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GABA takes some of the anxiety edge away and now I want to add tryptophan: how do I do this?

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GABA and tryptophan are both calming amino acids with GABA helping more with physical anxiety, tension-in-the-body type of anxiety and tryptophan with anxiety-in-the-head, worrying and ruminations. Many of my clients do really well with both but I like to have them use one at a time to really make sure they are seeing all the benefits before adding the next one.

I recently received this excellent question on one of the blogs about serotonin support: she’s doing better on the GABA and now wants to add tryptophan:        

I have started with Source Naturals Gaba Calm 125 mg, 2 on awakening and two in mid afternoon, and 2 Gaba Relaxer at bedtime. It has taken some anxiety edge away from me, but I still feel some anxiety on and off, not so severe as before. I used to feel very anxious on awakening. I want to improve more. to-day, I ordered Lidtke L-trytophan 500mg and am expecting to receive it in a week. I plan to take 2 Gaba Calm on awakening and 2 in mid afternoon, then add one 500mg trytophan mid afternoon and one 500 mg trytophan at bed time. Is this a good plan? or shall I have 2 Gaba Calm on awakening, 2 trytophan mid afternoon and 2 trytophan bedtime?

I love getting questions on the blog and make sure each one gets answered. However I can’t ever offer specific advice via the blog – you have to be a client for me to be able to do that. But because this is an excellent question I’d like to share some of what I shared with her in the hope it will help you (or your patients/clients) too.

First off I am so pleased to hear the Source Naturals GABA Calm and Country Life GABA Relaxer (a very nice combination of GABA, glycine, taurine, inositol, niacinamide and vitamin B6) has taken some of the anxiety edge away for her!

Here is my answer for her – about what I’d do next if I was working with her one-on-one:

There is also no specific formula to be followed because each person is different and when I’m working with someone we’re figuring out what is working and why and adjusting accordingly. If something is working we continue with that until no more benefits are seen.

I would say this – ask yourself what low GABA anxiety symptoms (this is the physical anxiety) have improved with the GABA and how much (rate each one before – out of 10; and what are they now – out of 10). From your question it sounds like they could improve more – so if we were working together I’d continue to increase GABA before adding something new.

Then once that has been done and we have the ideal amount I’d then check what low serotonin symptoms my client has (these are the busy mind, ruminations type or worry anxiety). If she does have some of these symptoms, pick or two and do a trial with 1 x 500mg tryptophan opened on to the tongue (or less if she’s super sensitive). She rates the symptoms out of 10 before the tryptophan trial and then after the trial. Depending on how she responds on the trial, we’ll decide if she needs 1 or 2 each time. The bedtime dose also depends on how bad the insomnia is. We continue to increase as needed based on symptoms.

All the while we are starting to make other changes – like diet, eating for blood sugar balance, no caffeine, no sugar, looking for high cortisol, no gluten, looking at gut health and for other nutritional deficiencies.

I hope this helps you and makes sense. In summary these are the guidelines I use:

  • It’s best to do one amino acid at a time when starting out
  • Make sure you’ve increased an amino acid so you can experience it’s full benefits before adding another one
  • Start all amino acids based on your unique needs – the best way to determine this is to do a trial first
  • Adjust accordingly while keeping a log of symptoms (with before and after ratings) and supplement amounts

Here are some links to additional resources related to the above:

I’d love to hear your feedback on your low GABA and/or low serotonin symptoms and the before rating (from 1 to 10) and the after rating (from 1 to 10) once you’re taking the related amino acid.

And please let me know if it’s helpful to read a real life question and my response.

How do I taper from my antidepressant with tryptophan and can I safely use the other amino acids?

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antidepressant-tapering

Today’s article is based on a question I am seeing more and more on the blog: How do I taper from my antidepressant with tryptophan and can I safely use the other amino acids?

I find my clients do better when tapering off an antidepressant (which is often prescribed for anxiety and panic attacks) when their nutritional status is solid. Incorporating diet changes and adding amino acids and other nutrients first can result in a more successful taper with less side-effects. This would mean starting with the basics – eating real whole food, incorporating quality animal protein, eating to balance blood sugar, and removing gluten, caffeine and sugar.

