tryptophan

A case of enterobiasis presenting as post-traumatic-stress-disorder / PTSD (i.e. a common and parasitic pinworm infection)

February 3, 2023 By Trudy Scott 11 Comments

Enterobiasis (oxyuriasis) is a common infection in humans caused by Enterobius vermicularis (E. vermicularis), a human intestinal helminth. Because of the easy way of its transmission among people, it has an extremely high prevalence in overcrowded conditions, such as nurseries and primary schools. Oxyuriasis’s symptoms are extremely diverse in children, ranging from nausea, diarrhea, insomnia, irritability, recurrent cellulitis, loss of appetite, nightmares and endometritis.

Here we report a curious case of oxyuriasis in the settings of a refugee camp in Greece. The patient was a 10-year old Syrian female, who presented with unusual and vague symptoms like insomnia and irritability. Given the violent background of the Syrian warzone that the patient had escaped, she was firstly diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) before eventually getting correctly diagnosed with enterobiasis.

This infection is the first documented case of enterobiasis in the settings of a refugee camp and can highlight the unsanitary living conditions that refugees have to endure in those camps.

The above is the abstract from a 2017 paper: A case of enterobiasis presenting as post-traumatic-stress-disorder (PTSD): a curious case of the infection with predominant mental health symptoms, presenting for the first time in the settings of a refugee camp

In addition to her symptoms of insomnia and irritability, she had a decreased appetite and mild abdominal (tummy) pain. She was also experiencing nausea and vomiting and had a slightly raised body temperature (subfebrile). She was severely malnourished and had lost 3kg/6.6lbs in 5 days.

Because of the violent nature of her situation she was initially seen by a psychologist but her symptoms worsened in a few days. When this young girl complained about itching in the perianal area (around her anus), the clinic reassessed her and scars around the anal area from the scratches.

They then confirmed enterobiasis/pinworm after using a piece of clear adhesive tape “to collect a specimen from the perianal surface of the girl, for three consecutive mornings … A microscopic examination showed the presence of oval shaped eggs, which is typical for the specific helminth [parasitic worm].”

She was treated with “two doses of albendazole, with each dose two weeks apart, in order to avoid reinfection …. And after a 3 month follow-up period, the patient remains asymptomatic without any signs of recurrence.”

An overview of pinworm infections, symptoms, tape test and treatment approaches

This WebMD article offers an overview of pinworm infections, the symptoms, the tape test and treatment approaches.

As you’ll read it’s not only a problem in refugee camps – it’s “very common in elementary school-aged children” and it’s the most common kind of worm infection in the United States. “Most of the time, pinworm infections don’t cause serious problems.” However, when one child (or adult) gets a pinworm infection it can easily be spread to the entire family. The Syrian refugee paper mentions the whole family was tested.

Systemic infection: female health issues and gut health

The WebMD authors also state, “in rare cases, and especially if you have a lot of them, the pinworms can travel from the anal area up the vagina to the uterus, fallopian tubes, and around the pelvic organs. This can cause inflammation of the vagina (vulvovaginitis).”

I first learned about these serious systemic issues in women from naturopathic doctor Rachel Arthur at a conference in Australia. Contrary to the WedMD article, she believes this is not rare and more common than you’d expect, contributing to hormonal imbalances and even infertility.

The research confirms the impacts of pinworm on the gut, with reports of pinworm associated with appendicitis, pinworm in the liver, pinworms contributing to dysbiosis and pinworm being a factor in inflammatory bowel disease.

The WebMD article doesn’t mention the mental health symptoms and mechanisms but you can read more about that (and my interview with Dr. Jay Davidson) below.

Annual deworming and concerns about drug resistance?

I’m not going to get into anti-parasitic medications and herbal alternatives in this blog post – Dr. Jay talks about mimosa pudica seeds and Dr. Rachel recommends chondroitin sulfate – but do I want to mention that there are many public policy papers calling for annual deworming procedures for everyone. It’s also mentioned in the above Syrian refugee paper, as is hand-washing for prevention.

And many folks recall annual deworming concoctions as a child and did/do the same with their children.

There is, however, the concern about antiparasitic drug resistance similar to what is being seen with antibiotics and antiviral drugs.

If you are new to parasites and their impacts on mood issues, anxiety and insomnia and more

If you are new to parasites, here are some insights from an interview I did with Dr. Jay Davidson on The Anxiety Summit 5: Gut Brain Axis. The topic of our interview is – Parasites, Anxiety and TUDCA for Your Liver. He shares this:

The Greek meaning of parasite is one that sits at another’s table. So essentially think of a parasite as it’s taking things from you. It’s taking nutrients, it’s taking key things that your body needs and literally off of you, not to the point that it’s killing you because then you’re not a good host to give a good environment. So it’s basically just kind of sucking you dry.

We discussed symptoms individuals may experience: mood issues, anxiety and insomnia (especially around full moon). He shared that with insomnia “the big issue that I see is restless sleep where you toss, you turn, you wake often. You can’t just be relaxed when you sleep. Parasites get active when you go to bed. The more active they are within your body and the more you’re trying to calm down, the more your body is getting stressed out. This is where teeth grinding happens when you sleep.

