L-theanine is recommended by Dr. Michael Breus at his website The Sleep Doctor. He also has a post about GABA. https://thesleepdoctor.com/sleep-aids/l-theanine/ It's one of the many sites I found during the nightmare of tapering off the benzo.
I have not used it for sleep at the dosage he recommends because I've been having success using The Wellness Company's Restful Sleep Formula which contains Passion Flower, Valerian, Ashwaganada, Chamomile, Rafuma Leaf extract and Kava. But I have used L-theanine in the past and have been using it again when needed to manage the anxiety from long-covid.
Theanine is actually an amino acid, and I do have patients who have used it on their own with varying degrees of success. If the goal in using it is to improve sleep quality, drinking black or green tea would not be a good idea. There is more caffeine per gram in green tea than in coffee, and caffeine is a sleep disruptor. I'm skeptical of decaffeinated teas (and coffee) as well, as chemical solvents are often used. I'm more confident in recommending GABA (which is boosted by theanine, according to this article) for anxiolysis and as a sleep aid. There is solid research behind its use, and many pharmaceutical drugs have been developed that use its chemical properties.
My experience with L-theanine is also mixed - since Covid and the benzo messed up my brain. Prior to this, I had good experience with it. Chamomile tea has worked well for nausea when ginger has not during these ongoing months of almost constant nausea from long-covid.
Can excess GABA cause anxiety? What do you think about tryptophan for sleep? Or the combination of 5-HTP and Passion Flower which Dr. Michael Murray recommends in his book about 5-HTP? I/we have tried melatonin and it's a disaster for us - racing brain all night and my husband had a dream he was walking home from Chicago - 90 miles. It was one of those reduced to crawling dreams and he realized he needed to call me to come get him! 😄 I've spoken with others who have the same response to melatonin.
Tryptophan, although theoretically sleep-inducing, doesn't have much evidence to support its use to treat insomnia or support good sleep quality. Some people do find that melatonin (especially high-dose melatonin) causes vivid dreams. I suggest sustained release melatonin to mitigate that risk. An example of this can be found in my Favorites list and in my Immune System Maintenance protocol: https://us.fullscript.com/protocols/markmcdonaldmd-immune-system-maintenance.
Thank you for this response. I think tryptophan has been helpful for anxiety-related sleep issues when 5-HTP has made me feel wired - again, a different experience than pre-Covid. When I was taking 100 mg of 5-HTP at suppertime, I would often "hit the wall" around 8:30 and couldn't figure out why until my menopausal clinician shared the neurotransmitter cascade chart from ZRT Labs showing the progression to melatonin. BTW, our racing brain experience was with 2 mg. of melatonin.
Can I ask my question again about excess GABA causing anxiety? 😊
My question comes from what I've read from ZRT Lab. "Clinically, high GABA levels are suspected in anxiety, excessive need for sleep, foggy thinking, lethargy, inflammation and sluggishness. High GABA is often associated with low serotonin. Therapeutic considerations: L-theanine, Taurine and DHEA supplementation have all modulated and lowered GABA." I went to their blog and found this article: https://www.zrtlab.com/blog/archive/gaba-disturbed-sleep/ There are a lot of articles under the subject heading of neurotransmitters that look interesting.
Nutritionist Trudy Scott also reports that people who take too much GABA having a "niacin flush" like response that is quite uncomfortable. She blames the manufacturers for too high a dose - often 750 mg. when she uses much lower doses with her clients. She specifically recommends Source Naturals GABA Calm which is a lozenge of 125 mg. GABA, 50 mg glycine, 25 mg L-tyrosine and 20 mg Taurine. She has people who use even less. As I'm still trying to find a balance, I use a miniscule amount.
Yes, there are some good pharmaceutical products for sleep as well, but they require a prescription and a physician visit. With this column, my focus is on over-the-counter supplements and behavioral changes that can improve sleep quality without the use of prescription medication.
