theanine

How high to go on GABA for sleep issues and what are the negative effects of too much tyrosine?

September 13, 2019 By Trudy Scott 10 Comments

How high to go on GABA for sleep issues and what are the negative effects of too much tyrosine?

Today I’m sharing a great question I received about sleep issues – how high to go on GABA and what are the negative effects of too much tyrosine – together with my feedback because it’s not always a simple answer.

Here is the question about sleep, GABA and tyrosine:

I find I need more than the 500mg of sublingual Gaba Calm for sleep even with 200mg theanine. What dose can I go up to. Took a while to work up to that dose. I want to get away from sleeping tablets. Also what are the negative effects of too much tyrosine that comes with this product?

GABA Calm contains both GABA (125mg) and tyrosine (25mg) and it’s one of my most recommended products for anxiety. It sometimes works for insomnia and sometimes it doesn’t.

GABA and feeling stiff and tense with insomnia and anxiety

As you may know, with sleep issues caused by low GABA levels you’ll often lie awake with feelings of physical tension and stiff muscles rather than the ruminating thoughts which is the low serotonin type of insomnia – although it’s not uncommon to experience both. You may also have the stiff-and-tense type of anxiety, panic attacks and the need to self-medicate to calm down, often with alcohol but sometimes with carbs and sugary foods. By using the amino acid GABA you can raise your GABA levels and ease many of these symptoms.

Tyrosine can be stimulating and can be calming

Tyrosine is a considered a stimulating amino acid that is the precursor for making catecholamines (one of the neurotransmitters) like dopamine, epinephrine and norepinephrine. Boosting these neurotransmitters provides focus, increased energy and more motivation, and can also alleviate some forms of “curl-up-in-bed” depression.

Conversely tyrosine can also provide a sort of calm focus for some folks.

How much GABA and how much tyrosine?

Keeping all the above in mind, here is my feedback: 500mg of GABA is a large dose when starting out and is typically too high for most people, causing a light-headed feeling and sometimes a niacin-like flush. For this reason, it was good to hear that she worked up to that dose of GABA, found in 4 of the GABA Calm tablets i.e. 125mg of GABA for each one.

When my clients get up to multiple GABA Calm tablets I will often have them switch to a GABA-only product or a GABA/theanine product (opened up onto the tongue and held there for 2 minutes or longer) as the tyrosine can be stimulating. Some folks do fine on a small amount of tyrosine in the evening so 1-2 GABA Calm may be fine but more than that and it can be too much and may need to be avoided.

Taking 4 x GABA Calm tablets also provide a hefty dose of sugar alcohols which could cause diarrhea.

As far as using higher amounts of GABA, I have clients increase as long as they are seeing added benefits. I have had some clients go up to 1000-2000mg but more than this is rare. Theanine can often also be increased up to around 1000mg.

Here are some clues to look out for:

too tired in the day → too much GABA or too much theanine?
too tired in the day → too little GABA or too little theanine causing disturbed sleep?
too tired in the day → not enough tyrosine?
not able to sleep well → too little GABA or theanine?
not able to sleep well → too much tyrosine (at night or even mid-afternoon)?
calm energy → just enough tyrosine
sleep well → just enough GABA and/or theanine

There is research supporting that a GABA/theanine combination can improve sleep and that a GABA/5-HTP combination can too. There is no research on GABA Calm and insomnia but in practice it works for some people at night and not for others.

I’m sure you can agree with me that it’s not always simple and there can never be one size fits all. This doesn’t work: “Since you have insomnia take 2 GABA Calm and I’ll see you in a month” or even “This 250mg GABA with 100mg theanine will sort out your sleep issues in no time.”

It’s always a matter of figuring out what your own unique needs are.

Looking for other root causes of your insomnia

If my clients are not seeing incremental benefits as they increase the GABA and/or theanine (and stop the tyrosine) they go back down to their lower dose and we start looking for other root causes for their insomnia.

These root causes can range from low serotonin to high cortisol, also gut issues like SIBO, parasites (which are more active at night) or gluten issues. Too much caffeine (even if consumed in the morning and even a single cup of coffee!) and low blood sugar must always be ruled out too. Some sleep medications can actually make sleep worse especially benzodiazepines. And side-effects of all medications need to be looked at and also the possible effects of EMFs/WiFi.

