Epinephrine is just one chemical involved in your body's response to anxiety. Other chemicals may also play a role. For example, a serotonin imbalance¹ may contribute to anxiety, as can high cortisol levels. However, epinephrine is the primary chemical because it is directly involved in your anxiety symptoms.
According to chemical imbalance theories, panic disorder symptoms can be attributed to imbalances in naturally occurring chemical messengers in the brain, known as neurotransmitters. These help communicate information between nerve cells brain throughout the brain.
Chemical imbalance: Severe or long-lasting stress can change the chemical balance that controls your mood. Experiencing a lot of stress over a long period can lead to an anxiety disorder.
However, life's stressors and traumas can cause these systems to go out of whack, resulting in what many doctors refer to as a chemical imbalance. These chemical imbalances can lead to mental health disorders like anxiety, depression, and even PTSD.
Research shows that Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) may play a key role in protecting against depression and anxiety. A review published in the journal Neuropharmacology concluded that people with anxiety and depression are more likely to have low levels of GABA.
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.
Effects of overly high dopamine levels include high libido, anxiety, difficulty sleeping, increased energy, mania, stress, and improved ability to focus and learn, among others.
Researchers have linked low levels of serotonin with mood disorders, such as depression and anxiety.
Dopamine deficiency has been linked to neurodegenerative conditions in the body. If you have symptoms of low dopamine levels, you might feel: Anxious or moody. Depressed or hopeless.
Serotonin is thought to be involved in conditions relating to anxiety. Studies suggest specifically that social anxiety disorder (SAD) is associated with reduced serotonin binding to the receptors of the postsynaptic neurons.
Inhibitory neurotransmitters like GABA block certain brain signals and decrease nervous system activity. Another inhibitory neurotransmitter, serotonin, helps to regulate mood and anxiety. Excitatory neurotransmitters have the opposite effect: They promote certain brain signals and increase nervous system activity.
GABA reduces mental and physical stress, eases anxiousness, creates a calmness of mood and induces sleep. A growing body of research shows that low levels of GABA can be a factor in overthinking, feelings of anxiousness, tension and associated concerns, like difficulty sleeping.
Reductions in glutamate activity seem to increase anxious behavior, and glutamate levels within the hippocampus — which is the part of the brain primarily involved in regulating emotions and memory — seem particularly important.
However, epinephrine is the primary chemical because it is directly involved in your anxiety symptoms. When you experience an anxious moment, the amount of epinephrine circulating in your body will instantly increase in response to whatever has triggered your anxiety.
"While the serotonergic component is immediately amplified following SSRI administration, the glutamate component is acutely suppressed and is only normalized after several days of drug treatment," says Fischer.
This can cause symptoms such as headache, nausea, flushing, and anxiety in people with this sensitivity if glutamine is taken without food.
Changes in what's known as the brain's Cortico-Striato-Thalamo-Cortical circuit (CSTC) have been linked to symptoms of OCD. Research shows people living with OCD often have low levels of GABA in the CSTC, the area of the brain responsible for motions, perception, sensation, and memory.
GABAergic neurotransmission inhibits the amygdala and prevents us from generating inappropriate emotional and behavioral responses.
For this reason, it's best to play it safe and not use GABA if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Interactions. Not enough is known about how GABA may interact with drugs, foods, or other herbs and supplements, but use with caution if taking with blood pressure medications.
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.
We found that co-application of GABA-A (gabazine) and GABA-B (CGP-55845) antagonists significantly enhanced dopamine release to 115% of baseline (Figure 6—figure supplement 1A and B; t(9)=2.99, p=0.015, n = 10) while gabazine alone did not significantly increase dopamine release (Figure 6—figure supplement 1C and D).
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.
Lack of enough serotonin is thought to play a role in depression, anxiety, mania and other health conditions. Most of the serotonin found in your body is in your gut (intestines). About 90% of serotonin is found in the cells lining your gastrointestinal tract.
Notably, it is normal for nontoxic increases in serotonin to cause anxiety, restlessness, and irritability for 1 to 2 weeks after starting a drug or increasing a dose.
The research suggests that while serotonin deficiency is certainly part of the picture for some people with anxiety, it doesn't capture the full complexity of the condition. Patients with some anxiety disorders, including social anxiety, have been found to have higher, not lower, levels of serotonin.