Hi there… I wanted to add my ‘two cents’ to the discussion about the BeSerene™ GABA/theanine product that you recommend. I LOVE it! I suffer from low GABA levels, which result in my having severe muscle tension in my neck and shoulders. Often, that resulted in bad muscle tension headaches, for which I couldn’t find anything to bring relief. The BeSerene™ GABA/theanine cream has been a real game changer.
If I wake up with one of those headaches in the middle of the night or in the morning, I use two pumps and rub it on my tight neck and shoulder muscles and within 15 minutes, I can feel the tension melting away! It literally goes away! I have even been able to prevent a headache from occurring by using it on my neck muscles before I go to bed at night.
Insofar as anxiety, I get relief from that as well, because generally I start to get anxiety once the headaches start, as I never know if it is going to be manageable with just an ibuprofen or two, or if it is going to be one of ‘those’ headaches, i.e. a migraine that lasts for a day or more! Unfortunately, once the anxiety starts, it makes the muscle tension headache worse, which makes the anxiety worse, and it’s just a horrible vicious cycle!
So, since the BeSerene™ cream works so efficiently on the muscle tension, it quells the anxiety that usually follows!
It has changed my life, and I don’t know of any other product I can say that about. I can honestly say that I will not allow myself to ever be without it now!
Thank you so much Trudy, for recommending this product!
Lisa is a woman in the community who reached out to me via email with this message raving about how life-changing this cream has been for her. I am thrilled for her and never get tired of hearing results like this. I’m not surprised either and love to share these kinds of results! She kindly gave me permission to share, saying “I want others to experience what I have with this product!”
Read on below for more about why she gravitated towards using a cream, other benefits you may expect to see (like a reduction in stress-eating and/or drinking too much wine), my insights into when to consider using a GABA/theanine cream like this and how to use it, where to purchase this exact cream and additional resources if you are new to using GABA.
Why did Lisa gravitate to using a GABA/theanine cream?
Lisa shared that she just couldn’t seem to tolerate the sublingual or oral GABA:
I have tried sublingual GABA products but haven’t had much success, as I haven’t been able to find any without alcohol sugars (xylitol, sorbitol, etc.) Those ingredients give me a terrible taste in my mouth and I just can’t tolerate them. (Why can’t they make one with just real sugar from nature?)
Plus, I haven’t had a lot of success with the oral products as they just take too long to work on the headaches/muscle tension.
I’m really glad she recognized her symptoms were due to low GABA – muscle tension and pain, in conjunction with feeling physically anxious are common. And that she didn’t give up on GABA and persevered until she found what works for her symptoms.
What about other forms of GABA?
However, my advice for someone in Lisa’s situation is not to give up on other GABA products if she finds she needs additional support in the future or finds herself without the cream. With regards to taste and time to work, I recommend a GABA-only (or GABA/theanine) capsule opened on to the tongue or a GABA (and/or theanine) powder – both held on the tongue for 1-2 minutes for quick results.
Stress-eating and self-medication with wine are classic signs of low GABA
Interestingly, stress eating is not an issue for her but wine may be:
I’ve never really had any issues with stress-eating. In fact, I usually have no appetite when I’m stressed out! (That’s where the wine comes in…lol!)
We may self-medicate with wine when GABA is low because it relaxes us physically, helps us fit in socially and feels calming and pleasant. It’s mistakenly used to try and improve sleep but typically makes things worse.
Alcohol consumption damages the gut, depletes B vitamins (especially thiamine/vitamin B1) and zinc – and it’s addicting.
GABA can stop that addiction in its tracks so there are no feelings of deprivation. The reasons we are drawn to GABA are addressed too. And amazingly there is research that GABA may actually heal the gut after alcohol consumption.
Bumping up the GABA/theanine cream may help or considering one of the other GABA products mentioned above may be better.
