Oh, if we all could just “chill out” as easily as my dog! How many times have you thought that an individual you’ve encountered needed to just take a “chill pill”? That old saying came up a lot in our house before I discovered the supplement GABA. Both of my sons had anxiety and were impulsive, which are common in children with autism and ADHD.
That is, until we introduced GABA as a supplement.
GABA (gamma-Aminobutyric acid) is an amino acid that acts as the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in our brain. It also keeps all the other neurotransmitters in check. The GABA system acts as something of an information filter to prevent the nerves from becoming overstimulated. It has long been suspected that this filtering process is compromised in many autistic children. Impairment of the GABA system could overwhelm the brain with sensory information, leading to many of the behavior traits associated with autism. GABA is also believed to play a key role in the early development of the brain.
Excitement in our brain needs a balance with inhibition. An unstable balance, or too much excitation will lead to restlessness, insomnia and irritability. GABA will balance this out, naturally. It is also involved with the production of endorphins in our brain, which provide us with that feeling of “all is good”, or what is often referred to as the “runner’s high”. GABA will reduce stress, relieve anxiety and increase alertness.
A deficiency of GABA can contribute to the poor inhibition that allows the brain to become over stimulated, which results in a constant state of anxiety. People with a GABA deficiency may experience:
- anxiety/nervousness/jumpy or on edge
- headaches
- irritability
- heart palpitations
- seizures
- hypertension
Factors that may reduce GABA levels:
- B1, B6, zinc, manganese and iron deficiency
- Chronic stress
- Chronic pain
- Mercury or lead exposure
- Inadequate sleep
This can be helped with the GABA supplement. Whenever you introduce a new supplement, always take it slow and go low on dose. We started with a 250 mg capsule (they can be opened up and mixed in drink/food) and worked our way up over several weeks until we found the dose needed for our children. My son with autism uses between 1,000-1,250 mg/day. The effects wear off, so we dose throughout the day. I end the day with 500 mg at bedtime to induce relaxation for sleep.
My son with ADHD use to need 1,500 mg/day, but since we treated his ADHD with neuro-feedback, he now only needs 500 mg/day. GABA is a little known, but very effective supplement for symptoms resulting from autism and ADHD. It’s my family’s natural little “chill pill”.
Filed under: ADHD, Biomedical interventions, Supplements | Tagged: ADHD, anxiety, autism, Biomedical interventions, GABA, healing autism and adhd, impulsive, inhibition, Joanne Allor, lead, mercury, neurotransmitters, reduce stress, Supplements |
Healing Autism & ADHD 
I tried to find this on Amazon, and there are tons of varities…can you reccommend a brand or type? I have a 4yr old with Pdd-Nos and we give him melatonin at night but if this would work overall in general I am super interested in trying it…but I can’t figure out which kind (since they can’t swallow pills, i need one I can break or dissolve)
Thanks!
I buy mine from Kirkman Labs in OR. http://www.kirkmanlabs.com They have a 250 mg capsule you can break open into food or liquid. And the cost is reasonable too.
I just started using Nature’s Plus Melatonin Spray, which had Gaba and P5P. My son is 3 1/2 years old and is very yper at night before we try to put him to sleep…he still wakes up for a bottle in the middle of the night I was hoping the spray would keep him down for the night, but I gave him just a tiny spriz, as I was afraid of overdoing it and wanted to see how he responded. This past Sunday was the first time and I just spritz a little into his mouth (it tastes like peppermint, I tried it first and waited to see if I felt funny or sick or dizzy or anything negative). 30 minutes later he was passed out in front of the TV! The second night I gave him less and he was falling asleep in his stroller without having to stroll him. I did not try it last night, I might do it again this evening and see if it helps again with the night agitations..indeed it does put him to sleep quickly. I like the spray because it does right to the blood stream, versus going through the gut where most things for children with gut issues just don’t get absorbed, and my young son cannot swallow a pill. I even tried crushing the pill and giving it to him in some juice with a plastic syringe, but it didn’t have an effect on him…the Nature’s Plus Melatonin Spray with Gaba & the P5P worked immediately!
