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GABA reduces the visceral pain of IBS & SIBO, eases anxiety and helps with insomnia

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I’m a speaker on the IBS & SIBO SOS Summit. I have chronic SIBO myself and share some insights on what helps me when I’m trying a new protocol or new food and get that awful and painful belly bloat.

It’s so bad that I’m in pain all night, tossing and turning and can’t sleep…. and Iberogast, enzymes and peppermint and lavender essential oil on my bloated belly help so much:

Because of the cellulose in one of the Candibactin products, I was getting the bloating. And the Iberogast taken at night just before I went to bed (together with a few other things) definitely helped with some of the bloating.

For me, the problem with the bloating is the pain (obviously), but worse than that is the lack of sleep. If I’m bloated, it just feels like I’m tossing and turning the whole night. And if I don’t get eight hours of sleep, I’m a mess. So, the biggest issue for me is the impact on my sleep.

But if I’ve got this huge, bloated belly which was happening a lot, I take enzymes that help with carb digestion. I will also rub peppermint essential oil on my belly. So I’ve got a little bowl of coconut oil with a dab of lavender (it’s calming and it helps you sleep as well) and a little bit of peppermint oil.

There’s a number of studies showing that essential oil or peppermint ingested in a capsule can help with IBS. And I’ve found that, topically, it can help too. So that works for me to help with some of the bloating.

I also share about my 2 favorite amino acids – you guessed it – GABA and tryptophan. They just have so many applications! In this instance of painful belly bloating they help with pain and sleep and improve motility:

The other thing that helps is GABA which is one of the amino acids. There’s actually research showing that GABA helps with reducing the visceral pain that is seen with IBS (because we’ve got GABA receptors in various parts of the body). GABA is amazing for physical tension/anxiety and it can ease that. I’m thinking that this easing of physical tension may be one of the mechanisms as to how it works for some of the pain issues.

I do want to mention something about GABA – it works most effectively when taken sublingually. I just chew a capsule and get the results. And it works within five minutes.

And then, the other one that I use at night is tryptophan. This really helps with the sleep as well by boosting serotonin levels. It actually helps with motility too – there’s research showing this.

If your SIBO causes increased anxiety, these two amino acids would help ease those symptoms too – GABA for the physical anxiety and tryptophan for the worry in the head anxiety:

And then, it helps with anxiety as well if that’s an issue – for many people with IBS and SIBO, anxiety is an issue.

Shivan shares how LDN (low dose naltrexone) has helped her tremendously (she also has chronic SIBO) and we discuss how too much can increase anxiety and impact your sleep. Since doing this interview I’ve had feedback from two people who successfully used GABA Calm to reduce their anxiety from too high a dose of LDN.

We also touch on some of the possible mechanisms of LDN, I share some of the benefits of berberine, and we discuss benzodiazepines which are so often prescribed for IBS/SIBO (for the anxiety, the insomnia and the pain) and why nutritional approaches are a safer option.

Learn to overcome your digestive challenges at The IBS & SIBO SOS Summit.

This summit is hosted by health advocate and popular TV personality Shivan Sarna. Shivan asks the questions YOU would ask if you were in the room with these experts.

She draws on her own experience with painful digestive issues and years of failed treatments (alternative and conventional) to be YOUR champion for improved health…

…and she’s here to share her knowledge with you!

Join me at The IBS & SIBO SOS Summit to learn more about:

  • Identifying the root cause of your digestive struggles
  • Saving money from wasted doctor visits and ineffective treatments
  • Identifying which foods cause your flares
  • Naturopathic and conventional principles important to gut healing
  • Strategies for food reintroduction
  • Treatments, protocols and diets for IBS and/or SIBO
  • And more!

The IBS & SIBO SOS Summit is online and complimentary from September 3-10, 2018!

You can register here today

Melatonin improves sleep quality and reduces anxiety after a TBI (traumatic brain injury)

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New research shows that melatonin improves sleep quality and reduces anxiety after a TBI (traumatic brain injury). The study, Efficacy of melatonin for sleep disturbance following traumatic brain injury: a randomised controlled trial was completed in Australia and used a prolonged-release (also called timed-release) melatonin product.

