GABA Question

[LNN]

I have a friend whose son is suffering from extreme anxiety and depression. He's been on Celexa for about a year. It initially took the edge off but after upping dosage with no success, he was recently switched to zoloft. Things are still bad. My friend was wondering about GABA. I've never used it, so I thought maybe some who have could offer suggestions.

 

Her son is about to turn 10, probably 55 lbs. Here are my questions:

Can GABA be taken in conjunction with an SSRI?

Do you need to taper up and down and if so, over what time frame?

What dose would be recommended for 60 lbs - or does anyone have any study that discusses dosage?

 

Any other supplements that may be more appropriate? SAMe, 5-HTP, NAC? And if something else, what are the pros and cons over GABA?

 

Any help or links are very appreciated. This isn't an area I spent much time researching. The mom is also contacting therapists to start CBT, but I think they're going to need something to bring the anxiety down first. She tried to read "What to Do When You Worry Too Much" last night and her son made her stop. He refuses to even discuss his fears and says he wishes he were dead. I'm wondering if gut inflammation is at play, but for the moment, I'm just trying to help the mom find a life boat.

[MomWithOCDSon]

LLM -- Firstly, given as this boy's story sounds so similar to my DS's, I hope your friend is open to looking into what might be behind the anxiety besides heredity, "organic wiring," etc. Success with one SSRI for many years with respect to controling anxiety, only to have its efficacy begin to fail eventually, and switching to yet another SSRI, with nominal, if any, positive impacts . . . . . that sounds almost exactly like our experience pre-antibiotics. So . . . .

 

I also know from experience that, depending on the prescribing physician, some of our kids are better off with HALF (or less) of the "standard recommended" SSRI dose, and that increased anxiety and depression can actually be a sign that the dosage currently being taken is too high. It's not technically serotonin syndrome or even akathisia, but is IS "activation," and to us, it just looked as though DS's anxiety, OCD and sadness was intensifying.

 

As for GABA, SAMe or 5HTP, I can't speak to that as we've not tried those. I don't see anything in the literature that suggests that you can't take GABA along with SSRIs. None of the things I've read regarding GABA even mentions serotonin or even dopamine. However, I understand that 5HTP is counter-indicated in conjunction with SSRIs because the combination can lead to serotonin syndrome; I've read the same with regard to SAMe.

 

I don't know that NAC will be of immediate-enough efficacy to help in the current circumstances, though I do think it would help in the long run. During the darkest hours, we found a good bit of help with Valerian root . . . morning, noon and night! Ibuprofen helped, also.

 

So sorry for your friend, and hope something helps soon!

Edited June 5, 2011 by MomWithOCDSon

[LNN]

Thanks Nancy! I was hoping you'd see this post.

 

Any recommendations on dosing, or whether there's a need to titer up?

 

It did cross my mind that the SSRI could be activating. And that inflammation may be a factor. Her son has a history of GERD and eating issues, big time sensory issues. Yet doesn't fit an Asperger's dx and has tested as exceptionally intelligent. He takes melatonin as a sleep aid. Without it, things get dramatically worse. It's been hard to find a balance. On one hand, this world you and I live in holds so many clues and I want to share all I know, yet to outsiders, sounds so very fringe. So I've had to approach slowly, one crumb at a time. The mom is open to CBT but is going to have a lot of resistance from her son. That's why I'd love to be able to direct them toward something fairly quick acting that can at least take the edge off so CBT has a chance.

[mkur]

I watched this video from austismone conference that was interesting and maybe helpful:

 

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/15045777

[Stephanie2]

A woman once told me that if you take too much gaba you might feel numbness or tingling in your extremeties. I'm so glad she told me that b/c I tried it recetly on my son and 30 minutes later he told me his fingertips felt weird! I asked him to explain, he said he couldn't feel them! So I lowered his dose...but he doesn't really need it anymore, I was using for hyperactivity which is why most use it I believe.

 

5HTP has worked great for my kids in terms of depression/OCD/anxiety. I highly recommend it, but over time it may stop working just like all SSRI's...

 

For my 30 lb child I have used 50 mg, twice a day. For my 50 lb child I used a total of only 75 b/c any more than that gave him leg cramps. My husband and I have used 200mg, twice a day. All under the guidance of a doctor.

 

In any case, we have all switched to classical homeopathy with better, more lasting success than SSRI's or 5HTP.

[SSS]

Not to be negative, but Gaba and 5-HTP had the opposite effects on my dd6-- and I really wanted them to work.

I tried both supplements a few times, to really have an idea, and both had a negative effect.