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Huge rise in anxiety in college students (and other mental health issues): amino acid supplements and nutritional psychiatry as a solution.

By Trudy Scott 17 Comments

anxiety in college students

Is your son or daughter finding college/university overwhelming? Is he or she battling with new or worsening anxiety, worrying about results, has fears about success or fitting in, lying awake imagining the worst outcomes or maybe feeling like a perfectionist and getting stuck? Perhaps they have poor self-confidence, feel like an imposter and may even have panic attacks.  These signs and symptoms are all common with the low serotonin-type of worry-in-the-head anxiety, which may also include PMS (premenstrual syndrome), obsessive tendencies and anger issues.

They may also be experiencing the low GABA type of tension-anxiety, where they lie awake at night stiff and tense and self-medicate with too much sugar, carbs, junk food and/or alcohol (and maybe even pot and other drugs). There may be intrusive thoughts too and panic attacks also triggered by low GABA.

What about focus issues/ADHD and low motivation, no ability to follow-through on tasks and projects, procrastination and missing deadlines? These are all classic signs of low catecholamine, which also includes low energy, and feeling depressed/sad/low/flat. Your son or daughter may just want to crawl up in their dorm bed and not do anything or may spend hours doing mindless activities like binge watching Netflix or scrolling mindlessly through social media.

All of these signs and symptoms point to low levels of neurotransmitters or brain chemicals: low serotonin, low GABA and low dopamine. We need the right raw materials to make these neurotransmitters and the majority of college cafeterias are not providing nutrient-dense foods and/or foods that are unique for each person’s biochemistry (more on this below).

The huge rise in anxiety and other mental health issues in college students

It’s no wonder that we are seeing a huge rise in anxiety and other mental health issues in college students. Way too many students are dropping out and so many are struggling unnecessarily.

This 2019 Harvard blog post shares some alarming stats:

Anxiety in college is very common. According to the American College Health Association Fall 2018 National College Health Assessment, 63% of college students in the US felt overwhelming anxiety in the past year. In the same survey, 23% reported being diagnosed or treated by a mental health professional for anxiety in the past year.

This article in Nature earlier this year, The problem is greater than it’s ever been’: US universities urged to invest in mental-health resources, highlights points from US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report:

  • 68% of university presidents listed student mental health as one of their most pressing issues
  • the dropout rate for students with diagnosed mental-health problems ranges from 43% to as high as 86%
  • The students who said that they had more trouble with anxiety or depression after the lockdown also reported greater alcohol use

It states that faculty members should “receive formal training to address and support student well-being” and “students should learn about mental-health issues as part of their introductory training.” They also say “Hiring more counsellors could be an important step, but counsellors alone can’t turn the tide.” I agree with all this but recommend adding nutritional psychiatry awareness, training and resources too.

Poor diet and nutritional deficiencies are a major contributing factor even though it’s seldom discussed. The good news is that there are relatively simple solutions – amino acids as supplements for quick relief and diet as the foundation – but it does take work.

Using amino acids as supplements for quick relief

Amino acids, used as supplements, are a quick way to offer immediate relief of symptoms:  tryptophan or 5-HTP (for the low serotonin worry-type anxiety), GABA (for the tension-type anxiety) and tyrosine (for the low dopamine poor-focus and low symptoms). Here are some examples:

  • A 23-year-old female college student, adopted and exposed to alcohol while in the womb, has some learning struggles. She doesn’t want to miss a day of taking 5-HTP, because she says that “it keeps her on her toes,” which she says means that it “keeps me focused,” when studying.
  • Tyrosine helped a young man who was learning new software: “Within an hour the stress just melted away!”, alleviating his anxiety and panic attacks and creating a feeling of calm focus.
  • A newly qualified nutritionist shared how she suffered badly from imposter syndrome at the end of her nutrition degree and she felt socially awkward in so many outings and situations. Her anxiety and stress were through the roof and her sleep was poor. She said these wonderful results: “What really tipped the balance was the supplementation of tyrosine, tryptophan & GABA.”

If you are new to the amino acids, here is the Amino Acids Mood Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution and additional information on Anxiety and targeted individual amino acid supplements: a summary

This lists The Antianxiety Food Solution Amino Acid and Pyroluria Supplements that I use with my individual clients and those in my group programs.

We use the amino acids for quick relief of symptoms and then focus on the foundations like diet and address other imbalances.

Diet as the foundation for students i.e. nutritional psychiatry

I first blogged about nutritional psychiatry in 2015 when the ISNPR position statement was published in World Psychiatry, the official journal of the World Psychiatric Association. This 2019 paper, Nutritional psychiatry: Towards improving mental health by what you eat provides an overview of the emerging field of nutritional psychiatry:

Does it matter what we eat for our mental health? Accumulating data suggests that this may indeed be the case and that diet and nutrition are not only critical for human physiology and body composition, but also have significant effects on mood and mental wellbeing. While the determining factors of mental health are complex, increasing evidence indicates a strong association between a poor diet and the exacerbation of mood disorders, including anxiety and depression, as well as other neuropsychiatric conditions.

