Emergency Advice for Menopause -- GABA Calm for Hot Flashes

Moving can be extremely stressful. Two years ago, when I moved to Oregon, I began to experience hot flashes that lasted, basically, 24/7. At night, I would migrate from bed to couch to carpet to tile floor, in search of the magical surface that wouldn't heat up with my body like an oven. During the day, any contact with warmth would trigger a flash. I couldn't bear to be touched or hugged.

The sleep deprivation escalated so quickly that I needed help right away.

Two things saved me.

1) Sleeping on a cot, next to a fan. The cot did not retain my body heat, and the fan kept air moving around me, dispersing the heat and cooling my body. That's how desperate I was--I slept on a cot next to a fan!

2) "GABA Calm", a supplement that you can buy in most health food stores or health food aisles of your market. I tried it because it promised sleep.

Whammy! Taking "GABA Calm" was like turning the switch off the hot flash!!!  

The effect lasted 3-4 hours, after which I had to take another one or two pills (that dissolve in your mouth and taste like peppermint).


Within a few days I felt much better. Now I could seek more holistic solutions (Susun Weeds' herbal infusions brought great relief).

What is a hot flash?


When a woman experiences a hot flash, an excitatory signal in the nervous system starts up. Under its influence, fine capillaries beneath the skin dilate, pores open, and we may feel as though we are sun-bathing on a beach at the height of summer.


When the signal is turned off (because the hot flash runs its course, or because a woman takes GABA Calm or a few drops of motherwort), the flush becomes a freeze, and we feel as though we are lying naked in the snow at midnight.

Naturally, a flash is different for different women, and how we experience it will change throughout the years. For some, hot flashes do become a burden, especially when frequent and intense. 

What does "GABA Calm" do?

GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter. It calms by stopping excitatory signals in the  nervous system. In some women, it is able to stop hot flashes.

GABA Calm, a supplement by Source Naturals, is composed of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and other inhibitory neurotransmitters, plus magnesium. For ingredients and warnings, click here. 

Note: GABA Calm is not recommended during pregnancy or while breastfeeding. 

Of course, as with all supplements, should you decide to experiment with GABA Calm, cautiously test your individual response.

Do you own research, too. I hope that the notes and links below will help you.

Another woman's good experience with GABA Beth from Phoenix, Arizona writes: "I recently had a neurotransmitter test because I tend to be too hyper. The doctor put me on "targeted amino acid therapy." It turns out that GABA (gama amino butyric acid), one of the things the doctor had me take cured my hot flashes. I use ___ encapsulations brand because of their high quality. I think one capsule is about 675 mg. I take one first thing in the morning on an empty stomach and then again after work (also on an empty stomach). Hot flashes and night sweats are gone! I'm 51 years old and just started getting hot flashes. They were coming about every 30 minutes. I've never found this information anywhere on the web so I thought I'd share my experience."

GABA and Black Cohosh (an herb commonly used for menopausal hot flashes)

The neurotransmitter GABA, which has a calming effect on nerves and muscles, significantly increases in response to black cohosh, according to a study published in the December 2010 issue of "Journal of Natural Products." At least four chemical compounds in black cohosh activated the neurotransmitter. The researchers of the study, conducted at the University of Innsbruck, Austria, concluded that their results indicate that modulation of GABA may be one of the beneficial effects of black cohosh in the treatment of menopause.

GABA and L-glutamine:

L-glutamine is an amino acid that crosses the blood-brain barrier and passes into the brain tissue, where it is converted into glutamic acid. The brain then converts glutamic acid into the neurotransmitter gamma-amino-butyric-acid (GABA). GABA is a neuroinhibitory transmitter that regulates many aspects of brain function. 

Taking L-glutamine increases the production of GABA. This process can also be aided synergistically by taking 50 milligrams of vitamin B6 daily. Increased levels of GABA in the brain serve as a natural calming and memory-enhancing agent, and generally help one to think more clearly. L-glutamine reduces the craving for alcohol. 

The recommended dosage of L-glutamine is 500 milligrams, twice daily. 

GABA and Gabapentin

Gabapentin is a pharmaceutical drug that was initially synthesized to mimic the chemical structure of the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Gabapentin has been studied for treatment of menopausal hot flashes and is viewed as an alternative when estrogen replacement therapy is not appropriate (for instance, if a woman has had estrogen-based cancer).

The reason you doctor doesn't tell you about gabapentin for hot flashes is that medication specific to menopausal women has not yet been produced. The kind available now is used to treat epilepsy and is fast acting, but a menopausal woman needs a slow-release formula--or so goes the reasoning in the medical study (I'm sorry, I cannot local that study, and I am quoting from memory).

Actually, my experience with GABA is such that you wouldn't necessarily want a slow-release formula that lasts all day, as GABA inhibits your ability to drive. I appreciated a fast acting formula that I could take at night when the hot flash hits, and that didn't make me feel sedated next day.