The study participants, 67% of whom were male, had mild to severe TBI and sleep disturbances as a result of their injuries (most of which were from car accidents). There were 2 study groups, with one group given 2mg of prolonged-release melatonin for 4 weeks and then switched to a placebo for 4 weeks (with a 48-hour window in between). The other group did the opposite.

The prolonged-release melatonin was made by Sigma Pharmaceuticals Australia and called Circadin. Each night 2 hours before bedtime, 2mg of Circadin was taken by study participants. They received a reminder text message each night.

These are the study results for sleep:

Melatonin was associated with a significant and moderate reduction in PSQI [Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index] global scores, indicating improved sleep quality.

There was no significant reduction in sleep onset latency with melatonin compared to placebo.

What this means is that overall quality of sleep improved but there was no change in the time it takes to fall asleep (sleep onset latency). The latter is to be expected with prolonged-release or timed-release melatonin.

The study concluded that:

The present results, therefore, suggest that melatonin may be useful in treating sleep disturbances in patients with TBI.

With better sleep quality you would expect reduced fatigue and improved vitality – both were reported by study participants.

Melatonin associated with a small decrease in self-reported anxiety

What is interesting is that melatonin was also associated with a small decrease in self-reported anxiety (no differences in depression were reported.) The authors suggest that one possible mechanism of this may be that melatonin acts a muscle relaxant. In this commentary: Potential action of melatonin in insomnia, the authors equate the beneficial effects of melatonin to benzodiazepines:

many of the actions of melatonin on sleep propensity, anxiety, thermoregulation, and convulsions resemble those reported following administration of benzodiazepines. It is possible that some of these actions of melatonin may be mediated via peripheral benzodiazepine receptors

They are suggesting that with melatonin we get the sleep improvement (sleep propensity is the readiness to transit from wakefulness to sleep, or the ability to stay asleep if already sleeping), relaxation effects and antianxiety benefits of benzodiazepines.

But you get none of the side-effects, tolerance issues and withdrawal nightmares with a benzodiazepine which do more harm than good. On a side notes: this month World Benzodiazepine Day is celebrated to create awareness and offer support for benzo sufferers.

I would have picked something more inert for the placebo ingredients

I would have picked something more inert for the placebo ingredients: mannitol (106mg), acacia (11 mg) and pure icing sugar (106 mg). Mannitol, a sugar alcohol, can cause bloating and diarrhea in some individuals and although the amount is tiny (5g of sugar equals 1 teaspoon), sugar consumption is not ideal before bed. As I would expect adverse symptoms:

were more frequently reported during placebo treatment. The most commonly reported symptoms were neurological, followed by bodily pain, gastrointestinal and dermatologic.

In Australia, melatonin cannot be purchased over the counter (OTC) at health stores or via online retailers, unlike in the USA, and is only available by prescription. I’m all for melatonin being available OTC but the silver lining to this is that companies that make melatonin, such as Circadin, have a vested interest in the research. Research is expensive and time-consuming and we get to benefit too.

Keep in mind that this research is applicable to anyone with low melatonin, whether or not a prior TBI has occurred.

There are many root causes of insomnia – how I work with clients

In those with TBI, sleep disturbances are common, and the authors do report reduced evening and overnight melatonin production in this population. However, there are many root causes of insomnia, with low melatonin being one possible root cause – in TBI and in those who have not had a TBI.

One study limitation is that they didn’t measure melatonin levels or circadian rhythm (salivary cortisol) in all of the study participants so we can’t be sure everyone did have low melatonin.

And melatonin isn’t going to work in all instances of insomnia. It’s one root cause I look at.

This is how I work with clients who have insomnia:

  • I start with low serotonin and address this with tryptophan observing improvements in sleep and easing of worry and anxiety (on a side note, low serotonin is common after a TBI so this makes total sense)
  • Then I have my client use sublingual melatonin if they have issues falling asleep AND timed-release melatonin if they have issues staying asleep (you can see some of the melatonin products I recommend here)
  • When saliva results come back, we address the adrenals as needed, often adding Seriphos when cortisol is high
  • Other factors are addressed based on each person’s need: gluten issues, SIBO, parasites, candida, EMFs, sex hormone imbalances, medication side-effects, sleep habits

We’d love to hear if timed-release melatonin has helped you improve your sleep quality? And if it also helped with easing anxiety?

What about tryptophan or sublingual melatonin for helping you fall asleep? And the other root causes?