The 2017 SMILES Trial is the first randomized controlled diet depression study and ONE THIRD of the dietary intervention group saw improvements in their depression symptoms.  This was just diet alone and switching from processed/junk food to real food with no specific dietary restrictions. Participants also reported improvements in anxiety symptoms. And the authors even addressed the cost factor, stating it was more affordable to eat this way.

Research supports this connection in college students. This is one of a growing number of studies, Eating behavior and relationships with stress, anxiety, depression and insomnia in university students, that concludes that:

unhealthy eating patterns are common in university populations and are related to anxiety, stress, and depression. Educational interventions to reduce unhealthy food consumption in university students can also result in psychological health improvements and/or vice versa.

Unfortunately, as students get more anxious and depressed their food choices get worse (especially for male students) and it becomes a vicious cycle. This paper, Examining the Role of Anxiety and Depression in Dietary Choices among College Students, reports:

Overall, a decrease in total caloric intake and an increase in sugar consumption were found as self-reported symptoms of anxiety and depression increased. In addition, there were sex differences in the relationship between depression and food choices. Men consumed more saturated fat as well as less fruits and vegetables as self-reported symptoms of depression increased. Results suggest symptoms of depression are a greater risk factor for poor nutrition in male college students than females.

It’s time for colleges/universities to recognize all this and teach about nutritional psychiatry. My book, The Antianxiety Food Solution is an excellent starting point for students, parents and educators (together with other blogs on this site).

Checking out cafeterias and cooking options

When looking at colleges are you also looking at what the cafeteria offers and if they cater for special diets (like gluten-free, dairy-free, Paleo etc) and/or offer real whole food, organic vegetables and fruit, grass-fed meat, wild fish and fermented foods?

Can students use a slow cooker, blender, Instant Pot or electric frying pan in their dorms?

Is there a dorm kitchen and can they take their own pots and pans (so non-stick pans can be avoided) and any of the above appliances?

Are there nearby living options that include a kitchen and a store with quality food for purchase?

I feel colleges/universities should be rated on all of the above in addition to everything else.

It all starts at home before they leave for college

Having a good college cafeteria and dorm kitchens is one step in the right direction, but these young adults also need to understand the impact of a breakfast of bagels and coffee or not having breakfast or the fact that gluten may trigger a panic attack and make them sad. They need to know how to shop and cook if there is a shared dorm kitchen or apartment. And they need to make the right choices when they do eat in the cafeteria or nearby restaurants (assuming good options are available). This all starts at home with you before they leave for college.

Katie shares this about her daughter who plans to use the college cafeteria for some meals and also cook in the apartment kitchen on weekends:

My daughter was just saying today how glad she is that she doesn’t have to figure out [the connection between increased anxiety, fatigue, brain fog, sadness and what they are eating] while learning how to live on her own and go to college. I changed how I ate 8 years ago for my PCOS and about 3 years ago she decided to give it a try after feeling so horrible but seeing my change. I’m so proud of her for embracing a healthier lifestyle in her teen years when everyone around her is subsisting off energy drinks and vending machine food. It makes me think that if we offer them a little education, they’ll make good choices for themselves.

This mom can also feel proud that she led by example for her daughter (and I appreciate them for letting me share here).

But I believe the colleges need to play a role in this too. They are providing food and this is a perfect educational opportunity that will serve their students (and future generations), solve the mental health crisis they are struggling with and prevent drop-outs (which is having an impact on their bottom-line).

Do you believe colleges/universities should be rated on all of the above in addition to everything else? What have you done to check out cafeterias and cooking options for your daughter or son?

Has your son or daughter benefited from any of the amino acids or eating real whole food (and according to their own needs?

Do you work in a college and are you seeing this rise in anxiety and depression? If yes, how do we get these changes implemented?

How do we educate students once they are at college (other than making sure campus food is excellent):

  • a lifestyle/diet/anxiety app with resources and tracking?
  • online training with a nutritionist/coach and access to an online forum and live Q&As?
  • one-on-one campus nutrition coaches?
  • make nutritional psychiatry part of the curriculum?
  • produce a documentary following the lives of students on campus and showing the transformation they experience?

Feel free to post your questions and ideas here too.

