5-HTP
Question:
Does anyone have any experience with the use of 5-HTP for depression, insomnia, anxiety, etc.? Thanks. -Nancy
Response:
Nancy, I tried 5-HTP for a few months and wasn’t too impressed with the results. Perhaps I just expected too much. But since then I have been on Celexa and Valarian Root. Not that anything is a "cure all" but I feel more at peace, I sleep through the night, don’t have anxiety attacks and my depression and mood swings are virtually non-existant. Dean
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Does anyone have any experience with the use of 5-HTP for depression, insomnia, anxiety, etc.? Thanks. -Nancy
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – M.) writes: shit… I took this stuff for a few months, along with SJW, last fall. I didn’t know this. fuck. another thing to worry about. Naomi, I didn’t mean to upset you! 
How much did you take? For whatever it’s worth, I don’t believe there have actually been any reported cases of this stuff (heart valve damage, PPH) in connection with 5-HTP, so it’s just theoretical. I don’t know what level of serotonin would be required in the blood to cause it, for example. There’s also the question of whether you were taking vitamins with it that could increase the risk. There are a lot of variables. It just seems to me like it’s not worth it to take 5-HTP, given the possibility of problems and the availability of alternatives. -elizabeth
Elizabeth, I was taking 150-300 mg per day for about 2 months. I was also taking a multivitamin and a vitamin B and C supplement, as well as SJW. I really wish I hadn’t now. Naomi
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – M.) writes: shit… I took this stuff for a few months, along with SJW, last fall. I didn’t know this. fuck. another thing to worry about. Naomi, I didn’t mean to upset you! How much did you take? For whatever it’s worth, I don’t believe there have actually been any reported cases of this stuff (heart valve damage, PPH) in connection with 5-HTP, so it’s just theoretical. I don’t know what level of serotonin would be required in the blood to cause it, for example. There’s also the question of whether you were taking vitamins with it that could increase the risk. There are a lot of variables. It just seems to me like it’s not worth it to take 5-HTP, given the possibility of problems and the availability of alternatives. -elizabeth Elizabeth, I was taking 150-300 mg per day for about 2 months. I was also taking a multivitamin and a vitamin B and C supplement, as well as SJW. I really wish I hadn’t now. Naomi
No problem. Nothing bad happened. You would know if there would be something wrong by now. So you’re fine. Don’t take *natural* meds without a good herbalist’s advice and mention it to your doctor. Some natural meds can’t be taken with prescription meds (which as a rule are better researched, safer and more effective). Philip
Response:
In article In article
M.) writes: shit… I took this stuff for a few months, along with SJW, last fall. I didn’t know this. fuck. another thing to worry about. Naomi, I didn’t mean to upset you! How much did you take? For whatever it’s worth,
I don’t believe there have actually been any reported cases of this stuff
(heart valve damage, PPH) in connection with 5-HTP, so it’s just
theoretical. I don’t know what level of serotonin would be required in the blood to
cause it, for example. There’s also the question of whether you were taking
vitamins with it that could increase the risk. There are a lot of variables. It just seems to me like it’s not worth it to
take 5-HTP, given the possibility of problems and the availability of alternatives. -elizabeth Elizabeth, I was taking 150-300 mg per day for about 2
months. I was also taking a multivitamin and a vitamin B and C supplement, as well as SJW. I really wish I hadn’t now.
Naomi, Don’t worry about it. These are all false claims. I have PAD as well and have done a lot of research on 5-HTP, but unfortunately, I panic when taking it because of what everyone says about the heart problems (not that they are real — It’s just that most of my panic stems from a fear of having a heart attack, since I also have Mitral Valve Prolapse). If you want to read a really good article on 5-HTP, go here: http://www.shaysnet.com/~wmson/5htp.htm If 5-HTP works for you, it’s certainly no more detrimental to your health than all of the other anti-depressants, and most research shows it to be much more safe. SSRIs have far more severe side-effects associated with them. I’m going to continue to try 5-HTP to see if I can get over the initial panic. For what it’s worth, my panic only seems to last for about 20 minutes, which begins about 15 minutes after taking it (probably about the time it begins to act.. since 5-HTP is absorbed so quickly, I probably panic from the ‘rush’). You may not have these sorts of problems though.. I just have a problem with all drugs I have not taken before, since my first major panic attack happened due to the use of a particularly nasty recreational drug.. Anyway, check out the article, and also.. I’m curious if you had any luck with 5-HTP helping your anxiety? In fact, anyone that has either had success or not, I’d love to hear from you. Regards, jonathan Share what you know. Learn what you don’t.
