pyroluria), how much vitamin B6 she had her daughter use and optimal dosing, plus other factors like a good multi or B complex.

Some of the possible causes and mechanisms: serotonin and/or GABA support

According to the Child Mind Institute, “Emetophobia, or the severe fear of vomiting or seeing others vomit, is surprisingly common. Kids who already tend to be anxious are more likely to develop it. It leads to fear of things they associate with vomiting. Often it starts with avoiding places where they (or someone else) threw up, or places that remind them of it.”

They discuss therapy and medications as solutions whereas I am discussing nutritional solutions that address the root causes. In this case: addressing low vitamin B6 and its impact on serotonin and/or GABA.

This letter, Vitamin B6: A new approach to lowering anxiety, and depression?, published in 2022, mention a few studies concluding that vitamin B6 supplements “significantly reduce feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression.” It does this via an impact on serotonin and GABA production and this results in the calming of the nervous system.

This 2022 paper, High-dose Vitamin B6 supplementation reduces anxiety and strengthens visual surround suppression, also discusses a GABA mechanism: vitamin B6 supplementation “increases inhibitory GABAergic neural influences, which is consistent with its known role in the synthesis of GABA.” (100 mg/day of vitamin B6 was used by the adult participants)

In this blog post you can read about the role of low vitamin B6 and iron in low serotonin, leading to anxiety and panic attacks.

How much vitamin B6 to use and is pyroluria a factor?

Debbie was not sure how much vitamin B6 to give her daughter:

The struggle I still have is knowing how much to dose her. There’s conflicting info out there as to how much is too much for kids. Right now I’m giving her Carlson liquid B6. I give her between 2-3 drops, which, if I’m doing the math correctly, is about 4-6 mg. She seems to be doing alright on that as long as we don’t miss a day. When we do miss, her anxiety becomes immediately irrational again. If you have any insight on dosing, please let me know. Thanks for all you do!

I shared this feedback with her: With phobia of vomiting I immediately think of the social anxiety condition pyroluria and the additional need for zinc, vitamin B6 and evening primrose oil.

This supports the fact that vitamin B6 helps her daughter and that missed days and increased stress means the anxiety returns.

With kids anxiety can often show up as tummy issues and nausea. And “emetophobics are particularly vulnerable to somatic symptoms, especially gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea. Nausea, as an anxiety symptom, may be misinterpreted as an imminent episode of vomiting causing further symptoms in a vicious circle.” (from this paper about an 8 year old boy with emetophobia)

Debbie mentions her daughter gets a sore tummy when anxious. If she also feels nauseous on her bad days, that would be another clue to consider pyroluria. A common symptom is morning nausea and addressing pyroluria helps kids who experience this and also helps prevent vomiting. The nutrients for pyroluria are also key for neurotransmitter production (as mentioned above).

I shared that I’ve used 10 – 25mg of vitamin B6 in children this age who have pyroluria (plus the other pyroluria supplements and stress reduction).

Good dream recall with no nightmares is a good gauge of vitamin B6 status and a clue that enough is being used and easy enough to ask children and/or observe nightmares.

There are not many papers on the use of vitamin B6 in children. This study, Use of Nutritional Supplements Based on L-Theanine and Vitamin B6 in Children with Tourette Syndrome, with Anxiety Disorders: A Pilot Study used 2.8mg of vitamin B6 but they were also using theanine.

Supportive solutions: a child’s multi with B vitamins and other underlying factors

When an individual B vitamin like vitamin B6 is used, it’s always advised to use a B complex or a good multivitamin that contains all the B vitamins with sufficient amounts. For children I like a product like Klaire Labs Vitaspectrum ® Powder. This product may actually provide enough vitamin B6 in a situation like this – 1 scoop provides 15 mg of vitamin B6 – or it could be used with extra vitamin B6.

It goes without saying that all dietary and other nutritional factors, gut health, blood sugar handling, sleep, toxins, infections etc. may need to be addressed too.

I would also want to do further exploration into why vitamin B6 may be low, other than pyroluria – such as dysbiosis, inflammation, malabsorption, autoimmunity, low dietary intake, leaky gut, high sugar intake, gluten sensitivity or celiac disease and alcohol use disorder (in adults).

Why didn’t GABA or tryptophan help?

Debbie is well versed in amino acids, having used GABA for her PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome). It helped ease her lifelong anxiety, wean off anxiety medication, ovulate each month and stop her PCOS meds. She helped her older daughter with GABA too – she calls them her “happy pills.” And Debbie used tryptophan with success when collagen caused her to have panic attacks again. You can read her story on this blog.

I can’t be sure why GABA or tryptophan didn’t help her younger daughter. It’s where I would have started too, but we are all unique and what works for Debbie and her older daughter just didn’t work for her younger daughter.

It’s possible that a higher dose of GABA or tryptophan may have worked better, or other GABA or tryptophan products, or theanine or 5-HTP or inositol may have been an option.

It’s wonderful that vitamin B6 did work and I appreciate Debbie for sharing and allowing me to share as a blog. I love that the school also asked what they are doing differently to get her daughter to be calm again.

Additional resources when you are new to using amino acids or the pyroluria nutrients 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 vomit phobia.

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.

As mentioned above, I would start with GABA and tryptophan (like Debbie did) and then start looking for other approaches that may help.

There is also an entire chapter on pyroluria where vitamin B6, zinc and evening primrose oil is addressed in detail.

This includes the products mentioned in this blog: Carlson 100mg B6 and Klaire Labs Vitaspectrum® Powder.

Does any of this resonate with you?

If yes, has vitamin B6 helped your child (or you) with anxiety and vomit phobia?

And is pyroluria also a factor that is being addressed?

Have either tryptophan or GABA or Klaire Labs Vitaspectrum® Powder helped too (alone or in conjunction with vitamin B6)?

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.

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.