Best of luck to all,
Gisel
PharmaGaba is a chewable. Our natropathic dr recommended one 200 mg 3 times a day
If it’s truly 800mg a day, how big is the child? You don’t need to reply. I’m just saying depending on age and size of child, 250-500mg/day is standard…but more may be needed. Sometimes too much is a bad thing. Research what GABA’s role is in the brain.
where can we get the GABA supplement
GABA is available at your local health food store or if there are any Whole Foods in your area. I purchase mine online from Kirkman Labs in Oregon. Their website is http://www.kirkmanlabs.com
I like theirs because it’s in 250 mg which is a great starting dose.
read your info on GABA with great interest but when I consulted our DAN doctor he told me that oral supplements are a waste of money – that the GABA ingested does not make its way to the brain where it is needed. He recommends instead using supps like NAC and Taurine to aid the brain in producing GABA for itself. I know all doctors are different… just wanted to give you this alternate opinion on how GABA works!!
It is true that Taurine and NAC will aid the brain in producing GABA, but they are also oral supplements…so does he think they are a waste of money too? My empirical trial of (an oral supplement) GABA to reduce anxiety, impulsiveness, and stims works. It does make its way to the brain. Studies have proven this works. Perhaps your DAN doctor is referring to if the gut is not healthy, and able to digest and utilize the supplement, then yes, it gets flushed down the toilet (literally). Here is a recent article on Livestrong.com about Gaba’s effect on children and it references studies done on it.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/273330-the-effects-of-gaba-on-children/
have you seen this product? What do you think of the transdermal route?
http://www.ourkidsasd.com/products/2909%7CGabaMag™-Our%20Kids…
Transdermal route works, only you would have to really increase the dose to get enough. Most ASD kids need 100-200 mg. of magnesium/day and the GABA dose should be at least 250 mg.
We just started gaba maybe a week ago with our 12 year old son with autism. It seemed to really chill him out and increase his language at first, however, now we are experiencing times of REALLY heightened frustration and some headaches. I’m not sure if this is because the gaba has worn off at that point…we are only giving him one pill a day for now, or if these are negative side effects and we need to stop. Any advice?
Depends on the dose, what mg are you giving him? The only negative side affect I’ve heard that in some people (kinda rare), higher doses may cause anxiety symptoms. But that is at 750 mg – 1500 mg at a dose. Headaches and frustration can be caused by anything…I’m sorry I don’t know what it could be.
GABA will wear off after several hours, if you’re giving him a 250/500 mg dose in AM…he’d need another dose in afternoon, and maybe even one at night.
Yep, we are using a 750mg dose. We probably need to take some data to see if we can find a pattern…sigh. thank you for your response.
OK, 750 mg is a high starting dose. I’d start out with just 250 mg. at a dose. Try one in AM and one in PM at first…you could go to dosing 3x/day but perhaps not exceed 500 mg at one time.
Is the GABA dose dependent on weight? Would I follow your suggested doses for my son who is just over 50 lbs?
It’s really dependent on weight and the individual response to it. I would recommend starting with the Kirkman 250 mg dose once in AM and once in afternoon or PM. That’s what I did for my son that weighed about the same when he started it. Then if you don’t see any affect, increase by a dose to 500 mg until you see the calming effect.
Would it make more sense to supplement with glutamine to increase Gaba? Or l-theanine? I’m a bit confused as to what might work best especially when doing so with an individual with autism.
The problem with someone with autism is the majority of the time their biochemical functions to convert glutamine or l-theanine to Gaba is not as effective as it should. Biomedical issues our kids have going on usually interfere with the processes needed to create the neurotransmitters needed for proper brain function. Some people may find success going the precursor route, but others find Gaba is most effective. Each individual is going to require different treatments and figuring out which ones are needed is the key. Best wishes!
I’m going to be starting my son on this as soon as it arrives. I can’t wait to see if it works for him. He is autistic and has recently started becoming more aggressive. He is also very restless at night. Thank you for posting this info!
I have the same issues! I’d love to know what you have success with. Good luck!
Anxiety medications like Valium and Xanax work at targeting and increasing GABA levels and are prescribed to children with severe behavioral issues. GABA should be safe, but dependent on other contributing biomedical conditions occuring in the child.