 

GABA, Heartmath and EFT ease Micki’s mold-induced anxiety and panic attacks

By Trudy Scott 20 Comments

gaba heartmath eft

The amino acids can provide relief when you have mold-induced anxiety – anxiety and panic attacks that are triggered by physiological changes due to mold toxicity such as inflammation and effects on your immune system and neurotransmitters. There is also the anxiety and worry you’re feeling because of the frightening situation you find yourself in and this trauma has a psychological and physiological effect. The anxiety, worry, fears, insomnia and imagining the worst is often compounded by low levels of GABA and serotonin. Benzodiazepines and/or SSRIs are commonly prescribed and only add to the toxic burden. The amino acids GABA, tryptophan and/or DPA/Endorphigen, used as supplements, are better options that address the root causes of low GABA, low serotonin and/or low endorphins. And for some folks, Heartmath and EFT offer additional emotional and calming support (as you’ll read below).

Micki Contini, MS CNC, a board-certified holistic health and nutrition consultant, is a friend and colleague whose life was hugely impacted by mold toxicity. She has kindly given me permission to share her story in the hope it’s helpful for you if you’re in a similar situation. She shares her mold-induced anxiety symptoms and the other ways mold toxicity impacted her health:

My heart was pounding, my face was red, I was sweating, my thoughts were racing and I felt like I was going to die. I wondered if I was having a heart attack? My husband brought me to the emergency room several times with panic attacks and heart palpitations with me thinking this was the end only to find out that I was “fine.” But I knew that I was far from ok. I knew that something was wrong, I just didn’t know what.

I had found mold in my water damaged office. Shortly thereafter I realized it was also in my home. I had cross-contaminated my house, but it was a year before I knew my house had mold.  I had been getting better but not 100%.  It was a step I missed because I didn’t want to face the truth of what the consequences would bring – throwing out more stuff. I had already thrown out most of the stuff from my contaminated office BUT not all of the stuff.  And I paid dearly for not throwing out ALL the things from my office.

I was in denial and I had toxic mold poisoning. Toxic mold was causing my anxiety and panic attacks and other debilitating symptoms such brain fog, tinnitus, trouble focusing, numbness and tingling in my fingers and toes, crazy fatigue, shortness of breath, nausea, diarrhea/constipation, excessive thirst, vertigo, night sweats and bloody nose.

Micki already knew about my work and had been using my book, The Antianxiety Food Solution, with anxious clients in her functional nutrition practice, so she immediately considered the amino acids for her mold-induced anxiety and panic attacks.

GABA for her physical anxiety and panic attacks

When Micki reached out to me, I encouraged her to explore GABA for her physical anxiety and panic attacks, tryptophan for her racing thoughts and DPA/Endorphigen for the crying and emotional symptoms she was experiencing.

The good news is that her anxiety and tension started to fade as soon as she added sublingual GABA Calm to her protocol. She shares this about how GABA helped her

As they started tearing my house apart for remediation, I started eating GABA Calm like candy. At the beginning I had to have a lot more than I do now. GABA Calm takes me down a notch and I feel my shoulder coming away from my ears and I get closer to relaxing.

GABA is well known for relieving the physical tension experienced when you have anxiety. We have GABA receptors in our muscles and many of my clients feel this obvious release of neck tension as the anxiety eases. This release of muscle tension also helps with the kind of insomnia where you lie in bed feeling stiff and tense and can’t switch off your busy mind going 100 miles an hour.

GABA for immune support and toxin protection

What is really interesting when it comes to mold toxicity and GABA is that research shows that GABA can support immunity. GABA also protects the thyroid against fluoride-induced toxicity and counters the toxic effects of phthalates, so I suspect research will eventually show that GABA also offers protection against other environmental toxins such as mold.

Biofeedback and tapping for additional emotional support

Micki also used Heartmath (a type of biofeedback) and EFT (emotional freedom technique or tapping) for additional support while she was in the midst of all this:

I added Heartmath Inner Balance app and Emwave because I had used them prior to this challenge and it helps because you go through a thought pattern where you’re concentrating on gratitude and what’s right vs what’s wrong. That was powerful for me. Still is.

I used EFT to break the pattern of doom and gloom. When I was really sick I felt like another bad terrible thing was going to happen at any moment like I was on guard or on watch. So anything I could do to break that mind set I did.

Micki found what worked for her and that’s key when you’re in this situation. I’ve had many clients not succeed with Heartmath or EFT so don’t feel bad if these approaches don’t work for you.

Tryptophan and/or DPA/Endorphigen for the gloom and doom

I’ve had many many clients successfully use tryptophan for the spinning and overwhelming feeling that many folks with mold toxicity experience. Tryptophan and/or DPA can also help the pattern of doom and gloom Micki described.

Recent research also shows that GABA helps you switch off unwanted thoughts too so it’s possible Micki didn’t need tryptophan for this reason.

She doesn’t remember all the supplements that she used when she was really REALLY sick. This is very typical when you’re in the midst of dealing with mold toxicity (and a good reason to try and keep a log) but she seems to recall that DPA/Endorphigen may have helped with the emotional trauma of it all.

