teen

Mom switches her teen son from 5-HTP to tryptophan. In 3 days he has less anxiety, fears and ruminating thoughts, laughs more and sleeps better.

February 16, 2024 By Trudy Scott 40 Comments

My son has autism and OCD. I took him off fluvoxamine in May and used cbd and some other things and he was doing fine up until this past winter. He began having irrational fears and ruminating thoughts/fears that would not stop! I started 5-HTP, theanine, B12, probiotics with him for the last month and did not see any improvement. I was ready to go back to the medication when I came across your blog and information.

I assumed 5-HTP would be better for OCD, but after reading your comments you mentioned that you just switch to tryptophan if the 5-HTP is not working. I had tryptophan at home already. That night I emptied half a capsule into a little stevia flavored water and had him hold it in his mouth for a minute.

He was a different kid after that!!!! This is just the 3rd day but even his teachers are telling me he is doing really well and is less anxious at school. I am so thankful! I am now giving him 500mg in the morning and early evening.

I bought some inositol and plan to try adding that in the afternoons to see if that will help as well. I believe that he has PANDAS. He is a hand washer, and spits a lot, and has lots of other quirks that I would love to see decrease.

I have hope again! I am buying your book so that I can get a good plan going for him. If you have any other suggestions for him please let me know!!

This wonderful feedback was posted in the comments of one of the tryptophan blogs. I’m so thrilled for this mom and young man (he’s almost 20). I thanked her for sharing all this on the blog and offered to share additional generic feedback via a new blog post. I also asked for additional feedback on exactly how the tryptophan helped (more on that below).

Read on to learn how tryptophan helped with his ruminating thoughts, fears, crying and improved his sleep. And my insights about the ideal timing of tryptophan, finding the optimal dose and why it may work when 5-HTP doesn’t. I also share some insights about inositol and OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder).

Low serotonin symptoms and the questions I had about his symptoms

I do hope he continues to see these benefits. Seeing such amazing results in 3 days is always what we’re looking for and it’s not unexpected to get such profound results so quickly!

I had some additional questions so I could share some general feedback as to how I work in situations like this. I wanted to know his age and if the switch to tryptophan helped any of his OCD symptoms and if yes how many notches improvement?

And which of the classic low serotonin symptoms the tryptophan helped and by how much: anxiety? irrational fears? and ruminating thoughts/fears? anything else? (all the low serotonin symptoms here)

Knowing this helps me know if I’m on track with a client i.e. the tryptophan is helping with low serotonin symptoms. And it also helps me decide we should consider increasing the dose and possibly adjust the number of times to use tryptophan. I share more about this below.

Tryptophan helps reduce his ruminating thoughts, fear and anxiety. And he’s laughing more and sleeps better

She shared some specific examples as to how much the tryptophan helps reduce his ruminating thoughts, fear and anxiety. And he’s laughing more and it helps him sleep:

He would often call me or text me throughout the day with questions about his health, and he would come to me 10-15 times in the afternoons/evenings, for about 3 weeks or so, and ask me the same questions about a rare disease that he believed he had.

He would cry and shake with fear and anxiety at some point and I would need to reassure him over and over again that he did not have this disease, and that it was literally impossible for him to have it.

After starting the tryptophan supplements 2x500mg morning/early evening he did not come to me at all and seemed content the 1st day.

Yesterday, he didn’t get the 2nd tryptophan until 5pm so he did come to me with 1 question/concern. I reassured him and he seemed fine especially after his supplement. Then 1 more question later that night but he accepted my reassurance both times and let it go.

So that was a big difference compared to the last 4 weeks. He was also laughing at some cartoon he was watching which I had not seen him do for a month either. Anxiety is less. He is sleeping better too. So far he still seems to believe the irrational things.

Tryptophan is clearly helping so many of his symptoms but we have more opportunities for further gains with tryptophan.

Tryptophan for low serotonin: dosing and timing

As I share in my book and other blog posts, typically 500 mg tryptophan twice a day is a good starting dose, used away from protein mid-afternoon and evening. It’s used like this because serotonin starts to decline in the afternoon. We increase based on individual needs to find the ideal dose. We may also add tryptophan or 5-HTP earlier in the day.

