6 replies to this topic

[iseethelight]

I did an extensive search of the forum and pubmed, but couldn't find any conclusive answers as to whether l-theanine increases or decreases serotonin levels. Results are evenly divided into both camps.  I'm trying to avoid anything that increases serotonin as I suffer from an excess of this neurotransmitter I've come to realize lately.

Edited by iseethelight, 01 November 2015 - 12:22 AM.

[pleiotropic]

Increase and/or decrease it in which parts of the brain, in what health condition and to what effect?  It's probably more complex than just low - med- high in whole brain = behaviour.

[iseethelight]

Increase and/or decrease it in which parts of the brain, in what health condition and to what effect?  It's probably more complex than just low - med- high in whole brain = behaviour.

Overall. Basically the question is whether it is anti-serotonin nor not  . Usually amino acids don't do both or if they do, the secondary action is too weak to make a difference.

[iseethelight]

Based on effects I'm getting from it right now from the bottle I just purchased, I believe it indeed increases serotonin. Too bad because it has some rather good effects on my verbal fluency but it makes me cold, passive, and lazy.

Edited by iseethelight, 01 November 2015 - 02:02 AM.

[123apk]

I found Theanine makes me a little bit sleepy tbh. I use Phenibut and love the stuff, I've been reading Russian research on it and found out that it's not just a GABA B agonist but also contains PEA which explains why I find it mildly stimulating, motivating and that it gives me energy whereas Picamilon (also GABA B) I found rubbish and sedating. 

I find all GABA A agonists I've tried so far sedating too and a lot of Theanine's actions on GABA will be on GABA A. I have thought it may be differences between GABA A and GABA B receptors before now so avoided GABA A to stop any sedation (because I still want to be able to function and work), but I'm now thinking GABAergics might all pretty much be sedating without a stimulant. Might be a good experiment to take a GABA A agonist with something stimulating I think.

 

As for serotonin, I thought that was supposed to make your mood better? I think I read somewhere that GABA has a negative effect on it though which might explain the cold feeling you describe. When I started Phenibut I was more social with people I wanted to be, but the remarkable effect was when I was out on the streets and not really after conversing with people I'd be completely switched off and immune to the world but still aware of it whilst usually my social anxiety would make me overthink and worry about people, I found it an amazing feeling tbh. Weird thing is I noticed I got more attention, but it seemed positive for a change, it could have been due to my behaviour and the way I held myself when Phenibut had its magic few months.

 

So I wouldn't discount Theanine just yet, I think it just needs combining with something stimulating. GABAergics aren't a silver bullet, they're a temporary plaster or a mask if you like, but they buy us time to figure ourselves out and find the really underlying problems and address them.

[iseethelight]

I found Theanine makes me a little bit sleepy tbh. I use Phenibut and love the stuff, I've been reading Russian research on it and found out that it's not just a GABA B agonist but also contains PEA which explains why I find it mildly stimulating, motivating and that it gives me energy whereas Picamilon (also GABA B) I found rubbish and sedating. 

I find all GABA A agonists I've tried so far sedating too and a lot of Theanine's actions on GABA will be on GABA A. I have thought it may be differences between GABA A and GABA B receptors before now so avoided GABA A to stop any sedation (because I still want to be able to function and work), but I'm now thinking GABAergics might all pretty much be sedating without a stimulant. Might be a good experiment to take a GABA A agonist with something stimulating I think.

 

As for serotonin, I thought that was supposed to make your mood better? I think I read somewhere that GABA has a negative effect on it though which might explain the cold feeling you describe. When I started Phenibut I was more social with people I wanted to be, but the remarkable effect was when I was out on the streets and not really after conversing with people I'd be completely switched off and immune to the world but still aware of it whilst usually my social anxiety would make me overthink and worry about people, I found it an amazing feeling tbh. Weird thing is I noticed I got more attention, but it seemed positive for a change, it could have been due to my behaviour and the way I held myself when Phenibut had its magic few months.

