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Collagen causes increased anxiety, low mood, irritability, insomnia, gut issues and an itchy skin: some questions and my answers

September 2, 2022 By Trudy Scott 37 Comments

Today we have some feedback from folks on some of the negative impacts they experienced when consuming collagen. I’m sharing their questions and the feedback I gave them in the hope this will help you too. Not everyone experiences unpleasant symptoms when consuming collagen but those who are susceptible may experience the following: increased anxiety or new anxiety, feeling low, inability to sleep or worsening sleep, tension, irritability, gut issues, itchy skin, frequent urination, a bad mood, worsening psoriasis, blepharitis, panic attacks and a disrupted menstrual cycle.

The causes of these symptoms can be due to the serotonin-lowering effects of collagen, the dietary oxalate impact, a histamine reaction and/or a glutamate reaction to collagen.

Beth shares how she feels low and anxious after using marine collagen for five days:

Have just recently begun receiving your emails. I read the above article and wanted to let you know of my experience. I started taking Vital Proteins marine collagen to see if it would improve sun damage to my skin. I took one scoop for about five days. On the fifth day I felt very low. So low that it made me somewhat anxious. As I have trouble with anxiety I stopped it immediately. Felt better the next day. The container lists 19 amino acids including tryptophan but the amount of it is zero mg. I hadn’t noticed that when I started taking it. After reading your article I’m fairly sure that that is why I felt depressed.

I shared this: for individuals who have observed a mood dip or increase in anxiety since using collagen or gelatin, I suggest they stop using collagen/gelatin and see how they feel, then add it back and see how they feel (sometimes more than once if they are not certain).

If they do see a correlation, look at the low serotonin symptoms and do a trial of tryptophan or 5-HTP (after checking the precautions) to see if this improves their low mood and reduces their anxiety when using collagen/gelatin. This confirms if their symptoms are due to the serotonin-lowering effects and allows them to continue using it for the benefits it provides.

Be sure to read the above collagen/serotonin blog for some of the research on what makes some folks more susceptible to the serotonin-lowering effects: a current depression/anxiety or history of depression/anxiety (even a family history), prior use of antidepressants, OCD / obsessive compulsive disorder, MAOA and/or 5-HTTLPR (the serotonin transporter gene) polymorphisms, smokers or former smokers, and women polydrug ecstasy users. This is not a conclusive list.

It’s interesting that she mentions her product has tryptophan listed with zero mg. When I looked online I didn’t see it listed on the product at all. Maybe it’s a change they have made to the label.

I also shared that when you are new to the amino acids (and other anxiety nutrition solutions like real whole food, quality animal protein, fermented foods, organic produce, health fats, gluten/sugar/caffeine removal, blood sugar control, gut health, pyroluria etc) my book “The Antianxiety Food Solution” is a great place to start.

The above question and the following questions come from the popular blog, Collagen and gelatin lower serotonin: does this increase your anxiety and depression?

How long after stopping bone broth does it take for this anxious feeling to leave?

Diane asks about bone broth and collagen and how it causes extreme anxiety and sleep problems:

I just finished your book and have to say how awesome it is ! A wealth of information. As I am struggling with many of the issues, I do have a question on bone broth and collagen. I have definitely noticed extreme anxiety and inability to sleep with bone broth and collagen supplement.(plus spring allergies are at play as well) I even tried a piece of Turkey with my bone broth this week to see if that helped. I have such gut issues I was really hoping to use bone broth. Anyway, my question is how long after stopping bone broth does it take for this anxious feeling to leave? Days or weeks? I want it cleared out before I try adding tryptophan with the broth.

I thanked her for the great feedback on my book. It’s wonderful to have the foundational stuff in place and she’s getting that from my book.

I don’t have an answer on how long symptoms can last as it’s very individualized. Typically if the effects are caused by serotonin being lowered, using either tryptophan or 5-HTP can result in significantly less anxiety and better sleep in a few days, provided the optimal dose is used.

Keep in mind that spring allergies can often make things worse and more tryptophan or 5-HTP may be needed during the allergy period. The dose would then need to be reduced once allergy season has passed. I blog about spring allergies and increased anxiety here.

My advice would be to use the tryptophan or 5-HTP to resolve the anxiety and insomnia and then once resolved, consider adding back the collagen and monitoring how she is doing. At this time she may need to bump up her tryptophan or 5-HTP yet again.