In a situation like this, if we were working together, I’d consider the following:

Adding a mid-afternoon dose of tryptophan
A switch to just afternoon and evening dosing (unless the morning dose was used for a specific reason i.e. morning symptoms)
Adding a second dose of tryptophan each time (he is using Nature Stacks Serotonin Brain Food and I’d recommend Lidtke 500 mg tryptophan for the second dose each time because it contains only tryptophan)

With changes we do one thing at a time and track symptom improvements carefully.

Tryptophan vs 5-HTP?

I commend her for figuring out the switch from 5-HTP to tryptophan.

It’s a well known fact that some folks just do better on one vs the other and if 5-HTP isn’t working I’ll have clients switch to tryptophan and vice versa. I typically start with tryptophan because it seems to be better tolerated. The biggest issue that I see with 5-HTP is that it’s often not tolerated if you have high cortisol. It can also cause nightmares for some folks.

Precaution about serotonin syndrome with tryptophan/5-HTP

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

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

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

Inositol and OCD: when to consider adding it?

OCD or even mildly obsessive behaviors or thoughts can be a sign of low serotonin. I will do a trial of tryptophan as above and for some folks it’s often enough. Sometimes tryptophan at least helps to some degree and when it’s not enough, adding inositol (a B vitamin) takes it to the next level.

For many folks 500 -1000 mg capsules are typically recommended but this is a really low dose for OCD. The powdered form is really effective because you can increase as needed. You can actually go as high as 18g. I start low, with 1-2g in kids and adults, and keep going up by 2g a week until the obsessive symptoms disappear. More on inositol and OCD here.

GABA, dopamine and endorphin support too

She mentions that her son “seems to be low serotonin, low GABA (1st 1/2 of the list), low endorphins and low catecholamines” so other amino acids are likely to be of benefit too.

As always we used the neurotransmitter symptoms questionnaire and do trials of each amino acid: GABA for low GABA symptoms, DPA for low endorphins and tyrosine for low dopamine. These trials of each one are done one at a time with careful tracking to find the ideal dose before layering in the next amino acid.

Using the amino acids so it’s easy to reduce sugar and go gluten-free

I also asked what dietary changes he has already made and she responded: “We are in the process of reducing sugar and going back to gluten-free as much as possible but this will be hardest to stick to. Have done a keto-like and gluten-free-casein-free diet on and off since he was 4 years old.”

This is a great start and using the amino acids help reduce cravings and make it easy to reduce sugar and go gluten-free.

There is a sugar cravings aspect to all the neurotransmitter imbalances. The type of craving can be found on the above symptoms questionnaire. It’s not uncommon to need support in more than one area:

Low serotonin – tryptophan or 5-HTP for afternoon/evening cravings
Low endorphins – DPA for comfort/reward eating
Low catecholamines – tyrosine for low energy sugar cravings
Low GABA – GABA for stress eating

I’m glad she is getting a copy of my book The Antianxiety Food Solution. It has all the foundational dietary information, sections on cravings and a chapter on the amino acids.

It also has a chapter on pyroluria, which is very common in autism and something I help most of my clients address. Here is the pyroluria questionnaire.

Tryptophan and inositol product options

Products I recommend include Lidtke 500 mg Tryptophan and Designs for Health Inositol Powder. You can purchase these from my online store (Fullscript – only available to US customers – use this link to set up an account).

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

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

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

If you suspect low levels of any of the neurotransmitters and do not yet have my book, The Antianxiety Food Solution – How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood, and End Cravings, I highly recommend getting it and reading it before jumping in and using amino acids on your own so you are knowledgeable. And be sure to share it with the practitioner/health team you or your loved one is working with.

There is an entire chapter on the amino acids and they are discussed throughout the book in the sections on gut health, gluten, blood sugar control (this is covered in an entire chapter too), sugar cravings, anxiety and mood issues. The importance of quality animal protein and healthy fats is also covered.

