Last month I shared Dee’s wonderful results with using GABA Calm for her panic attacks, heightened stress and anxiety. I posted the following on Facebook and it led to some really good questions so here they are with my feedback in case you have similar questions about using GABA, which is a calming amino acid. This is Dee’s feedback:
I have taken Xanax in the past for panic attacks. My functional medicine doctor suggested GABA Calm as I wanted a natural product. I was amazed how it works just like the Xanax did – instant calm feeling within 10 mins of taking 2 capsules. I use them as needed when I am having heightened stress and anxiety.
These are wonderful results for Dee and what a great functional medicine doctor she has. I get feedback like this all the time with my clients. In fact, I had this positive feedback on the Facebook post:
- “Yes absolutely treat the anxiety while finding root cause” – I agree with this but would add that low GABA is one of the root causes we are addressing right away
- I have GAD enzyme deficiency. B6, Magnesium, theanine, and GABA are a must
- GABA saved my life – my functional medicine doctor gave me the same thing!
(1) The first question I received was about which product and which form of GABA:
The Gaba Calm that is being mentioned by Dee says 2 capsules – would you please provide a link for that? I see the one you mention as a lozenge – which I’d like to try as well. Do they contain pharmaGaba or synthetic GABA? I read that the pharmaGaba is superior – your thoughts on this?
This is the GABA product Dee is referring to: Source Naturals GABA Calm and she used 2 sublingual lozenges.
As a recap (in case you’re new to the low GABA type of anxiety) when you have low GABA levels you will have physical anxiety with stiff and tense muscles as well as feelings of stress, overwhelm and may even have panic attacks.
The amino acid GABA helps to raise GABA levels and ease these symptoms very quickly. I find that all GABA products are most effective when taken sublingually or opened on to the tongue. This is why I recommend the Source Naturals GABA Calm™ product.
This is my most popular and most effective form of GABA I use with my clients. It is a pleasant-tasting sublingual product that you can buy at your local health-store and in my online supplement store.
I prefer to start with GABA with my clients but folks do better with pharmaGABA so it’s matter of doing a trial to figure it out.
(2) Someone also asked if you can you take it if you are on antidepressants?
There are no known issues that I am aware of and I use GABA calm with clients who are prescribed antidepressants.
(3) One woman had a concern about her prior use and how GABA made her feel worse:
2 capsules at what dosage? I tried one at 750 mg and made me feel more panicked. Maybe it’s the strength?
I always have my clients start LOW, typically at 125mg, which is the amount in one GABA Calm lozenge. We start even lower (like ¼ of a lozenge) if they are very sensitive to supplement or medications. Higher doses like 750mg (and even 500mg for some people) is way too much for most folks to start on and can make you feel worse and even cause a panic attack, make you feel flushed and light-headed and very sleepy.
(4) One woman said, “unfortunately GABA didn’t work for me” but lithium orotate (5-10 mg per day did help her – “Great mood stabilizer”
When GABA doesn’t help to ease anxiety, it could be for a number of reasons:
- the root cause of the anxiety wasn’t due to low GABA (perhaps it’s the low serotonin anxiety) or
- it wasn’t enough GABA (we titrate up from 125mg until we find the ideal amount for each person) or
- too much GABA was used (as above) or
- it wasn’t actually GABA that was used (some people say GABA when they used the medication gabapentin or used Phenibut) or
- the GABA was not used sublingually (this is the best way to use it for quickest results) or
- the person has thyroid issues (the amino acids are less effective in this instance)
I do like lithium orotate as a mood stabilizer and find that for some individuals this does make the amino acids more effective. The fact that lithium worked for her makes me think there is some GABA involvement in her anxiety because lithium seems to support increased levels of GABA. Dr. Peter Bongiorno writes about this in his book Put Anxiety Behind You.
(5) One person shared her success with exposure therapy and acceptance and cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) instead of using GABA, and a concern about a lifetime need for GABA. I’m paraphrasing some of the discussion:
I have recovered from GAD, panic disorder, OCD and depression from exposure therapy and acceptance and cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). It takes a lot of work and understanding but anxiety and panic can be recovered, and you don’t have use ANY external substances.
