9 replies to this topic

[RyanTabil]

Is theanine an appropriate treatment for mild alcohol withdrawal? I use the term loosely, as I only really binge drink on the weekends...sometimes leading up to 3-5 days in a row, but there are always breaks sometime during the week. I mainly notice brain fog and horrible sleep quality for the first week or two. I would like to abate this the best I can. My intention was the begin using ALCAR for it's mild nootropic effect, while also adding trypotphan and theanine to promote restful sleep.

 

I know theanine upregulates GABA and acts as a NMDA antagonist, but I was concerned that it may prolong the brain's acclimation to the absence of a NMDA antagonist, therefore causing me to have to deal with the excitotoxicity issue once I stop taking it. I'm also not sure how potent of an antagonist theanine is. Could it possibly be a good way to taper and provide a gradual adjustment, thus lessening the symptoms of withdrawal?

 

Thoughts?

[VerdeGo]

Theanine isn't the best amino acid for sleep, though it can help relax the mind before sleep. It could be suitable for withdrawal-based anxiety, but be forewarned it can cause rebound anxiety itself 24-48 hours after the last dose, in some people (including myself). I have experienced alcohol withdrawal firsthand, but I never used theanine for it because it was years ago. I would stick to calming teas (lavender, chamomile, lemon balm) and other GABA agonists during the first week, which is the most intense. I would also use l-glycine for sleep (glycine is the other inhibitory neurotransmitter, alongside GABA) and anxiety, along with magnesium glycinate. Both will relax you and induce sleep, while the GABA agonists will keep the edge off during the daytime. Once you're over the withdrawal, l-glutamine can be used to drastically reduce the cravings for alcohol and get your GABA levels back up. Its initial effects can be excitatory since it converts to glutamate and then to GABA, so I'd avoid it during withdrawal.

 

Some people can use theanine every day, but unless you plan to take it every day of your withdrawal then I wouldn't bother, and just be prepared for tolerance and rebound anxiety issues, especially since your gaba receptors will already be stressed from the withdrawal. It's wonderful for short-term, situational anxiety though.

 

Some other things that may help though I haven't yet experimented with: pure lavender oil, California poppy, and gastrodin. But I'd avoid these, except for the lavender oil, and stick with the above suggestions for now.

[Millakiwi]

Try diazepam. Exactly as prescribed by your doctor. This medication may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be alert. Also no alcohol... lol))))))))))))

[PeaceAndProsperity]

Theanine isn't the best amino acid for sleep

Very wrong. It greatly enhances sleep quality. Doesn't do much for actually falling asleep. You got the two mixed up.

 

[gamesguru]

some of the vividest dreams i can recall have been on a cup or two of white tea.  but it makes me feel like a girl, so ive stuck with green.  black tea in case your wondering, it makes me feel like a meth cracker.  and treating a benzo withdrawal with theanine is like putting out a forest fire with a garden hose.  taurine or phenibut might be more effective, or some combination thereof, but it's like trading one addiction for another (albeit slightly lesser).  that might be the only thing to speed up the arduous process

Edited by gamesguru, 03 May 2017 - 11:01 PM.

[prunk]

Theanine isn't the best amino acid for sleep

Very wrong. It greatly enhances sleep quality. Doesn't do much for actually falling asleep. You got the two mixed up.

Very wrong. Maybe it enhances sleep quality for some and probably does, but not for everybody. It ruins my sleep completely.

Edited by prunk, 04 May 2017 - 02:13 AM.

[Galaxyshock]

Ginseng for hangover:

https://www.ncbi.nlm...pubmed/24458173

[gamesguru]

Very wrong. It greatly enhances sleep quality. Doesn't do much for actually falling asleep. You got the two mixed up.

Very wrong. Maybe it enhances sleep quality for some and probably does, but not for everybody. It ruins my sleep completely.

 

of course.  someone could say that about every supplement, all through the list.  for dignity's sake, i hope it was done from the toilet

 

speaking of toilets this forum has become such a cocksuckery of intellectual hair splitting and one-upsmanship, such a breeding ground for group buys and human science experiments, such a tragic misplacement of vital force and a hodgepodge internet repostings that i can hardly justify its perusal at my expense.  though my absence will hardly be noticed, i'm effectively taking my talents elsewhere.  the city taught me a lot over the years, and i have a cloak full of personally-tailored remedies to show for it.  while i certainly respect the work being put into the institute behind the scenes, their forum.. it's thinning out.  where's the wheat, all i see is chaff?  everybody's talking but no one's got much to say.   looks like some wordpress template from 2003.  really needs an overall, perhaps another mod or two

[prunk]

Obvious comment about obvious comment about obvious comment. :D

Anyway, insomnia wrote my comment.

I think theanine might be pretty useful in alcohol withdrawal. And now back to bed.

[normalizing]

why are people who never dealt with alcohol withdrawal even replying to this thread? if you dont have a personal experience with something and you just randomly throw supplements out there that might or might not help, is quite unreasonable silly and even dangerous. first of all, research if it actually works and then im pretty sure having some type of personal experience will greatly help!

 

here i am, personal experience theanine is a joke! it might help a bit for people who are slightly agitated but that stuff in the grams wont help prevent any withdrawl problems. now here is the research on this, NONE. exactly that, theanine is useless folks.

 

anyway i think the thread starter made a mistake of not specifying that he needs opinions from actual people who experience the problems of alcohol and also actual people who do research before recommending their crappy supps