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), if you need serotonin support, the Serotonin QuickStart Program is a good place to start. This is a paid online/virtual group program where you get my guidance on using tryptophan and 5-HTP safely, and community support during 5 LIVE Q&A calls. You can sign up to be notified when the next live launch of this program is happening. We take a deep dive into product options including Lidtke products and others if you’re not able to access Lidtke.

If you also have low GABA symptoms, the next step to get help is the GABA QuickStart Program. This is also a paid online/virtual group program where you get my guidance and community support. Another option is the budget-friendly GABA QuickStart Homestudy program.

If you are a practitioner, join us in The Balancing Neurotransmitters: the Fundamentals program. This is also a paid online/virtual program with an opportunity to interact with me and other practitioners who are also using the amino acids.

Now I’d like to hear from you

Have you had success with tryptophan for anxiety, fears, crying and ruminations? And has it also helped with sleep, how happy you feel and reduced cravings? Has it also helped with OCD?

Did you first trial 5-HTP and then found tryptophan worked better or vice versa?

If yes, what dose and when do you use it?

What about using inositol to further reduce OCD? And what dose helped?

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

And please let me know if it’s helpful that I’m now including product recommendations and where to get them?

Feel free to share and ask your questions below.

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

December 15, 2023 By Trudy Scott 34 Comments

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Precaution about serotonin syndrome with tryptophan/5-HTP

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

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

How GABA also helps and my recommendation about consistent use too

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

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

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

OCD research: glutamatergic and serotonergic pathway dysregulation

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Feel free to share and ask your questions below.

GABA helps 14-year-old with Tourette’s Syndrome (the tics and sleep), and tyrosine makes him happier and his mind sharper

January 21, 2022 By Trudy Scott 30 Comments

We typically associate low GABA, a calming neurotransmitter, with a physical-type of tension- anxiety that also often affects sleep. However there is evidence that low GABA is also a factor in other conditions. One of these conditions is Tourette’s Syndrome, which is characterized by the presence of chronic tics which can be motor/movement and vocal. In today’s blog I share some research that suggests a deficit in GABAergic transmission may contribute to symptoms in Tourette’s and a case study where a teenage boy found relief from his tics when using the amino acid GABA as a supplement. GABA also improved his sleep. He also made some dietary changes – no gluten, no sugar and no caffeine – and supplemented with magnesium and melatonin. The amino acid tyrosine, used as a supplement, also improved his low mood and focus, both of which can be issues with Tourette’s.

Kim, a mom in this community, shared this wonderful feedback about her son in response to a Facebook post a few years ago:

Because of your book, I started using GABA for my 14-year-old son with moderate to severe Tourette’s Syndrome, and the results have been significant. Highly recommended for tics, and sleep for these individuals. Thank you.

I asked her how much GABA he used and how often and she shared this:

He used 750mg GABA nightly before bed, and if tics are really active then additional 300mg. Lots of water and a balanced diet with no caffeine…. life-saver.

Keep in mind that 750mg is considered a high dose. We typically start with 125mg GABA and increase based on each person’s unique needs. There is the temptation to think “I have tics and this is a very severe condition so I need a high dose to start.” You don’t want to be thinking like this. Some people may not need this much and others may need this high dose. We always use the trial method to figure out the ideal dose.

She also shared that when he added tyrosine, he saw benefits from that amino acid supplement too:

He recently added 300mg of l-tyrosine, and it promotes happiness and a sharper mind, due to brain fog. He says he really notices a difference. He has read your book as well.

How wonderful is this? GABA helped reduce his tics and improved his sleep, and tyrosine improved his mood and focus.

I love that he’s read my book – good for him and this mom! It’s never too early to have you and your child read this information. It’s empowering for them so they understand the changes they need to make and why these amino acids, dietary changes and elimination of caffeine make such a difference.

I recently checked in to see how he is doing now and asked what other nutritional approaches helped/help other than GABA, a balanced diet and no caffeine. She shared this:

He’s gluten free, magnesium for sure for the muscle tics, and melatonin for good sleep (Touretters need a routine sleep schedule).