We can’t take GABA for a whole life time and it isn’t a permanent solution. Anxiety comes with a LOT more than uncomfortable feelings. Unfortunately for myself and many others GABA had no significant impact on anxiety. No external substance is going to correct a cognitive disorder.
GABA is not a life-time solution. The goal is to take GABA short-term and address other root causes that are leading to low GABA such as poor gut health, gluten issues, diet (not enough quality protein or health fats), stress/adrenals, sex hormone imbalances, heavy metals, Lyme disease and so on.
As I mention in #4 above there are reasons when the GABA doesn’t work or doesn’t seem to work.
I respectfully disagree that “No external substance is going to correct a cognitive disorder.” I’m all for CBT but many folks have to address their biochemistry too for lasting results. I also have many therapist colleagues who share that CBT and other therapy is often more effective when someone is nutritionally stable and with no deficiencies or biochemical imbalances. I say let’s use everything at our disposal to feel good again!
I’m really pleased she found results with acceptance and cognitive behavior therapy. I will admit that I’m not a big fan of exposure therapy as I’m concerned about the added stress for someone who is already anxious. I’ve also worked with a number of clients who have not seen long-term results with exposure therapy.
Here are three additional GABA success stories:
- GABA for children: ADHD, focus issues, irritability, anxiety and tantrums
- GABA helps with Lyme anxiety (while addressing the underlying disease)
- GABA for ending sugar cravings (and anxiety and insomnia)
In case this is relevant for you, the product mentioned in this blog can be found in my online store:
- Source Naturals GABA Calm (with additional information here)
If for some reason GABA Calm isn’t the best product for you, a low dose GABA-only product or combination GABA/theanine product can easily be opened onto the tongue in order to provide similar benefits to the lozenge. You can find some examples on my supplements blog here and purchased from my online store:
- Nutritional Fundamentals for Health GABA-T SAP: gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) 300 mg, l-theanine 150 mg. This is pleasant-tasting when opened on to the tongue and works very well when GABA Calm can’t be used. I find best results when it is used opened on to the tongue.
- Enzymatic Therapy GABA: gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) 250 mg. This is also pleasant-tasting when opened on to the tongue and works very well when GABA Calm can’t be used. As with all GABA products, I find best results when it is used opened on to the tongue.
- ProThera 500mg GABA: gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) 500 mg. You will likely need to open this up and start with less than a full capsule during the day. A full capsule may be fine at night for some individuals)
I’d love to hear if these questions and my feedback have been helpful for you as you navigate the low GABA type of anxiety? Do you have additional GABA questions for me? Or a GABA success story to share? Please post in the comments below.
I completed a 5 month taper off of Ativan after having taken it for 10 months for anxiety and insomnia that spontaneously developed due to an injury. I am now 6 months out and still struggling with anxiety and insomnia. I’ve read that it is not helpful to take GABA agonist supplements during recovery. I assume you disagree with this position. Please explain why.
Courtney
I have had many clients tapering off a benzodiazepine or recently tapered who have found much success with GABA. However some folks (on benzos, tapering or newly tapered) can’t tolerate GABA or can only use a tiny tiny pinch. It’s really individual and a matter of doing a trial to see if it helps. I also use everything else to help the anxiety and insomnia – niacinamide, melatonin and tryptophan are often helpful as are raw materials like zinc, vitamin B6 and magnesium and often vitamin D and iron (if they are low). Addressing gut health, diet, the adrenals (high cortisol is often a factor) are all important too. Each person needs to have a full functional workup to figure out their nutritional deficiencies. I also find addressing all this BEFORE starting a taper is ideal.
Hi Trudy,
I have trouble falling asleep at night so I tried 1 Gaba Calm lozenge before bed and I was even more wired. I only tried it one night so far, but only slept about 5 hours in total that night. Should I try it again to see if it helps? Or do you think because it kept me up the first try I should not take it before bed? Should I try it taking it earlier in the day? I am mainly taking it for sleep anxiety.