If you’re a practitioner, do you use tryptophan or sublingual or timed-release melatonin with your clients? And address the other root causes of insomnia?

Feel free to post your questions too.

Dark chocolate reduces stress and inflammation, improves memory, immunity and mood – but are you addicted?

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dark chocolate addiction

A press release from Loma Linda University reports that two new studies show dark chocolate consumption reduces stress and inflammation, while improving memory, immunity and mood. These are wonderful results from human trials and if you’re like most of us I’m sure this subject brings great delight! However (and sorry to be the party-pooper here), there are a number reasons why you may want to hold back on the excitement: if you’re addicted to chocolate and/or sugar this is a big red flag, and if dietary oxalates and caffeine are issues for you then this news won’t be good. But there may be ways you can get some of the benefits without the harmful effects (more on that below).

These papers were presented as posters at the Experimental Biology 2018 annual meeting in San Diego, and the press release reports that

dark chocolate with a high concentration of cacao (minimally 70% cacao, 30% organic cane sugar) has positive effects on stress levels, inflammation, mood, memory and immunity. While it is well known that cacao is a major source of flavonoids, this is the first time the effect has been studied in human subjects to determine how it can support cognitive, endocrine and cardiovascular health.

Lee S. Berk, a researcher in psychoneuroimmunology and food science from Loma Linda University, School of Allied Health Professions, served as principal investigator on both studies and stated the following:

For years, we have looked at the influence of dark chocolate on neurological functions from the standpoint of sugar content – the more sugar, the happier we are. This is the first time that we have looked at the impact of large amounts of cacao in doses as small as a regular-sized chocolate bar in humans over short or long periods of time, and are encouraged by the findings. These studies show us that the higher the concentration of cacao, the more positive the impact on cognition, memory, mood, immunity and other beneficial effects [such as enhanced neuroplasticity].

The flavonoids found in cacao are extremely potent antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents, with known mechanisms beneficial for brain and cardiovascular health.

In these 2 small studies (which have yet to be published in a peer-review journal) the consumption of 48g of 70% dark organic chocolate offered many of these health benefits in as quickly as 30 mins (in one the study) and when consumed every day for a week (in the other study).

In case you’re wondering how much this means in practical terms: 48 g is just over an ounce and a half, or 2 tablespoons. So think about 2 squares of 70% dark chocolate.

But are you addicted to chocolate? And do you binge?

I know I sounded like a real party pooper in the introduction but if your eyes lit up or you even got a little teary-eyed or felt a really warm “I so deserve this treat” glow or you felt realy joy at the thought of indulging (or maybe all of the above emotions) when you read the subject line then these may be red flag for you. But despair not as there are ways to help you not overdo it and binge on a week’s supply of dark chocolate in one sitting. If you relate to the binge comment you know exactly what I mean and have felt that deep regret and shame afterwards.

Lorraine shares this about her chocolate addiction:

the minute I start eating it – I am like a heroin addict. I can’t stop. I end up bingeing for a few weeks as it’s all I can think about. It’s the weirdest thing – so I mainly abstain from it and have a slip, binge, anxiety relapse about once a year until I am able to buckle down and fight the cravings knowing the anxiety is not worth the euphoria.

For some people the anxiety that is caused by chocolate is too severe (more on that below) but if Lorraine’s anxiety and bingeing are related there may be a solution for her and if yes, it would be the GABA solution below.

The brain chemistry balancing solution for bingeing

Cravings for chocolate can often be due to brain chemical imbalances and when these are addressed no willpower is required and there are no feelings of being deprived. Here is a simple way to help you figure it out:

  • if you have to eat chocolate when you haven’t eaten in awhile it’s likely low blood sugar and glutamine on the tongue stops the desire on the spot
  • if you stress-eat your chocolate cravings are likely due to low GABA, and GABA will stop the stress-eating and calm you down
  • if you eat chocolate to feel happy (and especially from late afternoon onwards) then your cravings are likely due to low serotonin, and tryptophan stops the cravings and boosts mood and reduces anxiety
  • if you eat chocolate for an energy boost then it’s likely due to low catecholamines and tyrosine will stop those cravings and give you a mood and energy boost
  • if you are a comfort-eater then it’s likely due to low endorphins and DPA will stop that “I deserve-it-reward-eating” and also give you a hug-like mood boost

I write more about this in the glutamine cravings blog and you can find all the individual amino acids listed on my supplements blog here with details on how to purchase them from my distributor.