Thanks for the reply. I just started giving Gaba (100mg) to my son with autism yesterday. After half an hour of giving one dose he seemed more content and even had a smile on his face. I was quite pleased as he had been highly agitated prior to that. The only thing is he did not fall asleep as he usually does after receiving his dose of melatonin. He was up quite early as well (4:30am) but still content and then when it got closer to 7am he was out of control agitated! How long does Gaba last after one dose? I read something that states it lasts 4-6 hours?! If that’s true I’m curious wether it needs to be given after 4hours after the initial dose or 6hours after to maintain it? I’m interested in knowing what you do and of what you’d reccomend
Dosing and frequency will be dependent on the child and what works best for them. GABA does wear off after 4 hrs or so.
Continued from my previous comment/questions. I also wonder if Gaba is safe to give continuously to calm a child with autism that has severe behavioural issues?
I tried Gaba again today and this time things went for the worst. My son became highly agitated and out of control. Unfortunately I will not continue with this afer such side effects. Just thought I’d share our experience.
Hi Rayan, at Kirman labs, they have a road map that helps identify whih supplements to match various symptoms. See their beginner guide. I also Like the info at http://intelegen.com/nutrients/add.htm
Click to access 323.pdf
http://www.vrp.com/brain-health/natural-strategies-for-attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder#
Finally, you did not mention diets. I saw a big improvement in both my kids, one w Asperger, other w ADD depression, with GFCF diet and no food dyes. It is so obvious to us now that gluten casein litterally attack our children,s brains. I think we need that to start with a clean slate for supplements to work.
Yes, diet and no food dyes are huge in helping kids on the spectrum. See my diet page and my posts about artificial food coloring.
My son is 12 and has Aspergers and ADHD tendencies as well. We struggled with Lexapro and Zoloft as I really didn’t see much improvement. The doctor suggested Risperdal and the side effects scared me so we weaned him off and decided to go natural. We started GABA about a month ago and immediately saw results. I started with 375mg at night and 375 in the morning. We’re now seeing more and more outbursts and his teachers have contacted me about him being very anxious at school over this time period. I’m sure we need to tweak the dosage. I’ve worked him up to giving him a 750mg in the morning and 375 in the afternoon and 375 at night. Perhaps I just need to give him 375 in the morning and have the school nurse give him 375 around lunchtime to even things out. He’s also in track so he gets quite a workout after school, any idea how exercise affects the intake? He only weighs about 75 pounds and he’s getting 1500mg a day. Too much, any suggestions?
I’m not sure if you meant the results you immediately saw were positive or negative? 750 mg may be too much at once, but there could be so many other factors coming into play causing anxiety. Have you tried giving him magnesium with the GABA? Magnesium deficiency can cause anxiety, and magnesium calms the nerves, muscles and balances out enzymes in our body. Not sure if you read my page or post on magnesium https://healingautismandadhd.wordpress.com/supplements/magnesium/
How’s his diet? His bowels? Normal or not? He may have other issues contributing to the anxiety. Decrease the morning dose of GABA back to the starting dose if that was a positive result. But you will need to dose it throughout the day since it will not last more that 4 hours or so in the system.
His diet is actually pretty good. I’ve taken him off of all dyes, preservatives and anything unnatural 5 years ago. He’s very much a protien, fruits & vegetable kind of kid. As far as I know, his bowels are fine. I just read your post about magnesium. How much would you recommend and how often? I will contact the school nurse about giving him 375mg of the GABA around lunchtime. That would have him at 1500/day, does that sound about right?
Oh, yes…when I mentioned the immediate results I did mean they were positive. 🙂
Thanks so much for your help.
GABA at 1,000-1,500/day should be fine but it varies depending on your child’s reaction to it. Magnesium can dose between 100 -250 mg/day for kids. I give my sons 100 mg in AM and 100 mg at bedtime…plus what they get from their diet. When I give my youngest an Epsom Salt bath at night, I don’t give him the magnesium supplement. Start slow if you can with magnesium and slowly increase dose.
hi one question my DAN doctor recommended a high dose ( 2 500mg pills 3X a day) I didnt found the 500mg so I started with a 750mg once 3x a day. We just started 3 days ago… so far so good I guess but I dont know if there is any side effects to a possible overdose if an overdos of gaba exists? Can you overdose your child of vitamins and supplements? how to know if he is not reacting well to treatment ? or how to know when it is too much?