Low GABA symptoms
As a reminder, if you are new to GABA, it’s an amino acid that helps to address low GABA levels and the associated symptoms: physical tension and feeling anxious, feeling worried or fearful, panic attacks, stiff or tense muscles, insomnia, feeling stressed and burned-out, craving carbs/alcohol for relaxation and calming, intrusive thoughts, spinning/poor focus, fear of heights, rectal spasms, burning mouth, and visceral pain/belly pain with IBS. See the most current list of low GABA symptoms here.
When to consider using a GABA/theanine cream like this?
These are some of the applications I consider
- When other GABA products haven’t worked (like in Lisa’s situation)
- When looking for something in addition to other GABA products, for example, GABA powder in the day while at work or play, and GABA/theanine cream at night for tension and sleep issues
- When there is a specific need for a topical application – like with neck and shoulder tension or belly pain or period pain or leg spasms etc
- For an aging parent with Alzheimer’s disease (and sundowning agitation/anxiety)
- For a person with ARFID (avoidant-restrictive food intake disorder)
- For a person with anorexia or other eating disorder
- When a child or young adult has autism (with anxiety and sensorimotor issues), a child/adult who struggles with taking supplements and other special needs children/adults
- For someone with multiple sclerosis (for anxiety and muscle spasms/spasticity)
- When a person has severe digestive issues and prefers a cream
- When someone just wants to take a break from sublingual/oral/powder GABA
- For presurgery anxiety since supplements are typically not permitted (even though there is research showing both help)
Where to purchase BeSerene™ IR GABA and theanine cream and how to use it?
This cream can be purchased online with this link (this has my 15% discount built in – you’ll see the discount applied on the checkout page after you add it to the cart).
They recommend applying 1-2 pumps to your temples or wrists.
You could also use 1-2 pumps/squirts on your neck and shoulder (like Lisa did), the forearm or inner thigh (before bed for helping improve sleep), and/or belly (especially if belly pain or IBS/SIBO or PMS pain keeps you awake at night). It can also easily be applied if you wake in the night.
Personally, it’s a product I love at bedtime. I apply 2 pumps on my forearm and then rub my belly with any that is left over. It’s calming, improves my sleep and helps with belly pain at night.
I’m sure you can tell by now that this is a product I endorse. I recommend it to clients and to participants in my GABA Quickstart program. In fact, it’s one of the top ten GABA products I recommend and it’s even included in the training materials/handouts of the program!
Additional resources when you are new to using GABA or other amino acids as supplements
We use the symptoms questionnaire to figure out if low GABA (indicating a possible need for GABA or theanine) or low serotonin (indicating a need for tryptophan or 5-HTP) or low endorphins (indicating a possible need for DPA) 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, sugar cravings, anxiety and mood issues. The importance of quality animal protein and healthy fats is also covered.
The book doesn’t include product names (per the publisher’s request) so this blog, The Antianxiety Food Solution Amino Acid and Pyroluria Supplements, lists the amino acids that I use with my individual clients and those in my group programs.
If, after reading this blog and my book, you don’t feel comfortable figuring things out on your own (i.e. doing the symptoms questionnaire and respective amino acids trials), a good place to get help is the GABA QuickStart Program (if you have low GABA symptoms). This is a paid online/virtual group program where you get my guidance and community support. We’ll be launching a budget-friendly homestudy version in a few weeks – sign up for the wait list here (the live version with Q&A is offered only a few times a year).
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.
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.
Now I’d love to hear from you…
I appreciate Lisa’s willingness to share her wonderful results. Now I’d love to hear from you.
Have you used BeSerene™ GABA and theanine cream and how has it helped you?
How does using a GABA/theanine cream compare with other GABA products you have used (feel free to share specific brands and how you used them – sublingual, capsule-opened, liposomal or powder or even another brand of GABA cream)?
As I shared above, some folks prefer a cream only and many use a combination of cream and sublingual.
Feel free to post your questions here too.