14 replies to this topic

[boilerroom]

Take your own: http://www.imminst.o...=post&id=103211

I know this is a very primitive and unexact way to determine neurotransmitter levels, but I think it's interesting regardless.

Here are my "nature" results: Dopamine 33
Acetylcholine 30
GABA 15
Serotonin 16

Deficiency results: Dopamine 5
Acetylcholine 12
GABA 36!!
Serotonin 20

According to them: Anything above 15 requires immediate professional help.

This may explain why I am enjoy theanine supplementation so much, but I have a HUGE tolerance (600-800mg to feel anything) for it that causes it to be way too expensive for me. I've become fascinated by Ashwaghanda and its neurogenesis ability, but I also found an article that says it may be a GABA inhibitor: http://www.ncbi.nlm....l=pubmed_docsum


I've always had depressive/anxiety bouts and have very, very relucantly decided to try an antidepressant. I've decided to go with the lowest possible dose (20mg) of the SNRI Cymbalta, which also may help with fatigue by inhibiting norephedrine, and 500 mg of Ashwaghanda.

Overall, I'm pretty excited at the prospect of helping my overall mood with only a tiny amount of cymbalta and , as far as I can tell, a safe herb in Ashwaghanda. I'm going with the idea that neurogenesis of the hippocampus may lead to an ability to somewhat permanently cure depression through neurogenesis. Cymbalta will help with serotonin while Ashwaghanda helps with GABA.

[xanadu]

I too have a tollerance to theanine. 400mg has almost no effect on me. I wouldn't be too worried about that test. It seems highly subjective. Soon, no doubt someone will start in about heavy metals if they notice this thread.

For depression, try st john's wort, sam-e or if it's bad, try salvia divinorum. Do some reading. For general stress, rhodiola rosea is very good.

[boilerroom]

I too have a tollerance to theanine. 400mg has almost no effect on me. I wouldn't be too worried about that test. It seems highly subjective. Soon, no doubt someone will start in about heavy metals if they notice this thread.

For depression, try st john's wort, sam-e or if it's bad, try salvia divinorum. Do some reading. For general stress, rhodiola rosea is very good.

I tried Jarrow's 500mg Rhodiola Rosea and it made me extremely irritable and anxious; I really noticed no benefit from it whatsoever (tried it for about a week). I noticed after a week the warning on the label to stay away from it if you have mood disorders. Sam-E is too expensive and I've tried St. John's Wort to little effect. I'm looking to help my problems through neurogenesis not through simply increasing serotonin or GABA.

[Shepard]

500mg might be a little much rhodiola. New Chapter makes a nice 100mg version that is worth a shot.

[boilerroom]

500mg might be a little much rhodiola. New Chapter makes a nice 100mg version that is worth a shot.

Thanks, but I never really noticed ANY beneficial effects while on rhodiola, which leads me to believe that simply lowering the dose will lower anxiety. I'm on a fairly tight budget and want to cut out anything that doesn't have a positive, tangible effect.

[Shepard]

That's cool, I've never taken that high of a dose. I have, however, read reports from a couple of people that didn't like higher doses, but lower ones did them right.

[superpooper]

I scored a 23 on GABA and used l-theanine quite a bit. There was always this aspect I couldn't fix, I just thought I had a really severe GABA deficiency. Anyways my problem turned out to be copper poisoning. I read a study that copper targets GABA receptors. It also over stimulates dopamine, NE and Adrenaline.

http://www.ncbi.nlm....earch&DB=pubmed

As for the Ashwagandha, did I misinterpret that study? I always thought that GABA-mimetic ment that it immitated the effects of GABA (kinda like phenibut). Hmmmmm I noticed a really strong GABA feeling when I first started taking ashwagandha, especially at higher doses.

I'm really really curious about this.

[xanadu]

Taking too much of a nootropic can cause the benefits to be negated and side effects to appear. I use about 200mg of r. rosea and it works very well for me.

[boilerroom]

http://www.ncbi.nlm....l=pubmed_docsum

Yeah, the second time I read it I interepreted it your way. I initially thought it meant that it simply inhibited GABA reuptake, but I guess that it's competitively binding to GABA receptor sites and mimicking GABA's effects.

I'm actually starting to become worried about taking it (should arrive tommorow) because apparently it increases flunitrazepam binding to GABA sites.
FLUNITRAZEPAM DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE A GOOD THING!

read: http://en.wikipedia....i/Flunitrazepam

[ajnast4r]

my results:

Nature results:
Dopamine 29
Acetylcholine 32
GABA 29
Serotonin 31

Deficiency results:
Dopamine 10
Acetylcholine 10
GABA 19
Serotonin 7


i dont know what to think about that... i always thought people deficiant in GABA would be prone towards anxiety. ive never even expirienced anxiety before, not even on very high doses of stimulants.

what are other signs of GABA deficiancy? how can you increase GABA?

[garlicknots]

Nature:

1a 25
2a 30
3a 27
4a 24


Deficiency:

1b 15
2b 14
3b 19
4b 11


Hmm. Another person with GABA deficiency. To some extent I can believe this since I need quite a bit of sleep to recharge myself. However, I think it is odd that so many people are showing GABA deficiency.

I might look into this theadin material.

f?R

[FunkOdyssey]

I read the book, took the test, and I think its complete BS. My opinion didn't improve after I read reports of people who saw Dr. Braverman for treatment, and were put on a list of random / ineffective supplements (sold by Dr. Braverman, of course).

[triguy]

my .02 cents


my nature where high in 1. acetylcholine then dopamine

when i take anything that increases these 2 my anxiety & irritability increases


I am first gaba defecient then seratonin, when i take these 2 i am physically calmer, confident & my thoughts flow freely

[triguy]

http://www.ncbi.nlm....8&dopt=Abstract


hydergine affects what neurotransmitters in this study?

[gg11390]

With the Braverman test everyone is GABA deficient because there are many more GABA deficiency questions than those for serotonin, ach and dopamine. I cannot understand why he would do such a statistical mistake