severe anxiety... reallyreallyreally need some help :(

[Hip]

@Hip re arginine you said it inhibits EBV, I was under the impression that it activates herpes type viruses? Is this not the case? Also, why do you take it intranasally? I find this interesting.. I wonder if other supplements woudld benefit from doing this?

Intranasal administration is a fast way of getting a drug or supplement into the brain. You can try snorting other supplements; however, if you snort anything that is even slightly acidic (ie, has a tart taste), it will sting like living hell in your nose. I know this, because I made the mistake of snorting a tiny amount of an acidic supplement, and I had to rush to the bathroom to try to wash out my nose which was in excruciating pain.

Arginine may promote or inhibit herpes simplex virus, according to this this article which suggests that if you are a good methylator, arginine may promote herpes simplex virus replication; whereas if you are a bad methylator, arginine may inhibit herpes simplex virus replication.

 

[Lillybelle]

Baclofen sounds interesting, is it prescription only?
Would it be prescribed for anxiety?
Have you heard of phenibut? Its supposed to be similar and is non prescription (available online as a suplement)

Hi @Kenshin Baclofen is prescription only. But some of the top ME doctors prescribe it. You would need to get a doctor who understands ME/CFS and then your GP can provide repeats. Maybe discuss with yr GP. Its inexpensive here (Aus) and you can get 25 mg and use a pill splitter.

 

[alice111]

I don't know if anyone is following this thread, but I wanted to mention two things
1.) I still don't know what triggered this new intensity of anxiety -but some symptoms that coincided were

-increased oil secretion -ie skin breaking out, deep painful acne, and super greasy hair (I know ew..)
-slight increase in energy (although still pretty much bedridden, but there's different levels of that!)

2.) I have hesitated to post because things so often work at first, then stop working... But the past week has been A MILLION times better since starting high dose GABA (thank you @ahmo !!!)
Fingers crossed that this sticks...
Is there any chance of building up a tolerance to GabA ?
I am mildly jubilant and mildly terrified that by next week it will have stopped working...
But I'm going to basque in the glory of a few anxiety free days for now

Thank you for all the support and posts, I really appreciate it.

 

[Hip]

Is there any chance of building up a tolerance to GabA ?
I am mildly jubilant and mildly terrified that by next week it will have stopped working...

It says here that:

Will the brain adapt to supplemental GABA? There are no answers to this as no one has proven GABA reaches the brain. Looking at the brain's capacity to change GABA receptor response and its tendency to build up tolerance to drugs which modify GABA, it is possible that a tolerance to oral GABA might develop and withdrawal symptoms might occur. None are reported in the literature to my knowledge.

I am pleased you have finally found something that works to treat your anxiety, @alice111.

Do let us know if GABA continues to work, or if some tolerance effects occur. I get no anti-anxiety benefit from GABA myself, and I think people who do may have a leaky blood-brain barrier to some extent, which allows the GABA supplement to enter the brain and affect the GABA receptors. More info on this here. But anyway, if it works, then great.

 

[ahmo]

@alice111 Yes, I've read/heard that GABA is only effective w/ leaky BBB. During the past couple months my body no longer wants GABA. Maybe something has shifted in my BBB. It was clearly a big help for me over many years, no tolerance to it, nor loss of effectiveness. Wonderful that it's helping, alice.

 

[natasa778]

I don't know if anyone is following this thread, but I wanted to mention two things
1.) I still don't know what triggered this new intensity of anxiety -but some symptoms that coincided were

-increased oil secretion -ie skin breaking out, deep painful acne, and super greasy hair (I know ew..)
-slight increase in energy (although still pretty much bedridden, but there's different levels of that!)

2.) I have hesitated to post because things so often work at first, then stop working... But the past week has been A MILLION times better since starting high dose GABA (thank you @ahmo !!!)
Fingers crossed that this sticks...
Is there any chance of building up a tolerance to GabA ?
I am mildly jubilant and mildly terrified that by next week it will have stopped working...
But I'm going to basque in the glory of a few anxiety free days for now

Thank you for all the support and posts, I really appreciate it.

Fingers crossed for you!! I hope that GABA continues to work, but should the good effects diminish I am wondering if it may be worth looking into bumetanide? It has been trialled in autism (larger scale trials in progress), and positive effects are thought to be due to its modulation of GABA function. Interestingly enough it has already been shown to reduce anxiety in animal models

 

[Hip]

Fingers crossed for you!! I hope that GABA continues to work, but should the good effects diminish I am wondering if it may be worth looking into bumetanide? It has been trialled in autism (larger scale trials in progress), and positive effects are thought to be due to its modulation of GABA function. Interestingly enough it has already been shown to reduce anxiety in animal models

Interesting though they are, I can't see in those two cited studies any trials of the GABA supplement for autism or anxiety. The first is about the use of a loop diuretic for treating autism, and the second is about the effects of loop diuretics on anxiety in rats.