This is very typical and likely the kinds of insomnia symptoms this young refugee girl experienced too. Pinworm is more active at night so the itching around her anus and the need to scratch would have affected her sleep too. This is a classic sign of pinworm.

With regards to anxiety and mood issues and possible mechanisms, Dr. Jay shares how parasites contribute to neurotransmitter imbalances:

Parasites will eat the protein you eat and not allow your body to break down that protein into amino acids. That’s why amino acid therapy can be so beneficial symptomatically and change people’s lives, because they’re getting these amino acids that they’re not getting when they have parasites.

When we digest protein, the amino acids are needed to help us make neurotransmitters. With his amino acid comments, he is making reference to my work with the amino acid tryptophan to support your low serotonin worry-type of anxiety symptoms and the amino acid GABA to support your low GABA physical-anxiety type symptoms. They are wonderful for quick relief of anxiety and mood symptoms, and even help sleep problems too. But as he says “you always want to make sure to go to the underlying cause to remove the parasitic infection.”

Other symptoms of parasitic infection that we discuss at length: restless legs and calf cramping, diarrhea, bowel urgency, SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth), vertical wrinkles above your mouth, nail-biting, food sensitivities, bed-wetting and night sweats. These are all symptoms that we need to look for and then consider stool testing and/or the sticky tape test/clear adhesive tape test for pinworm (as mentioned in the Syrian refugee paper and WebMD article above).

If you missed this interview and/or summit, you can find the purchase link on the above blog and here.

Tryptophan is not working (possibly because of parasites) and toxoplasma gondii (and GABA/anxiety)

Here is some additional reading on parasites on my site and in the literature:

Tryptophan doesn’t work, then it does and then it doesn’t: could it be hormonal shifts, dietary factors and/or parasites? As I share here, if you have 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 (as well as hormonal impacts and everything else covered on this blog).
Toxoplasma gondii: schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, OCD and unresolved anxiety? As I share in this blog, toxoplasma gondii is a microscopic parasite that infects cats and can be found in the soil – research shows it may be a factor in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and OCD in susceptible individuals. Could toxoplasma gondii could be one of the root causes of unresolved anxiety? I believe so and feel it’s under-rated.
In this study, Toxoplasma gondii Infections Alter GABAergic Synapses and Signaling in the Central Nervous System, the authors share that “toxoplasma interferes with GABA signaling in the brain …playing a role in seizures and other neurological complications seen in Toxoplasma-infected individuals.” This particular parasite disrupts the workings of the glutamic acid decarboxylase 67 enzyme (GAD67), used to make GABA from glutamate, and very likely contributes to increased anxiety symptoms too.

Resources if you are new to using tryptophan, GABA and other amino acids as supplements

If you are new to using tryptophan, GABA or any of the other amino acids as supplements, here is the Amino Acids Mood Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution (you can see all the symptoms of neurotransmitter imbalances, including low GABA and low serotonin).

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

There is an entire chapter on the amino acids and they are discussed throughout the book in the sections on gut health, gluten, blood sugar control, sugar cravings, self-medicating with alcohol and more.

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

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

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

If you or a family member have had a pinworm infection, what symptoms did you experience and was the entire family affected?

Have you had hormonal and/or pelvic issues and/or gut issues as a result of systemic infection with pinworm?

How have other parasitic infections impacted your health?

How familiar are you with the fact that pinworm and other parasites can affect your mood, anxiety and sleep, as well as cause gut issues?

If you’re interested in learning more about testing and herbal protocols please let me know. If you’d like to share what has worked for you please do share too.

If you have other questions and feedback please share them here too.

My 6 year old was having panic attacks getting out of the car for Kindergarten: GABA has completely relieved him of his fears

January 27, 2023 By Trudy Scott 12 Comments

My 6 year old son was having panic attacks getting out of the car going to Kindergarten and taking two GABA Calm has completely relieved him of his fears. He has been going for 3 straight weeks in a row.

I thought it may be low serotonin since this happened last winter as well but I gave him 5-HTP for a couple months and it didn’t seem to affect him and his anxiety. We had to have him repeat Kinder this year.

But wow, the GABA has been fabulous and Kindergarten is in full swing because of your help.

This is from Lisa, a mom in the community. I never get tired of getting feedback like this – how wonderful for this young boy and his family. She shared this very positive outcome on one of the GABA blogs, asking this question (which I address below):

Quick question…does the GABA have to be taken on an empty stomach to work? We try to give it as soon as he is awake and wait to eat for 15-20 mins but sometimes it’s not possible.

The timing of GABA and tracking symptoms

I share that GABA is best taken on an empty stomach and ideally 30 minutes away from protein-containing food. But I also say that the way she is having him use it is clearly working for him. In a situation like this it’s simple enough to track the outcome on days they do wait 15-20 mins and on days when it’s not possible to wait the 15-20 mins (and make a note of how close to food he does take GABA). How is his anxiety, fears and panic attacks in these two situations?

Lisa shared that GABA works well in both instances:

We will keep doing the no food for 15-20 minutes after taking it because it is obviously working. We’ve only had it happen where he eats after about 5 mins and it seems to still do the job.

This sounds like a great plan. If they can, I would also do a trial waiting the full 30 minutes and see how he does on those days. She may find with the longer duration he only needs one GABA Calm.