 

So I wouldn't discount Theanine just yet, I think it just needs combining with something stimulating. GABAergics aren't a silver bullet, they're a temporary plaster or a mask if you like, but they buy us time to figure ourselves out and find the really underlying problems and address them.

 

Theanine actually increases GABA in parts of the brain and decreases it in other parts. Serotonin is needed like all other neurotransmitters but too much of it in relation to other neurotransmitters causes depression and apathy.  That's because High serotonin inhibits dopamine , epinephrine and norepinephrine. 

 

The importance of GABA is that it keeps the excitatory neurotransmitters from getting too high and running wild. It's like a stop light controlling traffic. If the signals malfunctions, you get all kind of chaos. People like me with hypo-functioning GABA receptors will have major imbalances of neurotransmitters. 

 

I've dropped L theanine. L glutamine is a better option for GABA.

[123apk]

 

I found Theanine makes me a little bit sleepy tbh. I use Phenibut and love the stuff, I've been reading Russian research on it and found out that it's not just a GABA B agonist but also contains PEA which explains why I find it mildly stimulating, motivating and that it gives me energy whereas Picamilon (also GABA B) I found rubbish and sedating. 

I find all GABA A agonists I've tried so far sedating too and a lot of Theanine's actions on GABA will be on GABA A. I have thought it may be differences between GABA A and GABA B receptors before now so avoided GABA A to stop any sedation (because I still want to be able to function and work), but I'm now thinking GABAergics might all pretty much be sedating without a stimulant. Might be a good experiment to take a GABA A agonist with something stimulating I think.

 

As for serotonin, I thought that was supposed to make your mood better? I think I read somewhere that GABA has a negative effect on it though which might explain the cold feeling you describe. When I started Phenibut I was more social with people I wanted to be, but the remarkable effect was when I was out on the streets and not really after conversing with people I'd be completely switched off and immune to the world but still aware of it whilst usually my social anxiety would make me overthink and worry about people, I found it an amazing feeling tbh. Weird thing is I noticed I got more attention, but it seemed positive for a change, it could have been due to my behaviour and the way I held myself when Phenibut had its magic few months.

 

So I wouldn't discount Theanine just yet, I think it just needs combining with something stimulating. GABAergics aren't a silver bullet, they're a temporary plaster or a mask if you like, but they buy us time to figure ourselves out and find the really underlying problems and address them.

 

Theanine actually increases GABA in parts of the brain and decreases it in other parts. Serotonin is needed like all other neurotransmitters but too much of it in relation to other neurotransmitters causes depression and apathy.  That's because High serotonin inhibits dopamine , epinephrine and norepinephrine. 

 

The importance of GABA is that it keeps the excitatory neurotransmitters from getting too high and running wild. It's like a stop light controlling traffic. If the signals malfunctions, you get all kind of chaos. People like me with hypo-functioning GABA receptors will have major imbalances of neurotransmitters. 

 

I've dropped L theanine. L glutamine is a better option for GABA.

 

 

Never knew that about serotonin. Really starting to wonder if there are any neurotransmitters that don't cause depression or anxiety. I suppose it's when they're out of whack which is when you get problems.

I sometimes wonder if I have weak functioning GABA too because things that increase it seem to be the only thing that work for me and I haven't had too many bad effects from them compared to other people. How would one know if they did have weak GABA receptors? Is it just a case of working it out or do 23andme show stuff like that?

 

I read about Glutamine last night and I'm not sure about it. I read it could be converted into glutamate or GABA, and since GABA inhibits glutamate (too much of which makes you anxious or depressed) then isn't it risky? What would stop the bulk of it being converted into glutamate? I'm not sure if this is right, I'm still new to this but I've kind of got in my head GABA = good, Glutamate = bad for anxiety (what I have).

I've been using Phenibut for a while, if I used glutamine instead after a slow taper would it somehow be more likely to be converted into GABA to make up for the lack of Phenibut do you reckon?

 

As for what I said though about GABAergics being a plaster (band aid to Americans), it's what it feels like when you read about Phenibut or Benzo withdrawal or the thread "Treating anxiety safely and effectively".