thyroid

Tryptophan doesn’t work, then it does and then it doesn’t: could it be hormonal shifts, dietary factors and/or parasites?

November 26, 2021 By Trudy Scott 11 Comments

Have you been in a situation where tryptophan doesn’t work, then it does work, and then sometimes it doesn’t work as expected? There is a reasonable explanation as to why it may not work initially – too much or too little was used. The variable results and the need to switch between lower and higher doses on an ongoing basis can happen but it’s not very pronounced unless there is a specific reason. In this blog I cover some of these reasons – hormone shifts, dietary factors and parasites/other digestive issues.

I’m writing this blog in response to a question that was posted on one of my speaker pages on the Anxiety Summit: Gut-Brain Axis. This is the actual question:

I tried to use tryptophan the first time (whole capsule) and got really high. Some time later I tried again, but used 1/4 of a capsule and had a good result. A few weeks later 1/4 of the capsule didn’t work at night. So I went up to half a capsule. And that’s where I am now. But some nights (very rare) I can only get good results from a whole capsule. I use it along with the same amount of GABA. Is that a normal reaction for tryptophan?

I don’t know what brand of tryptophan she was using but assume 500mg was her starting dose and she now shifts between 125 mg (¼ capsule) and 250 mg (½ capsule) with variable results.

It’s not unusual for someone to not feel great on 500 mg if that dose is too much for their unique needs. She did the right thing by lowering her dose. It’s also reasonable that someone may find 500 mg as an initial dose isn’t enough to reduce symptoms.

The variable results and the need to switch between 125 mg and 250 mg can happen but it’s not very pronounced unless there is a specific reason. Some of these reasons include hormone shifts, dietary factors, parasites/other digestive issues, thyroid issues, low lithium, product quality and environmental factors. More on all this below.

Hormone shifts/more serotonin is needed in the luteal phase

I have my clients track when the variability happens, with female clients documenting their cycles. Some women need more serotonin support in the luteal phase i.e. after ovulation and right up to before their periods. Some may even need additional tryptophan for the first few days of their periods too.

Write about tryptophan working well in the luteal phase in this blog – Tryptophan for PMS: premenstrual dysphoria, mood swings, tension, and irritability

In a study published in 1999, A placebo-controlled clinical trial of L-tryptophan in premenstrual dysphoria, tryptophan was found to reduce symptoms of PMS when used in the luteal phase or second half of the cycle (i.e. after ovulation):

37 patients with premenstrual dysphoric disorder were treated with L-tryptophan 6 g per day, and 34 were given placebo. The treatments were administered under double-blind conditions for 17 days, from the time of ovulation to the third day of menstruation, during three consecutive menstrual cycles.

They looked at dysphoria, which is defined as a state of unease or generalized dissatisfaction with life, plus mood swings, tension (and anxiety), and irritability and they found a 34.5% reduction of symptoms with tryptophan compared to 10.4% with placebo.

The paper concludes: “that these results suggest that increasing serotonin synthesis during the late luteal phase of the menstrual cycle has a beneficial effect in patients with premenstrual dysphoric disorder.”

It’s a small study but the results are powerful and it’s something I see clinically with my clients. The one big difference is that I typically have clients using tryptophan throughout the month.

But if you are seeing tryptophan work and then not work at similar times each month this is something to consider and track. And then if need be, increase and decrease tryptophan accordingly (and track again).

Dietary factors – collagen, gluten, sugar, wine and coffee

There are other factors to consider too and dietary impacts is one. For example, collagen leads to a higher need for tryptophan in susceptible individuals (due to it’s serotonin-lowering effects – I blog about this here)

Another dietary factor is accidental gluten exposure in susceptible individuals or a newly discovered gluten issue

High sugar intake, alcohol and/or caffeine consumption may also be a factor – contributing to added stress for the adrenals and depletions in zinc and the B vitamins. This can contribute to lowered serotonin and a need for a higher dose of tryptophan.

Now imagine if it’s just before her period and she adds collagen to her diet and she also eats out and gets zapped by gluten. Triple whammy for this woman!

And she goes to a party and happens to indulge in cocktails or wine, and then goes on a binge at the dessert table, followed by a few cups of coffee (or even one dessert and one cup of coffee).

A food-mood log really helps you figure things out. And then, if need be, increase and decrease tryptophan accordingly. And track again and address the dietary issues.

Parasites and other gut issues

If she has a very pronounced shift in symptoms for 4-5 days around a full moon each month – more severe insomnia, more anxious, more depressed – I would want to check for parasites.