Yes, you can react from too high of a dose, and every person has different tolerance levels for GABA. Symptoms of too high of a dose are anxiety, metallic taste in mouth, panic, etc. 2500 mg 3x/day seems awfully high of a dose (you sure it isn’t 2500 mg/day total?)…even if your kid is older and weighs a lot. You’ll see signs if it’s too high at 750/mg 3x/day within the first week. If he tolerates that dose for two weeks, you could possibly increase it slowly…but only if needed. If he’s doing well on the lower dose, then don’t mess with it.
hi my grandson is 3 years old..what dose would you recomend starting him out on and how many times a day..his issue is adhd.
Was he diagnosed with ADHD at age 3 already? That seems early for this type of diagnosis. If he’s high energy, you might want to clean up his diet (first) of all sugars, artificial colors/flavors/preservatives, high fructose corn syrups, phenols, msg, etc. Check out my posts on diet and artificial food dyes. GABA could help, but I’d go the clean diet route first due to his age. Doses of GABA depends on his weight and need for it. If you were to try it, a low dose to start is best. The 250 mg capsule by Kirkman labs is good or try to find a smaller dose for him since he’s only 3.
Best wishes!
Hi, I’ve been giving my adhd son aged 7.5 GABA off and on. After some time he mentioned that he had muscle pain in his calves, not severe but still distracting and he feels it when he is walking. Could this be due to the gaba? If it is, why didn’t he get it when he started instead of after some time? I give it to him in powder at 7am before school. 1/4tsp to 500mg, i give him a little more than that.
Hi. I haven’t come across muscle pain in legs on side affects in my research, but magnesium is synergistic with GABA. Magnesium calms the nerves endings in muscles so try that if he doesn’t take it already. (see my page on magnesium) I also have found that the dose of GABA depends on the individual and the need for it. GABA wears off after 4-6 hours so I dose it throughout the day at lower doses. A higher dose (750mg+) one times per day is not necessarily the way to use it. Especially at age 7 1/2, he probably could go with the 250mg dose 2-3x per day max.
Hello all, my 9 year old son with ADHD is on 10mg of Focalin/ day. Is GABA and Magnesium ok to take on top of this?
I don’t have any experience with Focalin so I couldn’t share my results combining them. I would talk to your prescribing doctor about it. Magnesium should be safe to take and GABA is the traffic cop for the brain’s neurotransmitters…both are neuro-calming, but I don’t know if they will affect the efficacy of the drug Focalin. Sorry.
My 9 y.o son with ADHD takes 10mg of Focalin each morning, is GABA safe to take in addition to this?
I would talk to your prescribing physician about taking GABA with a prescribed med. GABA is the traffic cop for neurotransmitters in the brain and Focalin seems to be a stimulant that mimics the necessary neurotransmitters for focus, calming and attention. It’s possible GABA may help, but since I don’t have any practical experience and am not a doctor, I can’t tell you if it’s safe.
ok! my son is 4 with pdd nos. he is on : b12 shots, fish oil, superthera nu multivitamin, dmg, culturelle/threelac, calcium and vit c chews, zinc and iron…he was on glutamine to help his gut iga levels, but i just stopped that yesterday. i got some gaba but havent tried it yet. what is the benefit of using carnosine as well, OR instead of gaba ?? or just gaba??
I haven’t researched carnosine much since it’s not come on my radar for helping my son from my DAN doc or other research. I love GABA. My post states the benefit. You might want to research carnosine, sorry I can’t help you.
My son 5yrs is autistic. I introduced gaba to him a month ago. For how long am I going to give him? And is there bad effect if I stop it now? Please advice me. Thanks.
No bad affect from stopping GABA. Is it helping him? What dose are you giving and often during the day?
Hi. I give my son 250mg in the morning and 250mg in the evening that is on empty stomach and i combine with magnesium and probiotic. Before gaba he could not use potty he was on daippers and very hyper. Thank God one month on gaba he is no longer on diappers! He can also say one word like ‘wacha’ meaning stop and also he is more calm than before. But some times at night he becomes aggitate and cries for no reason. Am i giving him the correct dose?
That’s wonderful news that you’ve had such success with your son and GABA/Magnesium! The probiotic probably should get credit for him potty training as well as GABA. I’m not sure the age or weight of your son, but the dose is low enough…you could try 500 mg of GABA, depending on his age/weight.