If needed and based on testing results, it’s important to address any other nutritional deficiencies such as low iron, low vitamin D, low stomach acid, low total cholesterol, low B12 (and whatever else is an issue), plus support the adrenals/sex hormones/thyroid if needed and addressing gut health like leaky gut and dysbiosis.

Adding a good copper free multivitamin and often the addition of zinc and vitamin B6, evening primrose oil and possibly fish oil – the latter based on each person’s unique needs.

With antidepressants such as selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), I have my clients work with their prescribing doctor and get the approval to add tryptophan (or 5-HTP) 6 hours apart from the SSRI. If they are taking the medication at night they get the approval from their doctor to switch it to the morning, and will take tryptophan (or 5-HTP) at least 6 hours later, mid-afternoon and evening.

If they decide to do both the medication and tryptophan (or 5-HTP), they get a protocol for the SSRI taper for the future. This is important. If you are in too big a rush to start right away, it often causes more issues. It’s also important to make sure you get a very slow taper protocol from your doctor. Some antidepressants are harder to taper (Paxil is notoriously difficult) and they all should be tapered really slowly.

The plan is to start to taper the SSRI once you have been using the tryptophan (or 5-HTP) for at least 4 to 8 weeks and are seeing real benefits by using it. This translates to much much less or none of the following symptoms: anxiety, depression, insomnia, rumination, worry, negative-self-talk, perfectionism, afternoon and evening carbohydrate cravings, PMS, rage or anger.

For some of my clients it’s 3 months before they feel they are ready to taper. This may be because of feedback they have provided based on prior taper attempts and how they are feeling this time. It may also be based on what else is going on in their lives like a stressful work situation. It may also be based on the time of the year: winter is generally not a good time to taper and definitely not if you suffer from increased depression or anxiety in winter.

The tryptophan (or 5-HTP) is adjusted up as needed while continuing to taper the SSRI.

The doctor is always kept informed and monitors for the possibility of serotonin syndrome. I learned about the potential concerns about serotonin syndrome when using tryptophan or 5-HTP with an SSRI from Julia Ross, author of The Mood Cure, and so I continue to caution my clients about this.

When I interviewed Dr. Peter Bongiorno in season 4 of the Anxiety Summit (Serotonin and anxiety: tryptophan, 5-HTP, serotonin syndrome and medication tapers), he shared that he is not concerned about serotonin syndrome being an issue with tryptophan or 5-HTP dosed with an SSRI, even if taken at the same time. He cited research that found the combination of tryptophan and SSRI did not result in serotonin syndrome in any of the participants.

Dr. Bongiorno also uses the same approach to address the basics:

the most important thing is that we really establish all the basics and that they’re in the healthiest place possible.  Because if those aren’t there, if a patient just gets off the medication and we haven’t really done anything to change the underlying reasons why they got to the place where they had the mood issue, in most cases they’re going to go back there again.

Some people need amino acid support in more than just the low serotonin area so we review the amino acid questionnaire and consider trials of GABA and other amino acids too. All this only applies for SSRIs and tryptophan or 5-HTP. The other amino acids can safely be used with SSRIs, and it’s not uncommon to also have low GABA, low endorphins, low catecholamines and low blood sugar and need them all, but it’s still best to discuss them with the prescribing doctor.

We also review all the amino acid precautions.

Some people choose to work with their doctor to taper the SSRI and then add the tryptophan (or 5-HTP) once they have quit the medication. I have found that this makes it much harder to do and more side-effects are seen. With the amino acids you start to get some relief right away and have hope on the first day! They also make it so much easier to quit the sugar, gluten and caffeine without having to use will-power.

In summary, these are my recommendations for doing an SSRI taper with amino acids:

(please don’t simply read one or two blogs and jump in to this)

  • use the amino acids from day one to start addressing low levels of all the brain chemicals
  • use the tryptophan or 5-HTP at least 6 hours away from the SSRI

I would like to add that Dr. Brogan shares that coffee enemas help her patients who are doing medication tapers.