Is it a histamine reaction rather than low serotonin? (or an oxalate or glutamate reaction?)

Kelly believes her symptoms may be a histamine reaction and not caused by low serotonin:

If you become anxious, tense, irritable, can’t sleep AND have some issues with itchy skin, frequent urination, worsened gut issues, etc., then it’s a histamine problem from the collagen/glycine, and not serotonin at all.

I shared that these symptoms could actually be both since low serotonin can also cause anxiety, tension, irritability and insomnia. But I agree the itchy skin, frequent urination, worsened gut issues are a big clue it’s a histamine issue too or perhaps only a histamine issue. Gut issues would happen with both low serotonin and histamine.

I’d start with a trial of tryptophan or 5-HTP because if it is low serotonin you will know very quickly. You can see what symptoms resolve and by how much.

Challenges with dietary oxalates could cause all the symptoms she experiences. So it’s a matter of figuring it out for each person. If you already know you have histamine or oxalate issues it’s also relatively easy to figure out by simply stopping the collagen and/or adding the counter-measures you typically use – like quercetin for histamine reactions and calcium citrate for oxalate issues.

It’s possible that some of these symptoms are a glutamate reaction too – like anxiety, tension, irritability and insomnia – and the amino acid GABA may help in this instance.

A bad mood, insomnia, psoriasis, blepharitis, panic attacks, hormone imbalance – oxalates or serotonin-lowering effects?

Em shares how she had a really bad mood, full blown insomnia, worsening psoriasis, blepharitis, panic attacks and disrupted menstrual cycle:

I am soooo glad I found this article. I started taking Oslo Skin Labs collagen (Verisol, so it is considered good quality) half way through December 2021. Looking back, that is when the problems started. I started sleeping restlessly and it got really bad in January. Full blown insomnia. My psoriasis got much worse, the blepharitis too. I have severe Endometriosis and was worried that if these other inflammation issues (psoriasis causes skin inflammation and blepharitis causes eye inflammation) were worse then maybe my endo was worse also since that can’t be checked on the outside.

Besides the inflammation symptoms I was experiencing extremely bad moods, feeling tense to the point of bordering on panic attacks and also a disrupted menstrual cycle.

I have been on Amitriptyline for 1,5 years and it worked wonders on my mood and sleep and I just couldn’t figure out why it wasn’t working any more. Then I realized that the only thing I changed was adding collagen to my diet in my fruit/vegetable smoothie ( I don’t drink coffee). So I started Googeling and found your article and stopped the collagen immediately. Have stopped for 2 days now and already my eyes are less red and inflamed. Pfew! It’s crazy and also scary how serious the side effects of collagen have been.

Do you think that besides the tryptophan lowering side effect that also the histamine might have played a part in my case? I don’t dare try the collagen with tryptophan supplement as the potential side effects are too serious to play around with. But I’m very bummed out about missing out on the skin and hair benefits.

Would love to hear your thoughts. I follow a vegetarian diet by the way and eat super healthy.

With Em I’d suspect an oxalate issue first because of the worsening psoriasis, blepharitis and endometriosis. She is also a vegetarian and this diet is often high in dietary oxalates. I write about oxalates and pain here.

However, with the “bad moods, feeling tense to the point of bordering on panic attacks and also a disrupted menstrual cycle”, I’d also suspect a serotonin-lowering impact. As mentioned above, a history of mood issues and antidepressant use can be a predisposing factor. She would need to work with her prescribing doctor if she wanted to use tryptophan or 5-HTP because Amitriptyline has the potential to cause serotonin syndrome.

It’s also possible that her symptoms are caused in part by a histamine or glutamate reaction too.

With appreciation for helping to create awareness about these issues with collagen

I have much appreciation for each of these women for asking these questions and sharing their symptoms so we can all learn. There is not much awareness about collagen being problematic for some susceptible folks and it’s a very rude awakening when you start using something for the health benefits and have a bad reaction. Hopefully their stories and others like this will help create more awareness.

The good news is that once you identify your cause/s and address them as above, you can often continue to consume collagen.

Resources if you are new to using tryptophan/5-HTP and other amino acids as supplements

If you are new to using any of the 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 serotonin and low GABA).

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.

Have you experienced any adverse symptoms when using collagen? Please share the symptoms so we can all learn from each other .