Once you have this figured out this brain balancing there is no bingeing, you can eat a small portion and feel very satisfied and will actually address some mood and anxiety issues at the same time!

Dark chocolate is a no-no if dietary oxalates are an issue for you

If dietary oxalates cause you issues like anxiety, insomnia, vulvar pain, urinary issues, or other pain (for me they cause dreadful foot pain – like shards of glass combined with hot coals)

When considering high oxalate foods, 41mg and above is considered an exceptionally high oxalate food. In one study, the total oxalate contents of 34 samples of dark chocolate collected from 13 different countries ranged from 155 to 485 mg/100 g which equates to around 77 to 240mg for 48g.   So dark chocolate does need to be avoided and I would not even consider eating some even with calcium citrate or magnesium citrate.

In a related study published last year by lead author Professor Lee Birk, Is Chocolate Beneficial for Brain Health? the 20 subjects were subjected to a sequence of cacao sensory awareness tasks ranging from:

  • recall of past experiences
  • imagine eating chocolate right now
  • visualization/looking at real chocolate
  • olfaction [or sense of smell]
  • taste but not swallow
  • and finally chocolate consumption (70% cocoa bar) to satiation

And for many the above provided benefits for them. For me a good long deep sniff of dark chocolate feels quite satisfying, as strange as it may sound.

I do sometimes miss the texture of melted chocolate but solid coconut butter satisfies that need. Believe it or not, but so does pemmican, a savory snack that is made with beef fat and beef jerky, honey/cherries and sea salt. Check out pemmican from US Wellness Meats here (my affiliate link).

Avoid it if the caffeine causes anxiety, insomnia, heart palpitations and/or migraines

For many of my clients the caffeine in dark chocolate can cause anxiety, insomnia, heart palpitations and/or migraines. Some of these “twitchy” effects may also be due to the theobromine, a chemical compound, which roughly translates to “food of the gods” and is also what makes chocolate deadly for dogs.

I have to admit that chocolate would be my “drug” of choice before cakes, cookies or sweets. Putting aside the oxalate issues, it also affects my sleep and creates mild anxiety/sort of edginess with mild heart palpitations with restless sleep. This is how I remember a coffee buzz feeling. But worse than this is the migraine I get a day or 2 days later. It is wicked pain above my left eye that leaves me horizontal for a day. So, no chocolate for me unfortunately, other than enjoying the aroma of it.

Carob as a delicious alternative

Carob is a delicious alternative to dark chocolate as it doesn’t contain caffeine and is lower in oxalates. It has a definite chocolate-like flavor.

A 2002 study found that carob may actually have calming effects. It is also antioxidant rich, contains the polyphenol gallic acid which has been shown to help metabolic syndrome, has chemoprotective properties and helps with digestion.

Check out my Carob Cinnamon Delight al la Trudy hot beverage recipe and this recipe for Carob Coconut Avocado bites (leave out the sesame seeds and add extra coconut flakes if oxalates are an issue).

Organic and Fair Trade of course

If you can get to enjoy dark chocolate be sure to consume only organic as cocoa plants are heavily sprayed, Other than the concerns with the actual pesticides and insecticides, there is cause for concern about raised copper levels because of copper-based pesticides.

Fair Trade is a global movement made up of a diverse network of producers, companies, shoppers, advocates, and organizations putting people and planet first

I know I’m going to get questions on what brands I recommend that are organic, Fair Trade and gluten-free so here goes – Vital Choice is my pick right now.

Vital Choice has quality dark chocolate that is both organic and Fair Trade. It is labeled gluten-free but they state it is “Manufactured on shared equipment with products containing wheat, milk, peanuts, and tree nuts.” I have not had any reports of anyone having a gluten issue with it but please use your own discretion. Here is the link to check them out and make a purchase (it is my affiliate link). Simply search for dark chocolate.

Feel free to share how you do with dark chocolate and how it makes you feel when you consume it and be sure to post any questions you may have.

And if you know of brands that are organic, Fair Trade and gluten-free please do share them.

