{"id":10646,"date":"2022-09-16T14:00:44","date_gmt":"2022-09-16T21:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.everywomanover29.com\/blog\/?p=10646"},"modified":"2026-06-05T17:15:26","modified_gmt":"2026-06-06T00:15:26","slug":"gaba-is-a-life-saver-for-anxiety-theanine-helps-at-night-insomnia-and-5-htp-makes-a-significant-difference-in-lessening-daily-pain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.everywomanover29.com\/blog\/gaba-is-a-life-saver-for-anxiety-theanine-helps-at-night-insomnia-and-5-htp-makes-a-significant-difference-in-lessening-daily-pain\/","title":{"rendered":"GABA is a life saver for anxiety, theanine helps at night (insomnia) and 5-HTP makes a significant difference in lessening daily pain"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"aminos<\/p>\n

Joie has Sjogren\u2019s, Hashimoto\u2019s, fibromyalgia & collagenous colitis (all diagnosed after severe mold exposure) and shared how GABA is a life saver for her anxiety, how theanine helps at night with her insomnia and how 5-HTP makes a significant difference in lessening her daily pain. Here is her wonderful feedback in her own words (my feedback for her follows):<\/p>\n

I was diagnosed with Sjogrens several years ago. I also have Hashimoto\u2019s, Fibromyalgia & Collagenous Colitis. All of these happened after a severe mold exposure which destroyed my pituitary, and caused Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI). I have to take human growth hormone injections daily, as my pituitary isn\u2019t working, digestive enzymes for the EPI, and have experienced the anxiety and depression you\u2019ve written about.<\/p>\n

The GABA has been a life saver for me (for my anxiety), and I share this with all I know who experience anxiety. I also use L-theanine at night because of insomnia. The 5-HTP has helped somewhat for sleep. L-tryptophan didn\u2019t seem to make a difference. However the 5-HTP has made a significant difference in lessening my daily pain levels, which I am most grateful for.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, I am also taking Klonopin and Gabapentin, both of which I have tried to get off of but keep finding myself back on both in order to have greater than 5 hours of sleep at night. Even with these, I often awaken after 4-6 hours and take 1-2 chewable GABA which allows me to go back to sleep and get 2-4 more hours of sleep.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

She shared this on the blog, Sjogren\u2019s syndrome: tryptophan and GABA for anxiety, and moisturizing for dry skin and inflammation?<\/a>, where I write about the prevalence of anxiety and depression in this autoimmune condition, and the fact that serotonin and GABA are often low.<\/p>\n

I shared how sorry I was to hear how mold has impacted her but that it was wonderful to hear the GABA has been a lifesaver for you in terms of anxiety (and when waking in the night) and that theanine helps her sleep. It\u2019s wonderful that 5-HTP helps ease her daily pain (here is fibromyalgia research on 5-HTP<\/a>) and helps somewhat with her sleep issues.<\/p>\n

Has she increased the amino acids to the optimal doses for her unique needs?<\/h2>\n

My question for her was this: \u201chow much of each of these amino acids are you using and have you increased them to the optimal doses for your unique needs?<\/em>\u201d I asked this because many folks don\u2019t do this and we always want to capitalize on what is working.<\/p>\n

Here are some examples that relate to Joie:<\/p>\n