Can You Take Theanine & Lorazapam Together

[dennie0616]

i  am  on lorazapam  for anxiety &  Would  Like To Know If  I  Can  Take  Theanine With It

[Paxiled]

I'm not sure there's an answer to your question because it isn't completely clear how theanine works.  It appears to target several neurotransmitters but also seems to affect the whole thinking process, calming it down but only very mildly.  It does seem to have some affect on GABA, and that's what benzos such as lorazapam target, so there's some slight theoretical potential for a problem.  One way to do this is to take the theanine at a separate time by a few hours from when you take your benzo, assuming you're not taking your benzo all the time.  Obviously, the safest way to do this would be to taper off the benzo if it's not actually working for you, which we have to assume is the case or you wouldn't want to be adding to it, but that will take time if you've been taking it regularly and for awhile.  I will tell you that you will have to play with the dose for the theanine to see if it's going to work at all, and the evidence of it working is there but I have to say, when I managed health food stores, which I did for 18 years, nobody -- and I mean nobody -- ever got any benefit from this supplement, including me.  But that's quite anecdotal, and the research on it does show some impressive activity.  It will not work as well in one area, though, for certain, and that's if you're only using the benzo when you have an anxiety spike or attack.  Theanine will only work if you take it on a regular basis and at a dosage that suits you.  In my own experience, I find that mild relaxants, even ones that do target GABA definitely, can be used with benzos when the alternative would be increasing the dosage of the benzo because it isn't working and you can't quit because the docs got you addicted to it and you can't get off of it, as has happened to me.  But you have to know what you're doing to do this and you have to be very careful with timing.  But again, theanine isn't as strong of a GABA targeter as other relaxant herbs are (this is an amino acid found largely in tea, not an herb).  One thing about theanine is, if it does work for someone out there, it will work all the time, as amino acids do that, whereas a benzo or relaxant herb will wear off in a short amount of time.  Be careful out there.