Thanks. My son alphas is 5 yrs old and is 15kgs. I give him 500mg morning and 500mp evening of gaba and synergistic magnesium with vitamin B6150mg morning and evening. Is it okey with him?
How many mg. of B6 are in the supplement you give him? Is it 150mg?? High B6 will cause the behaviors you’re seeing. If B6 is under 50 mg (ideally) then perhaps you need to go lower on the GABA dose. B6 at night is probably not a good idea either…it can cause hyperactivity, although the GABA and magnesium at night is good for sleep.
Hello, My son is 10 years old and takes Ritalin for his ADD. However, he has high anxiety, and worries a lot (particularly about going to sleep at night by himself). He has been taking Zoloft which helps, but I am concerned about the side effects. I take GABA myself and it works for my anxiety. We took him off Zoloft for the summer and before we put him back on it I would like him to try GABA instead, as it is a “natural supplement”. Do you think it would be OK? Do you know of any potential adverse interactions between Ritalin and GABA? Thank you!
I would try GABA for your son while off Zoloft. Especially at night an hour before bed along with magnesium and zinc if possible. I’ve looked into any interactions between GABA and Ritalin in the past and don’t recall it being an issue. Google the two together ands see what comes up on research or parents’ experiences. If 500 mg of GABA is tot much for him in a dose, then Kirkman Labs sells 250 mg capsules. Let me know the results of it, I’m curious if he does well and won’t need Zoloft anymore. Read my post and page on magnesium and zinc too!
Thank you so, much for your prompt reply! It gives me reassurance to go ahead and use the GABA this evening to provide him relief from his anxiety. I have already searched today (online) for potential issues of using them together and found none. I will let you know how he does. I believe we will see the benefits. Thanks again.
We tried GABA Calm (a combo product) and it doesn’t seem to be helpful for my daughter who has ADHD/sensory issues (sensory-seeker). We tried it at bedtime and it kept her awake with a stomachache and at times made her more anxious and edgy, almost panicky. Not sure if we should keep trying or what to try next.
I’m not sure what dose you were giving her of it and it could be another product that is affecting her. I’d try just GABA (250 mg) dose 1 hour before bedtime along with Magnesium Glycinate (100 Mg) dose. Kirkman Labs sells both supplements and they are hypoallergenic. wwww.kirkmanlabs.com
If she still reacts, then she may be one of the few that it causes anxiety reaction and I would stop. But you won’t know for sure until you try GABA without the other supps that are in GABA Calm.
I wondered what you meant by sensory-seeker. My son has adhd and anxiety, and he rocks a lot. Where did you have his sensory issues evaluated? thank you.
My son was evaluated by an OT (Occupational Therapist) and they know the signs of sensory seeking behaviors.
Hi. I am very interested to see if this works for my daughter. She is 11 and has generalized anxiety disorder along with having a severe fear of throwing up and OCD. Everyday is a struggle to go to school and anywhere really. I just bought Gaba in a dissolvable tablet. She refuses to put any medicine or vitamins in her mouth, so I am hoping to hide it in a drink or food. Is that advisable or will it destroy the potency somehow?
Thanks,
Desperate
I don’t know. I didn’t know it was made in a dissolvable tablet…probably meant to be sublingual which means they need to dissolve in mouth for absorption and aren’t as effective if swallowed. You can purchase capsules of GABA and open them up and stir into food that is soft like applesauce, smoothies, yogurt, etc. that would be effective. Try magnesium with it too. See my page on it to learn about magnesium.
My son is 6 and we have tried multiple medications for his ADHD and I am interested in trying the diet and all natural supplement route. I would like to know your feedback as to where I should start. He has been showing more aggressive behaviors recently and being more defiant. Any recommendations would be wonderful. He is currently taking adderall so I would need something that is safe with that medication.
GABA is safe with Adderall. The only thing you need to avoid is citric acid or vitamin C (supplements and food with it) when giving the medicine. Start with cleaning up his diet by removing all artificial dyes, preservatives, additives, msg and nitrites. Try to get him to eat mostly freshly prepared foods, limit conventional produce and go organic on fruits and veggies. Pesticides are harmful to our health and have shown to cause ADHD symptoms. Then get him on a multi-vitamin, EFA/DHA, and a probiotic. Add in GABA at 250 mg 2-3 times a day. Make sure he gets magnesium too. Kirkmanlabs.com sells all of these items. But most importantly, take it slow, add one thing at a time so you can tell any reactions and what he’s responding to. Read through my blog all the posts under the category ADHD. Best wishes and you can help your son!
