Anyone here use GABA to help relax and fall asleep

[LynneSin]

Yesterday I had shitty day at work and usually shitty days at work means I spend hours at night going over and over again what went wrong, what I could have done, what I should have done and why the hell haven't I sent that Peace Corp application in yet.

About a month ago I came across an article about GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) which is actually an amino acid produced in the brain. BUt I've also read that taking GABA supplements can help relax you and especially calm those 'busy thoughts' you get in your head that keep you awake at night.

So I took a GABA when I got home last night from work. I felt more relaxed and didn't spend the whole night rehashing my horrible day at work. And about 30 minutes before bedtime I took a melatonin and I slept like a baby.

http://www.wholehealthmd.com/refshelf/substances_view/1,1525,10027,00.html

Here's more about GABA and it's use

[Dogmudgeon]

1. It can be effective

Glad it worked for you.

GBH used to work very well, and had tremendous potential in the treatment of sleep disorders, but the media conflated it into a "Date Rape Drug", so now it's illegal. GABA is similar, but has a more limited range of effects. And as a date-rape drug, it would require the rapist to feed his/her victim a couple of ounces of it.

I personally avoid herbal sedatives -- both tryptophan and melatonin turned me into a zombie for two to three days (I had a very intense reaction to them). Tryptophan was banned after a contaminated batch made several people sick; melatonin is safe and legal, and has a number of other good effects, but since many labs are hard at work trying to concoct patentable molecular variants, most doctors will warn you away from it.

I got good results from Kava-Kava, but it's rough on the liver with prolonged use; and as you might expect, Nader's medical group is trying to ban it.

Damiana and Passionflower are also mild sedatives and have (AFAIK) never been reported to be toxic.

--p!

[cleofus1]

2. i'm a shift worker....midnight to 9 am

10 minutes after my head hits the pillow...i'm off to dreamland...i usually put on a movie in the bedroom and i just watch the images and that just lulls me to sleep...

[LynneSin]

3. I've never had any problems with melatonin, maybe it was the dosage?

I never take more than the 3mg recommended and always use the stuff that melts below the tongue.

The tryptophan ban is an absolute joke. There was overwhelming proof that the batch was contaminated from poor processing methods. 5HTP-Trypto is now available to use on the market

[BlueIris]

4. Melatonin exacerbated my depression worse than anything ever.

And that includes hormonal contraceptives. I am so glad I stopped using melatonin.

[Rainbowreflect]

5. I take melatonin & 5HTP almost every night.

It really helps me get to sleep & I stay asleep better.
I have had problems with sleeping for many years, but after I started taking my OTC meds it has been much better.

[Dogmudgeon]

6. My dosage of Melatonin -- as low as 500 mcg

That's half a milligram. It still zonked me out.

Since Melatonin acts on such a fundamental part of the hormone system, I'd fully expect people to have greatly differing responses to it.

It's one of the reasons why nerve gas is so potent -- it acts like a hormone itself and signals your body to shut off its own acetylcholinesterase, a regulatory enzyme for the neurotranmitter acetylcholine, which is one of the "master hormones" in the nervous system. LSD is another drug that acts indirectly, and is active in doses as low as 50 mcg. A 50 mcg. dose of most nerve agents will kill most people.

But also, like with Melatonin, some people can eat a handful of acid and never feel a thing except a little euphoria; some test animals exposed to high levels of synthetic nerve toxins survived without harm. And there's at least one form of cancer which causes the body to make huge amounts of testosterone. The result isn't hyper-machismo, it's depression.

Not only may your mileage vary, so may your dosage!

--p

[Squeech]

8. Contrarian argument

Melatonin never seemed to affect me one way or the other.

I run a pretty chronic sleep deficit, which nothing seems to help-- but I also haven't tried too many of these things, being somewhat phobic about pills.

There's a big part of me that would just as soon give up and become a speed freak, which is probably what I'll do if Cheney wins in '08.

[ghostsofgiants]

7. Last semester I did a course on behavioral pharmacology...

Every time my professor would talk about GABA all I could think about was The Ramones. Gaba gaba hey.

[cleofus1]

9. only truly cool people

can those type of connections...