It may also be that because GABA is being used in a sublingual manner like this, it can be used closer to food. Perhaps a trial right after food is worthwhile. I’m sure it will reduce some of the early morning stress and rush getting ready for Kindergarten.

I also confirmed with her that he is using the Source Naturals GABA Calm product. This is the sublingual product (with just 125mg of GABA and a few other ingredients) that I have so much success with. You can read more about it here – Source Naturals GABA Calm™: Why I recommend it for anxiety.

The school is in shock at how well carpooling is going for him

I love that the school is now in shock and that this mom went with her instinct and pulled him out of school the first year his fears showed up:

We just got a call from the school today and they are in shock at how well carpooling is going for him. They wanted to know what I was doing, ha! He had been a star student so they were shocked when he started to have meltdowns and panic attacks, running away and into traffic about 3 months into school. We deal with a bit of ADHD at home (it’s manageable with the diet) but anxiety is what most see on the outside.

We are repeating Kindergarten because half way through last year he started to panic getting out of the car. The previous school wanted to grab him out of the car and have me drive off. They said he would calm down better without me. What? Just what I want to do is traumatize my child at the start of his academic life. I pulled him and we waited since he was on the younger side and put him in a fabulous charter school this year.

The GABA has taken all those fears out and has been a huge bridge for him to get to school.

I do hope Lisa told the school exactly what he’s doing with GABA and how quickly it’s helped him. So many children are struggling with anxiety and mental health issues and could do with nutritional support like GABA and some of the dietary changes he had made before using GABA (more on that below).

5-HTP didn’t help and why a switch to tryptophan may have helped

You’ll notice she mentioned that 5-HTP had not helped the previous year:

I thought it may be low serotonin since this happened last winter as well but I gave him 5-HTP for a couple months and it didn’t seem to affect him and his anxiety.

Fear and panic attacks are common with low serotonin so it’s good that she did a trial of 5-HTP. Here are some of my insights:

I would not have someone use 5-HTP for a couple of months – the amino acids work quickly so a week or possibly two should be enough to decide whether to continue or stop
You always want to increase until you find the ideal dose. I’m not sure how Lisa approached this aspect.
When there are low serotonin symptoms and 5-HTP doesn’t work, we switch to tryptophan. 5-HTP works well for some and tryptophan works better for others. You can see all the low serotonin symptoms here

It’s possible her son may still benefit from additional serotonin support. Or it may be that the GABA is all he needs. With ADHD it may be worth investigating tyrosine too.

Dietary changes: gluten, dairy, phenols and high histamine foods

It’s important to always address the foundational diet so I checked with Lisa about dietary changes. This is key to not needing long-term GABA supplementation (once other causes of low GABA are addressed – such as Lyme disease, phthalates, aspartame, gut health etc). She shared this about his diet:

He has always been gluten free and dairy free (only goats milk as a baby). We follow the Feingold Diet and try to stay away from high histamine foods as it causes his anger and anxiety to be worse.

It’s great she has made these foundational dietary changes with gluten and dairy – both can exacerbate mood issues. The Feingold diet eliminates phenols. Both phenols and high histamine foods can be problematic for many children too, as she reports.

All these dietary factors are so key but even then additional neurotransmitter support is often needed and in this instance it’s GABA that he clearly needs. Because of his issue with histamines it’s possible he may not have tolerated pharmaGABA (a fermented GABA) so GABA Calm was a good first choice for the initial trial.

Pyroluria testing – why I often don’t use this urine test

I know he has some imbalances so we need to do an OAT test and pyroluria test (I have pyroluria so I know he is bound to have it). Money is the issue at the moment so the GABA chewables have been a true lifesaver. I can’t thank you enough!

I let her know that I don’t often have clients do the urine test for pyroluria because of the false negatives. He’s doing really well but children with pyroluria are really good at masking and pushing through (and so are adults, as I’m sure Lisa already knows). The pyroluria protocol (zinc, vitamin B6 and evening primrose oil) provide raw materials for neurotransmitter production and can help with ADHD symptoms too. We simply do a trial of the protocol when symptoms exist and determine if they are helping.

I love her comment: “the GABA chewables have been a true lifesaver.” This and the outcome for this 6 year old is the reason I love the amino acids. They offer incredible results and relief from anxiety, fears and panic attacks, while you are working through testing (like the OAT and others) and other contributing root causes.

I said her feedback is really inspiring and I’d love to share it as a blog post for other families. She kindly responded with this:

You can definitely write up a blog post about it. If I can help other families going through the same thing it was all worth it. If you have any other questions don’t hesitate to ask. Thank you again for sharing all your knowledge.

I appreciate her willingness to post their success and her permission to share as a blog post.

Resources if you are new to using GABA and other amino acids as supplements

If you are new to using GABA or any of the other amino acids as supplements, here is the Amino Acids Mood Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution (you can see all the symptoms of neurotransmitter imbalances, including low GABA and low serotonin).

Have one of your children experienced similar results with GABA offering relief for anxiety, fears and panic attacks? Which GABA product helped your child and how much helped?

When using sublingual or chewable GABA products like GABA Calm, have you found the timing in relation to foods being important?

What dietary changes has your child also made and how have they helped?