GABA, 5-HTP and melatonin isn’t working anymore for my insomnia and tryptophan gives me a migraine – what should I do?

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Today I’m addressing a great question I received on a recent tryptophan blog about insomnia and the use of the amino acids GABA and 5-HTP in a combination product together with melatonin, and what the next steps should be when you are not getting the expected results. And if continuing with tryptophan is a good idea when it seems to be causing a migraine and isn’t leading to a whole night’s sleep. Here is the question:

I have suffered from insomnia for most of my life. I just got your book and am loving it! Thank you for all that you do. My symptoms seem to be high for both low GABA and low serotonin [here is the questionnaire].

I also believe I have a blood sugar problem, so I’m starting to follow your suggestions for that.

I’ve been taking a supplement for sleep that has both GABA and 5-HTP in it, along with melatonin. It worked for a year, however it just recently stopped working.

I thought maybe I should try tryptophan. After taking only 220 mg per night, along with 5 mg of melatonin, I was able to sleep, but not through the entire night. However, the next day I woke up with a horrible headache/migraine. I know it was the tryptophan because I did a trial and tried a night without it and then again with it and the nights I took it, sure enough, the migraine would return.

I must add that I had bloodwork done and tested low for melatonin, which is why I was adding the melatonin into my protocol.

My question is: do I continue with a higher dose of GABA, 5-HTP and melatonin, since it worked for a year i.e. do I up the dosage of the supplement I’ve been taking? Or do I continue trying different doses of tryptophan?

I shared this response in my comment (with some additions for this blog post).

Always first address the nutritional foundational aspects

Firstly, I was glad to hear she is loving my book The Antianxiety Food Solution (my Amazon link) and implementing dietary changes. This is so foundational to any protocol for both anxiety and insomnia. Too often, someone hears me talking about the amazing amino acids and forgets the nutritional basics of real whole food, quality animal protein (like wild fish, pastured eggs and chicken, grass-fed red meat), organic veggies and fruit, healthy fats (like olive oil, coconut oil and butter), fermented foods and broths, and no gluten, caffeine or sugar.

I don’t ever have clients push through

With regards to her trial of tryptophan I shared that I don’t ever have clients push through on a product that is causing any adverse effects, and especially when it’s a migraine. She was smart and trialed the tryptophan twice to make sure it was the tryptophan that caused the migraine and not something else.

Capitalize on what has worked and increase one at a time

With regards to the GABA, 5-HTP and melatonin I shared that I always like to capitalize on what has worked in the past (or is currently working) and would rather increase the 5-HTP and/or melatonin and/or GABA one at a time.

Notice that I said increase these products one at a time. She is taking a combination product so it’s impossible for her to do this. Maybe her GABA levels are now good (because her progesterone levels have improved due to be on a regular zinc supplement or because she has been doing regular yoga sessions) and maybe she needs more serotonin support (because her estrogen levels are off because of recent exposure to xenoestrogens in plastics).

Even though is research showing that a combination product containing GABA and 5-HTP improved sleep and sleep duration more than the use of either of the two amino acids alone, based on her feedback, if we were working together I would have her do each of the GABA, 5-HTP and melatonin separately. This way it’s easy to mix and match and increase one and possibly lower the other, until the ideal combination is found for her unique needs at this time in her life.

She may even find she only needs GABA or only needs 5-HTP or only melatonin. She may also find she needs sublingual melatonin for helping her fall asleep and timed-release melatonin for helping her stay asleep.

She mentions the amino acid questionnaire so it sounds like she is clear on her symptoms: low GABA physical anxiety affecting her sleep and low serotonin mental worry-type of anxiety affecting her sleep. So as she trials the individual amino acids she can see how she does symptom-wise in order to find the ideal amount.

Other factors to consider with insomnia

It’s often straight-forward with the amino acids and the great thing is that one you have the correct combination you will see results in a few days to a few weeks. But There are other factors we may need to consider with insomnia:

  • Keep in mind that 5-HTP can raise cortisol and low blood sugar can indicate adrenal issues so looking at high cortisol as a factor in the sleep problems would be something to consider. A 4-collection saliva test will measure this and my favorite product for lowering high cortisol is Seriphos. Other nutrients for adrenal support may be needed too.
  • Just addressing low blood sugar can often improve insomnia. Eating to support blood sugar swings, early morning sunlight and no blue light after dark can make a world of difference.
  • Other sleep factors we always want to consider: sex hormone imbalances, parasites (they are more active at night and can keep you awake and play a role in high cortisol), accidental gluten exposure, SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth), candida, sleep apnea and mouth breathing, EMFs (WiFi in the home, commuting with the iphone on, a new cordless phone etc.) and medication side-effects (benzodiazepines are a common one).

