8 replies to this topic

[jango]

hello

 

Im having hard sleeping problems, probably due to stopping a SSRI treatment recently (I also have sleeping problems regularly but now they have increased).

 

I tried GABA for some days, it helped me but I want to know if its safe to have it for a time, like 2-3 months.  (my dose is 750mg/day)

Gaba is also a muscle reliever so its good for my back pain too.  The main concern I have, is to get used to GABA ,and when I quit it, the previous problems turn worse because my body stopped making Gaba itself.

 

for the other hand, Its said that GABA stimulates growth hormone... Is there any natural supplement to stimualtes hormones??  (with no collateral effects), (welll this is another subject...maybe I should open another topic)

 

thans for your answers

[Duchykins]

You can take GABA indefinitely if you moderate the doses.  Since you're doing less than 1 gram a day (most people go over that, I personally do 500mg in the morning, occasionally a second dose at night).

 

Also get some kefir and make sure you drink some every day.  Kefir has a lot of different gut flora strains and these help increase GABA receptors in the brain.

 

Doing these together should theoretically cancel out the GABA downregulation risk associated with GABA supplement.

 

Also throw in some magnesium.  

[Wingless]

I wasn't aware that GABA supplements even worked. From what I understand, they don't cross the BBB very well.

[Duchykins]

They do work.  While it's true that GABA has difficulty crossing the BBB well in a healthy person, enough can still cross for an effect.  More could pass in an unhealthy person with a BBB that is more permeable.  Doses of GABA work anyway despite the BBB concern.  This has been documented again and again in studies.

 

The pervasive myth that GABA supplements are useless is just further evidence of people running amok with half-educated assumptions.  Gotta love that racetam-need-choline silliness too.

 

Why?  There are GABA receptors throughout our gut, which are either foolishly overlooked by most people or simply unknown to them.  Probiotics (not the gimmicks) make people feel better because our friendly microbes actually secrete significant amounts of GABA for us.  

 

GABA does not even need to cross the BBB in order for people to reap benefits.  There is far more GABA activity going on in the gut.  

 

Serotonin has a similar story, not identical, but similar enough for our purposes.

[jango]

Thanks for your answers. I will take it for a time. I think it will be better than having zolpidem..I would also need something to increase serotonine, but 5htp make me feel tired and have palpitations

[Duchykins]

Thanks for your answers. I will take it for a time. I think it will be better than having zolpidem..I would also need something to increase serotonine, but 5htp make me feel tired and have palpitations

 

Stop using 5-htp immediately because it can damage your heart valves when ingested by itself.

 

You can try ordinary tryptophan.

 

But again here, gut flora secrete a good deal of serotonin.  Kefir would make a very useful addition to your daily regimen.  Or maybe kombucha if you can handle it, I can't because I have no alcohol tolerance at all, half a bottle of the stuff gets me all warmed up and mildly buzzing, and triggers migraine.  But most people do just fine on it.

Edited by Duchykins, 02 August 2015 - 06:23 PM.

[jango]

 

Thanks for your answers. I will take it for a time. I think it will be better than having zolpidem..I would also need something to increase serotonine, but 5htp make me feel tired and have palpitations

 

Stop using 5-htp immediately because it can damage your heart valves when ingested by itself.

 

You can try ordinary tryptophan.

 

But again here, gut flora secrete a good deal of serotonin.  Kefir would make a very useful addition to your daily regimen.  Or maybe kombucha if you can handle it, I can't because I have no alcohol tolerance at all, half a bottle of the stuff gets me all warmed up and mildly buzzing, and triggers migraine.  But most people do just fine on it.

 

 

Yes I already stopped using 5htp... I could never think that a supplement could be so harmful...:-(

Perhaps I will try ordinary tryptophan...but now Im a bit scaried about that..

 

That you say about gut flora may be very interesting for me. I have some digestive and flatulence chronic problems, and its said that serotonine is made on intestine so it could be the reason for my low serotonine blood level... I ve read kombucha is a tea...with more collateral problems than kefir...is it true? where could I buy this products?? can I buy it on line??  Here in Spain there are some supermarkets that sell kefir , but I dont think they are reliable...
 

[Duchykins]

Kombucha is a kind of fermented tea.  You're probably better off with the kefir.

 

What do you mean you don't think they are reliable?  Kefir is not a supplement, it is an old traditional drink.  Just google it.

 

Some study done in the early 2000s found that kefir decreased flatulence in people who were lactose intolerant.  Weird, eh?

[jango]

Hi!    I meant is not trustworthy buy this kind of products in a supermarket, maybe i will go to an herbalist to be sure Im buying  good quality kefir