Have you found that using the trial method with GABA and/or theanine has enabled you to find the ideal amount to take for your insomnia or anxiety? Where did you start and how high did you need to go and how much did this approach help?

Did the removal of tyrosine make a difference or make you more tired in the day?

Were there other factors at play as root causes of your insomnia or anxiety?

As a practitioner, do you want to learn more about how to incorporate GABA and theanine and the other targeted individual amino acids, tryptophan/5-HTP, DPA, glutamine and tyrosine, into your work to help your clients/patients with sleep issues and anxiety? I invite you to check out my new online practitioner training here: Balancing Neurotransmitters – The Fundamentals. I’m extending the $100 discount offered at IMMH for a few weeks (use coupon code immh2019).

GABA and theanine mixture improves sleep and eases anxiety

August 16, 2019 By Trudy Scott 19 Comments

I’m at the Integrative Medicine for Mental Health Conference and am speaking on “GABA for anxiety, insomnia, ADHD, autism and addictions.”

One of the studies I will be sharing is this new study on GABA and theanine and how this combination improves sleep: GABA and l-theanine mixture decreases sleep latency and improves NREM sleep.

The authors share the sleep and anxiety benefits of both GABA and theanine:

γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter and it is well established that activation of GABAA receptors favours sleep.

l-Theanine, a naturally occurring amino acid first discovered in green tea, is a well-known anti-anxiety supplement with proven relaxation benefits.

The study objective was to investigate the:

potential synergistic sleep enhancement effect of GABA/l-theanine mixture.

The GABA/l-theanine mixture showed a decrease in sleep latency (length of time to fall asleep) and an increase in sleep duration compared to GABA or theanine alone.

The study authors state:

The increase in GABA receptor and GluN1 (glutamine receptor subunit) expression is attributed to the potential neuromodulatory properties of GABA/l-theanine combination, which seems to affect sleep behaviour.

Here are the amounts used in the study:

GABA: 100mg per kg of body weight
theanine: 20 mg per kg of body weight

I have found the combination of GABA and theanine to be extremely helpful for many of my clients but not everyone needs the combination. Some folks do very well on GABA alone and some folks do really well on theanine alone.

Keep in mind I do not make amino acid recommendations based on weight but instead use the trial method to find the ideal amount.

The best way for you to figure out if you will benefit from the combination or either of them alone is to use the trial method. Do the low GABA questionnaire and do a trial of either GABA alone or theanine alone or a combination of both, until you find the right amount to improve your sleep and ease anxiety.

If you find the combination works well for you, GABA T-SAP by Nutritional Fundamentals, is a really nice combination product that I use with clients who have both anxiety and insomnia issues. I find that opening up the capsule onto the tongue is more effective than swallowing it. You can find this product and other GABA products I recommend on my supplements blog.

Here are some other blogs on the benefits of using oral GABA

Have you found GABA alone to help you with both sleep and anxiety or have you found that the combination of GABA and theanine is more helpful?

GABA for Anxiety, ADHD, Autism, Insomnia, and Addictions at IMMH 2019 conference

June 26, 2019 By Trudy Scott Leave a Comment

I’m proud to be presenting on “GABA for Anxiety, ADHD, Autism, Insomnia, and Addictions: Research and Practical Applications” at this year’s Integrative Medicine for Mental Health (IMMH) conference (a practitioner-only event)

I’ll be sharing the newest research on GABA and practical ways to use GABA with your clients/patients, as well as how to trouble-shoot when you’re not getting expected results.

Here is one of the many new studies I’ll be discussing (plus how to translate the animal study dosages for a human population): GABA and l-theanine mixture decreases sleep latency and improves NREM sleep

The use of GABA/l-theanine mixture rather than GABA or l-theanine alone restored to normal levels sleep time and quality in the arousal animal model.

The 10th Annual IMMH Conference will be held in San Diego, at the beautiful Hilton San Diego Bayfront! This four-day international conference gives practitioners a holistic approach to successfully diagnose and treat underlying issues contributing to the manifestations of neurological, behavioral, and psychiatric disorders.

Research has revealed that many disorders such as depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, OCD, eating disorders, and autism spectrum disorders often have biomedical causes that contribute to symptoms, from nutritional deficiencies to chronic infections. Patients have better outcomes when these causes are addressed and treated through a combination of specialized testing and nutritional therapies, even in combination with traditional approaches.