I really appreciate questions like this being posted on the blog so others like you also get to benefit. This question also demonstrates just how our needs for certain nutrients can change over time and how we may to keep adjusting what we are doing.

In case you have questions about specific products that I use with clients, here is my supplements blog and more information on GABA for the physical type of anxiety and 5-HTP/tryptophan for the worry-type of anxiety.

Can you relate to this scenario? Feel free to ask your questions about sleep, GABA, 5-HTP, tryptophan and melatonin and share your experiences with these products and how they have helped you or if you’ve had issues with any of them.

I wake in the middle of the night with a jolt of fear, feelings of dread or feeling depressed

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Waking in the night feeling anxious and with a jolt of fear, having a panic attack, experiencing feelings of impending doom, with a pounding heart and even feeling depressed is a common issue I see with clients and it’s a common question that I’m often asked on my blog and on Facebook.

Here is a typical question you may relate to:

I usually wake between 5-6 am and have this overwhelming feeling of dread and start thinking of all the things I have to get done. And then I can’t fall back asleep. What is this?

Or this one:

Does anyone have severe depression when waking up in the middle of the night, but never during the day or before falling asleep. It doesn’t go away until after I’m fully awake and upright in the morning.

Low serotonin?

Serotonin is known to dip later in the day and at night and we know low serotonin can cause depression and insomnia/waking in the night, so my first thought would be to assess for low serotonin and address this if it is the case. I use the questionnaire and trial method.

I always start with tryptophan, but may switch to 5-HTP if that’s not working as expected as some people do better on one versus the other. We add melatonin if the tryptophan or 5-HTP isn’t quite enough to help with the waking.

There are many possible causes of low serotonin so over the course of the next few months these will be addressed too, on a case by case basis. Some of the causes in include: a poor diet, low stomach acid, malabsorption, low zinc, low B6, low iron, low magnesium, dysbiosis and/or parasites and/or candida, the birth control pill, MTHFR defects (with this defect expressing) etc.

Low GABA?

Low GABA levels may be a factor too as this can contribute to insomnia and waking, especially when there is physical tension. New research reports GABA’s involvement in unwanted thoughts and it’s a common factor in my community and clients. Again, I use the questionnaire and trial method to find the ideal amount of GABA for each person.

High cortisol?

High cortisol in the night can also be a factor and I suspect this when someone says they wake with a jolt of fear or feels what they describe as an adrenalin rush. Saliva testing can confirm cortisol levels and Seriphos is the best product I’ve found to lower high cortisol. Addressing low blood sugar and finding the root cause of the adrenal issues are also key. General adrenal support with B vitamins and adaptogenic herbs are often needed too.

Hormone imbalances and/or PMS?

Here is another typical question you may relate to:

I’ve had the worst week regards 3am panic attacks, lurid dreams and wake up aching. It always feels like the end of the world and yet I get up and stagger out to do my morning routines and all is right with the world (apart from physical aches and pains). I have often had bouts of this. It’s a week to go until my period.

If the anxiety or panic attacks are cyclical and tied to your menstrual cycle I will still start with a trial of tryptophan which has been shown to help PMS, tension, depression and mood swings. Serotonin support also helps with fibromyalgia-type aches and pains.

A trial of GABA is often needed too and can help with alleviating the panic attacks, waking and some of the aches. Other factors like a gluten sensitivities, adrenal issues and high oxalates may also play a role in physical aches.

Lurid dreams clues me into the possibility of low vitamin B6, which is an important co-factor for making both GABA and serotonin, as well as being important for alleviating PMS symptoms and the social anxiety condition called pyroluria. The pyroluria protocol, with vitamin B6, zinc and evening primrose oil, helps both the social anxiety as well as PMS symptoms and insomnia.

