Clinical studies suggest that taking up to 120 milligrams (mg) of GABA per day as supplements for 12 weeks is unlikely to cause adverse effects. People should take care when using them with other drugs.
One organization recommends against daily doses of GABA over 750 mg or use of GABA supplements for more than four weeks without first talking with a health professional.
As a general rule you will get the best results if you take GABA on an empty stomach or away from food. If you can't take it away from food, don't worry, it will still work, it may just not be as fast acting. For anxiety or chronic stress take 1-3 caps in the morning – and then take 1-3 caps in the afternoon.
GABA Dosage Guide
The typical dosage for general stress relief is around 750–800 milligrams daily, divided up into three to four doses over the course of the day. For anxiety, some recommend taking between 250 milligrams to 650 milligrams three times daily, for a total of 750–1,950 milligrams.
Too much GABA can cause an increase in anxiety, a shortness of breath, numbness around the mouth and tingling in the extremities. When you start taking GABA you might experience drowsiness or lightheadedness (so don't take it before driving), and in some individuals, skin hives or a rash may appear.
Medications for high blood pressure (Antihypertensive drugs) interacts with GAMMA-AMINOBUTYRIC ACID (GABA) GABA might lower blood pressure. Taking GABA along with medications that lower blood pressure might cause blood pressure to go too low.
The bottom line
Gabapentin and magnesium can interact with each other. Magnesium can lower the effects of gabapentin. If you've been prescribed gabapentin and take a medication or supplement containing magnesium, it's recommended to take gabapentin at least 2 hours after taking it.
2 However, high daily doses of GABA (5 to 10 grams) may result in a burning sensation in your throat and low blood pressure. The upper recommended intake is typically 3 grams per day—with no more than 750 milligrams per dose.
It usually takes about 1 week for gabapentin (Neurontin) to kick in. But it might take up to a month to experience the medication's full effects. The most common gabapentin side effects include sleepiness and dizziness. These side effects may improve once your body gets used to the medication.
Taking GABA as an oral supplement can provide people relief from anxiety and chronic stress. Studies have shown that supplementation was effective as a relaxant and anxiety reliever. Other studies have shown that it can help people to recover quickly from extreme stress incidents.
Magnesium stimulates the activity of cerebral GABAergic systems by behaving as a modulator of GABA receptors, increasing their activity.
GABA lessens the ability of a nerve cell to receive, create or send chemical messages to other nerve cells. GABA is known for producing a calming effect. It's thought to play a major role in controlling anxiety, stress and fear.
Taken together with the fact that vigabatrin also affects GABA-T in the brain, these results suggest that central nervous system GABA may have strong effects on food intake and body weight gain in addition to its peripheral effects.
The symptoms for an individual with GABA-T deficiency can include: psychomotor retardation (a slowing down of thought and activity), low muscle tone, hyperactive responses, lethargy, seizures, and EEG abnormalities.
When it comes to L-theanine and GABA, L-theanine wins the battle to cross the blood brain barrier. Once consumed, it can easily cross the blood brain barrier and its effects on the brain are noted within 30 minutes [7]. L-theanine helps to promote relaxation without making you drowsy.
GABA dosing
In general, it is recommended that users begin with the lowest suggested dose, and gradually increase as needed. For sleep, stress and anxiety: 100-200 mg and higher doses, in scientific studies. Individual dosing and length of use will vary. For high blood pressure: 10-20 mg, in scientific studies.
A lot of people love these GABA “analogs.” They tell us that these are the only medicines that ease their nerve pain. But others report brain fog or fuzzy thinking. That can be a challenging complication.
GABA may be synonymous with getting a good night's sleep and is sometimes taken to optimize sleep. However, excess GABA can cause drowsiness and daytime sleepiness. In instances when GABA is being considered as a supplement, testing for GABA levels may be helpful to determine how much GABA should you take.
Magnesium Sleep + GABA & Melatonin helps to reduce the time needed to fall asleep in people with delayed sleep phase disorder, reset the body's sleep-wake cycle and temporarily promote relaxation.
The GABAA receptor blocker bicuculline produced an approximately three-fold increase in DRN serotonin. In conclusion, glutamate neurotransmitters have a weak tonic excitatory influence on serotonergic neurons in the rat DRN. However, the predominate influence is mediated by GABA(A) receptors.
The science behind GABA + insomnia
Compared to those who took the placebo, they reported reduced sleep latency, aka the amount of time it takes to fall asleep (13.4 minutes pre-treatment vs 5.7 minutes post-treatment).