Thank you!
Megan
Some of my clients do fine taking this product at night and it calms them and helps them sleep. Others find it affects their sleep and can only use it for easing their anxiety in the day time. More here https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/source-natural-gaba-calm-anxiety/
Hi, Trudy ~ What is the purpose of putting tyrosine (precursor to excitatory neurotransmitters) in GABA Calm. I’m afraid to try it! I know my anxiety is the physical kind and I have used a GABA product that helps some, and have also been on gabapentin. It seems that something that can turn into epinephrine would be counterproductive!
I have used gabs with great success for the last 2 years and have needed to take it less and less, lately the anxiety has crept up so this evening after a particularly stressed evening I took what I normally take and immediately my anxiety shot up I felt like I had an intense upper body and facial flush , what’s going on? Any insight in why it affected me this wY? Definitely a first
Hi Jean, I had similar experience, almost like a niacin flush the first time I took GABA and figured out that I had just taken too much so I separated the capsules into half which worked fine. Maybe since you were taking it less often the regular dose was too much all at once. Hoping you’ve had some luck figuring it out, but just wanted to share incase you hadn’t yet. Blessings❤︎
Jill
Thanks for sharing this common effect of taking too much GABA. May I ask which product and how much caused this? And is the lower dose now helping?
Jean
Too much GABA can cause a flush and feeling more anxious
hello Trudy! I succeed with some amino acids, only they will form habit over time, asking me to always take more and more until I reach a dangerous dose. It was so with tryptophan, taurine, gaba, theanine, etc … How would I do to avoid this?
my problem is insomnia I wake up around 3/4 am and I can not go back to sleep … thanks
Sandro
I have no found that more and more of the amino acids are needed. Assuming dietary and lifestyle factors are being addressed, my clients find less and less are needed. With early morning waking I look at high cortisol (https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/seriphos-original-formula-anxiety-insomnia-cortisol/), parasites, SIBO, low blood sugar and gluten issues.
Regarding: “The goal is to take GABA short-term and address other root causes that are leading to low GABA such as poor gut health, gluten issues, diet (not enough quality protein or health fats), stress/adrenals, sex hormone imbalances, heavy metals, Lyme disease and so on.”, do you have information on sex hormone targets as they relate to each other? I’m post-menopausal and take estrogen, progesterone, testosterone and DHEA.
I’m currently weaning off of Xanax. I’m on a low dose, 0.5mg -0.75mg. Started to treat PTSD anxiety and trouble sleeping. I take this dose once a day right now. Are there any Aminos I should NOT use?
Jessica
I’ve used all the amino acids with clients who are weaning off Xanax and know of no issues. Keep in mind that I have my clients get nutritionally stable BEFORE starting any medication taper (with their doctor’s approval of course) – real food, no gluten, no caffeine, no sugar, quality animal protein, eating for blood sugar control and we address low serotonin, low GABA, low melatonin, high cortisol etc first.
Hi Judy.I have severe sleep anxiety and OCD.I have been on Mirtazapine for a month but I have just started taking Theanine 200mg and NOW Gaba 500mg.
I’m just wondering how long it takes for it to help with anxiety and sleep . I don’t have anyone who can test me for the right amount so I’m following the guidance on the supplements.
Jackie
The amino acids work right away when we have the optimal dose for our needs.
Apologies for the delay in your comment approval and my response. We had a computer glitch where a large number of comments were hidden from view in a spam folder. It mostly affected new folks who were commenting for the first time but it’s hopefully resolved now.