I would also want to check for other digestion issues like dysbiosis, SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth), candida and liver health as they may all be factors. With SIBO and candida, dietary slip-ups may make symptoms worse right after the slip-up, for example increased bloating making sleep and anxiety worse.

Using tryptophan sublingually/opened on the tongue may bypass some of the digestive/liver issues until they are resolved.

As mentioned above, if need be, increase and decrease tryptophan accordingly. And track again and address the underlying issues.

Other factors to rule out – thyroid, lithium, environmental factors and the product

Two other underlying root causes we always want to rule out when we see variable results using tryptophan (and any of the amino acids) are Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (because we can have variable thyroid results – sometimes hypo/low and sometimes hyper/high) and low levels of lithium (because this can affect the results we see with all the amino acids).

And we always check environmental factors like mold, EMFs and outside stresses. And look for infections like Lyme disease or EBV. If the basics are not unearthing the solution we continue to dig deeper and do a full functional medicine workup. And adjust the tryptophan as needed.

And finally the quality of the product is key. I find Lidtke Tryptophan to be better than many other brands. I’ve also had many clients switch to Lidtke tryptophan and see better results and often need a lower dose.

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

If you are new to using the amino acids tryptophan/5-HTP and the other amino acids as supplements, here is the Amino Acids Mood Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution (you can see the low serotonin symptoms here) and a brief overview here, Anxiety and targeted individual amino acid supplements: a summary.

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

The book doesn’t include product names (per the publisher’s request) so this blog, The Antianxiety Food Solution Amino Acid and Pyroluria Supplements, lists the amino acid products that I use with my individual clients and those in my group programs.

I always appreciate good questions like this and hope this feedback has helped her and you too if you’ve experienced something like this (or if you do in the future). In case you’re wondering, this question was posted after someone tuned into my interview, “GABA & Tryptophan: Gut-Anxiety Connections” on the Anxiety Summit 5: Gut-Brain Axis.

Have you had a variable response to tryptophan (or 5-HTP) and can you relate to any of this?

What did you figure out to be the reason?

Feel free to ask your questions here too.

5-HTP for a calm brain, and a racing mind at night: questions and answers

April 16, 2021 By Trudy Scott 39 Comments

5-HTP is an amino acid, made from the seeds of an African plant, Griffonia simplicifolia, and used as a supplement to ease low serotonin symptoms. With low levels of serotonin you’ll experience the worry-type of anxiety with ruminations, obsessing, panic attacks, insomnia (often lying awake worrying). This type of anxiety is different from the low GABA physical/tension type anxiety. Other low serotonin symptoms include low mood/depression, late afternoon and evening carbohydrate cravings, pain, digestive/IBS symptoms, PMS, irritability, rage and anger, TMJ, low confidence, imposter syndrome and perfectionism.

When I share my low serotonin blogs on Facebook I receive so many great questions about 5-HTP. Today I’m going to share some of these questions and my answers so you can get the benefits too.

Gail asks why 5-HTP stopped working for her when it had been working so amazingly well:

I took 5-HTP and it worked amazingly….for about 6 months. Then it did nothing. Any idea why?

I took 100 mg per day. It’s hard to explain, but it calmed my brain down. I wasn’t so quick to blurt things out during the day and at night I was able to sleep because my mind wasn’t racing. Nothing else changed at that time. That was a few years ago, I think I’ll buy more and try again

I would guess that something did shift around the 6 month mark and would try and identify what it was so you know for the future. It could have been accidental gluten exposure (from the diet or even cosmetics), hormonal shifts (perimenopause or menopause), adding collagen or gelatin on a regular basis (this can lower serotonin in susceptible folks) and/or changes in thyroid health.

If you have pyroluria and were exposed to major stresses (life stresses or toxic mold etc.) you’d lose vitamin B6 and this could affect serotonin production. The addition of the birth control pill and antidepressants can also deplete vitamin B6. I share some possible reasons for low serotonin on this blog on imposter syndrome (as mentioned above, imposter syndrome is a common sign of low serotonin).

With these wonderful benefits Gail experienced, trialing 5-HTP again is worth considering. Because 5-HTP works so quickly she’ll feel that sense of calm right away and she won’t blurt things out during the day (possibly caused by lack of confidence and/or irritability and/or anger?). Also, her mind won’t race at night, she’ll fall asleep quickly and will stay asleep, waking rested, calm, happy, confident and optimistic.

And in future if something like this happens again, I’d try to identify the cause and bump up 5-HTP temporarily.