And were you able to figure out if it was due to low serotonin, a histamine or glutamate reaction or because of dietary oxalates?

If it was low serotonin, has tryptophan or 5-HTP helped so you can continue to use collagen?

If you have questions please share them here too.

An amino acid supplement with DLPA, glutamine and 5-HTP eases alcohol withdrawal symptoms at an inpatient detoxification program

April 8, 2022 By Trudy Scott 18 Comments

An amino acid supplement with DLPA, glutamine and 5-HTP (and a few other nutrients) eases alcohol withdrawal symptoms at an inpatient detoxification program. Other than anxiety (I’ll share more on this below), there was also a significant decrease in psychiatric symptoms. Here is an excerpt from the study, The use of a food supplementation with D-phenylalanine, L-glutamine and L-5-hydroxytriptophan in the alleviation of alcohol withdrawal symptoms:

We described the use of a food supplementation with D-phenylalanine, L-glutamine and L-5-hydroxytryptophan in the alleviation of alcohol withdrawal symptoms in patients starting a detoxification therapy.

Since abstinence from ethanol causes a hypodopaminergic and a hypoopioidergic environment in the reward system circuits, manifesting with withdrawal symptoms, food supplements that contains D-phenylalanine, a peptidase inhibitor (of opioid inactivation) and L-amino-acids (for dopamine synthesis) were used to replenish a lack in neurotransmitters and alleviate the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal.

First I cover some translation issues and then more about the actual product and study results. I also share my commentary on the amino acids and dosing used in the study (and the fact that anxiety did not resolve). I include how to apply this information if you have a loved one in an alcohol treatment/rehab program or if you recognize social drinking is an issue for you. And I wrap up with additional resources if you are new to using GABA as a supplement, the GABA Quickstart online program and the practitioner training.

The study was completed and published in Slovenia and there are a few translation issues I’d like to clarify:

The study title states D-phenylalanine (DPA) was in the amino acid product, however DL-phenylalanine (DLPA) was actually used. You can read about the difference between DPA and DLPA here. In summary, DPLA works on both dopamine and endorphin support and DPA works on endorphin support only.
As you can see from the excerpt above, hypodopaminergic refers to low dopamine and hypoopioidergic refers to low endorphins. During withdrawal from ethanol/alcohol, both low dopamine and low endorphins cause withdrawal symptoms.
L-5-hydroxytryptophan is incorrectly spelled as L-5-hydroxytriptophan and reward system is incorrectly spelled as reword system. (Clarifications are provided for facilitating online searches in the research literature.)

More about the product, the study and the conclusion

It was a small randomized, double blind study with just 20 patients and the amino acid product was used for 40 days of the inpatient alcohol detox or rehab program.

This is the actual combination product used:

300 mg DLPA

150 mg glutamine

5 mg 5-HTP

1 mg vitamin B6

50 mg calcium gluconate

25 mg magnesium oxide

0.01 mg folic acid

Psychiatric symptoms were measured using the SCL- 90R and included assessing for “somatization, obsessive-compulsive, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, hostility, phobic anxiety, paranoid, and psychoticism.” During their rehab there was a significant decrease in these categories of psychiatric symptoms in the study group, except for their anxiety symptoms.

The authors conclude that “abstinence causes a major stress for the patients. The use of a food supplement containing D-phenylalanine [it was actually DL-phenylalanine], L-glutamine and L-5-hydroxytryptophan alleviates the withdrawal symptoms.”

As expected, once alcohol consumption was stopped, cortisol levels, liver enzymes and total bilirubin all decreased in the study group and the control group.

My commentary on the amino acids and dosing used in the study (and the fact that anxiety did not resolve)

Keep in mind the same dosing was used for all study participants. What I use clinically with folks with low levels of these neurotransmitters, is an individualized approach based on each person’s needs, for endorphin and dopamine support (from the DLPA), blood sugar support (from glutamine) and serotonin support (from 5-HTP). This means identifying symptoms in each category and doing a trial of each respective amino acid, starting low and increasing based on symptom resolution.

Given that anxiety symptoms didn’t resolve in the study group, I would have loved to see the amino acid GABA included, also dosed according to individual needs. GABA helps ease the physical tension-type anxiety and low GABA tension often drives the need to self-medicate with alcohol in order to relax and fit in socially.

The authors do mention GABA too: “the physiological craving for alcohol may be the result of a deficiency of the naturally occurring opiate like substances as well as other neurochemical deficits (i.e., dopaminergic, GABAergic, and serotonergic).