I’ve been getting a lot of questions similar to yours lately. Go to my page on supplements and read that. Then read my post https://healingautismandadhd.wordpress.com/2010/04/22/five-ways-to-help-kids-with-adhd/ Also read comments on this post and see my response to parents similar questions. There is an answer to your Adderall question there too. 🙂
Hi, my son is 3 1/2 years old, we are on a waiting list for an official evaluation through a developmental pediatrician, so he hasn’t been diagnosed with anything yet. I have been getting suggestions from people on support websites about Gaba. My son has very violent outbursts where he will injure either himself or others, this happens 1-2 times per week, usually between dinner time and bed time. Do you think Gaba could help with this? When should I dose him, just when I pick him up from daycare in the evenings or should I do mornings too? I’m a little nervous about treating him myself, so any feedback would be so much appreciated. Thank you!!
Are the outbursts only in the evening like you described? He may be reacting to a food allergy/intolerance after dinner. What does the daycare say about his behavior while he is there? GABA and magnesium are calming and help with this, so you could try it. I’d start low on GABA, like 150-250 mg. and 100 mg of magnesium when you get home with him. Can try in the AM too if you’re getting reports of this behavior in daycare. There is probably a bigger picture here of things your son may need for bio-med intervention than just GABA. Violent outbursts are caused by many things (bad bacteria/yeast), but perhaps his gut is causing him pain…needs to have his diet re-evaluated, etc. Does he have language?
Read through my blog on the right side under the category DIET. Also probiotics info too.
Hi. since I introduced gaba and magnesium to my son 5yrs old few months ago, he has improved a lot. Somd one told me to add dmg to improve his speach and communication. Is any harm if I combine the suppliments? Pliz advice.
Doreen.
I’m so glad to hear about your son improving! DMG is fine to add in…some kids do better on TMG. SO if you get a negative reaction after a few weeks, switch to TMG. This really helps in speech and social areas. Best wishes!
My son is 8, Asperger’s, anxiety, SPD and ADHD. We tried Zoloft last yr for his anxiety and it made him so aggressive & irritable. (helped with the anxiety though). So we took him off that. We eat a GFCF diet and we give him supp’s- Omega’s, Mag/zinc/calc./ multi’s, Vit. C and methylfolate and use Epsom salt baths to detox. Probiotics too. I have taken GABA myself and it is great. We just added 5-HTP and GABA this week. I want to try something natural before we even consider talking about med’s again. (dr is suggesting Prozac this time) We also do CBT, and he get’s OT, Speech & Social skills at school. He is very high functioning. But he suffers from anxiety and his sensory issues are a big part of his issues too. All this makes for an 8 yr old boy that gets very angry, aggressive & irritable in an instant. But when he is in that “just right” mode- it’s like a brilliant rainbow. He is just an amazing kid in general. I am starting at a low dose of GABA for him- 250 mg and only 50 mg of 5-HTP. We do see a holistic practitioner who follows the DAN protocol. Next appt is Dec 21st. I am worried about the 5-HTP, GABA and methylfolate having a negative interaction. But I think they are all working on some of the neurotransmitters (serotonin & isn’t GABA a nerotransmiiter?)
Anyway- just wanted to add my 2 cents and see what you thought. great info here- thank you!
From what I’ve learned, folate is needed for the synthesis of norepinephrine, serotonin and dopamine, which means it’s a precursor to aid the creation of these neurotransmitters. 5-HTP increases serotonin. GABA is the traffic cop in the brain for all theses neurotransmitters. It is an inhibitory neurotransmitter, and as such it serves the brain by regulating the firing of neurons. The one supp you should watch for reactions is the 5-HTP. Go low and slow with them all and don’t add them all at once. Start one supp at a time so you know which one he reacts to. Best wishes!
Hi I just wanted to add that I have heard some parents say their kids got headaches from 5-HTP so you may want to only add 1 supp at a time so if he reacts negatively you will know what caused it.
