Today I’m going to review some tryptophan products for the worry-in-your-head and ruminating type of anxiety, and share some additional resources for you.
The other symptoms we see with low serotonin are: panic attacks and phobias, lack of confidence, depression, negativity, imposter syndrome, PMS, irritability, anger issues, insomnia and afternoon/evening cravings.
This blog covers how to do an amino acid trial and has the low serotonin questionnaire, the precautions and what I mean by targeted individual amino acids.
Lidtke is the only brand of tryptophan that I recommend simply because I see it work so well and because of quality issues with tryptophan in the past. Here are the Lidtke tryptophan products I recommend:
- Lidtke Tryptophan 500mg (this is ideal for doing a targeted trial, opened; it doesn’t taste very good and if a client needs to continue taking it this way we have them mix it with inositol or even glutamine powder)
- Lidtke Tryptophan Complete (see below for when this one may work well)
- Lidtke Chewable Tryptophan (this is also good for doing a trial and if lower doses are better; it’s also wonderful for children)
Here are some additional resources for you:
Anxiety: when to use GABA and tryptophan and how much to use
When you have anxiety it can be confusing trying to figure out the root cause. I like to start by assessing for low GABA and low serotonin because when you address these with targeted individual amino acids you typically see results right away and feel hopeful (and now have time to look for other root causes like gluten issues, high cortisol, gut issues, dietary changes etc).
But there may still be some confusion about when to use GABA and when to use tryptophan and how much of each of these amino acids to use. Read more here.
Tryptophan for PMS: premenstrual dysphoria, mood swings, tension, and irritability
In a study published in 1999, A placebo-controlled clinical trial of L-tryptophan in premenstrual dysphoria, tryptophan was found to reduce symptoms of PMS when used in the luteal phase or second half of the cycle (i.e. after ovulation)
This is very typical when I’m working with someone with PMS and anxiety and other mood symptoms. It typically takes 2 to 3 cycles for an amino acid like tryptophan to have an impact on PMS itself. But it does typically start to work right away on the less severe anxiety and mood symptoms that may also be a factor during the rest of the month. Read more here.
Tryptophan 500mg or Tryptophan Complete (by Lidtke)?
I like to have my clients do a trial of the amino acids so they can find the ideal dose for their needs and right now I still feel this would still be the best approach to take – using 500mg tryptophan. Once you have figured out you do well with tryptophan-only product and have your dose, then consider reducing it slightly after about 2-3 weeks and adding in additional Tryptophan Complete. Read more here.
The blog has many other posts on tryptophan and serotonin and simply use the “search” function to find them.
This blog post is part of the series of amino acid product reviews:
- GABA for low GABA symptoms (physical anxiety)
- Glutamine for calming, intense sugar cravings, gut healing and low blood sugar
- DPA for weepiness, pain and comfort and reward eating
- Tyrosine for focus, motivation, energy, a good mood and possibly even anxiety
The resources in this blog and my other articles are intended to be used in conjunction with my book: The Antianxiety Food Solution – How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood, and End Cravings. If you do not have my book I highly recommend getting it and reading it before jumping in and taking the amino acid supplements:
There is a complete chapter on the amino acids and one for pyroluria, plus information on real whole food, sugar and blood sugar, gluten, digestion and much more.
You can find the tryptophan products and the others I recommend here on this blog: The Antianxiety Food Solution Amino Acid and Pyroluria Supplements
If you have questions please post them below or on the supplements blog