CME, CE, and CEU credits available!

It’s my favorite integrative mental health conference and this year the speaker line-up and topics being addressed are excellent!

2019 CONFERENCE SPEAKERS
BRIDGET BRIGGS, MD SURUCHI CHANDRA, MD KABRAN CHAPEK, ND BILL CODE, MD MARK FILIDEI, DO FELICE GERSH, MD JAMES GREENBLATT, MD ANN HATHAWAY, MD GRACE JACKSON, MD HEATHER KING, PhD LESLIE KORN, PhD JULIE MATTHEWS, CNC	NEIL NATHAN, MD JAMES NEUENSCHWANDER, MD SANFORD NEWMARK, MD JOSEPH PIZZORNO, ND MATTHEW PRATT-HYATT, PhD SCOTT SHANNON, MD KENNETH SHARLIN, MD WILLIAM SHAW, PhD RICK SPONAUGLE, MD ELISA SONG, MD KURT WOELLER, DO

A few of the conference topics include:

Solving the Brain Puzzle: Recovery Potential for Neurodegenerative Disorders
It’s Not All in Their Heads: Treating the Gut-Brain-Immune Triad
Brains on Fire: An Integrative Approach to Healing Childhood PANS/PANDAS
Integrative Therapies for Suicide Prevention
Reversal of Cognitive Decline: The Science, The Tools, and the Transformation
Concussion Rescue: A Comprehensive Approach to Traumatic Brain Injury
Neuropsychiatric Aspects of Lyme Disease and Associated Co-Infections
Non-Pharmacological Treatments for Chronic Pain
The Integrative Treatment of ADHD
Bioidentical Hormone Replacement for Mood and Cognition
New Frontiers in Mental Health: CBD and Beyond

IMMH CLINICIAN REGISTRY

Attendance at this conference qualifies you to join the Integrative Medicine for Mental Health (IMMH) Clinician Registry, making you accessible to potential patients. Each entry searchable by zip code in the U.S. and provides the medical professional’s specialty and contact information. In keeping with the integrative approach, the registry includes all professionals who have attended an IMMH conference and completed the IMMH registry application.

Details and registration here (Use promo code TRUDY50 to save an additional $50 on your registration). Early bird rates expire after June 30th.

If you are coming, please comment below and let me know! And be sure to come and say hi after my presentation and at my booth! If there is enough interest, I’ll be arranging a gathering/dinner one evening so let me know.

This is a practitioner-only event so if this doesn’t apply to you please consider sharing it with your practitioner. I’ll also be bringing back information to share with you via blog posts after the event so stay tuned. In the meanwhile, feel free to post questions in the comments below.

Phenibut for anxiety and insomnia: FDA warns 3 companies to cease distribution of their products

April 19, 2019 By Trudy Scott 63 Comments

Earlier this week, on April 16, 2019, the FDA issued warning letters to 3 companies have products that are marketed as dietary supplements with a label saying they contain Phenibut. These companies have been told to stop distribution of the current products and to let the FDA know within 15 days what they plan to do to be compliant with the law.

Quite frankly, I’m surprised it’s taken this long, and I actually agree with the decision. However, there are some major problems that are being overlooked with a decision like this, such as the dire consequences for susceptible individuals currently tapering from Phenibut or needing to do a slow taper once they no longer have access to Phenibut (more on that below).

The good news is that GABA, when used correctly i.e. used sublingually as part of a trial process to find the ideal amount for each person, is as effective and with none of the dependence and withdrawal issues.

Here is the announcement on the FDA site:

Phenibut has been found in products labeled as dietary supplements, sometimes marketed for uses such as a sleep aid. Phenibut does not meet the definition of a dietary ingredient Under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act). Products labeled as dietary supplements that list phenibut as a dietary ingredient are misbranded.

Phenibut is also known as:

fenibut

phenigam

PhGaba

Phenigamma

Phenygam

4-Amino-3-phenylbutanoic acid

β-(aminomethyl)benzenepropanoic acid

beta-(Aminomethyl)hydrocinnamic acid

β-phenyl-γ-aminobutyric acid

The companies have 15 business days from the date of receipt of the letter to communicate to the agency the specific steps they will take to bring their products into compliance with the law. The warning letters also caution the companies that the FDA may take enforcement action without further notice if they do not immediately cease distribution of the products.