If you have questions and feedback please share them here too.

Transgenerational transmission of aspartame-induced anxiety and changes in glutamate-GABA signaling: a new study and solutions

January 13, 2023 By Trudy Scott 9 Comments

Do you drink diet sodas or use other sugar free products that contain aspartame? Or did you when you were younger? New research has found aspartame induces anxiety and fear via changes in glutamate-GABA signaling. What is even more concerning is that these effects are transgenerational, meaning you could be living with the anxiety-provoking effects of aspartame via the diet soda habits from your father and his father/your grandfather. This study found it impacts 2 generations via the paternal line but I suspect ongoing research may yet find impacts via your mother and grandmother too. Also, keep in mind, your current or prior use of aspartame is very likely going to impact your children and grandchildren. It’s an animal study but we don’t want to ignore yet another issue with artificial sweeteners.

The good news is that we can use the amino acid GABA to help counter the high glutamate and low GABA, and ease this physical anxiety this imbalance causes. And we can use GABA and glutamine and other amino acids to break the addiction to aspartame and other artificial sweeteners.

Here is the abstract of the paper – Transgenerational transmission of aspartame-induced anxiety and changes in glutamate-GABA signaling and gene expression in the amygdala

We report the effects of aspartame on anxiety-like behavior, neurotransmitter signaling and gene expression in the amygdala, a brain region associated with the regulation of anxiety and fear responses. C57BL/6 mice consumed drinking water containing 0.015% or 0.03% aspartame, a dose equivalent of 8 to 15% of the FDA recommended maximum human daily intake, or plain drinking water. Robust anxiety-like behavior (evaluated using open field test and elevated zero maze) was observed in male and female mice consuming the aspartame-containing water. Diazepam, an allosteric modulator of the GABA-A receptor, alleviated the anxiety-like behavior. RNA sequencing of the amygdala followed by KEGG biological pathway analysis of differentially expressed genes showed glutamatergic and GABAergic synapse pathways as significantly enriched. Quantitative PCR showed upregulation of mRNA for the glutamate NMDA receptor subunit 2D (Grin2d) and metabotropic receptor 4 (Grm4) and downregulation of the GABA-A receptor associated protein (Gabarap) mRNA. Thus, taken together, our diazepam and gene expression data show that aspartame consumption shifted the excitation-inhibition equilibrium in the amygdala toward excitation. Even more strikingly, the anxiety-like behavior, its response to diazepam, and changes in amygdala gene expression were transmitted to male and female offspring in two generations descending from the aspartame-exposed males. Extrapolation of the findings to humans suggests that aspartame consumption at doses below the FDA recommended maximum daily intake may produce neurobehavioral changes in aspartame-consuming individuals and their descendants. Thus, human population at risk of aspartame’s potential mental health effects may be larger than current expectations, which only include aspartame-consuming individuals.

A few notes to highlight:

Aspartame caused anxiety in both male and female mice but the intergenerational effects were along the paternal line i.e.“the anxiety phenotype, its response to diazepam, and changes in amygdala gene expression were transmitted from the aspartame-exposed male founders to their descendants.”
These effects were caused by the equivalent to 2–4 small /8 oz/ 240 ml cans of aspartame-sweetened diet soda.
The anxiety-inducing effects of aspartame in humans are potentially far more widespread than what is currently known

There is still no consensus on adverse effects

The paper also highlights a very concerning aspect: there is still no consensus on aspartame’s effects on brain monoamine content (serotonin and the catecholamines dopamine, adrenaline, and noradrenaline) or behaviors such as memory, depression and anxiety. Despite much research, consensus is also still lacking on aspartame’s carcinogenic or cancer-causing effects and the impacts on weight-gain and obesity, and the bad effects on the microbiome.

In fact, “the US government policy and publications indicate that aspartame is safe when consumed within FDA recommended maximum daily intake value of 50 mg/kg.” In this study it was much less than the maximum i.e. the equivalence of just “8 to 15% of the FDA recommended maximum human daily intake” caused the above anxiety and intergenerational effects.

This paper is adding to the body of knowledge but if you’re still consuming aspartame it is time to make your own decisions and quit. This is often easier said than done and I address this below.

GABA and other amino acids as a solution for your diet soda addiction

I address the addictive nature of diet soda in this blog: I need help with my Diet Coke addiction – when I stop, my fatigue, brain fog, anxiety/depression increase big time!

I need help with my Diet Coke addiction. I have been using it for 35 years and I am too appalled to tell you how much I drink.

I have tried to quit many times and ended up in utter failure. When I stop, my fatigue, brain fog, anxiety/depression increase big time. I know this drink is literally killing my health and I am desperate for some answers, suggestions….or a miracle.

Kevin shares this in the comments: “I was VERY addicted to diet coke and Pepsi. I found oxycontin and morphine easier to quit.” And Karen shares this: “I can relate to a Coke/Pepsi (diet and/or regular) addiction because I drank 3 every day, Monday-Friday for years. For me, that first sip in the morning was my “hit” in the morning for this teetotaler.”

When it comes to using amino acids to help break the addiction, pretty much everything I write about in relation to sugar addiction or cravings would also apply to quitting Diet Coke or other diet sodas. You need to figure out what emotions are driving your addiction and use the respective amino acid supplement/s (one or more of them) to help break the addiction and improve your anxiety and mood symptoms at the same time.

