Update Aug 6th: all effects of GABA mentioned above / here are still there.
After IBS problems using several amino acids and magnesium supps when trying to use GABA sublingually with powder from the opened capsules, I went back to capsules.
And after at the same time reducing the amounts to several small amounts (100-300mg) per night, recommended to try by my sleep lab psychiatrist, I realized it wasn’t improving the nights, but the days were worsening again - that was something he/I hadn’t considered fully.
To deal with both problems and continuing success I bought (2 tubs of 300g of) GABA powder and (1000) empty capsules. Vegan capsules (like the encapsulated ones I’d used originally) were enough to spread the acidity over stomach and gut, which together with stomach strengthening herbs (in Gastritol) and homeopathy (Gastricumeel) helped stop the stomach burning.
Next I added more and more GABA, also added some tryptophan and then ashwagandha which were both terrible for my IBS, then added glutamine, then theanine, also magnesium glycinate to the magnesium malate and passiflora.
At the moment I’ve decided to continue with the theanine which is making sleep more effective, i.e. shorter, and still being awake, not with the sleep breaks tho. To try to improve sleep breaks I’ve decided to stop glutamine for a time, since it seems to be responsible and also not helping in any other way.
So whilst GABA is still the mainstay, esp. for daytime, I’m using magnesium malate, passiflora and now theanine, and still looking for something to improve sleep even more, last on my list apart from trying small amounts of tryptophan or levodopa are again are serrapeptase, NAC and praps taurine.
I feel like an Alex in Wonderland trying out more and less, but it’s more complex than just one pill or mushroom for getting bigger or one for getting smaller, because there are quite a few substances involved, not just 2, separately (to save time; fairly well possible because they all work pretty quickly inside of hours or at latest days), and because each substance has a whole row of effects. Also the pills aren’t pills, it’s more like the mushrooms not knowing exactly how much is the right amount. And that may also change over time.
And the interactions: Several of them are working on sleep, several negatively on stomach & gut, several reducing blood pressure, they may be influencing each other, increasing or decreasing the effect of the other, e.g. glutamine decreases one part of the effect of the GABA and theanine another.
But it’s quite fun, especially because it’s been so rewarding from start to now! 