He’s 18 now and is doing way better as he matures, but GABA no doubt has improved his life. We promote GABA and educate others as much as possible.

All this is so great to hear and I love that they now help to educate others about GABA too.

I appreciate that she gave me permission to share, hence this post. (The image above is a stock image and not her son.)

Tourette’s Syndrome and reduced GABA function

This paper, Reduced GABAergic inhibition and abnormal sensory symptoms in children with Tourette syndrome, describes the condition and the role of reduced GABA function:

Tourette Syndrome is characterized by the presence of chronic tics. Individuals with Tourette Syndrome often report difficulty with ignoring (habituating to) tactile sensations, and some patients perceive that this contributes to a “premonitory urge” to tic. While common, the physiological basis of impaired tactile processing in Tourette Syndrome, and indeed tics themselves, remain poorly understood.

It has been well established that GABAergic processing plays an important role in shaping the neurophysiological response to tactile stimulation. Furthermore, there are multiple lines of evidence suggesting that a deficit in GABAergic transmission may contribute to symptoms found in Tourette Syndrome.

In this study, the authors used testing (magnetic resonance spectroscopy) and tasks that were vibrotactile (the perception of vibration through touch) to investigate the role of GABA and atypical sensory processing in these 8-12-year old children with Tourette Syndrome.

They found the following:

lower concentration of GABA in the sensorimotor cortex and “impaired performance on tactile detection and adaptation tasks, consistent with altered GABAergic function”
the altered/reduced GABAergic function correlated with the severity of motor tics and sensory impairments, “linking the core feature of Tourette Syndrome directly to … brain neurochemistry.”

The authors conclude that this provides a foundation for novel interventions (i.e. medications) but unfortunately do not offer the use of the amino acid GABA as one of these solutions. This is very unfortunate but not unexpected. I plan to reach out to the authors and share this case study and blog.

This research supports why GABA works so well for Kim’s son and why he needed higher amounts of GABA when his tics were more active/severe. And now I’m curious to find out if her son has/had sensory issues and how they improve/improved with GABA. I’ll report back if I hear from her about this.

It’s no surprise that GABA helps his sleep too. There is much evidence supporting this – like the the sleep promoting effects of combined GABA and 5-HTP (or GABA alone or 5-HTP alone). I’ve also shared many GABA-sleep success stories on the blog. Here is one: Since starting GABA my child sleeps for the first time in years and really notices a difference in his carb cravings. (Use the search feature and “GABA sleep” to find additional blog posts)

Interestingly only 8% of the children in the study had generalized anxiety disorder. Given how common low GABA is in anxiety, and that low serotonin can also be a factor with tics, I would have expected anxiety to be higher.

Evidence supporting the other nutritional changes he made

There is evidence to support the other nutritional changes that Kim’s son made:

There are reports that “an increase in tics has been related to the consumption of caffeine and refined sugar.” The authors acknowledge that there is no one diet for Tourette’s, so as always, it’s a matter of figuring out the ideal diet for each child (or adult) with tics. Oligoantigenic diets have been identified as significantly reducing tics. This involves removing foods that can potentially cause a food sensitivity leading to tics and/or behavioral impacts and/or insomnia.
A gluten-free diet maintained for one year in patients with Tourette’s Syndrome was shown to markedly reduce tics and OCD in children and adults
Magnesium is one of the most used supplements in children with Tourette’s Syndrome. When used with probiotics, omega-3 and multivitamins “Seventy-five per cent of supplement users in the Tourette syndrome group noted improvement, mainly in motor and vocal tics, sleep quality and anxiety reduction.”
Melatonin is listed with a number of medications commonly prescribed for tic disorders where sleep issues are also a factor

Keep in mind that the above is not a protocol for relief from tics for everyone with Tourette’s Syndrome. It’s what worked for the unique biochemical needs of Kim’s son.

That said, this could be a framework to start with and build upon.

Tyrosine improves his mood and focus

Tyrosine helps with low catecholamines, improving the curl-up-in-bed low-energy kind of low mood and poor focus. (You can see all the symptoms here.) The typical dose is 500mg tyrosine a few times a day. Kim’s son found just 300mg to be beneficial.