If you are a practitioner, join us in The Balancing Neurotransmitters: the Fundamentals program. It’s an opportunity to interact with me and other practitioners who are also using the amino acids and helping their clients/patients to taper from antidepressants (always working with the prescribing doctor).

Have you used a similar SSRI taper protocol? And how did it work for you? What would you have done differently? And what advice would you give someone contemplating an SSRI taper?

Have you found that coffee enemas have helped?

If you are a practitioner, has the above approach been helpful for your clients/patients?

The Autoimmune Fix by Dr. Tom O’Bryan: gluteomorphins, casomorphins and withdrawal

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autoimmune-fix

Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, Type 1 diabetes, Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, celiac disease, osteoporosis, and lupus are all autoimmune diseases and can be reversed because 70% of them are found in the gut. In Dr. Tom O’Bryan’s new book, The Autoimmune Fix: How to Stop the Hidden Autoimmune Damage That Keeps You Sick, Fat, and Tired Before It Turns Into Disease he provides a practical and much-needed guide to navigating autoimmune diseases to help you feel better and develop a plan that works for you.

A big factor with many autoimmune diseases and conditions is going gluten-free and often going dairy-free too. As Dr. O’ Bryan states:

This does not mean that everyone with a systemic autoimmune disease has a sensitivity to gluten, but it does show the very high correlation.

He also shares that Marios Hadjivassiliou MD believes that

gluten sensitivity is associated with autoimmune disease and that celiac is just one manifestation of it.

Here is a wonderful success story from the book – a gluten-free and dairy-free diet, and the nutrition to heal her intestinal permeability (or leaky gut):

Nancy never left the house without a packet of tissues. She suffered from chronic allergies but could never figure out exactly what she was allergic to. She was also constantly battling her depression, and although she didn’t think of herself as someone who had digestive problems, she always felt bloated. The comforting allure of a box of doughnuts, a pint of ice cream, a bowl of noodles, or, when things were really bad, a roll of raw cookie dough was often too hard to resist and seemed to calm down her anxiety. She dressed to hide her weight gain in public, hoping to pass invisibly through life. She didn’t even consider dating. She had lost interest in men anyway, despite being only 28 years old.

To the average doctor, Nancy was a classic depressed patient who needed a prescription for antidepressants, perhaps some antianxiety medication, and a good weight-loss and exercise program. But here’s what most doctors miss with people like Nancy: Her depression, anxiety, and weight gain were actually the result of immune responses that were causing chronic inflammation. Nancy, like so many women, had a constellation of symptoms that all pointed to one culprit: a systemic inflammatory cascade.

When Nancy came to my office, I ran an antibody test to determine the cause of her problems. I discovered that the culprits for her immune reaction were a sensitivity to gluten and dairy and elevated levels of LPS [lipopolysaccharides] in her blood. These molecules were activating her immune system. But how did these molecules enter her bloodstream? The answer was the third factor: intestinal permeability. With the proper testing and treatment, a gluten- and dairy-free diet, and the nutrition to heal her intestinal permeability, Nancy’s antibody load to LPS reduced within 6 months. She stopped throwing gasoline on the fire (by removing gluten and dairy), and her symptoms began lifting within the first 2 weeks as her inflammation subsided. Within 6 months, she was down two dress sizes and came back to see me, vibrant with life.

It really can be as successful as this and I see these kind of results with so many of my clients who make these few simple changes.

However, for some people, it can be more challenging and you may experience withdrawal symptoms when you give up wheat and dairy, and feel tired, depressed (or anxious) or nauseated:

Some don’t want to exercise, and some have headaches (just like with coffee withdrawal). This is especially true of those who in their blood tests have elevated levels of the peptide in wheat called gluteomorphin or elevated levels of the peptide in dairy called casomorphin.