Wendy asks about headaches as an adverse effect:

What do you recommend if 5-HTP gives you headaches?

Headaches are not a common adverse effect with 5-HTP (compared to the amino acid tyrosine which is recognized to cause headaches and migraines in susceptible folks).

Even if you are seeing benefits – for the worry-type anxiety and other low serotonin symptoms – with 5-HTP you don’t ever want to push through with something like headaches and continue to take it. I have clients use less 5-HTP and observe if they still see the benefits with no headaches.

We also make sure low serotonin is the issue. If it’s not then any amount of 5-HTP will either do nothing or cause adverse effects. If the issue is low serotonin then I have clients do a trial of tryptophan.

If the 5-HTP is being used to ease low mood/depression caused by low catecholamine or low endorphins depression then neither 5-HTP or tryptophan is going to help and may cause adverse effects. And tyrosine and/or DPA are better choices.

Gerry asks this question after my interview on Your Best Sleep Ever Summit:

Great talk Trudy. When you want to increase serotonin, do you take both 5-HTP & tryptophan or just one or the other?

They can be used alone or both can be used together. I like to have clients add one new amino acid supplement at a time so we know what is working before confounding things with another one. I typically start with tryptophan for low serotonin support simply because I have such good results with it and because 5-HTP can raise cortisol in some folks.

We start with tryptophan mid-afternoon and evening (after doing a trial earlier in the day to make sure it helps). If tryptophan causes adverse effects or doesn’t work then we do a trial of 5-HTP and then use it afternoon and evening (when serotonin levels tend to drop).

If tryptophan is working in the afternoon and evening, and additional support for worry or ruminations or panic or anxiety is needed earlier in the day, we may consider 5-HTP which can often also help improve focus. We may also consider tryptophan earlier in the day too.

It’s very individualized and we may mix and match to find the ideal combination and dosing based on trials and symptom resolution. It’s important to be aware that some folks do better on 5-HTP and some do better on tryptophan.

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

You can see all the low serotonin symptoms here.
Fibromyalgia: tryptophan or 5-HTP for anxiety, depression, pain and insomnia
You can see the 5-HTP and tryptophan products I use with my clients here on the supplements blog.
You may find this helpful too – GABA for easing physical anxiety and tension: some questions and answers.

As always, it’s not only the low serotonin we need to address. 5-HTP 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 – and why serotonin is low in the first place.

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

What questions do you have about 5-HTP?

Which low serotonin symptoms can you relate to and has 5-HTP or tryptophan helped? Or have you found success with a combination.

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

Tryptophan calms comfort eating, eases self-doubt, reduces uncontrollable late night snacking and results in a lot more peace around food.

March 26, 2021 By Trudy Scott 26 Comments

Zoe shares her life long story about comfort eating, her insecurities and self-doubt in her teens, the comfort-foods that allowed her to “escape” and how addressing low serotonin at 41 years of age led to her feeling a lot more peace around food. The effects of one chewable tryptophan were instant! Here is her story in her own words, some insights from me and possible next steps for Zoe to consider.

Historically I had comfort eaten and felt insecure and had lots of self-doubt. This led to trying alcohol and cocaine in my early 20s, plus I’m a vegetarian so I think I blew through all my natural serotonin by the time I tried tryptophan at 41!

I think [low] serotonin was huge for me and tryptophan helped calm my comfort eating.

My comfort eating started at secondary school, around 14, an escape from my feelings when I got home from school. I would eat mashed potatoes with loads of butter or a Sara Lee Chocolate gateau.

Thinking about it now, I realize I was craving carbohydrates and I would eat till I felt sick. I craved feeling really full and sadly was bulimic for a few years there as a teenager. I think my feelings of not feeling good enough/unloved drove me to comfort eating and not feeling understood. I would eat, be sick then do an exercise video before my parents even got home! It may also have been hormonal as I get PMS. I also have PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome).

Good news is I tried tryptophan last summer and the effects were instant.

I hadn’t read the instructions properly so ate a Lidtke chewable tryptophan tablet with my meal and instantly felt the effect. I stopped eating and feeling hungry instantly. I took the chewables for a couple of months then went onto Lidtke 500mg for another few months.

I do still have a tendency to snack late at night but it’s gone from totally uncontrollable 8 or 9 out of 10 to a 3 or 4 out of 10. I don’t crave food anywhere near as much as I used to and I have a lot more peace around food now.

Thank you for being the one to introduce me to them, you are a super star.