Interestingly, 48% of the children in this study had attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with about half of those on stimulant medication. I wonder how many would have also benefited from tyrosine for improving their focus, as it did for Kim’s son.

Resources if you are new to using GABA or tyrosine as a supplement

If you are new to using the the amino acid GABA or tyrosine as supplements, here is the Amino Acids Mood Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution (you can see the low serotonin and other low neurotransmitter symptoms) and a brief overview here: Anxiety and targeted individual amino acid supplements: a summary.

If you suspect low levels of GABA or catecholamines 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 so you are knowledgeable.

And be sure to share it with the team you or your loved one is working with. As I mentioned above, it’s empowering for your teen and also relatively easy reading too.

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 GABA and tyrosine products that I use with my individual clients and those in my group programs.

Have you seen results with GABA or any of the above approaches? Or has another approach helped you or your child?

If you’re a practitioner have you seen GABA and any of the above to help? What else has helped your clients/patients?

If you suffer from Tourette’s Syndrome, do you also experience ADHD, insomnia, low mood and/or anxiety?

Feel free to ask your questions here too.

Teen with anxiety, low self-esteem and insomnia: how to do a one-off trial of tryptophan to figure out if she has low serotonin

August 20, 2021 By Trudy Scott 23 Comments

A mom asks for advice for her teenage daughter who has anxiety, low self-esteem issues, insomnia, experiences negativity and has phobias. She wants to know if serotonin support may help and where to start. I share my feedback confirming that these are low serotonin symptoms and that I would do a trial of tryptophan. I go deeper in this blog and also go into detail about how I would do a one-off trial (or evaluation) of tryptophan if I was working with this family. I also share why I’d look into low GABA, seasonal allergies and the birth control pill. And I discuss the importance of being proactive given the increasing suicide and self-harm in this age-group, with the pandemic compounding the increase.

Here is the question that Maria asked about her daughter:

My 13-year-old teen has always suffered from insomnia, sometimes light, sometimes a bit heavier, depending on the period. She has suffered from asthma from a young age, even if this issue has improved enormously, it is sometimes present, specially during spring time as she is allergic to different plants. She would suffer from sugar cravings in the past as we were trying to change her diet. Things are going better in this respect as well; however, negativity, phobias, low self esteem and anxiety are always present for her.

Are these signs of low serotonin? How could we help her feel better? Should serotonin pills be applied directly? Would this make the system dependent on it? If amino acids should be supplemented, how should we do this, considering her age?

I responded that yes, negativity, phobias, low self esteem and anxiety (the worry type) are signs of low serotonin. Insomnia can also be caused by low serotonin especially if her daughter is lying awake, overthinking and worrying about things.

I shared that the body does not get dependent on the amino acids and I’d consider a trial of tryptophan to address her symptoms.

Doing a one-off trial/evaluation of tryptophan based on her symptoms

If I was working with this family, I would help this mom figure out for sure if her daughter has low serotonin by reviewing the low serotonin symptom list with her, and helping her rate them on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the worst.

This can often be challenging for a 13-year old: giving the symptoms a severity rating and being able to identify exactly how she feels. Her ratings may also be reflective of where she is in her cycle at the time and may fluctuate more in the month if her cycle is not yet regular. Working together with mom we can hopefully figure this out. If not, we do the best we can with the information we have.

The next step is picking one or two symptoms that are easy to measure the day we do the initial trial or evaluation. For this young girl I’d pick anxiety/worry and negativity and ask her some questions that would help us assess before and after results of the one-off trial /evaluation of tryptophan:

For anxiety and worry she may say it’s also a 9 and give me this example: “I’m really worried about performing in the concert – I keep thinking about it all day long and at night.”
For negativity she may say it’s a 9 and give me this example: “I really don’t think I’m good enough to be in the dance class.”