These poorly digested peptides can stimulate the opiate receptors in the gut and brain. Opiate receptors trigger the production of hormones called endorphins and enkephalins that produce that feel-good response. Remember the last time you laughed out loud in a movie or with your friends? Perhaps you even had belly laughter—when you laugh so hard your belly hurts? Remember how good you felt after that? It’s because your opiate receptors were stimulated and you now have a little more endorphins circulating in your bloodstream. Well, gluten and dairy can mildly stimulate these same receptors. And just as an addict may have withdrawal symptoms when they stop their drug of choice, such may be the case with gluten and dairy withdrawal. My friend William Davis, MD, author of Wheat Belly, even came up with a name for it: wheat withdrawal. The same may be true for removing dairy or sugar.

If this happens to you, don’t be surprised. First of all, this may be the first time you had to give up some of your favorite comfort foods cold turkey. And these favorite foods become comfort foods for a reason: Sugar-laden foods, especially refined carbohydrates, are highly addictive. Your body is actually going through a gliadin-casein-sugar–derived opiate withdrawal.

You may ask how common is it to have these withdrawal symptoms? This can be different for each individual and can differ from one practice to the next:

Dr. Davis [author of Wheat Belly] believes that wheat withdrawal can be quite unpleasant for close to 40 percent of the population. That has not been my clinical experience. Our number has been closer to 10 percent, which is still a substantial number. You may have a friend or family member who has tried to go gluten-free and has told you, “My body must need wheat. It’s been 3 days since I’ve had anything made of wheat, and I feel awful!” This response can be scary. But remember, it’s not that the body needs wheat; it craves it. This is just the body craving a toxic substance that it has gotten accustomed to. Don’t worry: The symptoms will disappear quickly. And best of all, the cravings for sugar and wheat will subside, and then you feel wonderful!

It is interesting to read that Dr. O’Bryan finds that only 10% of his patients have unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. I’d like to add to the discussion and share that with the anxious women that I work with, it’s even higher than the 40% that Dr. Davis reports. It’s in these instances that I find the targeted amino acids so helpful to break the addiction, prevent the need for having to use willpower and provide instant mood and anxiety relief at the same time: tryptophan (if it’s afternoon/evening cravings), GABA (if you stress-eat), DPA (if you comfort-eat) or glutamine (if you crave due to low blood sugar).

Dr. O’Bryan does recommend glutamine for gut healing, together with vitamin D, fish oil, probiotics, zinc carnosine and colostrum. I suspect he doesn’t recommend the amino acids I mentioned above because he doesn’t see as many unpleasant or difficult withdrawal symptoms.

Some of my other favorite sections from this new book include:

  • his brilliant description of the immune system and how antibodies are created, and how inflammation is the primary tool in our immune system’s arsenal that keeps us healthy
  • the differences between autoimmune diseases and the many autoimmune conditions (he lists 159 that are on the autoimmune spectrum!)  
  • the differences between celiac disease and gluten sensitivity
  • the leaky gut and lipopolysaccharides discussion, and the section on the microbiome and dysbiosis (and the big connection to stress)
  • the connection of a disproportionally large forehead to celiac disease (fascinating!)
  • testing and measuring autoantibodies (I love that he calls them “messengers from the future”) and the chart that shows the likelihood as to whether you will develop a particular disease
  • the extensive lists of the hidden sources of gluten in supplements, cosmetics (this is surprisingly long) and even household products
  • the connection between gum disease, mouth bacteria and leaky gut
  • his food and nutrient recommendations
  • the long list of references and study summaries – if you’ve have the wonderful opportunity to have heard Dr. O’Bryan speak live or on summits (he’s a popular speaker on prior Anxiety Summits) you’ll recognize and love this style of his right away

If any of this is new to you and you suspect you may have an autoimmune disease or condition, then this book, The Autoimmune Fix is a must-read. It launched earlier this week and as you would expect from Dr. O’Bryan, it’s brilliant! You can order your copy here on Amazon. This is groundbreaking information we all need to know!

