• Welcome to Phoenix Rising!

    Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of and finding treatments for complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.

    To become a member, simply click the Register button at the top right.

GABA ,Glutamate for Anxiety,Sleep

arx

Senior Member
Messages
532
Hi,

My major symptom is the 'wired and tired' feeling.In fact I experience it in a very extreme degree. Since benzos gave me 'some' relief,but tolerance and withdrawal was hard to deal with, I've been looking into GABA and Glutamate. I understand that both are related.

Has anyone tried the above? If yes,did it help,and with what dosage?
 

adreno

PR activist
Messages
4,841
Then how to reduce high norepinephrine?

Olive leaf extract can increase NE reuptake, which is often a problem in ME. Many seem to have NE transporter deficiency and OLE helps that. Else there is SSRIs, clonidine/guanfacine and of course the big one: cortisol. Cortisol is needed to control NE.
 

helen1

Senior Member
Messages
1,033
Location
Canada
What about high sulfur and ammonia levels? They can cause excitotoxicity. Can occur due to the CBS variation. Do you know if you have CBS? Glutamate is related to those. I make sure not to eat any unbound glutamates (as found in MSG and the many similar additives in processed foods) as they're dreadful for causing 'wired n tired' and twitching in the susceptible. Also eat very little or no bound glutamates in the evening for the same reason. Even though bound glutamates (meats, dairy, nuts) have less effect, it still affect can affect sleep.
Be wary of GABA supplements as I've read they cause decreased production of your own GABA with regular use.
 

Nielk

Senior Member
Messages
6,970
Be wary of GABA supplements as I've read they cause decreased production of your own GABA with regular use.


The problem with people who have been on Benzo medicines for a long period of time (me being one of them) is that like helen1 mentioned above - your brain "forgets" how to use the GABA it has. You might not be deficient. It might just be a problem of not "knowing" how to use the GABA that is there. By using GABA products, it will just aggravate the situation.

Ii has been over a year sine I have been on Klonopin (a Benzo med) and I still suffer from this wired feeling. Sometimes it's better and other times it is pretty bad. I too was looking into GABA products in order to ease these symptoms but I have found many warnings against it's use in my situation. It is hard to do but. I really have to allow my brain to heal and to learn to recollect.
 

A zombie

Senior Member
Messages
197
I get wired and tired, but have low norepinephrine (blood platelets) and high glutamate (urine tests). NAC takes care of it and lets me sleep.
I've got high glutamates too and low gaba. NAC is helping you sleep?