Both tryptophan and 5-HTP can raise serotonin but I like to start with tryptophan. I typically start with 100mg Lidtke chewable tryptophan in children/teens so I’d have her chew one tablet and then check back in the next 2 to 5 minutes (or maybe a little longer for some folks).

This is the kind of feedback I’m looking for:

With regards to anxiety and worry she may say: “Gosh, I completely stopped thinking about the concert. I’m not worrying about it at all. Now that you ask I’m thinking about it again but I think my worry/anxiety is about a 5 now.”
With regards to negativity she may say: “I think I feel better about being in the dance class. I think I can do it. My negativity feels like it’s a 5 or 6”

Since this teen responded so well, I’d have her start taking tryptophan midafternoon and evening (away from protein) and we’d increase if needed, each week, and based on her symptoms.

I have everyone keep a food mood and supplements log and mom could help her do this too.

GABA, seasonal allergies and the birth control pill

I also always assess low GABA when someone is anxious (especially if she also has physical anxiety, tension, stiff muscles) and has insomnia. We’d do the same one-off trial with a product like GABA Calm (or similar) once we’ve established a good dose of tryptophan for easing her symptoms.

This mom also mentioned Spring time allergies so I also shared this blog with her: 5-HTP and/or tryptophan to help with increased anxiety, panic attacks and depression caused by spring allergies. Depending on the season, her daughter may score higher on some of the low serotonin symptoms.

I’d also want to know if her daughter is on a birth control pill (often prescribed at this age for acne) because it can contribute to anxiety and depression.

Being proactive is wise given the rise in suicide and self-harm in this age group

Being proactive about addressing low serotonin symptoms quickly is wise given the rise in suicide and self-harm in this age group. This 2021 Italian study discusses the role of emotional dysregulation when it comes to and self-injurious thoughts and behaviours in high-school students:

Overall, 11.1% of adolescents reported self-harming behaviours without suicide ideation or attempts, 6.4% declared having thought to suicide without acting a suicide attempt or self-harm, 1.4% declared having attempted suicide and really thought to take away their life.

Unfortunately, the pandemic has also made things worse for many adolescents. This study reports that Canadian adolescents appear to be experiencing “higher rates of self-harm thoughts and behaviours relative to before the pandemic.”

It’s important to keep in mind that pre-teens and teens may not be willing to admit that they are engaging in self-harm like cutting or burning, or thinking about taking their lives.

Resources if you are new to using the amino acids as supplements

If you are new to using the amino acids tryptophan/5-HTP or GABA as supplements and want to know more in case you need them in a future situation, here is the Amino Acids Mood Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution (you can see all the low serotonin and low GABA symptoms here) and a brief overview here, Anxiety and targeted individual amino acid supplements: a summary.

If you suspect low serotonin or 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 so you are knowledgeable.

It also covers all the basics of a healthy diet. It’s a comprehensive approach – amino acids AND diet. I’d also want to know what her diet is like right now – gluten-free, sugar-free, caffeine-free, eating protein at breakfast for blood sugar control, real whole foods, grass-fed red meat, wild fish, fermented foods etc?

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 acid products that I use with my individual clients and those in my group programs.

Thanks to this mom for asking the question and allowing me to use it as a teaching tool for my community. Let’s get her daughter and all teens feeling their best again.

Can you relate to the question this mom asked? Does it sound similar to what your daughter is experiencing right now or a client/patient?

Do you do a one-off trial /evaluation like this to find out if serotonin support is needed? Or have you done this in the past with your daughter, family member or yourself?

What are the before and after questions (and symptom ratings) and did tryptophan help?

Feel free to post any questions here too.

Healthy travel food, first aid and avoiding anxiety and motion sickness when flying

November 3, 2017 By Trudy Scott 15 Comments

Updated: June 28, 2024

In today’s blog I share what I eat on a long international flight, plus what “first-aid” goodies I take in my carry-on luggage, how to stay cool, calm and collected when flying and demonstrate my favorite wrist bands for preventing motion sickness.