A few thoughts from me

This is a wonderful outcome and I’m thrilled for her transformation! I also appreciate Zoe giving me permission to share here so you can be inspired and have hope!

A few thoughts from me:

PMS/dysphoria is common with low serotonin levels and research shows that tryptophan can help ease symptoms in a few cycles
Low levels of serotonin and endorphins can lead to alcohol consumption and experimenting with drugs as a means of self-medication. This can often be replaced with sugar addiction and cravings which are also a way to self-medicate.
Low serotonin is a factor with bulimia, although it’s typically an under-recognized factor when it comes to eating disorders.

I share where I’d start if we were working together and possible next steps below.

How did she use tryptophan and which products did she use?

Zoe initially used the Lidtke chewable (each one is 100mg) for a few months: ”I used the Lidtke chewable as I don’t need much to feel the effects of aminos!”

Then she switched to the Lidtke 500mg: “I was taking 500mg mixed with banana on an empty stomach every day for about 6 months.”

This amount of tryptophan would be considered low for most folks. 500mg is a typical starting dose often used 1-2 mid-afternoon and 1-2 in the evening.

You may see all her low serotonin symptoms and think she has a lot going on and will likely need large doses of tryptophan for serotonin support. But you never know how much tryptophan will work until you do a trial.

Low endorphins and DPA for eliminating comfort eating

Zoe actually posted much of the above in response to a question I posted on Facebook about eliminating comfort eating and the amino acid called DPA (d-phenylalanine). DPA typically helps the kind of eating where you feel “I deserve this or this is my reward or this is my treat.” Until you address low endorphins with DPA, you may also feel eating these foods are numbing – as in numbing or blocking emotional pain.

She shared “Yes I’ve tried DPLA and it had a very nice effect.” But as you’ve read above, low serotonin was a bigger issue for Zoe and it was the tryptophan that really helped calm her comfort eating.

DLPA or DPA?

I reminded her that DPLA (dl-phenylalanine) is quite different from DPA (d-phenylalanine). DLPA works on boosting low catecholamines (improving low motivation, poor focus and fatigue and stay-in-bed kind of depression) and to a small extent also low endorphins. DPA works purely on boosting low endorphins.

But Zoe did see benefits from DLPA:

DPLA made me feel very content with my life. I felt very happy where I was all of a sudden, instead of feeling the need to chase something better all the time. I’ve never had just straight DPA, I’ve found it hard to find.

It’s not uncommon to see low serotonin and low endorphins in situations like this.

Tryptophan is no longer helping: my feedback and other ideas

Zoe did also share this about the 500mg tryptophan no longer helping like it used to:

The tryptophan doesn’t seem to have the same effect on me anymore sadly but that maybe because I’m ‘topped up’ but I did wonder if I had ruined the quality of my tryptophan by storing it on top of my microwave (so they were heating up).

I’ll try the [Lidtke] Tryptophan Complete this time and hope they work as I do still get a bit of PMS which seemed to go away for a while.

I did hear about mixing it with inositol being a possible solution too?

Here is my feedback on some of this, where I’d start if we were working together and possible next steps:

My favorite DPA product is also made by Lidtke and it’s called Endorphigen. It may help with the last remaining snacking
However, timing wise late-night snacks for carbs tends to be low serotonin. I would try again with Lidtke 500mg (the microwave heat may have been an issue), considering a trial of 1000mg, trialing the Lidtke Tryptophan Complete (as she may be missing the cofactors to make serotonin) and even consider going back to the chewable Lidtke tryptophan which worked so well initially.
I would also look at other factors that may be lowering serotonin levels: has gluten snuck back in or is there any accidental exposure? Has she started consuming collagen and/or gelatin which can lower serotonin in susceptible folks?
I would consider trialing inositol if there is an obsessive tendency to the snacking. It does help with PCOS too.
She had said “I thought GABA would be amazing for me but it wasn’t.” Since GABA helps with PCOS and PMS, I would revisit GABA trials using different forms, higher doses and making sure trials are sublingual. Progesterone or herbs that support progesterone is another option.
I agree with Zoe’s comments about being a vegetarian. Low levels of neurotransmitters are common and we cover the benefits of grass-fed red meat for women in my interview with Dr. Felice Jacka on the first Anxiety Summit. I’d encourage adding some quality animal protein if she’s open to it.
For vegetarians, we often also add a free form amino acid blend with tryptophan, especially if adding animal protein is a no-no.
I would also consider pyroluria (the social anxiety condition) too as PMS is common, pyrolurics are often vegetarians, and the pyroluria protocol provides necessary cofactors for making serotonin. Zinc is often low in vegetarians too.
I would also assess for low iron and low B12 (also often low in vegetarians) and needed for serotonin production; and look into the BCP (birth control pill) or other meds that may be lowering serotonin.
I would have her doctor check thyroid health as low thyroid can reduce the effectiveness of the amino acids

As with everyone, a full functional workup looking at diet, nutritional deficiencies, digestion, all hormones, toxins and infections (and so on) is key to address all possible root causes.