Let us know if you have an autoimmune disease or condition and if going gluten-free and/or dairy-free has helped you? Was it an easy change for you to make or did you experience withdrawal symptoms? Did you power through or did you successfully use amino acids to help? Have you done any of the testing he discusses or addressed dysbiosis? Healed your leaky gut?

If you have already purchased and read the book, please share some of your favorite sections and what has helped you.

Confused about supplements? Join me on the Medicinal Supplements Summit

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medical-supplement-summit-speakers

Confused about supplements? Are you they doing you more harm than good? Join me on The Medicinal Supplements Summit from September 12-19, 2016 and learn the latest in supplement customization to beat stress and end anxiety, boost energy, lose weight, improve brain function and heal your body!

Your hosts of The Medicinal Supplements Summit are Wendy Myers, an expert in detoxification and founder of Liveto110.com, and Ian Clark, founder of Activation Products.  

They both understand the importance of taking the right supplements – after all, they both healed their own health crises through targeted supplements, whole body health and the power of micronutrients!

This event is dedicated to helping you determine what you need, separate “claims” from the truth, customize to your needs and make proper decisions at the store or online.

All reasons not to miss The Medicinal Supplements Summit, online from September 12-19, 2016!

Here is the line-up of topics:

DAY 1 (September 12, after 10am US eastern)
The Medicinal Supplements Summit starts. We’ll discuss whether you need supplements to be healthy, can you get all your nutrients from food and important supplements missing from your health regime!

DAY 2 (September 13, after 10am US eastern)
On Day 2 of The Medicinal Supplements Summit, we discuss top supplements in depth: fish oil, probiotics, Vitamin C, food-based vs. synthetic supplements and minerals, like magnesium. Learn what kind of supplements you should take and how to take them!

DAY 3 (September 14, after 10am US eastern)
On Day 3 of The Medicinal Supplements Summit, we discuss tips and tests you can take to customize supplements to your body’s needs. Take the guesswork out of choosing supplements!

DAY 4 (September 15, after 10am US eastern)
Buyer beware! On day 4 of The Medicinal Supplements Summit we discuss the supplement categories that require extra scrutiny before you buy: weight loss, detox, energy, performance-enhancing and protein supplements. These supplement categories offer products that are harmful or ineffective, and should be avoided.

DAY 5 (September 16, after 10am US eastern)
On Day 5 of The Medicinal Supplements Summit, we review the top medicinal supplements for common health conditions: heart disease, pain, adrenal fatigue, thyroid dysfunction, gut health and autoimmunity. These supplements should be in your medicine cabinet!

DAY 6 (September 17, after 10am US eastern)
Day 6 at The Medicinal Supplements Summit reviews supplements for common health conditions: brain fog, depression, anxiety, digestive issues, fibromyalgia, pain and sleep disturbances.  

My interview airs on day 6: Using Amino Acids for Anxiety and Depression

  • How to find out what type of depression you have
  • Specific amino acids for your type of depression or anxiety (individual targeted amino acids: tryptophan, GABA, DPA, glutamine and tyrosine)
  • Serious complications caused by anti-anxiety medication

DAY 7 (September 18, after 10am US eastern)
On Day 7 of The Medicinal Supplements Summit, we discuss hot topics in the supplement world: toxic metals in supplements, hidden gluten, ingredients to avoid and using essential oils.

DAY 8 (September 19, after 10am US eastern)
Encore Day at The Medicinal Supplements Summit!

Here is the registration link https://qt247.isrefer.com/go/SUPP16reg/trudyscottcn/

Hope to see you there.

Tryptophan and melatonin make a big difference but why do I still wake at 4am?

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waking-up-early

I get many questions on the blog about problems with sleep: not able to fall asleep, not waking rested and waking in the early hours and not being able to go back to sleep. By far the most common question is “Why do I still wake at 4am and can’t go back to sleep?”