Address the basics

You may be looking for the perfect supplement to help and while the amino acids come pretty close to being that, it goes without saying that you want to always address the basics. This means making sure you are eating a real whole food diet with quality animal protein and getting that animal protein at breakfast in order to balance blood sugar. The following needs to be eliminated too: caffeine, gluten and sugar. Some individuals do even better on a ketogenic diet.

Looking at sleep hygiene factors fall under the basics too: a dark, cool and quiet room, no PC or iPhone late at night, no iPhone or other EMF sources close by, sunlight exposure in the early morning etc.

And we mustn’t forget stress reduction, exercise and nature.

Address other bigger issues

Medication side-effects must always be considered. Here are a few examples:

Hashimoto’s thyroiditis must also always be considered especially when there are fluctuations in mood, anxiety and sleep. These fluctuations in mood and anxiety can happen at any time of the day and not necessarily in the night.

If the insomnia and middle of the night anxiety and depression persists we continue to dig and look at dietary histamine and oxalate issues, SIBO, parasites and other digestive issues.

If we are still not seeing results then a referral for Lyme disease, mold, sleep apnea and heavy metals may be needed.

My checklist

My checklist when I start when working with someone with issues similar to the above. This will be tweaked based on each person’s own biochemistry and where they are in terms of diet, supplements and lifestyle:

  • Low serotonin? Do a tryptophan or 5-HTP trial
  • Low melatonin? If tryptophan or 5-HTP trial isn’t quite enough then add melatonin
  • Low GABA? Do a GABA trial
  • Low blood sugar? Add quality protein at breakfast, plus glutamine
  • High cortisol? Support the adrenals and use Seriphos or something else to lower the high cortisol
  • PMS/sex hormone imbalances or Hashimoto’s? Address with diet, nutrients and hormone support as needed
  • Low magnesium, low zinc, low B6, low iron? Assess for these deficiencies and address them
  • Gut health issues like leaky gut, dysbiosis, candida, parasites, SIBO? Address these issues
  • Histamine, oxalate or other dietary issues? Address these issues
  • Medication side-effects? Figure out which one is an issue and work with the doctor to taper if needed and address why the medication was initially prescribed.
  • If the issue persists – a referral for Lyme disease, mold, sleep apnea and/or heavy metals

As you can see there are many overlaps with some of the 60+ root causes of anxiety.

Here is additional information on tryptophan for low serotonin, GABA for low GABA and glutamine for low blood sugar, plus the list of supplements I use with clients.

As always, if the amino acids are new to you, review the precautions and be smart about using them. My book The Antianxiety Food Solution (Amazon affiliate link) has an entire chapter on the amino acids, plus chapters on diet, gut health, caffeine, blood sugar and more.

We’d love to hear which of the above approaches have helped with your insomnia and waking with a jolt of fear or dread or pounding heart.  

GABA for the physical-tension and stiff-and-tense-muscles type of anxiety

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Today I’m going to review some GABA products for the physical-tension and stiff-and-tense-muscles type of anxiety, and share some additional resources for you.

The other symptoms we see with low GABA are panic attacks, physical tension in certain settings like public speaking or driving, and the need to self-medicate to calm down, often with alcohol but sometimes with carbs and sugary foods. Insomnia can also be due to low GABA and you’ll experience physical tension (rather than the ruminating thoughts which is the low serotonin type of insomnia – although it’s not uncommon to experience both). GABA also helps with muscle spasms and pain relief when muscles are tight.

The biggest take-aways with GABA:

  • Sublingual is best. I find that GABA works best when used sublingually and this is one reason I like Source Naturals GABA Calm so much. If this is not an option (it does contain sugar alcohols that some clients can’t or won’t use and does contain tyrosine which as some contraindications) then opening a capsule of a GABA-only or a GABA-theanine combination are my next choices when working with someone.
  • Start very low and increase as needed. I have found 125mg to be a good starting dose but some pixie dust clients do well on a dab or pinch
  • Do a trial to determine if the anxiety in in fact due to low GABA. I always do this with clients before starting any amino acid. Be sure to read how to do an amino acid trial – it has the low GABA questionnaire, the precautions and information on how to use targeted individual amino acids.