Have you found that tryptophan calmed your comfort eating, reduced your self-doubt and late night carb snacking and led to feelings of peace around food? Did it also reduce PMS and other low serotonin symptoms?

If you’re a practitioner working with women who comfort-eat and have typical low serotonin symptoms, have you found tryptophan to help?

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

The liver/thyroid/serotonin and liver/GABA/progesterone connections: The Anxiety Summit 6

September 30, 2020 By Trudy Scott 10 Comments

Dr. Ameet Aggarwal is one of my guest experts on The Anxiety Summit 6: Toxins/Meds/Infections!
and our topic is Liver Function and Bile: Anxiety, Detox, the Gut and Hormones. Here is some of what we cover in our interview:

The liver/anxiety connections: thyroid/serotonin, microbiome and GABA/progesterone
Foods and nutrients like NAC, triphala, turmeric, taurine and lycopodium
Gilbert’s syndrome and schizophrenia; misophonia; family constellations therapy; giving and endorphins

and much more.

We discuss a number of the mechanisms as to why poor liver function affects your mood. There is the liver/thyroid/serotonin connection, and the liver/GABA/progesterone connection.

In the discussion on the liver/thyroid/serotonin connection and anxiety, Dr. Ameet shares from this paper – The Relationship between the thyroid gland and the liver (paraphrased as I don’t yet have transcripts):

Thyroxine and tri‐iodothyronine are essential for normal organ growth, development and function
These hormones regulate the basal metabolic rate of all cells, including hepatocytes, and thereby modulate hepatic [liver] function
The liver in turn metabolizes the thyroid hormones and regulates their systemic endocrine effects.
Thyroid dysfunction may perturb liver function
Liver disease modulates thyroid hormone metabolism.

The catecholamine and thyroid interrelationship is well recognized but less is known about the serotonin and the thyroid. Dr. Ameet shares the synergy between the thyroid hormones, serotonin and mood:

animal studies shows that the thyroid economy has a modulating impact on the brain serotonin system
studies in hypothyroid patients have shown that thyroid replacement therapy improves serotonin production

In summary, if we have compromised liver function and/or low thyroid function this may impact serotonin levels and lead to increased anxiety.

Here is a snippet from our discussion on the liver/GABA/progesterone and anxiety:

We often think about mental health as being neurotransmitters alone but it also depends on hormones. Progesterone affects how GABA works in the brain.
GABA is your anti-anxiety neurotransmitter but it requires progesterone to work well in your brain and your liver metabolizes all your hormones through phase 1 and phase 2 detoxification
If your liver is compromised then you’re likely to have lower progesterone levels and estrogen dominance.
With low progesterone GABA won’t work as well as well in the brain, leading to anxiety and insomnia.

Again, if we have compromised liver function this may impact progesterone levels, having an effect on how GABA works and causing increased anxiety.

If you recall, I shared this GABA/progesterone snippet a few weeks ago before the site was ready and now it’s ready for you to register.

This interview is one of the registration gifts so you can listen to it right away as soon as you register (there will also be a complimentary transcript made available as soon as it’s completed.)

Here is a little about the summit… as you know, anxiety can be related to your daily life experiences BUT it can also be triggered by:

foods you eat and what you drink (like wheat, oxalates, alcohol and more)
environmental toxins (like lead, plastics, fragrances, insecticides, fluoride and more)
many types of medications (like the birth control pill, acne medication, fluoroquinolone antibiotics and more) and/or
chronic infections (like Lyme disease, PANDAS, parasites, candida and more).

Once you identify the root causes and understand anxiety’s mechanisms you can support the liver/gallbladder, detox, address infections, implement targeted and supportive solutions, and get relief!

WHY ATTEND?

This is my 6th Anxiety Summit, featuring all new topics and the latest research related to anxiety and toxins, medications and infections.

I’ve also experienced many of these health challenges myself – lead and mercury toxicity, gluten issues and candida – and I’m currently dealing with chronic Lyme disease and dietary oxalate issues. You’ll hear some of my healing journey and my solutions in a few interviews too.