A reaffirmed commitment to traditional advisory and enforcement actions, such as warning letters, in combination with the newly launched rapid-response tool, the Dietary Supplement Ingredient Advisory List, are integral parts of the FDA’s overall effort to strengthen the agency’s regulation and oversight of dietary supplements. We continue to look for ways to modernize our approach to protecting consumers from misbranded, unsafe, or otherwise unlawful dietary supplements.

I have always been very open with my warnings and have never recommended Phenibut because of the dependence issues and the fact that withdrawal can be similar to benzodiazepines. I blogged about my concerns back in 2016: Why I recommend GABA for anxiety instead of Phenibut

Here are a few highlights from this blog:

I have concerns with Phenibut and I don’t feel anyone should be using it
It is widely used in Russia as a prescription medication for anxiety, tension, fear, to improve sleep, pre- or post-operatively, depression, post-traumatic stress, stuttering and vestibular disorders
It’s available over-the-counter and as a supplement in the USA and the UK. It’s no longer available in Australia as a supplement
It’s very effective for anxiety and insomnia and this is why anxious individuals really love it and many practitioners recommend it before they start to see problems
One of the reasons Phenibut seems to work so well is because it is so similar to benzodiazepines.
The adverse effects can be similar to those experienced with benzos. This case study is one of many that report physical dependence can develop, including tolerance and withdrawal

Here are a few more recent case studies, reviews and papers on Phenibut:

Phenibut exposures and clinical effects reported to a regional poison center (the numbers are small: “56 exposure calls over 19 years with 48 (85.7%) calls within the past five years” but we know not everyone feels the need to call poison control)
Phenibut (β-Phenyl-γ-Aminobutyric Acid): an Easily Obtainable “Dietary Supplement” With Propensities for Physical Dependence and Addiction

Over the last several years, multiple case reports have highlighted phenibut’s potential to produce the conditions of physical dependence, withdrawal, and addiction. In cases involving intoxication, patients have presented with a varying degree of mental status changes, from being minimally responsive to manifesting symptoms of an agitated delirium. Phenibut is a potent psychoactive substance with GABA_B agonist properties, which is emerging as a drug of misuse through growing internet sales. Its marketing as a “dietary supplement” is inaccurate and misleading, given its pharmacological profile and ability to induce the physiological changes associated with withdrawal and physical dependence

Acute phenibut withdrawal: A comprehensive literature review and illustrative case report . In many of the published cases “Patients were typically younger and had coexisting substance abuse disorders to other drugs” but based on feedback I’ve had from folks in my community and elsewhere this is certainly not the case across the board. However it may be that prior benzodiazepine or fluoroquinolone use may play a role in individuals being more susceptible to issues.
Phenibut (β-Phenyl-γ-Aminobutyric Acid) Psychosis. This case study was a situation of recreational abuse but even so it shows how severe symptoms can be.

I see no reason to use a product like Phenibut given the potential to cause harm and because GABA (when used correctly i.e. used sublingually as part of a trial process to find the ideal amount for each person) is as effective and with none of the dependence and withdrawal issues.

Phenibut: initially very promising results and then rebound anxiety, panic and insomnia

I’d like to share a story from someone in my community who posted on the 2016 blog above. He shared this about the addictive aspects he observed when he used a Phenibut product called GABA Wave, saying his initial reaction was very positive and quite extreme compared to his previous trials of GABA:

The initial response in the first couple of weeks was great, especially a couple of hours after taking it. The effects were a marked elevation in mood to the point of euphoria, enhanced appreciation for music, improved focus and cognition initially (but that became memory difficulty), marked relief of anxiety, increased motivation, renewed interest in things, being more talkative, a significant calming/relaxation effect, generally a deep and great night’s sleep the night of the morning it is taken.

He then shares how this changed after a few weeks with rebound insomnia, panic and anxiety, and other adverse symptoms:

However, after a few weeks it was the reaction on the following day of taking it that kicked me in the butt, literally. On the following day I began to feel very low, groggy and spaced out, almost like a hangover and then during the following night I began having brutal insomnia – a complete turn-around from the night before. A kind of rebound response. I imagine that’s when the tolerance and addiction begins to develop because one craves the next dose to provide the good night’s sleep after the bad sleep on the second night. Other side effects included mood swings, irritability, rebound anxiety, panic, loss of short-term memory, total and utter loss of any form of libido and constipation!