So let me share one of the typical questions I receive and my feedback in the hope that something you read here may help you or someone you’re working with. Here is the question:

I purchased Lidtke l-Tryptophan and time release melatonin and notice a big difference in my sleep. Instead of waking up every two hours I’m sleeping better but still wake up at 4 am and can’t get back to sleep. GABA hasn’t helped. What can I take to get back to sleep and what are your thoughts on Seriphos Phosphorylated Serine? I think my anxiety has to do with my adrenals because I wake up in a sweat and am way past menopause.

Since she is seeing a big difference with tryptophan and timed-release melatonin, low serotonin is the likely root cause of her insomnia or at least one of the root causes. We always want to capitalize on what is already working. Too many people don’t see expected results with 1 x 500mg tryptophan at bedtime and 1mg timed-release melatonin and start looking for other solutions when the answer may be right in front of them.

Here are the steps I’d follow with a client with similar sleep challenges:

  • Try more tryptophan, increasing it slowly over the course of a few weeks in the hope that it more will provide more serotonin support. This is what I call an amino acid trial where you rate and log your improvements as you incrementally increase – with the goal of finding an optimal amount for your needs. We all have different needs and post menopause it’s not uncommon for women to experience anxiety, depression and insomnia related to low serotonin and fluctuating sex hormones. We also always want to capitalize on what is already working.
  • Also, to add to what’s working, add tryptophan mid-afternoon if it’s not already in place. When someone scores high on the low serotonin questionnaire the typical timing of tryptophan is mid-afternoon and an hour before bed (always away from protein). Serotonin levels start to decline mid-afternoon hence the benefits of a mid-afternoon dose. Start low and increase slowly.
  • I would also suggest trying the tryptophan opened up (at both times) to see if this makes a difference.
  • Taking a tryptophan at the 4am waking can help you go back to sleep so this is worth trying. For some people 500mg at 4am is too much and using 125mg or 250mg works well. You determine the amount based on how you feel when you do get up. If you were able to go back to sleep easily buy wake groggy then it’s too much.
  • Some people are reporting better results with Lidtke Tryptophan Complete (which has all the co-factor nutrients) so this may be worth trialing too. I’d start by adding to what is already in place.
  • If we get benefits with any of the above by are not quite there then I would suggest additional timed-release melatonin until sleep improves.

This is always done slowly and methodically over the course of a few weeks. I always have my clients carefully log what they try and what is working and not working.

Other factors we’d make sure are addressed:

  • What GABA was used, was it trialed (starting low and increased) and was it used sublingually?
  • Is high cortisol at night a factor? Doing an adrenal saliva test will provide the answer. If it is then the Interplexus Seriphos is the best for lowering it. It’s best to take 1-3 x Seriphos about 2-3 hours before the high cortisol.  [UPDATE: INTERPLEXUS SERIPHOS WAS REFORMULATED IN 2016 – PLEASE SEE BELOW FOR MORE ON THIS]
  • Is gut health a factor? Look into SIBO, gluten sensitivity, other food sensitivities, dysbiosis and parasites (which are often active in the early hours and can cause night sweats)
  • Is there a sex hormone imbalance? Even with someone way past menopause, the night sweats mean this should be ruled out. The addition of amino acids starts to balance the hormones but more support may be needed.  
  • Is any caffeine (even decaf) still being consumed?
  • Is blood sugar stable? Make sure to have breakfast with animal protein and healthy fats and the same at each meal and for snacks. Consider a trial of glutamine during the day and just before bed for added blood sugar stability
  • Are medications a factor? Current medications or prior use of benzodiazepines or SSRIs can affect sleep even long after they have been tapered.
  • Is sleep apnea a factor?

We also address all the usual sleep hygiene factors: dark room, cool room, quiet room, no cell phone or clock radio on the bedside table, no late night computer use and getting some early morning light.

Many essential oils can provide added benefits when diffused at night or mixed with a carrier oil and used topically. One lovely combination I share on the Essential Oils Revolution 2 (happening now) is lavender, roman chamomile and neroli which helps both insomnia and anxiety.

There can be many other possible root causes of insomnia: autoimmunity, Lyme disease, pain, past trauma or grief and even genetic polymorphisms, all covered on the recent Sleep Success Summit.