WHAT SETS THIS ONLINE EVENT APART?

What sets this apart from other events on toxins and infections is being able to make the many connections to GABA (the main calming neurotransmitter) and serotonin (a happy and calming neurotransmitter) AND how to use the amino acids GABA and tryptophan to ease your anxiety right away while you are dealing with the other underlying root causes – which take longer to address.

You will see this woven into each of the expert interviews (just like this one with Dr. Schaffner) and also addressed in detail in my 3 interviews where I do a deep dive into specific applications.

For example, in my toxins interview, I share how GABA reverses fluoride-induced anxiety and hypothyroidism, and how tryptophan and vitamin C ease anxiety symptoms associated with lead toxicity (I’ll be sharing more about this in the future so stay tuned….)

Over the course of the next 6 weeks you’ll be seeing frequent emails from me with snippets and highlights from various interviews – like this one. I do hope you continue to enjoy them and get excited about the summit! Please do share if you know someone who has anxiety!

It’s been wonderful to get all the emails saying how excited you are and seeing so many of you signing up. These last few months have been full-time on research and interviews and I’ll shortly get to share it all with you!

You’ve heard me say the Anxiety Summit has been called “a bouquet of hope!” My wish for you is that this summit is your bouquet of hope!

I hope you’ll join me and these incredible speakers, be enlightened and find YOUR solutions!

Here’s to no more anxiety and you feeling on top of the world again!

If you’re already familiar with some of this information and practice some of this already please share how it’s helped you. That way we can all learn.

If you’d like to ask a question, please post in the comments below.

I’d also love to hear from you once you’ve listened to this interview. Please do come back and comment about some of the highlights of this interview and what changes you plan to make.

Even if you already receive my newsletters and signed up some time ago to be notified about the upcoming Anxiety Summit 6, you will still need to register at the new link here, because Health Talks Online is doing the production and backend work for me.

If you don’t register you won’t get access to the daily summit emails with all the interviews.

You will however, continue to get these emails from me.

This is my 6th Anxiety Summit and it is all new content!

The content is research-based and practical, and is geared to anxious individuals who are health-savvy and to practitioners who work with anxious individuals.

If you are totally new to functional medicine and nutritional solutions for anxiety, you will still learn so much so just take in what you can and know you’ll get all this eventually.

When using GABA for anxiety does tolerance increase and which amino acid to use for a low mood?

May 31, 2019 By Trudy Scott 4 Comments

Today I’m sharing some great questions I’ve received about GABA and serotonin support for anxiety and low mood, and my feedback to give you some ideas on what to look for as you use the amino acids for your own issues (or with clients/patients if you’re a practitioner).

I cover possible reasons for ongoing low GABA levels, long-term use of the amino acids, low mood associated with menopause, problems with mainly sugar- and gluten-free, the role of the adrenals and thyroid, the amino acids I’d start with for low mood, how lithium orotate may help, how to know if collagen is causing a low mood and making you more anxious, and some resources for you.

GABA tolerance has increased

Gaba has been a lifesaver for my anxiety! I also use taurine sometimes for anxiety too, and that has helped too. Right now, I take 1000 mg [of taurine]. As for GABA (I now take 1000 mg of that also) I have noticed that my tolerance for it has increased.

Here is my feedback: I’m really pleased GABA and taurine are helping ease your anxiety. I have not seen tolerance to be a factor with my clients using GABA and I’m not aware of any research on this topic. I would look into what could be depleting GABA at a faster rate so you seem to need more and more.

This could be caused by:

increased stress which lowers zinc and increases cortisol
poor gut health and dysbiosis (there is a bacteria in the gut that may consume GABA – it’s called gabavorous)
low zinc and low B6 (which are needed to make GABA and other neurotransmitters)
toxin exposure (we’re now seeing that GABA has a protective effect – this blog covers have GABA is protective of the thyroid after fluoride exposure)
thyroid problems (the amino acids are less effective in this instance)

Keep in mind that long-term use of the amino acids is not the plan. Once the diet is addressed and the other underlying biochemistry, nutrient deficiencies, toxins etc. are addressed they should no longer be needed. At most, an occasional “top-up” may be needed.

Low mood associated with menopause

Which amino acids would you recommend for low mood associated with menopause? No panic attacks but a crashing low mood for 24hrs or more before slight recovery, a few easy days and then the cycle begins again. Diet is mainly sugar- and gluten-free. Any suggestions would be appreciated, thank you

Here is my feedback: When I hear “diet is mainly sugar- and gluten-free” with mood swings I always look into gluten exposure and blood sugar dips. Keeping a food mood log is an easy first step to see if the low mood is tied to what is being eaten and when.