Also, an animal study shows that GABA helps with gut damage caused by alcohol consumption, so there is this additional benefit.

A higher dose of glutamine and/or 5-HTP may have also helped ease anxiety. They used 150 mg glutamine whereas a typical starting dose for glutamine is 500 mg (and we increase from there). Going up to 1000 mg to 1500 mg three or 4 times a day is not unusual and is typically very beneficial for alcoholics – for blood sugar stability, an additional calming effect and for healing the leaky gut which has been damaged by the alcohol consumption.

With regards to 5-HTP, they used 5 mg 5-HTP which is considered extremely low. I wonder if it was in fact 50 mg, which is a typical starting dose? Going up to 150 mg 5-HTP use 2 or 3 times a day is not unusual. Serotonin support with 5-HTP (or tryptophan) is very beneficial for the worry-type of ruminating anxiety.

For some individuals DLPA may have been too stimulating and contributing to anxiety via a dopamine boost. For these individuals, DPA may have been a better option for endorphin support.

I am not in favor of folic acid and prefer methylfolate, and although magnesium is an important cofactor for neurotransmitter production, magnesium oxide does not provide much usable magnesium.

Outside of the amino acids and other nutrients used, a vitamin B1 (thiamine) deficiency would need to be addressed and any other deficiencies (such as all the B vitamins, zinc, vitamin D, magnesium etc.) caused by chronic alcohol consumption. This is not a comprehensive list and a full functional workup will help to identify all possible deficiencies.

Despite my quibbles, the outcome of the study is very encouraging, I appreciate the researchers and I hope to see it replicated and refined in other settings.

How to apply this information if you have a loved one in an alcohol treatment/rehab program

Unfortunately the amino acids are seldom incorporated at in-patient detox and rehab centers but they should be. Your options are to:

Share this study and my blog with the treatment center
Educate yourself (on using the questionnaire and doing the amino acid trials) so you can use them with your loved one once rehab is over. This is key for preventing a relapse and for swapping alcohol addiction for sugar or caffeine or nicotine addiction.
Introduce one amino acid at a time so you can figure out which one/s they need and how much
Read my book, The Antianxiety Food Solution – How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood, and End Cravings, and share a copy with the treatment center (and your loved one and their treatment team)
Address diet, nutritional deficiencies and gut health

Keep in mind that the amino acids are used with success for cocaine, heroin and other drug addictions.

How to apply this information if you recognize social drinking is an issue for you

New research shares that “low-level alcohol consumption is commonly perceived as being inconsequential or even beneficial for overall health, with some reports suggesting that it may protect against dementia or cardiovascular risks”, however, as the authors suggest “even low-level alcohol consumption is associated with premature brain aging.”

Social drinking is the norm and is way too prevalent. And it’s often used as a calming measure in order to relax and fit in socially. If this sounds like you:

Educate yourself (on using the questionnaire and doing the amino acid trials) so you can use them to quit drinking easily with no willpower and no feelings of being deprived. This is key for preventing the swapping out the need for alcohol (to relax or fit in socially) with a sugar or caffeine or nicotine addiction. In this case, GABA helps a young man who has recently given up alcohol, Adderall and nicotine.
Introduce one amino acid at a time so you can figure out which one/s you need and how much
Read my book, The Antianxiety Food Solution – How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood, and End Cravings, and share a copy with your loved one/spouse/partner and practitioners/therapists.
Address diet, nutritional deficiencies and gut health

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

If you are new to using the amino acids as supplements, here is the Amino Acids Mood Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution (you can see all the low neurotransmitter symptoms).

There is a section on alcohol but keep in mind that all the sections on sugar craving/addiction apply to alcohol addiction and self-medicating with alcohol too. Some individuals use alcohol to numb out and some use sugar. Many use both and once alcohol addiction is addressed, it’s often replaced with sugar and caffeine addiction. This is why addressing neurotransmitter imbalances is key.

If you don’t feel comfortable reading my book and figuring things out on your own (doing the symptoms questionnaire and doing respective trials), you can get guidance from me in the GABA Quickstart Program (online/virtual).

If you are a practitioner, join us in The Balancing Neurotransmitters: the Fundamentals program. It’s an opportunity to interact with me and other practitioners who are also using the amino acids.

