GABA Supplements (Anti-Depressant/Anti-Anxiety Relief)

[SeeGeeWhy]

Is anyone here familiar with the use of GABA supplements as a means to allieviate symptoms of stress, depression and/or anxiety as opposed to going on with prescription meds?

Just a little curious about the effectiveness and side effects. I know that everyone who battles these issues experiences them to different degrees, but it would be nice to hear a few first hand experiences.

[FlamesAddiction]

I tried a few different natural remedies and nothing works as well as pharmaceuticals IMO. The problem is that most also have unpleasant side-effects.

You always get people trying to push the herbals or tell you to meditate and stuff like that, but it's never worked for me.

[EVERLAST]

GABA has worked well for me .....I use it mostly in advance of days I know will be busy, long and unpleasant.

I work in the service industry in peoples homes and allot of people can be very unkind, unpleasant and demanding to the point of abusive so having something take the edge of anxiety away is great.

Been using GABA for about 2 years without any side effects

[SeeGeeWhy]

Interesting... have either one of you had success in coming off a prescription and onto GABA with no issue? Have you been able to stay off the prescription?

[Daradon]

A little outside of topic but along the same lines to confirm what FlamesAddiction is saying:

I was encouraged to try Melatonin for my insomnia a few years ago as a natural way to try and help. I'm not sure I noticed any help at all. I did notice I started getting really weird dreams though, even nightmares. I talked to a few people after that including a doctor and was told that side effect was actually not uncommon.

So yeah, natural doesn't always mean safe or better. I too am wary of pharmaceuticals, but I've haven't found herbs or supplements to be very useful either.

Like insomnia, physical exercise is supposed to be good for anxiety. That's about as natural and healthy as you can get.

[carom]

I went to a naturopath a few months ago and he made me do a seft test that is found in chapter 3 of the book "the edge effect". The test is suppose to identify what brain chemicals are dominant for you so you can supplement the chemicals you a deficient with. I was identified as being GABA deficient, but I haven't got around to taking any supplements as I was fairly ballanced and don't have any real bothersome symptoms. When I start working again soon I might try taking GABA if I continue to have trouble focusing.

My mother was also identified as being GABA deficient and she has been taking supplements for awhile now. She swears by it.