This could be glutamine if you drink it when your blood sugar is low and crave the sweet taste, GABA if you drink it when stressed, tryptophan or 5-HTP if you drink it later in the day in order to feel happy, DPA if it’s your reward and tyrosine if it gives you a mood and energy boost. It’s all explained in the above blog post.

The amino acids ease alcohol withdrawal symptoms too. I share a study in this blog – An amino acid supplement with DLPA, glutamine and 5-HTP eases alcohol withdrawal symptoms at an inpatient detoxification program – and practical solutions using these amino acids. Read this and simply substitute alcohol with diet soda. And keep in mind it’s always 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).

GABA as a solution for the physical anxiety symptoms

In this study the mice responded well to diazepam, a benzodiazepine prescribed for anxiety. However, given the many issues with long-term benzo use, the amino acid GABA, used as a supplement is a safer choice. It also addresses the root cause of low GABA and high glutamate.

The FDA approved aspartame as a nutritive sweetener in 1981 and for use in carbonated beverages in 1983 so I don’t have the intergenerational impacts. I drank Tab in my early 20s and it contained aspartame for a short time. It was very likely part of the perfect storm of factors that contributed to my anxiety. GABA was a life-saver for me.

Here are a few blog posts on using GABA for easing physical anxiety and fears:

Be sure to use the search feature to find other similar articles on the blog.

Resources if you are new to using amino acids as supplements

Did you drink diet sodas in the past or do you still consume them or other products that contain aspartame?

Do you suspect they may be one root cause of your anxiety? And has stopping helped?

Did GABA help ease your anxiety and fear? And help with breaking the addiction and quitting? What about other amino acids like tyrosine, glutamine, tryptophan/5-HTP or DPA (d-phenylalanine)?

What about suspected intergenerational impacts from your parents and grandparents?

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

Irukandji syndrome: severe pain, nausea, breathing difficulties and a feeling of impending doom (impact on serotonin and other neurotransmitters?)

December 30, 2022 By Trudy Scott 14 Comments

Irukandji syndrome is in the news again. In addition to the jellyfish sting causing severe pain, nausea and breathing difficulties, the research states there is a feeling of impending doom after you’re stung. I’m sharing this current news from Australia and a recent study because I’m curious about the mechanisms and short- and long-term impacts on serotonin and other neurotransmitters, likely affecting anxiety, depression, pain and insomnia. And I’d like to help create awareness since there is not 100% consensus on what to do right away after a sting and less awareness in the medical community than I feel comfortable with.

From the ABC article published this week in Australia: “Another child has been flown to Hervey Bay Hospital with a suspected Irukandji sting after swimming in a creek off Wathumba Road on K’gari (Fraser Island) in Queensland, Australia on Wednesday afternoon.

The key points of the article:

“Three young girls and a boy have been flown to hospital with suspected Irukandji stings in the past two days
The jellyfish stings can cause severe pain, nausea and breathing difficulties
A Toxicologist is calling for more research into their movements and physiology”

The yahoo news article expanded on the symptoms: “They have this severe body pain, often low back pain, nausea, vomiting, and this feeling of impending doom that sort of lays over the top of this whole thing.”

I found the latter interesting as impending doom is a classic sign of low serotonin. So I went digging into the research. I was enlightened and surprised by what I found.

Raising awareness on this worldwide increasing threat

This 2022 paper, Raising Awareness on the Clinical and Forensic Aspects of Jellyfish Stings: A Worldwide Increasing Threat is eye-opening and concerning and also mentions the impending doom symptom.

Irukandji syndrome is a severe illness produced by the envenomation i.e. injection of venom, of some species of small jellyfish from the Cubozoa class, known as box jellyfish.

It consists of a clinical picture dominated by systemic symptoms similar to a catecholamine surge, including hypertension, tachycardia, intense pain, and muscle cramping, eventually leading to pulmonary edema, shock and cerebral hemorrhage.

Also listed are symptoms of anxiety, restlessness, headache, localized sweating and impending doom. A feeling of impending doom is a classic symptom of low serotonin.

With regards to Irukandji syndrome it’s becoming a worldwide problem: “The first cases described happened in the northern Australian territories. However, similar disorders have been observed all over the tropical waters, including Thailand, the Caribbean, Florida, and Hawaii.”

The good news is that the authors state “Irukandji syndrome is typically not deadly, especially if supportive care is given early” and “not all encounters with species capable of producing Irukandji syndrome result in this clinical state.” They also share that typically the severe pain only lasts a few hours but do mention one case where “pain recurred up to a year later.” I discuss possible longer term effects below.

As you read the paper, be aware there are many types of jellyfish with many different mechanisms. Cubozoa includes the deadliest jellyfish species and includes Carukia barnesi and Chironex fleckeri. (commonly known as the Australian box jelly). It’s the Carukia barnesi that causes Irukandji syndrome.

The images in the above paper are graphic so be warned.