The wonderful news is that today Micki is doing so much better! The amino acid GABA, together with Heartmath and EFT provided much-needed anxiety relief and emotional support while Micki was remediating her home, detoxing her body with daily infrared sauna sessions and following mold toxicity nutritional protocols.

Micki’s gift is that she has become a mold expert

When you’re in the midst of all this you can’t imagine that there can be a gift in what you’re going through but there always is. For Micki, her gift is that she has become a mold expert and now helps others navigate their mold healing journey via SimpleGoodHealth. She shares this:

As you may know, the road to recovery from mold illness is a long hard one, but I can make it easier for you. I have become an expert out of necessity.

We appreciate Micki for sharing her anxiety-induced mold story.

Resources if you are new to the amino acids

If you are new to the amino acids, here is the Amino Acids Mood Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution and additional information on Anxiety and targeted individual amino acid supplements: a summary

This lists The Antianxiety Food Solution Amino Acid and Pyroluria Supplements that I use with my individual clients and those in my group programs – you will find the GABA Calm and other GABA products, tryptophan and DPA/Endorphigen here.

If you suspect low GABA symptoms and are new to using the amino acids and do not have my book I highly recommend getting it and reading it before jumping in to taking the amino acids as supplements: The Antianxiety Food Solution – How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood, and End Cravings.

Let us know if you’ve used GABA or tryptophan with success for mold-induced anxiety and panic attacks, and DPA/Endorphigen for helping with weepiness.

And let us know what other approaches you’ve used for helping with the anxiety and other emotional impacts of mold toxicity.

Feel free to post your questions here too.

 

I was called a vulture for preying on sensitive people in a social anxiety group – because I mentioned pyroluria and a nutritional solution

By Trudy Scott 74 Comments

I was called a vulture

Earlier this week I was called a vulture for preying on sensitive people in a social anxiety group because I mentioned pyroluria and a nutritional solution in response to someone asking for help. I shared much of this on Facebook and the response has been huge – supportive, understanding and encouraging, and also something many of you have also faced and can relate to. I’m publishing it as a blog post too because I feel there are many takeaways and lessons we can all learn from this.

The person asking for help posted this:

I’m seriously stuck. I’ve been battling social anxiety disorder my whole life. I feel like my social skills have gotten worse during 2020-2021. Is anyone the same way? And If possible can anyone give me some good advice?

I posted this in response to the request for advice:

Look into pyroluria and the nutrient protocol – life-changing for me (and my clients – disclaimer: I’m a nutritionist)

And this is the response from someone else in the group:

So not medicine. I think as a nutritionist you shouldn’t be advising people to avoid actual medical help. Foods can’t help but most depression and anxiety isn’t stress based. It’s a biological chemical imbalance. Food won’t help it in the long run. As someone who’s had bipolar, depression, anxiety, social anxiety, insomnia and possible schizo. I have known people to get seriously ill from people that couldn’t manage to be actual doctors. I’ve lost a friend due to them being advised to stop meds and take some herb. Please unless you are actually here because you have social anxiety and such. Could you please leave and stop acting like a vulture over the sensitive people.

I get that it can be tough to grasp that nutrition and nutrients could be a solution for social anxiety but even with a response like this I will continue to share my message.

This was my response:

Correct, not medicine … nutrition. I had social anxiety and panic attacks and diet (gluten-free, caffeine-free, sugar-free etc) and nutrients like zinc, vitamin B6, GABA, tryptophan and more solved my anxiety. I’m passionate about creating awareness because I’ve seen “nutritional psychiatry” work for 100s of thousands of folks.

Please be open-minded … and google “nutritional psychiatry”, “gut-brain”, “pyroluria social anxiety” and “gluten schizophrenia” … you will be pleasantly surprised. It’s going to take some time for all this to be part of mainstream psychiatry but it’s in the research and awareness and acceptance is growing.

I’m sorry about your loss but I would never advise anyone to stop taking their meds. For folks who want to explore this approach we always work in conjunction with their prescribing doctor.

It’s also not very nice calling someone a vulture but I understand that the idea that food and nutrients could be so powerful when it comes to anxiety and mental health can be tough when you first hear about it.

Why I’m sharing this – it’s not for sympathy or to call this person out

I’m not sharing this here for sympathy.

I’m not sharing this to call out this person who called me a vulture or to judge or shame them.

I’m sharing it to illustrate the challenge we have with getting this message out.

I’m sharing it in case you’ve tried to tell a loved one or friend or colleague about the power of anxiety nutrition solutions and have had push-back.

I’m sharing here so we remember to have empathy for someone who doesn’t yet know or understand what we have learned and experienced (no matter what they say or how they say it or even if they have even been preyed on in the past so a comment like this may be justified in their mind).