I am taking .25 mg of xanax twice a day, 1 tablet , I take 1/2 2 times a day and 1 full tablet at bed time. I have been taking for 2 months. I want to stop taking all together. How do I do this over what period of time. Thank You
Bonnie
You may find this blog helpful https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/world-benzodiazepine-awareness-day-say-no-benzodiazepines-anxiety/
I have been taking PharmaGABA for about 4 months now to help manage my blood pressure. It’s been great – but last 4 days I have been getting close to having panic attack. Cumulative effect? I’ve taken it before. Same dose but never for this length of time on a regular basis
Kelly
Too much GABA can make a person more anxious and after a few months of using it for anxiety and/or insomnia it’s usual to reduce the dose to see the response.
The same rule may apply for blood pressure. Can you share how it’s helped to manage your blood pressure?
125mg of Gaba (AM) seems to help. Is it OK to take another dose late in the day? Also, is it OK to use it daily for a few months during a stressful time.
Barbara
I have many clients take 1-3 GABA Calm sometimes 3-4 x a day, always based on unique needs and while they are feeling anxious/during times of stress.
When you are new to the amino acids I really do recommend my book “The Antianxiety Food Solution” so you understand exactly how to use them. There is an entire chapter on the amino acids and how to use them.
It also covers other anxiety nutrition solutions like gluten/sugar/caffeine removal, blood sugar control, gut health, pyroluria etc and is a great foundation. Remember, it’s the amino acids and diet. More here https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/the-antianxiety-food-solution-by-trudy-scott/
Hi,
I want to try GABA for chronic and extreme anxiety symptoms due to a severe anxiety disorder (OCD), but I’ve read reports from many people that GABA caused worsened anxiety and/or feelings of panic — even at low doses. I’m still very confused about how or why this can happen if GABA is known to have a calming or inhibitory effect on nervous system activity. Can you further explain why this adverse or opposite reaction can occur? I can’t find any answers or info online about the issue. Thank you.
M.B.
Using GABA is a fine balancing act and too much can do this. We reduce the dose in this instance and would start super super low with sensitive individuals. If the root cause of the anxiety is not low GABA levels then this could happen too. In this case we assess for low serotonin and other other causes of the anxiety. With OCD I’d suspect low serotonin before low GABA.
Prior or current use of benzodiazepines can be an issue for a subset of the population too, due to downregulated GABA receptors.
Some GABA products may be an issue too and I’ve just recently heard that some folks with histamine issues don’t do well with pharmaGABA (which is made via fermentation).
There is also something called the GABA shunt. I’m still looking into the mechanisms of this and will be doing a blog post on this topic.
My book “The Antianxiety Food Solution” ( https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/the-antianxiety-food-solution-by-trudy-scott/ ) does have an entire chapter on the amino acids and many folks do really well implementing on their own. My online GABA Quickstart group program is helpful when you have questions and need guidance (and moral support/encouragement). More here https://www.anxietynutritioninstitute.com/gabaquickstart/
Thanks so much for the reply. But I still don’t understand why too much GABA would induce anxiety symptoms if it generally has an inhibitory effect on the brain/nervous system. Do you know specifically how this can happen?
I believe that with OCD, several complex chemical imbalances/malfunctions are involved. I have responded somewhat to both antidepressants and benzodiazepines (Ativan in particular with the latter). However, the side effects were not tolerable with the antidepressants, and Ativan isn’t meant to be taken regularly or for an extended period of time. I’m not currently taking any medications and I’m getting desperate to find an alternative that may help alleviate what are VERY severe OCD (and Depression) symptoms… But the unpredictability of GABA scares me.
And what is the GABA shunt? Please post the link to the blog when available.
Thanks again.
I periodically have severe panic attacks at night. Usually when I been sick for shortness of breath causes me to wake up in a crazy manic state. Now I tried Xanax once years ago and GABA works even stronger in my opinion.
I had severe insomnia and panic attacks this past week due to the prednisone I been on. For some reason i had a full blown panic in the middle of the day today and have no idea why. Broke open my 750 mg capsule and placed half under my tounge at 1:30pm. It is now 5:20 and i still feel calm and tranquil. My racing heart rate stopped in about 15 minutes after taking it.