L-theanine is recommended by Dr. Michael Breus at his website The Sleep Doctor. He also has a post about GABA. https://thesleepdoctor.com/sleep-aids/l-theanine/ It's one of the many sites I found during the nightmare of tapering off the benzo.
I have not used it for sleep at the dosage he recommends because I've been having success using The Wellness Company's Restful Sleep Formula which contains Passion Flower, Valerian, Ashwaganada, Chamomile, Rafuma Leaf extract and Kava. But I have used L-theanine in the past and have been using it again when needed to manage the anxiety from long-covid.
Theanine is actually an amino acid, and I do have patients who have used it on their own with varying degrees of success. If the goal in using it is to improve sleep quality, drinking black or green tea would not be a good idea. There is more caffeine per gram in green tea than in coffee, and caffeine is a sleep disruptor. I'm skeptical of decaffeinated teas (and coffee) as well, as chemical solvents are often used. I'm more confident in recommending GABA (which is boosted by theanine, according to this article) for anxiolysis and as a sleep aid. There is solid research behind its use, and many pharmaceutical drugs have been developed that use its chemical properties.
My experience with L-theanine is also mixed - since Covid and the benzo messed up my brain. Prior to this, I had good experience with it. Chamomile tea has worked well for nausea when ginger has not during these ongoing months of almost constant nausea from long-covid.
Can excess GABA cause anxiety? What do you think about tryptophan for sleep? Or the combination of 5-HTP and Passion Flower which Dr. Michael Murray recommends in his book about 5-HTP? I/we have tried melatonin and it's a disaster for us - racing brain all night and my husband had a dream he was walking home from Chicago - 90 miles. It was one of those reduced to crawling dreams and he realized he needed to call me to come get him! 😄 I've spoken with others who have the same response to melatonin.
Tryptophan, although theoretically sleep-inducing, doesn't have much evidence to support its use to treat insomnia or support good sleep quality. Some people do find that melatonin (especially high-dose melatonin) causes vivid dreams. I suggest sustained release melatonin to mitigate that risk. An example of this can be found in my Favorites list and in my Immune System Maintenance protocol: https://us.fullscript.com/protocols/markmcdonaldmd-immune-system-maintenance.
Thank you for this response. I think tryptophan has been helpful for anxiety-related sleep issues when 5-HTP has made me feel wired - again, a different experience than pre-Covid. When I was taking 100 mg of 5-HTP at suppertime, I would often "hit the wall" around 8:30 and couldn't figure out why until my menopausal clinician shared the neurotransmitter cascade chart from ZRT Labs showing the progression to melatonin. BTW, our racing brain experience was with 2 mg. of melatonin.
Can I ask my question again about excess GABA causing anxiety? 😊
I'm now aware of GABA potentiating anxiety. It's function is to do the opposite.
My question comes from what I've read from ZRT Lab. "Clinically, high GABA levels are suspected in anxiety, excessive need for sleep, foggy thinking, lethargy, inflammation and sluggishness. High GABA is often associated with low serotonin. Therapeutic considerations: L-theanine, Taurine and DHEA supplementation have all modulated and lowered GABA." I went to their blog and found this article: https://www.zrtlab.com/blog/archive/gaba-disturbed-sleep/ There are a lot of articles under the subject heading of neurotransmitters that look interesting.
Nutritionist Trudy Scott also reports that people who take too much GABA having a "niacin flush" like response that is quite uncomfortable. She blames the manufacturers for too high a dose - often 750 mg. when she uses much lower doses with her clients. She specifically recommends Source Naturals GABA Calm which is a lozenge of 125 mg. GABA, 50 mg glycine, 25 mg L-tyrosine and 20 mg Taurine. She has people who use even less. As I'm still trying to find a balance, I use a miniscule amount.
Low dose Trazodone works well on Seratonin levels for sleep.
Yes, there are some good pharmaceutical products for sleep as well, but they require a prescription and a physician visit. With this column, my focus is on over-the-counter supplements and behavioral changes that can improve sleep quality without the use of prescription medication.