There is not 100% consensus on what to do right away

What is also really concerning is that there is not 100% consensus on what to do right away. This 2017 paper, Cubozoan Sting-Site Seawater Rinse, Scraping, and Ice Can Increase Venom Load: Upending Current First Aid Recommendations, published by Hawaiian researchers, found the “best outcomes occurred with the use of venom-inhibiting technologies (Sting No More® products)” and they state not to use a sea water rinse. They also found vinegar and heat treatment were less effective with certain types of jellyfish.

And yet the tentative recommendation from the above 2022 paper is to use vinegar, heat, sea water, and careful removal of remaining tentacles with tweezers quickly because only “about 1% of nematocysts (stinging cells) discharge upon initial contact.” They do suggest using Sting No More® before removing tentacles in order to deactivate the nematocysts.

I’m not sharing any of the above as conclusive in all situations but more to illustrate what both papers state: further research is needed in different places of the world, as different jellyfish species seem to react differently to the treatments.

There is also less awareness in the medical community than I feel comfortable with hence my desire to share this so you are more aware if you or a family member is stung by a jellyfish.

Are there possible long-term impacts on anxiety, depression, pain and insomnia? (and the potential role of amino acids)

Just like we have long-term impacts on anxiety, depression, pain and insomnia with Lyme disease and other infections like Bartonella – due to effects on serotonin, GABA and other neurotransmitters – do we need to consider these long term impacts after a jellyfish sting too?

I have to wonder if there are also longer term impacts given the trauma of the situation and the many medications that are needed to save your life: nitroglycerin, opioids, benzodiazepines and others.

If mood, anxiety, pain and sleep issues persist after the acute recovery phase (which can take up to 3 months and more) and there are other signs of low serotonin, GABA, dopamine and endorphins, it’s important to consider the use of targeted amino acids. I recommend tryptophan or 5-HTP for low serotonin symptoms (worry type of anxiety, insomnia and low mood), GABA for low GABA symptoms (physical anxiety and tension), tyrosine for low dopamine symptoms (depressed with low energy and poor focus) and DPA for low endorphin symptoms (pain and weepiness).

It would be wonderful to see research in this area.

Is there a possible role for GABA right after the sting too?

Given there is “hypertension, tachycardia, intense pain, and muscle cramping”, would the amino acid GABA help?

With Irukandji syndrome, “there have been reports of blood pressures as high as 300/180 mmHg” (normal is 120/80 mmHg). In one study, 80mg GABA was found to reduce mild hypertension and it’s possible that a higher dose of GABA may help right after the sting. It may also help to alleviate pain and muscle tension/muscle cramping too.

It would be wonderful to see research on GABA use right after the sting too.

Resources if you are new to using amino acids as supplements

I do hope these 4 young Australian children are doing well after having been stung.

Have you or a family member been stung by a jellyfish? Where did it happen and what type of jellyfish? What symptoms did you experience? What was the treatment and what was recovery like?

Have you or your family member had any long-term lingering symptoms of anxiety, depression, pain and insomnia? Have the amino acids or other solutions helped?

If you’re a practitioner have you seen long-term lingering symptoms of anxiety, depression, pain and insomnia in your clients/patients who have had a jellyfish sting?

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

5-HTP with Paxil, when nursing, for men, with insomnia in Parkinson’s and when it gives you nightmares: questions and answers

December 9, 2022 By Trudy Scott 8 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 of worry-type anxiety, often with ruminations, obsessing and panic attacks. When you have insomnia caused by low serotonin you may lie 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.

I’ve blogged about 5-HTP extensively and I receive many great questions about this supplement. Today I’m going to share some of these questions and my answers so you can get the benefits too: using it with Paxil, insomnia when you have Parkinson’s disease, if 5-HTP works for men, timing of 5-HTP with nightmares and if 5-HTP can be used in pregnancy and when nursing.

Haley shared how 5-HTP helps with insomnia and asks about taking it with Paxil:

I was taking 5-HTP and it definitely helped me sleep at night. I recently started Paxil for my panic attacks after a recent trauma and I’m no longer sure if I can take Paxil with 5-HTP or not?

I’m so glad to hear 5-HTP helped with sleep. I’m sorry to hear about your recent trauma but keep in mind the other benefits of 5-HTP – helping with panic attacks is just one. When I’m working with someone who has experienced something like this and is already seeing benefits with 5-HTP, we increase their 5-HTP to help with the panic attacks too.

If they have already started Paxil and would prefer to stop using it I have them read this tapering blog and work/discuss with their prescribing doctor. There is the risk of serotonin syndrome with SSRIs (such as Paxil) and 5-HTP (and tryptophan).

There are many nutritional solutions for trauma and psychological stress (a natural disaster or anything else) and we’d address all this too.

Lynn has Parkinson’s disease and sleep problems:

I have Parkinson’s and sleep is starting to be an issue. I usually fall asleep but after about 4 hours I’m wide awake. I’m afraid this sleeplessness will negatively affect my brain if I can’t remedy this. I take carbidopa/levodopa. I’ve seen a sleep neurologist and she wants to prescribe drugs which again I’m afraid will have a negative effect on my brain. Your suggestions around 5-HTP would be very much appreciated.

We always start with the low serotonin symptoms and do a trial of either 5-HTP or tryptophan if it looks like low serotonin is the root cause of the sleep issues (there are many other root causes of insomnia).