He shared that his diet and self-care are excellent, but he is dealing with and working past emotional and psychological traumas – and this may make him more susceptible to the adverse effects.

And this is one of the problems with Phenibut – you’ll hear excellent initial reports and for some people this continues. Not everyone is adversely affected but you just don’t know in advance if you will be someone who is adversely affected or just how badly you’ll be affected.

Merry has had very severe ongoing adverse effects from Phenibut.

Merry Citoli shares her warnings about benzodiazepine, lunesta and Phenibut withdrawal

Merry Citoli shares her warnings about benzodiazepine, lunesta and Phenibut withdrawal. Lunesta and then Phenibut were recommended to help her taper from the benzodiazepine she was prescribed for perimenopausal anxiety. At the time of this recording, she had tapered off the benzo and lunesta, but was having great difficulties tapering off Phenibut – almost as bad as her benzo taper.

You can learn more about Merry on Follow Your Bliss. She shares how cathartic it is to share her story and the desire to help stop others going through what she has been through. I’d like to acknowledge Merry for doing this (and all of you for sharing your stories and posting encouraging messages here on the blog for each other).

I’d also like to give a shout out to the Benzodiazepine Information Coalition who is doing amazing advocacy and educational work about these awful medications.

The comments in my 2016 blog: Why I recommend GABA for anxiety instead of Phenibut are worth a read if this affects you. You’ll see there are some very different thoughts on Phenibut safety and folks saying GABA won’t work. This is typical of what you can expect to hear elsewhere online.

I don’t have all the answers

I know many Phenibut users are going to be very concerned about this and we’ll be dealing with many withdrawal issues and folks looking for an alternative. I recognize that this is not going to be easy if there is no Phenibut available for tapering. There are also very serious concerns for those who can’t go cold-turkey off Phenibut and won’t have the time to taper. Abrupt discontinuation of Phenibut may result in withdrawal which can be severe and require hospitalization.

What I don’t know:

if other companies and products will be targeted too?
if Phenibut will be made available as prescription in some form or another?
what resources are in place or going to be put in place for individuals who are in the process for trying to taper from Phenibut right now (or if there is even the awareness that this is an issue and very needed? For people like Merry, cold-turkeying off Phenibut could be life-threatening)
what advocacy groups and benzo support groups know and what advice do they have?
what my colleagues know and are planning to do?
why so many practitioners recommended it and why so many companies made it available as a supplement, given the research/case studies and the issues so many individuals report?
if there will be a place to submit concerns and complaints?

What I do know – GABA and the foundations

Give GABA serious consideration for safe and comfortable tapering (assuming there is enough Phenibut to do slow tapers) and for ongoing support of the low GABA symptoms of physical anxiety and tension.

It’s really best that you work with your practitioner. As with a benzodiazepine, before starting a Phenibut taper, I’ve always found it’s best to get nutritionally stable as possible first and address all root causes of anxiety before starting to taper and then tapering Phenibut very very very slowly. For some folks it’s just very uncomfortable for a few weeks and for others it’s a long-term ordeal.

I use GABA sublingually after an initial trial to find the ideal amount for each person. I have found that for both a benzo and Phenibut taper, very very tiny amounts (like a pinch or dab) will be enough for some folks.

Other nutrients are used based on each person’s need – such as theanine, tryptophan, melatonin, niacinamide, zinc and vitamin B6 and others. Light therapy, exercise, yoga, meditation, getting out in nature and essential oils like lavender, citrus and jasmine are also wonderful to incorporate. Of course, diet, blood sugar control and gut health are the foundation.

These are various GABA products I use. You can find some examples on my supplements blog here:

Source Naturals GABA Calm (with additional information here)
Nutritional Fundamentals for Health GABA-T SAP: gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) 300 mg, l-theanine 150 mg. This is pleasant-tasting when opened on to the tongue and works very well when GABA Calm can’t be used. I find best results when it is used opened on to the tongue.
Enzymatic Therapy GABA: gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) 250 mg. This is also pleasant-tasting when opened on to the tongue and works very well when GABA Calm can’t be used. As with all GABA products, I find best results when it is used opened on to the tongue.
ProThera 500mg GABA: gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) 500 mg. You will likely need to open this up and start with less than a full capsule during the day. A full capsule may be fine at night for some individuals.

They can all be purchased from my online store here.

