L-Theanine
Aliases: Theanine, N5-ethyl-l-glutamine, Gamma-glutamylethylamide, L-gamma-glutamylethylamide
Categories
Summary
L-Theanine is a naturally occurring amino acid found primarily in tea leaves. It promotes relaxation without sedation at common doses but may become sedating at strong doses (300+ mg). Often combined with caffeine to reduce anxiety and improve focus while maintaining alertness. Commonly used to mitigate negative effects of stimulants and withdrawal symptoms from GABAergic substances.
Dose Information
| ROA | Light | Common | Strong | Heavy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral | 75-175mg | 175-300mg | 300-500mg | 500mg+ |
Light
Common
Strong
Heavy
Onset, Duration & After-effects
| ROA | Onset | Peak | Offset | After Effects | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral | 30-90 min | 1-3 hrs | 2-3 hrs | 60-0 min | 180-0 min |
Tolerance
Build-up
develops rapidly after a single use (serotonergic psychedelic)
Reset
7–14 days for baseline
Effects
Positive
- Muscle relaxation
- Stimulation
- Anxiolysis
- Muscle Relaxation
- Sleep Enhancement
- Physical euphoria
Negative
- Increased heart rate
- Motor impairment
- Nausea
- Sedation
Positive
- Anxiety suppression
- Focus enhancement
- Motivation enhancement
- Memory enhancement
- Analysis enhancement
- Mindfulness
- Cognitive Enhancement
- Reduced anxiety
Negative
- Motor control loss
- Thought organization
Positive
- Appetite Enhancement
- Increased libido
- Increased music appreciation
- Appetite enhancement
Negative
- Light sensitivity
- Disinhibition
- Double vision
- Dehydration
- Dulled perception
- Optical sliding