Have you used tryptophan or other amino acids like GABA (for the more physical tension) and melatonin to reduce or eliminate early morning waking episodes?

If you’re a practitioner, have you helped your clients/patients with this methodical approach?

What else has helped you?

Update August 27, 2016 : INTERPLEXUS SERIPHOS HAS BEEN REFORMULATED -I am doing research to find suitable alternatives. For now, feel free to read through the comments below for discussions about this.  Once I have some useful information I’ll create a new blog post. 

Update November 18, 2016: Here are some possible alternatives to Seriphos

Update January 20, 2017: The Original Formula of Seriphos has been reintroduced you can read more about this here

 

Tryptophan and ascorbic acid for anxiety caused by lead toxicity

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lead-toxicity

Lead toxicity is a factor when it comes to anxiety, panic disorder, phobias and depression, even with low levels of lead exposure.

This 2010 paper, published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, Blood lead levels and major depressive disorder, panic disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder in U.S. young adults reports the following:

In this sample of young adults with low levels of lead exposure, higher blood lead was associated with increased odds of major depression and panic disorder. Exposure to lead at levels generally considered safe could result in adverse mental health outcomes.

The paper discusses a possible mechanism of action i.e. lead disruption of neurotransmitter production (of the catecholamines and serotonin):

If lead exposure contributes to the etiology of these disorders, the mechanism of action could involve perturbation of neurochemistry, such as brain monoamine neurotransmission.

Lead exposure is known to disrupt catecholaminergic systems, and depression and anxiety disorders are strongly associated with disturbances in these systems.

Studies in animals show that chronic lead exposure can decrease serotoninergic activity in several brain regions including the nucleus accumbens, frontal cortex, and brainstem.

It is surprising that generalized anxiety disorder was not associated with increased lead levels in this study but other research does find anxiety correlations:

Addressing lead and other heavy metal toxicity is not to be taken lightly and can often be quite a lengthy process. Finding a knowledgeable practitioner who understands chelation is important. We covered much of this in my interview with Dr. John Dempster on season 4 of the Anxiety Summit – Anxiety and heavy metals: chelation of mercury and lead

The good news is that while you are working on lead detoxification there is promising research that supports what I see in my clients: using the amino acid tryptophan reduces and often completely eliminates anxiety, panic attacks and depression while you are dealing with other underlying issues. In this instance it’s the lead toxicity but it could also be Lyme disease or gluten sensitivity or Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and many other conditions.

The animal study I’m referring to was published at University of Lagos paper in 2012: Neurobehavioural and neurotoxic effects of L-ascorbic acid and L-tryptophan in lead exposed rats and states that:

The sub-chronic exposure to lead decreased brain serotonin, while causing oxidative stress by decreasing reduced glutathione levels, antioxidant enzyme activity and increasing lipid peroxidation and brain protein contents.

Ascorbic acid attenuated [or reduced] both lead induced neuronal oxidative stress, and abnormalities in behaviour.

Tryptophan ameliorated [or improved] lead-altered neurobehaviour [such as anxiety and aggression].

Co-administration of ascorbic acid and tryptophan on lead exposed rats showed a reversal in all indices assessed towards the physiological state of control. This suggests that ascorbic and tryptophan can be used to compliment chelating therapy in lead neurotoxicity.

I don’t know if you can extrapolate the dosages from the rat to a human weight-wise but since I have a curious mind I did some calculations: it turns out that they used a rough equivalent of 2000mg of ascorbic acid and 1000mg of tryptophan for an adult human. The starting dose for tryptophan is typically 500mg, and less if you’re sensitive or a “pixie dust” person. I would start here and do an amino acid trial, increasing over a few weeks until anxiety symptoms start to resolve. You can read more about the amino acids process here

Have you used tryptophan (or other amino acids like GABA) to reduce or improve anxiety symptoms with success, while dealing with a bigger underlying issue such as lead toxicity?

If you’re a practitioner, have you helped your clients/patients with tryptophan while dealing with lead toxicity?