As you can see, I don’t have all the answers about this FDA announcement, but I wanted to share what I do know so you are aware of what’s going on.

In the next few weeks I’m going to be reaching out to benzodiazepine groups, colleagues, the companies affected and individuals who are in the process for trying to taper from Phenibut. As I learn more, I’ll share what I learn.

In the meantime, please post questions you may have, and I’ll do my best to either answer them now or find answers for you.

And please do share your Phenibut stories (both good and bad), your concerns, and any resources you may have.

And do share if GABA has help you taper from Phenibut.

GABA Calm instead of Xanax for panic attacks, heightened stress and anxiety: questions and my feedback

April 12, 2019 By Trudy Scott 12 Comments

Last month I shared Dee’s wonderful results with using GABA Calm for her panic attacks, heightened stress and anxiety. I posted the following on Facebook and it led to some really good questions so here they are with my feedback in case you have similar questions about using GABA, which is a calming amino acid. This is Dee’s feedback:

I have taken Xanax in the past for panic attacks. My functional medicine doctor suggested GABA Calm as I wanted a natural product. I was amazed how it works just like the Xanax did – instant calm feeling within 10 mins of taking 2 capsules. I use them as needed when I am having heightened stress and anxiety.

These are wonderful results for Dee and what a great functional medicine doctor she has. I get feedback like this all the time with my clients. In fact, I had this positive feedback on the Facebook post:

“Yes absolutely treat the anxiety while finding root cause” – I agree with this but would add that low GABA is one of the root causes we are addressing right away
I have GAD enzyme deficiency. B6, Magnesium, theanine, and GABA are a must
GABA saved my life – my functional medicine doctor gave me the same thing!

(1) The first question I received was about which product and which form of GABA:

The Gaba Calm that is being mentioned by Dee says 2 capsules – would you please provide a link for that? I see the one you mention as a lozenge – which I’d like to try as well. Do they contain pharmaGaba or synthetic GABA? I read that the pharmaGaba is superior – your thoughts on this?

This is the GABA product Dee is referring to: Source Naturals GABA Calm and she used 2 sublingual lozenges.

As a recap (in case you’re new to the low GABA type of anxiety) when you have low GABA levels you will have physical anxiety with stiff and tense muscles as well as feelings of stress, overwhelm and may even have panic attacks.

The amino acid GABA helps to raise GABA levels and ease these symptoms very quickly. I find that all GABA products are most effective when taken sublingually or opened on to the tongue. This is why I recommend the Source Naturals GABA Calm™ product.

This is my most popular and most effective form of GABA I use with my clients. It is a pleasant-tasting sublingual product that you can buy at your local health-store and in my online supplement store.

I prefer to start with GABA with my clients but folks do better with pharmaGABA so it’s matter of doing a trial to figure it out.

(2) Someone also asked if you can you take it if you are on antidepressants?

There are no known issues that I am aware of and I use GABA calm with clients who are prescribed antidepressants.

(3) One woman had a concern about her prior use and how GABA made her feel worse:

2 capsules at what dosage? I tried one at 750 mg and made me feel more panicked. Maybe it’s the strength?

I always have my clients start LOW, typically at 125mg, which is the amount in one GABA Calm lozenge. We start even lower (like ¼ of a lozenge) if they are very sensitive to supplement or medications. Higher doses like 750mg (and even 500mg for some people) is way too much for most folks to start on and can make you feel worse and even cause a panic attack, make you feel flushed and light-headed and very sleepy.

(4) One woman said, “unfortunately GABA didn’t work for me” but lithium orotate (5-10 mg per day did help her – “Great mood stabilizer”

When GABA doesn’t help to ease anxiety, it could be for a number of reasons:

the root cause of the anxiety wasn’t due to low GABA (perhaps it’s the low serotonin anxiety) or
it wasn’t enough GABA (we titrate up from 125mg until we find the ideal amount for each person) or
too much GABA was used (as above) or
it wasn’t actually GABA that was used (some people say GABA when they used the medication gabapentin or used Phenibut) or
the GABA was not used sublingually (this is the best way to use it for quickest results) or
the person has thyroid issues (the amino acids are less effective in this instance)

I do like lithium orotate as a mood stabilizer and find that for some individuals this does make the amino acids more effective. The fact that lithium worked for her makes me think there is some GABA involvement in her anxiety because lithium seems to support increased levels of GABA. Dr. Peter Bongiorno writes about this in his book Put Anxiety Behind You.

