Melissa officinalis (Lemon Balm)
Lemon balm is an herb commonly used as a calming/sleep supplement and in teas. Products range from mild teas to concentrated extracts, and the effect profile can vary a lot by dose and preparation. In human studies and reviews, lemon balm is generally discussed for stress, sleep, and anxiety-type symptoms, with sedation/drowsiness being a common “felt” effect for many users (PMC),
Mechanistically, lemon balm is often framed around GABA-related calming effects. A frequently cited pathway is inhibition of GABA-transaminase (GABA-T)—an enzyme that breaks down GABA—via constituents such as rosmarinic acid, which could increase GABA availability in the brain. (Wiley Online Library) Separately, there’s also literature noting thyroid-related effects in vitro (e.g., inhibiting stimulation of thyroid hormone production by TSH/Graves’ antibodies), which is a reminder that this herb can touch multiple systems beyond “just relaxation.”
Crash Anecdotes (Community Reports):
https://www.reddit.com/r/PSSD/comments/ns30t2/melissa_officinalis_lemon_balm_crash_help/
https://www.reddit.com/r/PSSD/comments/wvb50h/foods_containing_serotonergic_herbs_can_it_make/
How to Interpret This Page
This page summarizes anecdotal reports and community observations, not medical evidence. “Risk” here refers to how frequently severe or prolonged symptom worsening is reported, not to proven causation or population-wide probability. Individual responses vary widely, and absence of issues in some users does not rule out significant reactions in others.
Reports of Flares/Crashes With Low “Needle-Moving” Upside
In PFS/PSSD/PAS communities, lemon balm is often treated cautiously because crash/flare reports exist, and the perceived upside is usually modest (mostly sedation/short-term calming rather than durable syndrome improvement). When negative reactions are described, people often frame them as worsened emotional blunting/anhedonia, “feeling more numb,” fatigue/brain fog, sleep disruption (paradoxical), or a general destabilization—especially in those who already react poorly to GABA-/sedation-leaning substances.
A practical caution is that lemon balm can compound sedation and interact with other CNS depressants (and alcohol), and some mainstream references warn about excessive drowsiness/respiratory slowing when stacked with sedating meds. (WebMD) For a sensitized population where “calming” substances can sometimes backfire, that’s one reason many readers decide it’s simply not worth testing during stabilization.
Practical Caution Signal
If someone is crash-prone or currently unstable, a conservative stance is to avoid concentrated extracts and especially avoid stacking it with other sedatives. If it’s encountered (tea, blend, sleep formula), treat it as a single variable and stop if there’s a clear, repeatable worsening.
Evidence basis
Mechanistic literature describing GABA-T inhibition/rosmarinic acid and clinical studies of stress/sleep; general safety/interactions guidance; anecdotal reports (online forums/self-reports). No controlled studies evaluating lemon balm specifically in PFS/PSSD/PAS outcomes.