Here are some of the actual GABA products I recommend and use with clients:

  • Source Naturals GABA Calm. This is a pleasant-tasting sublingual product that is my most popular and most effective form of GABA I use with my clients. It contains 125 mg GABA and some glycine, taurine and magnesium, and a small amount of tyrosine to counter the calming effects. You can see the lozenges in the picture above.
  • Nutritional Fundamentals for Health GABA-T SAP: gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) 300 mg, l-Theanine 150 mg. This is pleasant-tasting when opened on to the tongue and works very well when GABA Calm can’t be used.  I find best results when it is used opened on to the tongue and I really like that it’s a low dose of GABA. Some of my clients do well with half a capsule. You can see an opened capsule in the picture above.
  • Enzymatic Therapy GABA: gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) 250 mg. This is also pleasant-tasting when opened on to the tongue and works very well when GABA Calm can’t be used.  As with all GABA products, I find best results when it is used opened on to the tongue.
  • ProThera 500mg GABA: gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) 500 mg.  You will likely need to open this up and start with less than a full capsule during the day and increase as needed based on the trial. A full capsule may be fine at night for some individuals and more than one works in some situations.

There are a number of other great GABA products. When I reached out on Facebook for feedback I heard from one mom who likes Kirkman Labs GABA with Niacinamide and Inositol for her son who is on the spectrum, and someone else shared she likes Thorne PharmaGABA better than GABA products.

A few people shared this feedback when using GABA: one person felt too tired, someone else felt a niacin-type flush and someone else got an electric shock feeling in her brain. How you respond depends on the dose and with GABA and the other amino acids there is no one recommended dose for anyone. It’s very individualized which is why I have clients do a trial and start low. GABA helps many people tapering from benzodiazepines but some people are so sensitive that even a pinch is too much.

One person asked how to get GABA from food as she is fearful of taking medications and supplements. I always recommend a real whole foods diet with quality animal protein and organic produce, together with health fats and fermented veggies – so this is a great foundation. It may not be enough and when there is fear and phobias I immediately think of low serotonin and would determine if this is a factor an address this first. I covered low serotonin and tryptophan in the product review last week.

Here are some additional GABA resources for you:

Source Naturals GABA Calm™: Why I recommend it for anxiety

It’s a great product to use with children. Trish Soderstrom shared how she used this product with her daughter’s Lyme anxiety.

We’ve used Source Naturals GABA Calm sublinguals with good results. I learned about GABA helping anxiety and because I was treating my young daughter I purchased this because it was easy for her to take.But there may still be some confusion about when to use GABA and when to use tryptophan and how much of each of these amino acids to use.

GABA is calming for me, doesn’t work for my daughter’s anxiety and makes my son sleepy

I have used GABA (several brands, just open capsule and sprinkle small amount under tongue) for years now, with calming results within minutes. It was recommended to me by 2 family members, both bi-polar, who were tested by Dr. Amen. I have also used it with my children (now adults); my daughter says it doesn’t work for her. (She has anxiety issues and occasional panic attacks, and Rescue Remedy helps her.) It does work to calm my 3 sons, but one says it makes him sleepy, and lasts into the next day, so he won’t take it.

GABA for children: ADHD, focus issues, irritability, anxiety and tantrums

My daughter hasn’t been diagnosed with ADHD but has a lot of ADHD qualities. We were having a huge amount of behavior problems as she is getting older (she’s 11). I did some research and went to the health food store and bought a bottle. At this point I was mentally exhausted from all the fighting and drama at home and at school. I was desperate and didn’t want to put her on any hard medication.

She has had amazing behavior at school and at home since giving it to her. She’s almost like different child. GABA has truly changed our life. She’s been taking it for almost 2 months.

The blog has many other posts on GABA and serotonin and simply use the “search” function to find them.

This blog post is part of the series of amino acid product reviews:

The resources in this blog and my other articles are intended to be used in conjunction with my book: The Antianxiety Food Solution – How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood, and End Cravings. If you do not have my book I highly recommend getting it and reading it before jumping in and taking the amino acid supplements:

There is a complete chapter on the amino acids and one for pyroluria, plus information on real whole food, sugar and blood sugar, gluten, digestion and much more.

You can find the GABA products and the others I recommend here on this blog: The Antianxiety Food Solution Amino Acid and Pyroluria Supplements

 

I’d love to hear what GABA product has worked for you and how it’s helped?

If you have questions please post them below or on the supplements blog

Additional Anxiety Resources
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