I’m sharing here because I truly believe in the power of planting seeds of knowledge.

I’m sharing here because I believe everyone deserves to feel their absolute best every single day.

I’m sharing here because everyone struggling with anxiety and social anxiety deserves to know about the growing field of “nutritional psychiatry” in mainstream medicine.

This is why I’m sharing here and why I’ll continue to share nutritional solutions in groups where folks are asking for help for social anxiety, anxiety and panic attacks (and other conditions where pyroluria and neurotransmitter imbalances are common, and there is a role for diet and nutrients).

Why the disconnect and the possible role of neurotransmitter imbalances

I’m hoping all this can help you as you reach out and offer support to someone in an online group. And also help you as you share what you have learned or experienced personally when it comes to nutritional solutions for social anxiety/anxiety – with loved ones, community members, friends and colleagues who are sometimes less than receptive.

I suspect one big disconnect is comprehending that lifestyle/diet/nutrients could help with anxiety and mental health challenges. Heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and cancer are more recognized as being lifestyle conditions even dietary and lifestyle changes are not always implemented.

I also often hear this: “my anxiety or social anxiety or panic attacks are so severe (or so complex) there is no way nutrients and nutrition could help! I need medications for sure.”

If someone has nutritional deficiencies or neurotransmitter imbalances, that may also be playing a role in how they respond. For example, low serotonin can make you feel hopeless, fearful, negative, overwhelmed and even angry. This is in addition to feeling anxious and not sleeping well, so you’re more likely to be cranky and irritable.

Links to resources for you to share

Here are links if you need some resources to share or in case you’re new to some of this:

Tamara’s wonderful feedback about gluten and vitamin D

This was Tamara Underwood’s response to my vulture post and her powerful feedback about gluten and vitamin D:

That was a thoughtful response Trudy. I think when people have complex health issues, they think the solution needs to be complex. I had no idea how powerful nutrients could be until it solved my own health issues. Often, it is returning to basics and using foundational support in a targeted way.

I’ve had chronic migraines (3-4 a week) since I was a toddler. Tried every medication, label and off label, to manage them for 40+ years. Removing gluten was life changing. I’ve been migraine free for 8 years now.

Also, about 10yrs ago, I experienced a very dark, unexplained depression for nearly a year. Of course drugs and therapy are the first line treatments. Not sure why I was opposed to starting there but thankful. My Vit D was 4.1. I felt so radically better within a week of starting repletion that I went back to school for my MS in Clinical Nutrition.

I think about how different life might be now, 10 yrs later, had I not pushed for testing. Psych meds wouldn’t have improved my Vit D so I would have been prescribed all the variations and combos and told how complex my case was when it didn’t help. [One study supporting an association between low vitamin D and depression]

There are just so many toxicities, deficiencies, and imbalances worth exploring if your mental wellness suffers. I’m passionate about this subject and a big fan of yours Trudy.

I’m thrilled that going gluten free and addressing low vitamin D solved her migraines and depression. It’s so wonderful to hear Tamara was inspired to go back to school to study nutrition. She now does this work helping professionals (firefighters, EMTS etc.) who shoulder a greater burden of stress and trauma. Check out Underwood Functional Wellness. I appreciate her for allowing me to share here.

I plan to update this blog with more of the wonderful insights from my community on Facebook but folks are still actively engaging and I need to get permission to share here. Stay tuned for more.  You can also join the discussion on the Facebook post here.

Until then, feel free to post your insights, thoughts, experiences (and questions if you have them) in the comments below.

Let us know how nutritional approaches have helped your anxiety and/or other health issues?

What made you open to this approach and were you initially skeptical?

And let us know if you continue to share your success and plant seeds even when you get negative feedback – and why? And do you have resources you like to share?

5-HTP and/or tryptophan to help with increased anxiety, panic attacks and depression caused by spring allergies

By Trudy Scott 24 Comments

5-htp, tryptophan, and spring allergies

Many of my clients experience increased anxiety, more severe panic attacks and worse depression when their spring allergies are flaring up. Do they feel like this simply because they feel so bad physically or could there be some underlying biochemistry that triggers their worsening mental health symptoms? I explain below how low serotonin is one possible root cause that can be addressed nutritionally with tryptophan and/or 5-HTP. Other factors to consider are the impact on the adrenals and GABA levels.

Today’s blog is inspired by Unten, who is part of my Facebook community. She asked this question:

I find that always during spring my anxiety and panic attacks get much worse when there’s lots of pollen and dust and other allergens in the air (at least here in Finland)…could this be true and not just “in my head”?

And then someone else responded saying:

I have noticed the same for me as well here in the USA.

My response to both of them is that it is not just in your head. There is plenty of research supporting this connection and we see it clinically too.