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – M.) writes: shit… I took this stuff for a few months, along with SJW, last fall. I didn’t know this. fuck. another thing to worry about. Naomi, I didn’t mean to upset you! How much did you take? For whatever it’s worth, I don’t believe there have actually been any reported cases of this stuff (heart valve damage, PPH) in connection with 5-HTP, so it’s just theoretical. I don’t know what level of serotonin would be required in the blood to cause it, for example. There’s also the question of whether you were taking vitamins with it that could increase the risk. There are a lot of variables. It just seems to me like it’s not worth it to take 5-HTP, given the possibility of problems and the availability of alternatives. -elizabeth Elizabeth, I was taking 150-300 mg per day for about 2 months. I was also taking a multivitamin and a vitamin B and C supplement, as well as SJW. I really wish I hadn’t now. Naomi No problem. Nothing bad happened. You would know if there would be something wrong by now. So you’re fine. Don’t take *natural* meds without a good herbalist’s advice and mention it to your doctor. Some natural meds can’t be taken with prescription meds (which as a rule are better researched, safer and more effective). Philip
Thanks Philip. I didn’t take them with prescription meds, this was after I got off the Prozac last year. And I’ll never do it again. Naomi
Response:
Viki, I would not take this stuff. 5-HTP can be converted to serotonin by the liver, so taking it orally results in high levels of serotonin in the bloodstream, which is *not* what you want (you want it in your brain). This seems to be the mechanism that caused people on fenfluramine and dexfenfluramine to get heart valve damage. Only theoretical, but fenfluramine was on the market for some 20 years before people figured it out. -elizabeth
shit… I took this stuff for a few months, along with SJW, last fall. I didn’t know this. fuck. another thing to worry about. Naomi
Response:
The trick with using 5ht is that we aren’t sure what other factors in the serotonin chain are affecting mood and anxiety. By increasing these levels only and not 3ht serotonin and the two dozen or so other analogues of this complex compound you run a risk of creating more problems–plus it probably won’t cross the blood brain barier into your brain–besides who’s 5ht is it? Years ago tryptophane was the rage and it workes well alone or with meds to augment mood elavation-but people died from it due to heavy metal poisining-the material was made in argentina from cow bones who ate lead paint chips. caveate emptor LM
No, L-Tryptophan wasn’t quite that bad. It was in fact made by a reputable pharmaceutical company in Japan that changed their production method by using a genetically modified bacteria, which while it increased production didn’t remove contaminants as the old, made by Mother Nature bacteria did. Nor did they bother to run any checks. The result was that over 30 people died, and many thousands are still suffering the effects. For more on this goto: www.nemsn.org/ems/html/disaster.html BTW-the same contaminant has been found in 5-HTP and melatonin. Ian
Response:
M.) writes: shit… I took this stuff for a few months, along with SJW, last fall. I didn’t know this. fuck. another thing to worry about.
Naomi, I didn’t mean to upset you! How much did you take? For whatever it’s worth, I don’t believe there have actually been any reported cases of this stuff (heart valve damage, PPH) in connection with 5-HTP, so it’s just theoretical. I don’t know what level of serotonin would be required in the blood to cause it, for example. There’s also the question of whether you were taking vitamins with it that could increase the risk. There are a lot of variables. It just seems to me like it’s not worth it to take 5-HTP, given the possibility of problems and the availability of alternatives. -elizabeth
Response:
The trick with using 5ht is that we aren’t sure what other factors in the serotonin chain are affecting mood and anxiety. By increasing these levels only and not 3ht serotonin and the two dozen or so other analogues of this complex compound you run a risk of creating more problems–plus it probably won’t cross the blood brain barier into your brain–besides who’s 5ht is it? Years ago tryptophane was the rage and it workes well alone or with meds to augment mood elavation-but people died from it due to heavy metal poisining-the material was made in argentina from cow bones who ate lead paint chips. caveate emptor LM
Response:
Viki, I would not take this stuff. 5-HTP can be converted to serotonin by the liver, so taking it orally results in high levels of serotonin in the bloodstream, which is *not* what you want (you want it in your brain). This seems to be the mechanism that caused people on fenfluramine and dexfenfluramine to get heart valve damage. Only theoretical, but fenfluramine was on the market for some 20 years before people figured it out. -elizabeth
Response:
Is anyone out there taking this supplement to enhance mood or anything? Seems really expensive here in the UK so wondered how well it works. Here is costs