 

[natasa778]

Interesting though they are, I can't see in those two cited studies any trials of the GABA supplement for autism or anxiety. The first is about the use of a loop diuretic for treating autism, and the second is about the effects of loop diuretics on anxiety in rats.

They are not about GABA supplement, but about diuretic bumetanide having those effects through modulating GABA function (indirectly, via acting on chloride channels). So where GABA supplement is not efffective in the long term, or does not cross BBB, I am speculating that something like bumetanide could be an alternative approach to tackling the same issues of GABA dysfunction and anxiety.

 

[Hip]

I am speculating that something like bumetanide could be an alternative approach to tackling the same issues of GABA dysfuntion and anxiety.

Sorry, I misread your original post. Brain fog moment!

Yes, they are certainly interesting studies, and I might look into trying one these loop diuretic drugs, to see if they have a useful anti-anxiety effect. My generalized anxiety disorder is now well controlled, thanks to supplements like N-acetyl-glucosamine, but it is always good to explore alternatives.

 

[0kaygrl]

alice111: what dose GABA do you use? If you get a tolerance many of the other suggested supplements also increase GABA like taurine

 

[alice111]

The gaba continues to work.

This is a bloody miracle.

For anyone who has tried gaba and it is NOT worked, I just thought I would share some things:

a while back I had tried gaba, swallowed a whole capsule out of desperation (even though I was advised to start low) and it did NOTHING, after a few times I gave up and stopped using it.

This time when I had success I OPENED the capsule and dissolved in water, then slowly sipped on it.
For some reason this is working. So just thought I would share that in case someone else can benefit.

-the brand I am using is yaskos holisticheal gaba balance
-I take it every evening, then if I have anxiety coming on in the day I will have an aditional dose, using it like I would a benzo.

My anxiety was so severe it was horrific. I was popping benzos almost daily out of desperation because nothing else was working.

I have not had to take a benzo ONCE in the last two weeks, which is huge.

Again, I am prepared for this to stop working.. It seems to good to be true, but thought I would share the news, adn maybe others can benefit.

 

[Hip]

This time when I had success I OPENED the capsule and dissolved in water, then slowly sipped on it.
For some reason this is working. So just thought I would share that in case someone else can benefit.

That interesting, alice111. Can I ask: how much GABA do you place in the water, and how long does it take you to sip this glass of water? Are we talking say 5 minutes or 30 minutes to drink it all?

 

[alice111]

So one cap has 425mg
I open it up and put in about 1/4 to a 1/2, then in the evening I sip on it for about a half hour
BUT if I'm using it like a Xanax I down it in about 5mins.
The result is literally instantaneous. I can feel the effects within minutes, but they also last for a really long time

 

[alice111]

Oh and also, I know when I have taken too much because I start to feel really lethargic and tired, and also a little depressed. I find this interesting because even with the benzos I never felt as lethargic as the gaba can make me if it's too much, and the benzos never ever made me feel depressed

 

[Thinktank]

@alice111, Is the GABA still working for you? How's your anxiety nowadays? And are you using any other medication?

 

[alice111]

@Thinktank my anxiety is a million times better these days! i still take the gaba, and it still works (i get mine from powdercity.com) im not needing any other meds right now, which is great cus i was having to take xanax almost daily! hope that helps

 

[Thinktank]

@alice111, that's great to hear! The reason why you do so well on GABA might be because your GABA-A receptors are downregulated from the use of xanax and need time to revert back to their original state. Using GABA slows that process down but anything better than benzodiazepines!

 

[Oci]

@alice111, that's great to hear! The reason why you do so well on GABA might be because your GABA-A receptors are downregulated from the use of xanax and need time to revert back to their original state. Using GABA slows that process down but anything better than benzodiazepines!

This thread is very interesting for me. I have taken Zopiclone for sleep - 7.5 mg - for several years now during difficult times ie my husband's cancer and death almost 2 years ago. I am now sleeping better and have recently been tapering the Zopiclone. Zopiclone is a pseudo benzo sleeping pill.
However, I am noticing that I feel very anxious in the afternoons. I am attributing this to the withdrawal from the Zopiclone. Perhaps GABA would help me transition off the sleeping pills?
I am also experiencing more migraines (and tight neck, shoulders) of late and wonder if there is a connection with the GABA receptors. I am now taking about 2/3 of a 7.5 tablet.

 

[Thinktank]

@Oci , Withdrawal from zopiclone might very well be the cause of your symptoms.

@alice111, how much mg GABA do you use per dose/day?

 

[Oci]

@Oci , Withdrawal from zopiclone might very well be the cause of your symptoms.

@alice111, how much mg GABA do youefore bed. use per dose/day?

I am taking 100 mg PharmaGaba by Thorne before bed along with 2/3 Zopiclone 7.5 mg and 3 mg SR Melatonin and 2 Mag Glycinate.

I want to find another form of magnesium however.