Have you used amino acids with success as part of an alcohol detox program (for yourself or for a loved one)? Or to help stop social drinking of alcohol?

Which neurotransmitter imbalances were driving your need to self-medicate with alcohol and which amino acids helped?

If you’re a practitioner do you use the amino acids (via an individualized approach) to help with alcohol withdrawal and cessation with your patients and/or clients?

Feel free to ask your questions here too.

Using both tryptophan and GABA supplements together for easing anxiety: questions and answers

June 11, 2021 By Trudy Scott 71 Comments

I get many questions about using both tryptophan and GABA supplements together for easing anxiety and today I’m sharing some of these questions and my answers. This will also give you the opportunity to ask questions you may have related to using both these amino acids together. You’ll also read about some reasons for the confusion about when to use GABA vs tryptophan, some success stories and some research.

Let’s start with this question since it’s one that I get asked many many times:

Should one use GABA and tryptophan together for helping with anxiety symptoms?

I have many clients who need and use both but it’s because they have low GABA and also have low serotonin, both driving different types of anxiety symptoms. It’s important to recognize that each amino acid supplement addresses a very different set of symptoms.

With low GABA levels they will have physical anxiety, tension, stiff and tense muscles and often self-medicate with alcohol in order to relax. Sleep may also be a problem with lying awake feeling tense. Because they also have low serotonin they will have the worry-in-the head type of anxiety, ruminations, and obsessions. They may also have panic attacks, negativity, anger, irritability, PMS, TMJ, lack of confidence and insomnia. (Here is a list of all the low serotonin and low GABA symptoms).

You should only use GABA and tryptophan together if you have both low GABA and low serotonin symptoms. This will address these particular root causes.

My anxiety has improved significantly with GABA, should I also try tryptophan/5-HTP?

This is another common question I get about using tryptophan and GABA supplements together (paraphrased from one of the blog comments so I could share my feedback here):

I’m using GABA and my anxiety has improved significantly, however, the anxiety I feel in my body immediately upon waking is still bothersome. What would you recommend for the anxiety in my body on waking (that improves when I get out of bed, start moving around and as the day progresses)?

Could I try 5-HTP/tryptophan in addition to GABA?

We always want to capitalize on what is already working. GABA has improved her anxiety significantly, so I’d want to have her figure out how much it’s improved (for example from say 10/10 with 10 being worse to 5/10 with the GABA). Then we’d bump up the GABA to see if additional gains are seen. This could mean a higher dose at night and could also mean a small dose in the morning on waking. And then figure out the improvement and adjust up again if needed.

There is no reason why she shouldn’t try either tryptophan or 5-HTP too but only if she also has other low serotonin symptoms other than morning anxiety. And also, only once she has established the ideal dose for the GABA. She mentions “the anxiety in my body” so I suspect it’s the low GABA physical-tension type of anxiety. We often see low GABA and low serotonin go hand in hand so it’s very likely she’ll also benefit from serotonin support too.

Some reasons for the confusion about when to use GABA vs tryptophan

One reason for this confusion is that there are many combination products on the market that contain both GABA and tryptophan (and other nutrients). The company is trying to make a one-size-fits-all product in the hope it will help many folks. The problem is that it’s not individualized to your unique needs – which may be low GABA or low serotonin or both. Even if it is low GABA and low serotonin that you suffer from, a combination product may not work if, for example, you need a very small amount of GABA and need a much higher dose of tryptophan.

Another reason is that many well-meaning practitioners do not help their client/patients make the distinction between low serotonin and low GABA symptoms. This happens because they often don’t understand this either.

Another reason is that many folks jump in and start using these amino acids without really understanding how and why they work, how to use them and what to look out for. It’s why I highly recommend that everyone planning to use them reads my book first, The Antianxiety Food Solution.

GABA and tryptophan have helped immensely with ruminating thoughts and PTSD – can I stay on them indefinitely?

KJ posted these great results and her question on the blog:

Hi Trudy, I love your blogs and I’ve read your book, The Anti-Anxiety Food Solution – excellent! I have been taking GABA and tryptophan for about 6 months and they have helped me immensely with ruminating thoughts and PTSD. Sometimes I try to go off GABA and Tryptophan for a day or two, but the ruminating thoughts come back, so my question is, can I stay on GABA and Tryptophan indefinitely? I am 59, have no health problems and take no prescription medications.

