GABA and Serotonin Deficiency: The Brain Quiz

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

Here’s an intro to GABA and Serotonin deficiency and a short Brain Quiz to help tell the two apart.

What are GABA and Serotonin?

GABA and Serotonin are the two main inhibitory neurotransmitters in the brain.

• Inhibitory sounds like a bad thing, but we need a balance between excitatory, or active, and inhibitory neurotransmitters in the body. Why do we need Inhibitory and Excitatory Neurotransmitters?

• Excitatory means to go, activate, act, or work.
• Inhibitory means to slow down, rest, recover, or repair.

If we were to run fast all the time, we’d get burnt out, tired, and even sick, but may also feel oddly wired at the same time. We need a balance of the two neurotransmitters to keep us at an optimal level.

GABA and Serotonin Deficiency

Are you feeling tired and wired? That was me when my health fell apart in 2005.  What I learned from a unique neurologist changed my life and my clinical practice!

An extensive series of brain tests showed only 25% of my normal Serotonin function and 15% of my normal GABA function.  I set out to learn more about these two neurotransmitters, what the lack of them was doing to my body, and how to help bring these levels up in the best way for me.  Some of us may need prescriptions for this, while some may not.

Symptoms of GABA Deficiency

• Physical – Carbohydrate craving, skin flushing, butterflies in the stomach, ringing in the ear, muscle tension (especially in the neck and back), numbness or tingling in fingers, hyperventilation, blurred vision, allergies, night sweats, tachycardia, reflux, pain, especially in nerves but elsewhere too.
• Psychological – Restlessness, dread, emotional immaturity, short temper, phobias, anxiety or panic, obsessive thinking, and/or a rapid pulse.
• Attention Issues – Impulsivity, disorganization, and/or ADD.
• Conditions Associated with GABA Deficiency – Tinnitus, anxiety, hypertension, chronic pain, irritable bowel, reflux, PMS, seizures, bipolar disorder, insomnia (and therefore fatigue), and/or addiction.

Symptoms of Serotonin Deficiency

• Physical – Salt cravings (also seen in low Adrenal function), backache, headache, cold or clammy hands, shortness of breath, drug reactions, and/or sleep disturbances.
• Psychological – Impulsiveness, hypervigilance, lack of common sense, and/or rage
• Attention Issues – Slow reactions, restlessness, and/or lack of concentration.
• Conditions Associated with Serotonin Deficiency – PMS, phobias, insomnia, depression, and/or Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

Support for GABA Deficiency

If any of this resonates with you, try Passion Flower (here it is in glycerite or alcohol tincture). Use as often as desired if helpful.

Sublingual Pharma GABA (chewable) works far better than taking straight GABA. This is the correct fermented form.

Or try Gabatone, which combines GABA precursors, herbs, aminos, and minerals. Take Gabatone twice daily to keep the brain in a steady GABA state.

GABA and Serotonin Deficiency Quiz

Here’s a short, basic Brain Quiz for GABA and Serotonin deficiency. If you answer true to most of these questions, you might be using up GABA or Serotonin too quickly or simply not making enough.

The GABA True/False Quiz

1. I feel shaky or anxious. T / F
2. I have frequent back, neck, and/or headaches. T / F
3. I can be very irritable at the least cause. T / F
4. I tend to have heart palpitations or rapid pulse. T / F
5. I tend to have cold hands. T / F
6. I sometimes sweat too much. T / F
7. I am sometimes dizzy. T / F
8. It’s hard to quiet my mind. T / F
9. I often feel wired, but tired. T / F
10. I overeat. T / F

The Serotonin True/False Quiz

1. I have night sweats and am not in Menopause. T / F
2. I tend to wake early in the morning. T / F
3. I’m prone to PMS. T / F
4. I wake up at least two times per night. T / F
5. It is difficult for me to fall back asleep when I am awakened. T / F
6. I crave salt. T / F
7. I have less energy to exercise. T/F
8. I feel unfulfilled and want “more” of things (food, gambling, sex, etc).  T/F
9. I tend to sleep in many different positions in order to feel comfortable. T / F
10. I have insomnia. T / F

Support GABA or Serotonin Deficiency without medications

The best way to fix the deficiency and prevent further decline is to “stop-look-and-listen” to your lifestyle.  For me, I was clearly overworked, struggling with the deaths of close ones, and experiencing menopause on top of other stressors.

Since GABA and Serotonin act as the “brakes” in our over-active bodies, a deficiency in either of these need plenty of sleep, fats, and protein to stay balanced.  Sugars, excess starches, dieting, and lack of sleep or downtime can cause the physical and emotional dominoes listed above that fall one after the other.

Serotonin is well-known to respond to St. John’s Wort. Buy top-quality herbs and check if St. John’s Wort is contraindicated in any current medications.

Related Articles on GABA and Serotonin

• GABA – The Forgotten Neurotransmitter
• Passion Flower for Sleep and Calming
• Are Your Adrenals Affecting Your Thyroid?