I would recommend the complete removal of gluten and sugar. Gluten can trigger depression, anxiety, OCD and lead to many psychiatric symptoms. Blood sugar swings can cause both depression and anxiety. The amino acids make it easy to quite sugar and gluten – no willpower required and no feelings of deprivation. Do the questionnaire and do a trial of the amino acids that apply. Based on the above symptoms I’d suspect tryptophan and tyrosine may help and are always a good first step while everything else is being figured out.

I would also look at adrenal function as they take up the slack in menopause and rule out Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and Graves (as you can get mood swings with both as the thyroid levels shift).

Low lithium can also cause mood swings too and lithium orotate can help to keep an even mood, allowing the amino acids to be more effective.

Finally, I’d want to know if collagen, gelatin or bone broths have recently been added to your diet and are being consumed in an on-an-off pattern that correlates with the low mood. Certain susceptible individuals find that it lowers serotonin and increases depression and anxiety, and causes insomnia.

Next steps are a full workup looking at sex hormones, low zinc, low B6, low magnesium, the gut, EMFs, sleep and other dietary factors like salicylates, histamine, glutamates etc. We look at all the possible 60+ nutritional and biochemical root causes and address them or rule them out.

It’s also important to have a good support system in place for those very low days – friends and family members, being part of a community and even keeping a mental health support line number close at hand.

And of course, I always say this: get out in nature, get some exercise, hug someone and have a good laugh.

Resources for you

My book The Antianxiety Food Solution (my Amazon affiliate link) has an entire chapter on the amino acids GABA, tryptophan, tyrosine, and DPA (and how to use them), a chapter on blood sugar balancing and glutamine and a chapter on gluten issues (and much more). Read it and become a savvy health-advocate for yourself. Become someone who is well-informed about the amino acids, the precautions and nuances, and all the nutritional approaches for anxiety-relief. Share a copy with your doctor and point out the references.
If figuring it out alone or reading my book feels overwhelming to you, or you’re afraid to use the amino acids on your own, my home-study Amazing Aminos for Anxiety program walks you through a step-by step approach on how to figure out which symptoms are tied to which neurotransmitter deficiency, and how to trial each respective amino acid. Stay tuned for a special upcoming launch with live Q and A calls so you can get your questions answered. (If you have recently purchased the homestudy ONLY version we will be contacting you to invite you to participate.)
Here is a blog to read if you’re new to GABA: GABA for the physical-tension and stiff-and-tense-muscles type of anxiety
Here is a blog to read if you’re new to tryptophan: Tryptophan for the worry-in-your-head and ruminating type of anxiety (it’s a blog about low serotonin anxiety but applies to low-serotonin low mood too)
Here is a blog to read if you’re new to tyrosine: Tyrosine for focus, motivation, energy, a good mood and possibly even anxiety
You can find the amino acids in my supplement store here.

Can you relate to either of these questions? And are you good at playing a detective to figure out why something may not be working as expected?

What has worked for your anxiety and/or low moods?

Feel free to post questions in the comments too.

And let me know if you’re interested in the homestudy program with live Q and A calls. (If you have recently purchased the homestudy ONLY version we will be contacting you to invite you to participate.)

Thyroid health and anxiety: fluoride, mercury, nitrates, phthalates and other toxins

May 18, 2018 By Trudy Scott 3 Comments

Dr. Amy Myers MD, author of The Autoimmune Solution, The Thyroid Solution and The Autoimmune Solution Cookbook, presented on thyroid health at the recent Bioceuticals Conference on Autoimmunity in Melbourne. I promised to share some highlights from her presentations (she did 4 different ones) and since toxins play such a huge role when it comes to anxiety, I’m sharing some highlights from the toxins presentation and the top thyroid toxins you need to avoid: mercury, perchlorate, halides or halogens, nitrates, plastics and parabens and phthalates. These toxins all also play a role in anxiety too.

We also have a new meta-analysis published earlier this month: Association of Depression and Anxiety Disorders With Autoimmune Thyroiditis – A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis confirming what functional medicine practitioners like Dr. Amy Myers, Dr. Mark Hyman and Dr. Izabella Wentz have been educating about for years:

Patients with AIT [autoimmune thyroiditis] exhibit an increased chance of developing symptoms of depression and anxiety or of receiving a diagnosis of depression and anxiety disorders.