It’s super to hear GABA and tryptophan have helped with her ruminating thoughts and symptoms of PTSD. I shared that there is no research on long-term use and we should always keep looking for the reasons serotonin and GABA are low and try to address these. Since she has my book I assume she has also implemented all the diet recommendations (no gluten, no caffeine, no sugar, eating for blood sugar control etc), addressed her gut health (candida, parasites, digestive enzymes etc) and looked at low zinc and low vitamin B6 too. There are many other factors to consider – I list 60+ nutritional and biochemical causes of anxiety here.

Jessica says GABA and tryptophan have been life-changing

Here is some feedback from Jessica about how GABA and tryptophan has been life-changing for her – and in only a matter of weeks:

I started taking Gaba and tryptophan about 3 weeks ago after reading about the benefits on this page. It’s been life changing!

I take 1000mg tryptophan at night and 100mg GABA in the morning. Ruminations and obsessive thoughts are almost non-existent now. I have less tension in the jaw and neck. I feel like I’m able to deal with everyday stressors that were overwhelming me prior to starting these supplements.

She started with the tryptophan and added the GABA after about a week.

Jessica clearly had both low serotonin and low GABA symptoms. The ruminations, obsessive thoughts and overwhelm were likely related to low serotonin. The jaw and neck tension are classic low GABA but serotonin support also helps with TMJ too.

Paula would not be able to sleep without GABA and tryptophan

Paula shared this feedback on the blog post where I write about GABA, Heartmath and EFT easing Micki’s mold-induced anxiety and panic attacks:

This was an interesting article because I use both GABA and Tryptophan and would not be able to sleep if I did not use them. I have also had chronic mold exposure. It never occurred to me that the reason I have to take these things in order to sleep is due to the mold in my system.

Toxic mold can impact neurotransmitter production and GABA and tryptophan can provide some relief while the mold is being addressed.

Some research where tryptophan and GABA have been used with success

Here is some research where tryptophan and GABA (and similar amino acids) have been used with success:

Essential tremor, dystonia, anxiety and cravings – diet, GABA, tryptophan, zinc and vitamin B6

This study shares the case of a 13-year-old boy with an essential tremor that caused severe functional impairment. He responded to a Mediterranean diet and supplementation with GABA and tryptophan and was able to resume his plans to pursue a musical career as a guitar player.

A randomized targeted amino acid therapy with behaviourally at-risk adopted children

The combination of theanine (an amino acid which also supports GABA levels) and 5-HTP (another precursor to serotonin) led to “significant decreases in parent reports of the children’s behaviour problems.”

Resources if you are new to using GABA and tryptophan as supplements

If you are new to using the amino acid tyrosine as a supplement, here is the Amino Acids Mood Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution and a brief overview here, Anxiety and targeted individual amino acid supplements: a summary.

As I mentioned above, 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 so you are knowledgeable.

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

As with all individual amino acids we use GABA and tryptophan for quick relief of symptoms. And we also always focus on the foundations like diet, the gut, adrenals and stress levels.

Do you have questions about using GABA and tryptophan together?

Have you used the combination of GABA and tryptophan with success? How did they help you and what was your timing and dosing?

Feel free to post your other related questions here too.

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

May 21, 2021 By Trudy Scott 17 Comments

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

May 14, 2021 By Trudy Scott 20 Comments

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

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.

GABA for easing physical anxiety and tension: some questions and answers

April 2, 2021 By Trudy Scott 79 Comments

GABA is an amino acid used as a supplement to ease low GABA levels. With low GABA you’ll experience physical-tension and stiff-and-tense-muscles type of anxiety, panic attacks and insomnia. You may feel the need to self-medicate to calm down, often with alcohol but sometimes with carbs and sugary foods. GABA also helps with muscle spasms and provides pain relief when muscles are tight.

When I share my GABA blogs on Facebook I receive so many great questions (some basic questions and some more complex). Today I’m going to share some of these and my answers so you can get the benefits too.

Let’s start with the basic questions about using GABA.

Amanda asks:

What time of the day is best to take GABA?

The best time is 1 to 4 x a day, depending on your symptoms, between meals and always away from protein so it doesn’t compete for absorption with the other amino acids.

Brian asks:

What dose do you recommend starting at?

I have clients start with 125mg and go up from there based on how they respond i.e. are they getting symptom resolution.