If you score high on many of the low serotonin symptoms I suggest sharing this 5-HTP/Parkinson’s disease blog post and research with your sleep neurologist and Parkinson’s doctor: “Research shows that the amino acid 5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan), the intermediate metabolite of tryptophan in the production of serotonin, offers benefits for Parkinson’s disease patients. It has been reported to ease depression and to reduce levodopa-induced motor complications. This was reported in two separate studies by the same research team at the University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. They were small studies and considered preliminary.”

Meleah asks about using 5-HTP with men:

Hi Trudy, did you recommend the same protocol for men? Most of the examples are about women and I have a male friend who needs help

Generally speaking the amino acids work the same for men but I have found that the impact they have on the sex hormone estrogen when using 5-HTP or tryptophan (and progesterone when using GABA) means they tend to work exceptionally well for women.

I also have much more experience working with women so I have more to share on these outcomes. With the few men I have worked with I find they tend to under-report when looking at their low serotonin symptoms so this needs to be taken into account when doing the trial of 5-HTP or tryptophan.

Scott shared how he uses 5-HTP for insomnia and his solution for preventing nightmares when using it:

In regards to nightmares with 5-HTP, I definitely seem to experience disturbing dreams when I take it within 4 hours of bedtime. Therefore, I normally don’t take any after 7pm but do take it periodically throughout the day.

I also suggested it to a friend who tried and likes it very much, however, he experienced excessive dreaming which interferes with him sleeping soundly, so I suggested the same protocol to him.

When I was in college, I am now a senior, I tried taking regular tryptophan and soon started having nightmares and hallucinations as I began seeing faces on the wall when I was trying to fall asleep.

I only take 5-HTP now, in extended release 200mg tablets from the Natrol company. Thank you, Trudy, for bringing this subject up.

I thanked him for sharing this interesting nuance of nightmares with 5-HTP and using it in the day instead. (which I blogged about here i.e. some folks do get nightmares when using 5-HTP)

I’m glad he figured this out and it helps since tryptophan does cause him nightmares. We are all so different and have to find what works best for our unique needs.

Carly asks about using 5-HTP when nursing:

Can someone take 5-HTP while nursing?

5-HTP has not been studied during pregnancy or nursing but a free form amino acid blend that does contain tryptophan is often very helpful. You have to really look for these because many companies choose to leave out tryptophan. I have a few listed on the supplements blog.

Other approaches to improve mood, reduce anxiety and help with sleep while nursing include exercise, yoga, diet and bright light therapy/full spectrum light. Dr. Aviva Romm writes about herbs for anxiety and specifies which are safe while nursing.

If you are new to other anxiety nutrition solutions like gluten/sugar/caffeine removal, blood sugar control, gut health, and pyroluria my book “The Antianxiety Food Solution” is a great place to start for the foundations. Much of this helps with low mood, cravings and insomnia too. More here.

5-HTP is often successfully used in conjunction with other amino acids

Here are some useful blogs related to low serotonin and 5-HTP. As you can see, it’s often successfully used in conjunction with other amino acid supplementation:

You can see all the low serotonin symptoms here.
Fibromyalgia: tryptophan or 5-HTP for anxiety, depression, pain and insomnia
GABA is a life saver for anxiety, theanine helps at night (insomnia) and 5-HTP makes a significant difference in lessening daily pain
Drastic reduction in intrusive thoughts, anxiety and fears (and better sleep) with GABA, tryptophan, 5-HTP and the pyroluria protocol
If low GABA type anxiety and insomnia is also an issue you may find this helpful too – GABA for easing physical anxiety and tension: some questions and answers.
An amino acid supplement with DLPA, glutamine and 5-HTP eases alcohol withdrawal symptoms at an inpatient detoxification program
You can see the 5-HTP and tryptophan products (and GABA) I use with my clients here on the supplements blog.

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.

I also want to add that 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. If we already have salivary cortisol results and none of the four collections are high then 5-HTP is an option to consider.

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

If you are new to using 5-HTP or any of the other amino acids as supplements, here is the Amino Acids Mood Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution (you can see all the symptoms of neurotransmitter imbalances, including low GABA and low serotonin).

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.

A weighted blanket increases pre-sleep salivary concentrations of melatonin in young, healthy adults – a new study

October 28, 2022 By Trudy Scott 7 Comments

A new paper published earlier this month, A weighted blanket increases pre-sleep salivary concentrations of melatonin in young, healthy adults provides yet another mechanism supporting the benefits of a weighted blanket for improving sleep and also reducing anxiety – an increase in melatonin. The authors share that “Weighted blankets have emerged as a potential non-pharmacological intervention to ease conditions such as insomnia and anxiety. Despite a lack of experimental evidence, these alleged effects are frequently attributed to a reduced activity of the endogenous stress systems and an increased release of hormones such as oxytocin and melatonin.”

Here are some of the details from the study:

It was a small in-laboratory crossover study and included 26 young and healthy participants (15 men and 11 women)
The heavier weighted blanket was about 12% of their body weight
The following were measured: “salivary concentrations of the stress hormone cortisol, salivary alpha-amylase activity (as an indicative metric of sympathetic nervous system activity), subjective sleepiness, and sleep duration.”