This paper, Changes in Severity of Allergy and Anxiety Symptoms Are Positively Correlated in Patients with Recurrent Mood Disorders Who Are Exposed to Seasonal Peaks of Aeroallergens, confirmed a significant positive association between allergy scores and anxiety scores and reports some possible mechanisms:

  1. The psychological effects of being ill, as well as impairments of sleep secondary to nasal obstruction or inflammation may affect mood.
  2. Cytokines may lead to a mood disturbance via the expression of the enzyme indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase, which shifts the synthesis of tryptophan from serotonin to kynurenine. The resultant acute tryptophan depletion results in decreased brain serotonin, which may contribute to both depression and anxiety.
  3. Cytokines released during allergic inflammation may affect the brain directly, via nerves, surrounding tissue, or via regions that do not have a blood brain barrier, such as the circumventricular organs.
  4. Cytokines may also be involved in changes in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis… A sustained increase in activity in the HPA axis is associated with severe anxiety.
  5. Cytokines might lead to a physiological change in GABAA receptor functioning

I’ll discuss some possible solutions below.

Tryptophan and/or 5-HTP for low serotonin support if needed

The second bullet above is a good reason to consider serotonin support with tryptophan or 5-HTP.  If you have anxiety or panic attacks (and other low serotonin symptoms), we always want to figure out if low serotonin is a possible cause and address it, regardless of the circumstances/trigger (seasonal allergies in this instance).

Here are some useful blogs related to low serotonin and the amino acids:

  • You can see all the low serotonin symptoms here.
  • You can see the 5-HTP and tryptophan products I use with my clients here on the supplements blog.

Christine’s increased depression due to seasonal allergies improves a few days after starting 5-HTP and tryptophan

When I posted the above possible mechanisms on Facebook, Christine thanked me and shared her surprise:

I had no idea! This explains my increased depression lately. I didn’t know there was a correlation, but it makes complete sense now.  I’m in the Midwest. I’ve always had issues in March and April because of my seasonal allergies.

When I asked if she has used tryptophan or 5-HTP and bumped up the dose when she is suffering during seasonal allergies, she responded:

I just learned about both of these [amino acids]. I just bought your book and I am starting to use them. I don’t know if they take a while to start working?

I responded saying the amino acids work very quickly if they are needed and serotonin is low. It was not surprising to me that Christine shared her great results a few days later:

I’ve been using 5-HTP and tryptophan. I’m feeling so much better now. Thank you!

If your anxiety or depression is caused by low serotonin, you can expect to feel some relief right away provided you find the ideal dose for your unique needs. For some it’s a solution right away and for others it can take some adjusting up and down and trialing with 5-HTP and/or tryptophan to find the right combination.

Adrenal support and/or Seriphos if needed

The fourth bullet under the possible mechanisms above, is a good reason to also consider adrenal support: herbal adaptogens such a rhodiola and licorice, B vitamins, extra pantothenic acid and vitamin C. I also recommend using something like Seriphos to lower high cortisol if needed.  Another option is Relora®, a combination of Magnolia officinalis and Phellodendron amurense which lowers cortisol and reduces stress and anxiety.

Low GABA support if needed

The fifth bullet above is a good reason to consider GABA support with GABA or theanine if you have the low GABA type of physical tension that is made worse during your seasonal allergies. Just like with low serotonin we always want to figure out if low GABA is a possible cause of the anxiety and address it, even if it’s being made worse because of seasonal allergies.

You can see all the low GABA symptoms here and GABA products I use with my clients here on the supplements blog.

Address all root cause of anxiety/depression and the seasonal allergies

As always, it’s not only the low serotonin and/or high cortisol we need to address. We must always do a full functional workup looking at diet, nutritional deficiencies, digestion, all hormones, toxins and infections (and so on) so we can address all possible root causes.

Of course, identifying and addressing the root causes of the seasonal allergies is important too. This blog, Hay Fever: 9 Natural Ways to Treat Seasonal Allergy Symptoms by Dr. Josh Axe, outlines many dietary and lifestyle changes that can have a big impact. You’ll notice that much of this is foundational to my work.

Stress reduction is key and serotonin/GABA support help so much in this regard. So does zinc which is needed for both the production of serotonin and GABA, and enhanced immunity.

The blog also states that quercetin helps with seasonal allergies because it “stops the production and release of histamine.” Interestingly, quercetin also protects  against stress-induced anxiety and depression in animal studies (here is a link to one such study).

Thanks to these folks for asking good questions and for allowing me to share here.

My first take-away is not to ever tolerate not feeling your best (if that’s confusing – you deserve to feel your best always!) and always ask questions and look for connections.  My second take-away is to encourage you and others in my community to be empowered and take action. So kudos to Christine for jumping and purchasing my book, The Antianxiety Food Solution, reading it and being smart about using the amino acids.

