![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Shelley on November 6, 2001, at 6:47:29
Has anyone tried taking gamma aminobutyric acid or any other natural supplement with any success (for OCD or anxiety)?
TIA.
Posted by Andy123 on November 6, 2001, at 10:32:25
In reply to GABA, posted by Shelley on November 6, 2001, at 6:47:29
> Has anyone tried taking gamma aminobutyric acid or any other natural supplement with any success (for OCD or anxiety)?
> TIA.Be careful with GABA as it can constrict your bronchioles making breathing difficult. Bronchiole dilation is a sympathetic nervous response that is antagonized by parasympathetic agents that act outside of the CNS, like GABA.
Posted by Lorraine on November 6, 2001, at 13:54:34
In reply to GABA, posted by Shelley on November 6, 2001, at 6:47:29
Shelli:
I tried it--no success or rather very little. I have my son use it when he has trouble going to sleep at night. I've also tried most if not all (not St. John's wort) of the natural supplements. I rotated through all of the enzymes that are supposed to help (phenylalamine, tyrosine, Gaba, glutamine?)--no go. Maybe they help with minor depression but not with what I have. I definately "felt" them though. I recently had my alternative doctor run an enzyme blood test on me to see if I was deficient in any of these--the answer was no. The test was about $200 if I remember and tested some 40 enzymes. I would rather have the test than try these things out to tell you the truth.
5HTP put me to sleep and made me lethargic generally. The fish oil did nothing. My alternative doctor recommended that I use phosphorylated serine (she was very specific to use this rather than the other PS supplements around). she says that it reduces cortisol--which for me was elevated at night.
> Has anyone tried taking gamma aminobutyric acid or any other natural supplement with any success (for OCD or anxiety)?
> TIA.
Posted by JGalt on November 6, 2001, at 22:20:54
In reply to GABA, posted by Shelley on November 6, 2001, at 6:47:29
GABA doesn't cross the brain barrier much, if at all. I wouldn't bother with it myself. I've heard of some people saying it put them to sleep in very high doses, but in dosages just a ways lower it did nothing. As an aside, GHB was made by a scientist trying to get GABA past the blood brain barrier. Much more pleasant than a benzo I might add...till it was used in the wrong way and eventually banned.
The only natural product that immediately comes to mind is magnesium. Take 50-100% of the RDA dissolved in water. For me it feels very similiar to a mild benzo. It supposedly reduces NMDA hyperactivity. Don't exceed 200-300% of the RDA though, or do so at your own risk, high doses can lead to confusion and stupor.
Kava Kava works for some, you may want to give it a run. I didn't have good results with it (dosages that had any effect on anxiety seemed to result in a dumbed down feeling), but others have. If it doesn't work you can keep the capsules around, and open one up when you get a mouthsore (tends to numb the mouth, if you can handle the dandelion type taste).
JGalt
Posted by Shelley on November 8, 2001, at 12:45:57
In reply to GABA, posted by Shelley on November 6, 2001, at 6:47:29
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.