Even though I order gluten-free meals, I’m sure you’ll agree that the food on planes is pretty horrible and sometimes you can’t even be sure you’ll get your special meal. One flight we ordered gluten-free only to be told on the plane that they don’t serve gluten-free meals! Fortunately we did a layover in Hawaii and were able to buy a salad and some fruit after a lot of searching but it was not what you’d expect. It was a good thing we did take some snacks with us too but I am now way more prepared when I travel.

As you can see from the above image, this is the typical travel food (or “padkos” as we call it in South Africa) for a 13-hour flight:

2 organic apples
2 organic boiled eggs and some sea salt
Homemade biltong from grass fed beef (a South African version of jerky) made with sea salt, coriander and pepper
Coconut flakes and organic raisins
Sprouted pumpkin seeds (many nuts and seeds are medium and high oxalate but a few tablespoons of pumpkin seeds are low oxalate – more on oxalates here)
A selection of herbal tea bags: ginger (which is great for motion sickness), Nighty night which contains chamomile and is relaxing), Breathe Easy (in case of congestion) and rooibos (great for stress and an excellent source of polyphenols)
A can of wild salmon
Pea protein powder or whey or beef protein powder (as tolerated)

I also packed a meal of roast lamb with a veggie selection of carrots, zucchini and asparagus, plus some cauliflower sauerkraut. This was really delicious!

Also, to be safe, I take a selection of “first-aid” products in my carry-on luggage.

Here is some of what I typically pack for “first-aid”:

Arnicare which is an arnica gel * (for muscle pain)
Xlear nasal spray * and Biocidin throat spray * – I find that using these two products before boarding the plane and half way into the flight prevents me from picking up any bugs and getting sick
Tree tree oil *
Essential oils of lavender * (for relaxation and sleep) and peppermint * (for energy and a headache). Both are antibacterial too.
Melatonin spray * to help reset my circadian rhythm and help with jetlag
Designs for Health Oil of Oregano * and garlic supplements (not shown) for bug protection
Source Naturals GABA Calm for tension and anxiety. I didn’t use it/need it this trip but after my scary plane ride last year leading to vagus nerve issues, I’ve decided to always have some on hand when flying
Boiron Cold Calm, one of my favorite homeopathic cold remedies

I also take a few of each of the following in a supplement box: Designs for Health Inflammatone * (a natural anti-inflammatory), DPP-IV enzymes * (for accidental gluten exposure), activated charcoal * (also for accidental gluten exposure) and my daily supplements.

Note: the products marked with a * above can all be found on my Fullscript supplement store. And tryptophan, mentioned below, is also available on Fullscript.

Here is a video I did for the Healthy Travelers Global summit, an online event that was hosted by my good friend Robyn Benson in 2015 (just ignore the summit promo and enjoy the tips and demonstrations).

I share the following:

A quick demonstration using Xlear (notice that I actually miss my nose by mistake!) and Biocidin Throat Spray for avoiding bugs
The pressure-point wrist-bands I use for motion sickness (find them on Amazon here). Many people with pyroluria are more prone to morning nausea and may be very prone to motion sickness (and it’s commonly a sign of low vitamin B6). In order to be effective they do need to be put on BEFORE you start to travel and the position is key).
I don’t mention it in the video but motion sickness can be a sign of low bile production or poor quality bile. I share more about how I’ve been using ox bile to improve fat digestion and help with oxalate issues here. Hopefully this will help even more with my motion sickness.
Amino acids for travel anxiety (GABA for the physical anxiety and tryptophan for the fearful, worrying-about-flying anxiety)
Healthy travel snacks

Enjoy the beautiful Rocky Mountains! When I filmed this I was on a trip to St Paul, MN for the National Association of Nutrition Professionals conference and wanted to share just how I travel.

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

As always, I use the symptoms questionnaire to figure out if low GABA or low serotonin may be an issue.

When considering them for flying I have clients do a trial before they leave and figure out optimal doses for their unique needs. And then use GABA and/or tryptophan as needed on the flight.

Wrapping up and your feedback

I hope this is all helpful for your next long flight or even a road-trip you have coming up. Do keep in mind that some of this can be adapted for a day out shopping or a day at the beach too.