The only difference found was a 1 hour increase of salivary melatonin from 10pm to lights off at 11pm. It was about 32% higher when using the heavier weighted blanket.

No other differences were found in terms of subjective sleepiness and total sleep duration.

The study concludes as follows:

Our study is the first to suggest that using a weighted blanket may result in a more significant release of melatonin at bedtime. Future studies should investigate whether the stimulatory effect on melatonin secretion is observed on a nightly basis when frequently using a weighted blanket over weeks to months. It remains to be determined whether the observed increase in melatonin may be therapeutically relevant for the previously described effects of the weighted blanket on insomnia and anxiety.

The authors only identified an increase in pre-sleep melatonin in this study. But keep in mind these limitations of the study: participants did not have insomnia or anxiety, and they were young (and melatonin declines as we age). The authors didn’t find an improvement in subjective feedback on better sleep and they did not measure subjective changes in anxiety levels – which I don’t find surprising.

However, as you’ll read below, many individuals in my community responded favorably when I posted this new study on Facebook, sharing how using their weighted blankets does improve their sleep and reduce their anxiety. I share some of the anecdotal feedback below.

Feedback from real people: improved sleep, calm body, soothing and less anxiety

Here is some of the feedback from folks in my Facebook community:

Krys shares this: Ever since I started using a weighted blanket my sleep has improved. I think I need a heavier one. I believe the one I have is only 12 lbs. I was born in Poland, and we always had very heavy covers. Usually feather filled comforters, which made me feel secure and helped with sleep. I have a lot of past trauma and did not notice the weighted blanket to be confining.

Christine shares this “I love my weighted blanket and sleep much better with it. I definitely sleep more soundly…less waking up. I bought it about 3 months ago and plan to use it year round. It is a faux fur glass bead filled one….it is super flexible and I can tuck it in and around all the nooks and crannies around my body. I considered a flatter, more stiff one but preferred the tucking option.” Christine’s weighted blanket is 15lbs and she plans to use an electric blanket to warm it up in winter (and switch it off /unplug it, before getting into bed).

Courtney shares this: “I started with a 12lb, then 20lb, now I have a 25lb one lol. I absolutely love my weighted blanket and can not sleep without it…I use it year round, it’s not hot but yet keeps you warm. And I feel like the weight keeps you from tossing and turning as much. It feels like a hug lol.” The hug comment makes me wonder if they provide endorphin support too.

MaryKatherine shares this: “Wow that is seriously amazing. They definitely help me. I love weighted blankets…I feel almost instant calm in my body when I use weighted blankets. It does take 10-15 min for full effect.”

Tana shares this: “I love my weighted blanket. It helps me relax. I sleep so much better.”

And then she shared this: “After this post I thought I should let my teenage daughter try my weighted blanket . She has anxiety and poor sleep habits. She loved it. I will be ordering her one.” How wonderful is this?

Brenda shares this: “Love mine… I find it helps my AM anxiety. I’m kind of a hot sleeper, so I can’t keep it on for long, but I pull it up in the early morning, and it just gives a nice feeling of safety almost. I know a guy who does this with his dog when he’s having PTSD anxiety attacks.”

Willow shares this: “I have a cooling weighted blanket that I use all year. It is completely magical. I bought it hoping to sleep better but I didn’t expect it to be so incredibly soothing. Mine is 100% organic bamboo with glass beads. I find the cooling cover perfect all year. I honestly LOVE this improvement in my life.”

Katie shares this: “I love mine! I got one for each of my kids too. For my son I got a lighter one for kids, though he prefers my heavier adult blanket. He has ADHD and anxiety and really loves the weight. We all sleep deeper and fall asleep faster. Sometimes I use mine during the day when anxiety is especially high and it helps to calm my nervous system.”

Many folks are going to need additional nutritional support for their anxiety and insomnia

One person shared this: “I love my weighted blankets but it took awhile to get used to the heaviness on me… It’s not a miracle particularly if my stress and anxiety is much higher but I’d rather have it then not. It’s more helpful if I’m calmer.”

I agree. Many folks are going to need additional nutritional support for their anxiety and insomnia. This is where my work with addressing low GABA and low serotonin comes into play. Also, we may need to consider high cortisol and always need to address gut health, diet, caffeine/sugar/gluten intake, parasites, EMFs and everything covered in my book “The Antianxiety Food Solution.”

Here are a few (of many) useful resources from the blog:

Feel free to use the search feature to find additional anxiety and sleep resources and success stories.

Resources if you are new to using GABA, tryptophan 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 GABA and low serotonin).

Have you had success with a weighted blanket …for sleep issues and anxiety?

If you have seen these benefits with a weighted blanket:

I’m also curious if you’ve observed reductions in sugar cravings, less anger issues, less irritability, less PMS symptoms, less negativity and less worry and panic attacks? These are all symptoms of low serotonin. I suspect that if there is an increase in melatonin there may also be an increase in serotonin (which is used to make melatonin).
Have you noticed any other benefits?
Be sure to share which weighted blanket you have, what percentage of your weight it is, and how often you use it.
Have some of the nutritional approaches helped too?

If you have not seen benefits or didn’t like using one, please feel free to share your experiences.

If you’re a practitioner, do you recommend a weighted blanket to your clients/patients?

If you have questions please share them here too.