Am abit worried coz I have noticf that my son hands are peeling off on pam and I wonder if it is a side effect of the gaba 500mg morning and evenin., magnesium 150mg morning and evening or dmg 300mg morning and 150mg at night. pliz advice. My son is 5yrs old.
I haven’t heard of that side affect due to any of these supplements. If you are concerned, back off the dose of each supplement (lower the dose). Here are some links to websites that discuss peeling hands:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/533574-peeling-hands-on-kids/
Trying researching his symptoms. Does he have any other symptoms other than peeling palms?
Peeling hands could be a sign of other illnesses or very fast growth in some kids.
My 6 year old son (45 lbs) is diagnosed ADHD and bipolar. He has been on Tenex and Risperdol, but when they became ineffective and we didn’t have access to a psychologist to adjust dosages, we took our therapist’s advice and started Synoptol and GABA as well as Melatonin at sleef times. He has shown some improvement, but is still not sleeping well or able to be successful in school. He has only been taking 100mg 3x/day. It looks like it would be okay to up it to 200mg 3x/day? I”ve also noticed magnesium being suggested with it. What is the purpose of the magnesium and how much should be given? Thank you for your input!
GABA at 200 mg. is a minimum dose for most kids. Magnesium relaxes nerve impulses and promotes relaxation. I give 100 mg. of magnesium twice a day with the GABA. Once at breakfast and once at bedtime. Kids should get 200 mg.day. It does a lot more too, read my post on magnesium here: https://healingautismandadhd.wordpress.com/2011/09/08/my-favorite-mineral-magnesium/
Taking GABA and magnesium together is great at calming hyperactivity and promotes restful sleep. I love it for insomnia. But you should increase the dose until you see results. 100 mg is a low dose. I started my son out on 250 mg. when he was 6 and around 40 lbs.
Best wishes and Happy Holidays!
Thank you!
Just want to say that there are some studies pointing to Melatonin as worsening depression in people, so since BP has a depressive component you may want to consider this.
Hi, my son is 20 years old and 190 lbs. He is not currently on any medications but definately is moody, easily agitated and has difficulty sleeping at night (although not a problem during the day). What would you suggest for a starting dose.
500 mg/am and 500 mg/pm. Try giving him magnesium 100-200 mg with it.
My son is on vayvanse. Can I give him GABA and magn to help with sleep and hyper activity as well?
Check with the prescribing doctor for that med.
He also isn’t his happy self anymore but needs med for school. Will GABA help. I just don’t want him on more meds if there is natural things that can help with vayvanse Thanks
How is his diet? Does he exercise? Get him moving to create the happy hormones which lift his mood. Make sure he’s eating freshly prepared foods that will provide the nutrients his body needs. Eliminate all artificial ingredients and processed foods. Water, water and more water.
My son is 20 and autistic but 2 years ago developed schizophrenia. Anxiety levels were off the charts. Initially he was on an anti-anxiety drug and anti-psychotic drug. He is now completely off the anti-anxiety drug and we have been able to cut the anti-psychotic drug to half the dosage he was previously taking.
My doctor is doing an orthmolecular medicine approach to healing his schizophrenia. As part of his program, he’s been taking GABA for six months now. He was at 2750 mg daily in divided doses. Just in the past week I’ve noticed an increase in his activity after the doses given later in the day so I will back the dose off to see if that helps. I believe from experience that too high of doses cause anxiety.
There is another supplement my doctor recommended that can be purchased online. I get it from Amazon. It’s called Extress by Vaxa (not to be confused with their other product Attend.). It is a homeopathic formula that also contains small amounts of GABA, L-Taurine, 5-HTP, magnesium, plus many other ingredients. If my son is hyper, when I give him the Extress on an empty stomach, I see a big difference in 20 min. This is really good stuff.
Yes, high doses of GABA can cause anxiety…I’ve heard some people get a reaction if they exceed 750 mg at one dose. Be careful.
Once someone begins GABA and sees the desired effect, do you anticipate that person would need to continue on GABA forever and would the body eventually start producing the needed amount?
Good question. My answer is to do an empirical trial of it and see if it’s needed long term. I found once other health issues like healing my son’s gut, was addressed, less GABA was needed each day.