(5) One person shared her success with exposure therapy and acceptance and cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) instead of using GABA, and a concern about a lifetime need for GABA. I’m paraphrasing some of the discussion:

I have recovered from GAD, panic disorder, OCD and depression from exposure therapy and acceptance and cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). It takes a lot of work and understanding but anxiety and panic can be recovered, and you don’t have use ANY external substances.

We can’t take GABA for a whole life time and it isn’t a permanent solution. Anxiety comes with a LOT more than uncomfortable feelings. Unfortunately for myself and many others GABA had no significant impact on anxiety. No external substance is going to correct a cognitive disorder.

GABA is not a life-time solution. The goal is to take GABA short-term and address other root causes that are leading to low GABA such as poor gut health, gluten issues, diet (not enough quality protein or health fats), stress/adrenals, sex hormone imbalances, heavy metals, Lyme disease and so on.

As I mention in #4 above there are reasons when the GABA doesn’t work or doesn’t seem to work.

I respectfully disagree that “No external substance is going to correct a cognitive disorder.” I’m all for CBT but many folks have to address their biochemistry too for lasting results. I also have many therapist colleagues who share that CBT and other therapy is often more effective when someone is nutritionally stable and with no deficiencies or biochemical imbalances. I say let’s use everything at our disposal to feel good again!

I’m really pleased she found results with acceptance and cognitive behavior therapy. I will admit that I’m not a big fan of exposure therapy as I’m concerned about the added stress for someone who is already anxious. I’ve also worked with a number of clients who have not seen long-term results with exposure therapy.

Here are three additional GABA success stories:

In case this is relevant for you, the product mentioned in this blog can be found in my online store:

Source Naturals GABA Calm (with additional information here)

If for some reason GABA Calm isn’t the best product for you, a low dose GABA-only product or combination GABA/theanine product can easily be opened onto the tongue in order to provide similar benefits to the lozenge. You can find some examples on my supplements blog here and purchased from my online store:

Nutritional Fundamentals for Health GABA-T SAP: gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) 300 mg, l-theanine 150 mg. This is pleasant-tasting when opened on to the tongue and works very well when GABA Calm can’t be used. I find best results when it is used opened on to the tongue.
Enzymatic Therapy GABA: gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) 250 mg. This is also pleasant-tasting when opened on to the tongue and works very well when GABA Calm can’t be used. As with all GABA products, I find best results when it is used opened on to the tongue.
ProThera 500mg GABA: gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) 500 mg. You will likely need to open this up and start with less than a full capsule during the day. A full capsule may be fine at night for some individuals)

I’d love to hear if these questions and my feedback have been helpful for you as you navigate the low GABA type of anxiety? Do you have additional GABA questions for me? Or a GABA success story to share? Please post in the comments below.

GABA for the physical-tension and stiff-and-tense-muscles type of anxiety

September 6, 2017 By Trudy Scott 93 Comments

Today I’m going to review some GABA products for the physical-tension and stiff-and-tense-muscles type of anxiety, and share some additional resources for you.

The other symptoms we see with low GABA are panic attacks, physical tension in certain settings like public speaking or driving, and the need to self-medicate to calm down, often with alcohol but sometimes with carbs and sugary foods. Insomnia can also be due to low GABA and you’ll experience physical tension (rather than the ruminating thoughts which is the low serotonin type of insomnia – although it’s not uncommon to experience both). GABA also helps with muscle spasms and pain relief when muscles are tight.

The biggest take-aways with GABA:

Sublingual is best. I find that GABA works best when used sublingually and this is one reason I like Source Naturals GABA Calm so much. If this is not an option (it does contain sugar alcohols that some clients can’t or won’t use and does contain tyrosine which as some contraindications) then opening a capsule of a GABA-only or a GABA-theanine combination are my next choices when working with someone.
Start very low and increase as needed. I have found 125mg to be a good starting dose but some pixie dust clients do well on a dab or pinch
Do a trial to determine if the anxiety in in fact due to low GABA. I always do this with clients before starting any amino acid. Be sure to read how to do an amino acid trial – it has the low GABA questionnaire, the precautions and information on how to use targeted individual amino acids.