Taming the toxins is one of 4 pillars that Dr. Myers covers in her approach for preventing and reversing autoimmune disease:

Pillar I: Heal your gut.

Pillar II: Get rid of gluten, grains, and legumes.

Pillar III: Tame the toxins.

Pillar IV: Heal your infections and relieve your stress.

Dr. Myers shared the top thyroid toxins you need to avoid:

Mercury
Perchlorate
Halides or halogens
Nitrates
Plastics
Parabens and phthalates

“A 2011 study found that women with high mercury exposure are 2x more likely to have positive thyroid antibodies.” The paper: Mercury and thyroid autoantibodies in U.S. women, NHANES 2007-2008, reports this increase for thyroglobulin autoantibodies.

As far as anxiety is concerned, Kris Homme shares much evidence to support her belief that mercury toxicity is a likely root cause of the other root causes of anxiety in our Anxiety Summit interview.

Halogens or halides also have an impact on thyroid health. In areas where fluoride is added to the water there are “2x the rates of hypothyroidism than non-fluoride areas.”

Bromine is also an issue and is found in “flame retardants, plastics, many baked goods and citrus flavored drinks.”

GABA in relation to thyroid health and fluoride was not covered in the presentation but there is research showing that GABA reversed fluoride-induced hypothyroidism in an animal study. I blogged about this research here: GABA protects against hypothyroidism caused by fluoride and reduces anxiety. The fluoride-exposed mice that were subsequently treated with GABA were found to have improved results for T4, T3 and thyroid hormone-binding globulin (TBG levels) and healing of the structural abnormalities in thyroid follicles that were observed after fluoride exposure.

The authors conclude with this statement, reporting that GABA acted as a natural antioxidant:

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to establish the therapeutic efficacy of GABA as a natural antioxidant in inducing thyroprotection against fluoride-induced toxicity.

The amino acid GABA helps with physical-tension and stiff-and-tense-muscles type of anxiety, often 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 ease panic attacks, muscle spasms and pain relief when muscles are tight.

“Nitrates, found in fertilizer and foods, resemble iodine enough to block thyroid hormone absorption.” In one study, Nitrate intake and the risk of thyroid cancer and thyroid disease women were found to be “more likely to develop thyroid cancer with higher nitrate levels in the water.” Research shows similar results with nitrites and children and thyroid cancer.

Since the amino acid taurine offers neuroprotection against ammonia in the central nervous system I suspect GABA may offer some protection against nitrates too.

Parabens and phthalates found in many personal care products (and fast-foods) “mimic estrogen and disrupt the hormonal cascade”, with higher estrogens resulting in higher TBG (thyroxine binding globulin).

“A CDC study found phthalates were 39% higher in the urine of individuals who ate 35% of their calories from fast food.” This CNN article: Fast food serves up phthalates, too, study suggests covers many of the hormonal impacts

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists released a report in 2013 stating that high levels of exposure to phthalates could lead to adverse reproductive outcomes in women. Research has linked these chemicals with increased risk of fibroids and endometriosis, which can cause infertility, and reduced IQ and behavioral problems in children exposed in the womb. High phthalate levels have also been linked with diabetes risk in women and adolescents.

There are countless ways that people can be exposed to phthalates. They are found in soaps, perfumes, nail polish, medications, and we can ingest, inhale and absorb them through the skin.

Out of all these routes of exposure, however, diet is emerging as a major one.

Dietary exposure is a major route of exposure of phthalates and this is one of many excellent reasons to cook and eat home-cooked meals. Dr. Myers makes it easy for you in her wonderful new book The Autoimmune Solution Cookbook.

Mycotoxins from mold are also an issue as is poor mouth health. I was pleased to see EMFs mentioned as it is a growing concern and is under-rated as having harmful effects on the thyroid and when it comes to unresolved anxiety, SIBO, oxalate issues and high cortisol.

As far as detoxification, Dr Myer’s has these general recommendations:

Infrared sauna
Glutathione, the master antioxidant and detoxifier
Milk thistle, magnesium and alpha-lipoic acid (ALA)
Cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage
Sulfur rich foods such as onions, garlic, eggs

In her bestselling book, The Autoimmune Solution (my Amazon link), Dr. Myer’s covers the four pillars in great detail. You can read more about taming the toxins in this blog post.

Have you identified and eliminated exposure to these toxins and seen improved thyroid health and/or reduced anxiety? Is ongoing detoxification a priority for you?