I usually take it in the morning so I an be calm and less stressed at work. This is the first time I took it in the middle of an actual panic and i worked very very fast. 4 hours later I am still in a state of blissful calm.
Also I normally take two 750 mg a day ( one in the morning for work is stressful then one in the evening ) but since I had such a good result on 1/2 a capsule today I am going to reduce my dosage to the 500 and only take it “as needed” instead as a presentative. i am so glad i found this. I tried Buspar and hydroxyzine and it does nothing for panic attacks.
Heidi
Thanks for sharing this feedback – it’s wonderful that you figured out that GABA would helps and that it’s worked so quickly for you. It’s not surprising, because as you can see from this article – Mental status changes with corticosteroid therapy https://journals.lww.com/nursingmadeincrediblyeasy/fulltext/2021/01000/mental_status_changes_with_corticosteroid_therapy.11.aspx, steroids lower both GABA and serotonin.
I’m planning to do a blog post on this topic and would love to share your story (first name only). Can you let me know which product you are using? And your before and after scores for your low GABA symptoms https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/amino-acids-mood-questionnaire-from-the-antianxiety-food-solution/ ?
I don’t know what scores mean. I use the whole foods brand when i can get to one. My first try with Gaba was the whole foods brand and i felt an immediate super calm and at total peace. The feeling disappeared in 2 weeks probably because body got used to it but it still works even tho i do not notice the aloof feeling. BUT i have been experiencing great depression and uncontrollable panic attacks beyond what gaba was able to help me with. I had a panic attack lasting hours ant the end of april and I think Dr suspects bipolar So I am on Seroquel now and xanax now. I still try to avoid xanax and use gaba when i have mild anxiety.
Heidi
Scores… The best way to determine if someone may have low GABA/serotonin is to look at the low GABA/serotonin symptoms, rate them on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being worst, do a trial of the respective amino acid and rate the symptoms again right afterwards (in the next 2 to 30 minutes). Here are the symptoms https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/amino-acids-mood-questionnaire-from-the-antianxiety-food-solution/
Low serotonin can also cause panic attacks so we also look into this and use tryptophan if needed.
How come PharmaGABA can’t be taken long term?
Natalie
Ideally we address the low GABA with GABA supplements and diet and lifestyle changes and then they are no longer needed or just needed in times of added stress. However some folks do use them longer term
Can you edit all my posts so my last name does not show. Thanks. i di dnot notice till now that i had my full name posted
Done
I am wondering if it’s all right to take gaba with amitripyline. I have been taking it for 12 days and am planning on stopping it and starting gaba.
Delia
I have clients use both and discuss medication tapering with the prescribing doctor
What about PharmaGabba from Designs for Health?
Amanda
Many people do well on this form of GABA and some don’t so we do a trial
What have you found with clients?
Hi Trudy.
I suffer OCD and social anxiety, major overthinking everything and a people pleaser, I take 50mg of Zoloft and 100 mcg Eltroxin daily. I see that GABA is not as effective for someone with Thyroid issues, any recommendations would be greatly appreciated, your advice and newsletter are amazing thanks so much
Anne
You are most welcome! GABA works well when thyroid health is well supported with thyroid medication and/or thyroid nutrients. However when I hear OCD, major overthinking everything and a people pleaser I also think of low serotonin.
With social anxiety we also address pyroluria.
When you’re new to the amino acids, my book “The Antianxiety Food Solution” has an entire chapter on the aminos with detailed info on doses and times. More here https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/the-antianxiety-food-solution-by-trudy-scott/ I also cover all the nutritional aspects for helping to ease anxiety and it includes a chapter on pyroluria.
I think I am going to try gaba supplements again. I had not had panic attacks since I started Seroquel and Buspirone a year or 2 ago but i had a few big panic attacks this year out of the blue and they were horrible. Doctor does not like prescribing xanax outside of rare occurrences. Only problem i had with GABA is my body builds a tolerance fast
Heidi
Can you share what you mean by “with GABA … my body builds a tolerance fast” – and share which GABA product and how you use it?