If you’re already taking the amino acid GABA for physical anxiety, have you noticed if it’s also helping to ease your asthma symptoms too? This may sound surprising but research shows GABA may reduce inflammation and spasms and help with asthma symptoms via these mechanisms. What’s encouraging is the fact that GABA supplementation also helps with anxiety, obesity, ADHD and insomnia which commonly occur with asthma and can be associated with inflammation too. It’s so important to be addressing the root causes of asthma because of the many neuropsychiatric side-effects of asthma medications. This blog addresses all of these topics.
We’ll start with the research first. In this study, Effect of gamma-aminobutyric acid treatment on plasma substance P and calcitonin gene-related peptide levels in children with asthma, of 75 children with asthma, 36 children were in the GABA treatment group and received oral GABA (25-30 mg/kg per day) in addition to standard asthma medications.
The authors propose that airway inflammation may be a factor in asthma and GABA helps because it reduces SP (substance P) and CGRP (calcitonin gene-related peptide), easing neurogenic inflammation and tracheal spasms.
The conclusion of the study is that oral GABA:
can significantly decrease plasma levels of SP and CGRP in children suffering from acute asthma.
It may offer a new approach for the prevention and treatment of asthma.
(this is my best translation from the Chinese paper).
Dosing of GABA for asthma
The children in the study group received oral GABA of 25-30 mg/kg per day. For a 100 lb /45 kg child this would equate to 1125 mg -1350 mg of GABA per day.
As I always share, I don’t recommend using GABA based on the weight of the person and I consider this a high dose. For adults, 125 mg GABA is a good starting dose with 125 mg often used 2-4 times a day. For a child, ¼ to ⅓ this dose is typically good to start with. All that said, many adults and children with asthma and anxiety need higher doses than what they initially start with.
It’s also worth noting that the oral dose of GABA was swallowed so it’s possible (and very likely) that more was needed than if it was used sublingually or with the capsule opened or a powder or a liposomal form.
GABA is seldom recommended for asthma – more recent research supports this approach
This is not new research – the paper was published in 2013 – but I seldom see it discussed or hear about practitioners recommending GABA for asthma.
A more recent paper, Neuroimmune Pathophysiology in Asthma (published in 2021) supports this and discusses the role of neurotransmitters (including GABA and serotonin) and neuropeptides (including SP, CGRP and others) in asthma. The authors suggest “that regulating the effects of neurotransmitters and neuropeptides represents a potential novel approach for the treatment of asthma.”
Why we need to consider GABA – the neuropsychiatric side effects of asthma medications
Exploring the use of GABA and these approaches is especially important given the neuropsychiatric side effects of asthma medications. In this study (published in March this year), Neuropsychiatric adverse drug reactions induced by montelukast impair the quality of life in children with asthma
Neuropsychiatric ADRs (adverse drug reactions) were reported in 78 (62.4%) of 125 patients, who recovered when the drug was discontinued.
These were children of 3-18 years taking montelukast for the first time. The good news is that they recovered when the drug was stopped.
The bad news is there is no information on how many kids who have been prescribed this class of medication are subsequently prescribed psychiatric medications.
This concern needs to be considered for all asthma medications: there are similar adverse effects with antihistamine and inhaled corticosteroid medications.
GABA helps with other conditions where spasms are common
The study results are very encouraging and support what I see clinically with asthma and other conditions where spasms are common. These include
- proctalgia fugax/rectal spasms
- laryngospasms
- vagus nerve issues with a chronic cough and throat spasms and
- globus pharyngeus/ lump-in-the-throat
GABA helps with all of the above and the non-allergic comorbidities seen with asthma.
Asthma in children and non-allergic comorbidities (obesity, depression and anxiety, ADHD and insomnia)
As stated in this paper, Paediatric asthma and non-allergic comorbidities: A review of current risk and proposed mechanisms “It is increasingly recognized that children with asthma are at a higher risk of other non-allergic concurrent diseases than the non-asthma population.” These include obesity, depression and anxiety, neurodevelopmental disorders (such as ADHD), sleep disorders and autoimmune diseases.
This paper looks at mechanisms and inflammation is a common theme except when it comes to anxiety and depression. Given that this paper was published this year and all that we now know about nutritional psychiatry and neuroinflammation and anxiety, it’s clearly lacking in this aspect.
Clinically, we see how GABA can help with obesity (and cravings or stress-eating), depression and anxiety, ADHD and insomnia, as illustrated by these case studies:
- GABA for ending sugar cravings (and anxiety and insomnia)
- GABA for easing physical anxiety and tension: some questions and answers
- The seasonality of GABA: worsening anxiety, insomnia and intrusive thoughts in winter (and the need for increased GABA supplementation)
- GABA for children: ADHD, focus issues, irritability, anxiety and tantrums
I see similar comorbidities (the occurrence of more than one disorder at the same time) in adults and GABA can be used safely with adults and children.
Asthma from a functional medicine approach
There is clearly more to asthma than only GABA. This this article on natural remedies for asthma covers diet (eat real good quality food and avoid junk food), nutrients like vitamin D, zinc and others, and allergens – and all this needs to be investigated and addressed with a functional medicine approach.
Dr. Axe does mention stress and anxiety being a trigger: “It’s well-known that stress increases the severity and frequency of asthmatic attacks because it hinders immune function and raises inflammation.” He mentions stress-reduction techniques and breathing. I say let’s add GABA to the mix too.
Resources if you are new to using GABA and other amino acids as supplements
If you are new to using GABA or any of the other amino acids as supplements, here is the Amino Acids Mood Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution (you can see all the symptoms of neurotransmitter imbalances, including low GABA and low serotonin).
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, self-medicating with alcohol and more.
The book doesn’t include product names (per the publisher’s request) so this blog, The Antianxiety Food Solution Amino Acid and Pyroluria Supplements, lists the amino acids that I use with my individual clients and those in my group programs. You can find them all in my online store.
If, after reading this blog and my book, you don’t feel comfortable figuring things out on your own (i.e. doing the symptoms questionnaire and respective amino acids trials), a good place to get help is the GABA QuickStart Program (if you have low GABA symptoms). This is a paid online/virtual group program where you get my guidance and community support.
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.
Has GABA helped ease your physical anxiety and asthma symptoms too?
What about obesity/cravings, ADHD and insomnia as well?
Have you or one of your children been adversely impacted by asthma medications? If yes please share which medications and what symptoms were experienced.
What functional medicine and nutritional approaches have helped your asthma symptoms?
Feel free to post your questions and feedback in the comments below.