Here are some of the actual GABA products I recommend and use with clients:

Source Naturals GABA Calm. This is a pleasant-tasting sublingual product that is my most popular and most effective form of GABA I use with my clients. It contains 125 mg GABA and some glycine, taurine and magnesium, and a small amount of tyrosine to counter the calming effects. You can see the lozenges in the picture above.
Nutritional Fundamentals for Health GABA-T SAP: gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) 300 mg, l-Theanine 150 mg. This is pleasant-tasting when opened on to the tongue and works very well when GABA Calm can’t be used. I find best results when it is used opened on to the tongue and I really like that it’s a low dose of GABA. Some of my clients do well with half a capsule. You can see an opened capsule in the picture above.
Enzymatic Therapy GABA: gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) 250 mg. This is also pleasant-tasting when opened on to the tongue and works very well when GABA Calm can’t be used. As with all GABA products, I find best results when it is used opened on to the tongue.
ProThera 500mg GABA: gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) 500 mg. You will likely need to open this up and start with less than a full capsule during the day and increase as needed based on the trial. A full capsule may be fine at night for some individuals and more than one works in some situations.

There are a number of other great GABA products. When I reached out on Facebook for feedback I heard from one mom who likes Kirkman Labs GABA with Niacinamide and Inositol for her son who is on the spectrum, and someone else shared she likes Thorne PharmaGABA better than GABA products.

A few people shared this feedback when using GABA: one person felt too tired, someone else felt a niacin-type flush and someone else got an electric shock feeling in her brain. How you respond depends on the dose and with GABA and the other amino acids there is no one recommended dose for anyone. It’s very individualized which is why I have clients do a trial and start low. GABA helps many people tapering from benzodiazepines but some people are so sensitive that even a pinch is too much.

One person asked how to get GABA from food as she is fearful of taking medications and supplements. I always recommend a real whole foods diet with quality animal protein and organic produce, together with health fats and fermented veggies – so this is a great foundation. It may not be enough and when there is fear and phobias I immediately think of low serotonin and would determine if this is a factor an address this first. I covered low serotonin and tryptophan in the product review last week.

Here are some additional GABA resources for you:

Source Naturals GABA Calm™: Why I recommend it for anxiety

It’s a great product to use with children. Trish Soderstrom shared how she used this product with her daughter’s Lyme anxiety.

We’ve used Source Naturals GABA Calm sublinguals with good results. I learned about GABA helping anxiety and because I was treating my young daughter I purchased this because it was easy for her to take.But there may still be some confusion about when to use GABA and when to use tryptophan and how much of each of these amino acids to use.

GABA is calming for me, doesn’t work for my daughter’s anxiety and makes my son sleepy

I have used GABA (several brands, just open capsule and sprinkle small amount under tongue) for years now, with calming results within minutes. It was recommended to me by 2 family members, both bi-polar, who were tested by Dr. Amen. I have also used it with my children (now adults); my daughter says it doesn’t work for her. (She has anxiety issues and occasional panic attacks, and Rescue Remedy helps her.) It does work to calm my 3 sons, but one says it makes him sleepy, and lasts into the next day, so he won’t take it.

GABA for children: ADHD, focus issues, irritability, anxiety and tantrums

My daughter hasn’t been diagnosed with ADHD but has a lot of ADHD qualities. We were having a huge amount of behavior problems as she is getting older (she’s 11). I did some research and went to the health food store and bought a bottle. At this point I was mentally exhausted from all the fighting and drama at home and at school. I was desperate and didn’t want to put her on any hard medication.

She has had amazing behavior at school and at home since giving it to her. She’s almost like different child. GABA has truly changed our life. She’s been taking it for almost 2 months.

The blog has many other posts on GABA and serotonin and simply use the “search” function to find them.

This blog post is part of the series of amino acid product reviews:

The resources in this blog and my other articles are intended to be used in conjunction with my book: The Antianxiety Food Solution – How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood, and End Cravings. If you do not have my book I highly recommend getting it and reading it before jumping in and taking the amino acid supplements:

There is a complete chapter on the amino acids and one for pyroluria, plus information on real whole food, sugar and blood sugar, gluten, digestion and much more.

You can find the GABA products and the others I recommend here on this blog: The Antianxiety Food Solution Amino Acid and Pyroluria Supplements

I’d love to hear what GABA product has worked for you and how it’s helped?

If you have questions please post them below or on the supplements blog