To answer a fellow mom’s question on the doctor’s comments, what your doctor was referring to is that gaba when taken orally in its pure form does not cross the blood brain barrier. This explains why it is not as powerful as benzo drugs which aid in gaba production but is not pure gaba.this is not to say that because it doesn’t pass the blood brain barrier that it is not effective. It just won’t have the same affect as the gaba produced by your own body. Studies show that gaba is effective in treating the physical anxiety symptoms such as increased heart rate, sweating, rapid breathing etc. It works similarly to beta blocker drugs prescribed for that purpose and gaba effectively lowers blood pressure. Add Medicines do not pass the blood brain barrier either, but they are nonetheless effective. They usually don’t last long or are in extended release caps because drugs that don’t cross the blood brain barrier wear off faster
My autistic daughter is 19 and has been on risperadone for the last 3-4 years. Recently she has been very aggressive and irritated. I have been giving her .5 to 1 mg of lorazapan as needed, but would like to try
Natural substitute for lorazapan. Is GABA safe to take with the risperadone?
I don’t know. I recommend you speak with the prescribing doctor about any supplement you’d like to give her and if there are contraindications with meds.
Hi there. My son who is 5.5 has low HGH and after going to the health food store, the nutritionist there recommended GABA to promote HGH. He’s only 41 inch and weighs 39lbs. How much should I give? Lady said to start with one tablet right before bed which would be about 100 mg I think being bottle reads 2 tables equal 200 mg.
That sounds about right. 100mg of GABA is a very low dose. Always good to start low and ramp up slowly.
I just do not want him to lose weight on this but before taking the hgh injection route from endochronologist, I’d like to try the natural route as he’s still young.
[…] I followed that by adding gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Wow! for years I have enjoyed caffeine to boost my energy, and thought more energy = more power. False! GABA has curbed that jumpiness and left the creativity alone. Now I feel just as creative and driven, but more focused, less distracted, and more intentional. A very pleasant side effect is that I sleep really easily now. I fall asleep faster, and I sleep lighter without waking feeling like all of my muscles were tensed all night. I definitely like this over Melatonin. I tried a night time combo pill, but I really prefer just straight GABA first thing in the morning, or 3 times a day, to keep that mellow focus throughout the day. http://www.livestrong.com/article/514997-how-to-take-gaba-pills/ https://healingautismandadhd.wordpress.com/2010/06/04/gaba-the-natural-chill-pill-2/ […]
My oldest son has add and my youngest son has autism.i give them 500g/day
Should I give them more?
I at times dosed 500 mg twice a day when my son was 9 yrs old. Depending on tolerance and need…ramp up dose slowly. I’d advise against giving more than 500 mg at a time…every 6 hrs. is when I gave it.
Hello. I’m interested in trying this w my son. Right now He’s taking the generic form of celexa. I’m weaning him off because of the side affects he has. I’m wondering how soon he can take gaba after being off of the antidepressant meds?
You will need to either ask his doctor or research that particular drug and taking gaba while detoxing off of it. Pharmaceutical drugs are processed through the liver. You might want to consider a liver cleanse. We use LiverLife by BioRay.
Highly descriptive article, I liked that bit. Will there be a part 2?|
Soon…I’m starting to write blogs again…stay tuned!
My son is 8 yrs and is diagnosed as ADHD. I am giving him 125 mg of GABA calm and 50 mg magnesium, its just the 6th day but saw him more hyperactive. Is is could be a reaction of GABA?
I don’t have experience with GABA Calm. It’s a low dose of GABA, but could be the other ingredients in GABA Calm he may be reacting to? If it was a high dose, like 500-750 mg at a time, for an 8 yr old, maybe the GABA would cause a reaction. Try going off it and see if his hyperactivity lessens. Maybe try a low dose of only GABA.
My son is on prescription meds. I would like to try the GABA since even on meds, his anxiety is still very high. Is it sage to try GABA along with the meds? Riseridal, Zoloft, Ritalin
Speak to the prescribing doctor.
[…] Then again, some parents of children with autism or ADHD have reported big successes with GABA. […]
What brand of Gaba do you use? Tx. LB
Kirkman labs. http://www.kirkmanlabs.com
Where do I get gaba for kids?? I can’t fidn it can I use regular GABA or is it kid kind
You can get a lower dose Gaba from Kirkman Labs online. They sell a 250mg supplement. Most brands start at 500mg and you always want to start out with lower dose to gauge response.