Based on the above 2 questions it’s clear that Amanda and Brian are new to using the amino acid GABA. If you are new to using GAB and the other amino acids (and other anxiety nutrition solutions like gluten/sugar/caffeine removal, blood sugar control, gut health, pyroluria etc.) my book “The Antianxiety Food Solution” is a great place to start.

I don’t cover specific brands in my book because brand formulations change and come and go so this is a great question from Olivia who asks:

Which brand would you recommend? thank you

My favorite is Source Naturals GABA Calm but since it’s been in short supply during the pandemic I list many other GABA options here. I’ve updated the main supplements blog with these additional GABA options too.

Now for some of the more advanced questions:

Salome asks:

I’m super sensitive to supplements (Histamine Intolerance / MCAS / Multiple chemical sensitivity). Are there any potential reactions from taking GABA that you know of?

As far as I know there are none (clinically or in the research) but, as always, the best is to do a trial. For clients who are very sensitive we start super low and may use 1/8 to 1/4 of the starting dose of 125mg GABA, and increase from there if there are no adverse effects.

Dena asks:

Does GABA help the same way Xanax does? I only take 0.5mg Xanax a few times a week when I really need it but if GABA works I’d like to try it but worry it won’t help like Xanax does. It calms me down and makes me feel normal

Many of my clients report back that GABA works just like Xanax used to work for them. But do keep in mind it’s important to work with your prescribing doctor and that the benzodiazepine taper should be very very slow. And it’s important to be aware that for some folks tapering can be very challenging (more on that here).

Boyd asks:

In New Zealand GABA is classed as a prohibited Class B drug so what can be used as an alternative for anxiety?

Taurine or theanine are good options if GABA is not available and mail order is not an option. Glutamine can be calming for some folks who are able to convert some of it to GABA. For others it can be too stimulating if it converts to glutamate. Addressing gut health and using precursors like magnesium, zinc and vitamin B6 are also key but this takes longer to see results.

Debbie asks:

Can u take GABA if taking a very low dose SSRI (sertraline). I’ve had to start it because I couldn’t find a GABA product when I needed it.

GABA is safe to take with an SSRI (antidepressant) but this should always be discussed with the prescribing doctor. Also, keep in mind that Sertraline works on serotonin so GABA may not be the best solution and tryptophan or 5-HTP may be. Looking at the low GABA and low serotonin symptoms and doing a trial is the best way to figure this out.

Cornina asks:

What could be used instead of Ativan for travel anxiety?

I would trial GABA if the anxiety is more physical with neck tension and butterflies in the stomach or tummy pain. I would trial tryptophan or 5-HTP if it’s mental like imagining-the- worst or if you have a phobia about flying or you are worrying and obsessing. Ideally you would want to build up levels before travelling and also use the amino acids as needed while traveling. Keep in mind that both GABA and serotonin support may be needed.

Kelly asks:

Is 4,000 mg of Now GABA too much for a person to take a day. This person is 86 years old.

This dose of 4,000mg GABA is high so I’d want to know if she is seeing benefits (and what benefits) and having any adverse reactions. I’d also want to know what product and how it’s being used (swallowed or opened on to the tongue).

I asked the above and Kelly shared this additional information:

Yes, it lessens the anxiety but also makes her very sleepy. She doesn’t take that many mg every day. She just swallows it.

When the GABA capsules are opened less can be used. Also, taking it at night helps improve sleep and avoids the sleepiness in the day and the anxiety-relief benefits often carry over to the next day too. We commonly experiment with different timings and dosing to find what works best for the client as there is no one-size fits all.

Rhonda asks:

Which would be best for a truck driver that drives all night – GABA or 5-HTP?

For someone who drives all night and wants to sleep in the day I would want to know why he or she can’t sleep (assuming it’s related to disrupted circadian rhythm). If it’s physical tension then I’d trial GABA, and if it’s worry and over-thinking then I’d trial 5-HTP or tryptophan for serotonin support. Often a combination is helpful, Research shows the sleep promoting effects of combined GABA and 5-HTP for some folks.

We appreciate these folks for asking questions and allowing me to share here on the blog.

As always, it’s not only the low GABA we need to address. GABA offers quick relief but 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.

Have these GABA questions and answers been helpful? Have you seen benefits from using GABA and do you have questions?

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

And join us on Facebook – TrudyScottAntianxietyFoodSolution – to read and ask questions there too.