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anyone try GABA capsules?

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anyone try GABA capsules?

Postby julius75 » Tue Mar 29, 2011 1:07 am

I see that GABA is a necessary component that makes benzos work, but has anyone had luck just taking GABA without any benzos?
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Re: anyone try GABA capsules?

Postby Caturday » Tue Mar 29, 2011 11:57 pm

Hi Julius,
I haven't taken the GABA supplements myself. I have taken melatonin. From what I understand you can increase GABA in your brain from foods such as green tea, whole grains and brocolli.
I will post an article that you may find interesting.

http://www.suite101.com/content/natural ... aba-a59854
My Blog: Throwaway Princess--My New Life. Follow me after I have escaped severe abuse, manipulation, and fear. Walk with me as I try to live abuse free for the first time in my life. http://www.heir-born.com/
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Re: anyone try GABA capsules?

Postby julius75 » Sun Apr 03, 2011 12:54 am

Yeah they are garbage..I'll stick with melatonin and kava kava and valerian root....those 3 are FANTASTIC sleep inducers...I mean they're no benadryl, but what is?
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Re: anyone try GABA capsules?

Postby random903 » Mon May 02, 2011 3:13 am

I'd like to weigh in on this. I'm new here - in fact I singed up just to share this info.

GABA worked for me, and has been working for me for over a year now (after four years insomnia, ages 21-25). And since even now I shudder to recall that period of life without sleep, I try and share my solution with whoever might benefit.

So, for what it's worth here's my little story:

One day, after a particularly maddening night of not sleeping, I saw a posting on an online message board by a guy who claimed he had solved his insomnia with a cocktail of over the counter supplements. I tried them myself and within two weeks I had the strangest sensation around bedtime: drowsiness! The cocktail was:

GABA, 750 mg (I take a mid-priced brand, while some only swear by the more expensive (pharma GABA).
Theanine or "L-Theanine." 100mg? Two pills. (100mg each? 50mg each? I'm no longer sure, but it's not too important)
5-HTP, one small pill.

The above is to be taken a few hours before bed, plus Taurine and B vitamins in the morning.

Take everything a few hours before bed. The GABA is the major force behind the operation. The Theanine allows the GABA to pass over from the bloodstream into the brain.

As I understand it, GABA is a neurotransmitter that we produce naturally. A study a few years back showed that chronic insomniacs have 30% (!!!) less GABA than normal sleepers. GABA is what might be called a neuro-inhibitor - it washes over the brain and night and dampens down neuron activity. Having insufficient GABA levels would thus seem to explain why insomniacs often say "At night, I can't turn my mind off."

I took the above regimen again for about two weeks before I felt an improvement. The GABA needs to build up in your brain. At this point I do not take it daily, only in spurts when I feel my insomnia starting to creep back. Also I only take the GABA and theanine now, though I do think the other supplements helped me kick-start of better brain chemistry. It's been a year of miraculous reversal of something I thought might ruin my life.

I have never felt any grogginess or drowsiness due to it, though I have noticed a desire for more nice, long, nine hour sleeps. The only side effect I've heard about (and this online), is the rare incidence of stomach pain / gas. I experience nothing of the sort.

I'm still not the world's greatest sleeper, and every once in a while I still have to take a nibble off an ambien. But I have my life back!

I hope someone out there finds this useful. Certainly what worked for me won't be the cure for all, but I thought it worth sharing. Good luck to all! There is light at the end of the tunnel.
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