Have you found that higher doses of tryptophan or 5-HTP helps with reducing the more severe anxiety, the depression/low mood and/or the increased panic attacks you experience during allergy season?

What about other low serotonin symptoms such as insomnia, cravings and PMS? Are they worse during allergy season?

Have you found addressing low GABA anxiety with higher doses of GABA helps when you have seasonal allergies?

Have you tested your cortisol levels during allergy season and found that adrenal support helps too? Keep in mind it will take longer to see results if this is the case.

Feel free to post your questions and feedback in the comments below.

Bartonella infection in mom and both sons: anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia, inconsolable crying, irritability, ADHD, rage and pain

By Trudy Scott 32 Comments

bartonella infection

A mom and both her sons experienced a variety of emotional/mood and pain symptoms between them as a result of a Bartonella infection: anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia, irritability, inconsolable crying, ADHD, rage, eye pain, joint pain and pain in the legs. This family case study was published in Parasites and Vectors in 2013. I would love to see individual amino acids being used to ease some of these symptoms while the infection is being treated (more on this below).

Here are some of the emotional and mood-related symptoms they experienced:

  • the mother and both sons developed recurrent rash-like skin lesions, disruptive sleep patterns and both boys developed anxiety accompanied by episodes of inconsolable crying, irritability, and panic attacks
  • subsequent to the spider infestation of the apartment, [the mother] developed fatigue, memory difficulties, headaches, irritability, eye pain, insomnia, chest pain, blurred vision, shortness of breath, rash and skin lesions and anxiety attacks.
  • The youngest son… awakened at night crying and complaining of pain in his legs
  • The older son experienced increased irritability and rage episodes. In addition, the boy’s teacher indicated a lack of attention during class, and suggested that the child might have an Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

The youngest son also developed severe neurological symptoms and was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome and Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyradiculoneuropathy.

You can read the full investigation, timing, sequence of events and all the symptoms in the paper: Bartonella henselae infection in a family experiencing neurological and neurocognitive abnormalities after woodlouse hunter spider bites

Creating awareness, motivating, inspiring and educating

I’d like to highlight some of the reasons for sharing this paper:

  • creating more awareness about the emotional/mood symptoms that can occur with a Bartonella henselae infection
  • educating about this infection in general so other families can find solutions quicker than this family did
  • motivating and inspiring you to not give up looking for answers for you and your family – this mom suspected Bartonella infection after doing internet searches (almost 3 years after all this started)
  • creating more awareness about possible hosts other than ticks (in this case woodlice and woodlice hunter spiders)
  • highlighting how family members exposed to the same infection can have different symptoms and how some family members may not be infected at all (in this case the father was not affected)
  • highlighting that some individuals (the mom in this case) do not recall being bitten and yet still get sick
  • educating on how amino acids can offer much symptom relief during the investigation and treatment of the infection (more on this below)

Treatment with antibiotics and Chinese herbs

This family was successfully treated with antibiotics and other medications once it was determined Bartonella was the cause of their symptoms:

The parents report that the [youngest] child is actively socializing with other children and now runs and plays like he had never done before.

Following this antibiotic course, the mother reported substantial overall improvement and was almost symptom free. However, she continues to experience occasional irritability, confusion, dizziness, nausea, and pain involving the shoulder, hip and the bottoms of her feet.

One of the common symptoms of Bartonella is burning feet and this article, How to Put Out the Fire in Your Burning Bartonella Feet, mentions a herb from the Zhang protocol:

In Chinese herbal medicine, an herb called “houttuynia” is classified as “Clearing Heat and Relieving Toxicity.” This herb has been successfully used to treat Bartonella by a Chinese physician in New York named Dr. Q. Zhang. This herb has antibacterial and antiviral properties in addition to clearing heat and toxins. Fortunately this herb can be combined with other herbs to help relieve Bartonella symptoms.

I mention this because I am personally familiar with the Zhang protocol, having used it when working with Dr. Darin Ingels to address my Lyme disease (Borrelia). Dr. Ingels is the author of  The Lyme Solution and writes about the Zhang protocol in this excellent book.

Using amino acids to address anxiety, panic attacks, sleep problems, crying and pain

Individual amino acids, used as supplements, can offer much symptom relief during the investigation and treatment of the Bartonella infection, however they are seldom recommended. I would love to see this change and become the norm.

In this blog post, GABA helps with Lyme anxiety (while addressing the underlying disease), Tricia shares that “Lyme, Bartonella and Babesia are all known to cause anxiety and other psychological disorders ranging from mild to very severe.” She also shares that her daughter used GABA:

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.