I’d love to hear about your favorite travel foods and first-aid goodies that you take on a trip.

Feel free to share and ask your questions below.

Teen Depression and Anxiety: Why the Kids Are Not Alright – my response

October 27, 2017 By Trudy Scott 10 Comments

Teens suffer from so much anxiety and their anxiety symptoms are now more of an issue than depression; they are cutting and self-harming as a way to feel normal; they are super-stressed; social media and iPhone use is taking over their lives, and in general, they seem to have poor coping skills.

This article in TIME magazine is a sad and concerning read: Teen Depression and Anxiety: Why the Kids Are Not Alright. It was written last year but is still very relevant. The author writes:

“Adolescents today have a reputation for being more fragile, less resilient and more overwhelmed than their parents were when they were growing up”

It’s an excellent article for creating awareness and to get an understanding of the extent of the issues and does highlight the crazy online world of teens:

It’s hard for many adults to understand how much of teenagers’ emotional life is lived within the small screens on their phones, but a CNN special report in 2015 conducted with researchers at the University of California, Davis, and the University of Texas at Dallas examined the social-media use of more than 200 13-year-olds. Their analysis found that ‘there is no firm line between their real and online worlds.’

Here is my response to the article and how I feel we can do better.

No solutions other than coping mechanisms

These teens are hopeless and resigned to the fact that this is how they are going to have to live i.e. simply managing their symptoms. It breaks my heart and it’s not alright!

Unfortunately (like the recent Xanax anxiety article in the New York Times) it offers no solutions other than coping mechanisms.

No mention of the importance of diet or nature

I agree that these kids are under a lot of stress (certainly more than when I was a teen) BUT there is ZERO mention of a real foods diet (that includes quality animal protein), a nourishing breakfast with protein (balancing blood sugar makes such a difference for reducing anxiety levels), the removal of caffeine, gluten and sugar, the importance of addressing nutritional deficiencies and poor gut health.

I love the movie project but there is no encouragement to get these teens out into nature (and maybe take up bouldering or gardening, both of which have been shown to reduce anxiety and depression).

No mention of DPA or GABA or tryptophan for self-harming, anxiety and addiction

The article makes the connections between the endorphin/opioid system and pain and the comfort these teens get from self-harming and cutting:

Scientists want to better understand how self-harm engages the endogenous opioid system–which is involved in the pain response in the brain–and what happens if and when it does

However, there is NO nutritional solution offered and NO mention of the amino acid DPA (d-phenylalanine), which can often be very effective for the cutting and self-harming, because it creates a similar endorphin boost that the cutting provides.

There is also NO mention of the calming amino acid GABA or the happy and worry-free amino acid tryptophan for the anxiety and worry.

All the above amino acid also address addictions and may well offer neurotransmitter support to help with the addictive nature of their “drug-of-choice” i.e. their iPhones, games and other devices.

We have a plethora of nutritional solutions

We have a plethora of nutritional solutions to consider. Here are some relevant blogs that need to be part of the conversation for these teens:

GABA for children: ADHD, focus issues, irritability, anxiety and tantrums
My interview with psychiatric nurse practitioner, Zendi Moldenhauer, on the Anxiety Summit – Anxiety in children, adolescents and young adults: an integrative psychiatric approach
My discussion with Dr. Nicole Beurkens at the end of one of Integrative Medicine for Mental Health conferences to talk about anxiety and the impact of both low zinc and low GABA. Nicole shares her perspectives on working with children and I share what I see with the adult women I work with.

Something as simple as a weighted blanket may help ease the anxiety some of these teens are experiencing.

We can do better than simply discussing the problem teens face. I’ve worked with both children and teens and we’ve shifted things in a matter of months. It really can be done but we need to share the powerful nutritional psychiatry solution, especially because research shows that most children with anxiety relapse, regardless of conventional treatment approaches.

Do you have a teenager who is experiencing anxiety and what has helped her/him?

Do you work with teens and do you incorporate some of these approaches?

How do we get this information into the hands of parents, schools, organizations, doctors, mental health practitioners and others those who can help make this happen?