Looking at some of the emotional symptoms this family experienced, and how the amino acids could have helped:

I feel for this poor family. It certainly was a very complex family case and reflects the need to dig deep to find the root cause. And I appreciate the case being written up so more awareness can be created.

Have you or your family experienced something like this? And has your practitioner introduced you to the amino acids for some symptom relief while they are addressing the infection/s?

If you’re a practitioner working with Lyme disease and coinfections such as Bartonella, have you seen cases similar to this one? Do you use amino acids for some symptom relief while addressing the infection/s?

Feel free to post your questions and feedback in the comments below.

5-HTP can raise salivary cortisol: does this cause a “wired-tired” feeling?

By Trudy Scott 48 Comments

5-htp salivary

Are you aware that 5-HTP – an amino acid supplement that supports serotonin levels – can raise cortisol levels and leave you feeling “wired-tired”? You may be able to relate to this if you’ve ever used 5-HTP to help with anxiety and insomnia and ended up feeling more anxious and more wide-awake despite your exhaustion and need for sleep. You feel “wired-tired” and it’s not pleasant at all.

Both 5-HTP and tryptophan, used as supplements, help to boost serotonin levels so you can feel happy, calm, sleep well and not crave carbs in the afternoon/evening. They also help with panic attacks and phobias, lack of confidence, depression, negativity, imposter syndrome, PMS, irritability, anger issues, pain/fibromyalgia, TMJ and anger. I typically have my clients with low serotonin symptoms start with a trial of tryptophan because I see such excellent results with this amino acid. That being said, some people simply do better on one versus the other and you may do better with 5-HTP.

However there is one big caveat with 5-HTP. I don’t recommend 5-HTP when a client has elevated cortisol levels because we know that it can raise cortisol levels in certain individuals. This can leave you feeling agitated, cranky, as well as wired and yet tired at the same time.

In this 2002 study, L-5-hydroxytryptophan induced increase in salivary cortisol in panic disorder patients and healthy volunteers

Salivary cortisol levels were measured in 24 panic disorder patients and 24 healthy volunteers, following ingestion of 200 mg L-5-hydroxytryptophan or placebo.

The experiment was carried out in the afternoon, “when basal cortisol secretion is more stable.” The first saliva sample was obtained at 1pm and the subjects ingested the 200mg 5-HTP at 2pm. Additional saliva samples were obtained at 2:30pm, 3:00pm and 3:30pm.

They report the following:

A significant rise in cortisol was observed in both patients and controls following ingestion of L-5-hydroxytryptophan. No such effects were seen in the placebo condition.

Here are a few additional comments and my thoughts:

  • This study was done to find evidence for “serotonin receptor hypersensitivity in panic disorder” and not specifically to test for the effects of 5-HTP on cortisol levels but it serves this purpose rather nicely (and it’s one of many similar studies, some of which measure plasma cortisol levels)
  • Keep in mind 200mg of 5-HTP is a large starting dose. It’s typical to start with 50mg so may be a factor to consider
  • In this study they did not assess cortisol levels beyond the 1.5 hours from ingestion of the 5-HTP. It would have been useful to see when levels started to go down
  • We would want to consider the ramifications of using 5-HTP for weeks (whether it’s 50 or 200mg). What impact would that have on cortisol and the adrenals? (I am not aware of a study like this having been done)
  • I’m also not aware of a study being done with 50mg but if you feel worse and feel “wired-tired” with 5-HTP and switch to tryptophan (the equivalent starting dose is 500mg) and your anxiety and other low serotonin symptoms resolve then you have found your solution
  • You may be wondering: “could I use 5-HTP to raise my low cortisol levels”? Theoretically yes and possibly very short-term. But I would question the timing since 5-HTP and tryptophan are best dosed mid-afternoon and later. This is when we would expect our cortisol levels to be on the downward slope as we end our day. I’d also want to nourish the adrenals with B vitamins and herbal adaptogen and remove the trigger/s that are leading to low cortisol.

If you suspect low serotonin symptoms and are new to using the amino acids and do not have my book I highly recommend getting it and reading it before jumping in to taking supplements: The Antianxiety Food Solution – How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood, and End Cravings.

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.  If you’re not a reader there is now also an audible version.

Here is the Amino Acids Mood Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution and additional information on Anxiety and targeted individual amino acid supplements: a summary

Please also read and follow these Amino Acid Precautions.

This lists The Antianxiety Food Solution Amino Acid and Pyroluria Supplements that I use with my individual clients and those in my group programs.

Have you used 5-HTP with success? Or have you used it and felt “wired-tired”? Have you correlated the success or failure of your 5-HTP use with your salivary cortisol levels?

If you switched from 5-HTP to tryptophan did you have success with that?

If you’re a practitioner is this something you see with your clients/patients and take into consideration?

Feel free to post your questions here too.