Does anyone take 5-Hydroxytryptophan?

Question

I have recently purchased this natural product to hopefully aid my anxiety and kind of perk me up (I tried Prozac last year and it made me feel terrible, mind u only on it for 2-3 weeks) anyway I thought I would give this a go, got it from my local health food/supplement store and I just wondered if it was any good, what the side effects are (if any) and how long did it take to give the wanted effects?

Answer 1

5-HTP is a great product for helping mood and letting people sleep easier because it helps to boost Serotonin. It's one of our more popular mood/sleep products because of that.

Most customers notice at least some benefits within 1-2 weeks, but it's best to give it a good month before trying to see how well it's working for you. I can give you some other alternatives if your body doesn't respond as well to it.

The only thing to worry about when taking it is if you are taking an anti-depressant. It's also safest to check with your doctor or a pharmacist if you are taking any prescriptions or if you have a medical condition... but that's a general rule of thumb when you take any new supplement, just in case the drug has an interaction with it. Good luck with your anxiety!

Answer 2

I have tried 5HTP for my anxiety/depression, i find it makes me more anxious when taken at 100mg per day, as it can cause anxiety in even nomal healthy people at this dose. I reccommend 30mg 5-HTP per day, as recommended by Dr. Ray Sahelian MD in his book 'Mind Boosters' under the depression section. Although, i cannot comment on its efficacy, because i did not stay on it for long, only a few days, i prefer other herbs for anxiety which are adaptogenic herbs like St. Johns Wort or Kava Kava.

Be cautious of taking 5-HTP together with pharmaceutical antidepressants as they can cause serotonin syndrome, although some claim this does not occur, it is a possibility you need to take into account and talk to a medical nutritionists/orthomolecular doctor and/or your traditional doctor.

Hope this helps

Answer 3

I bought 5HTTP on the internet after reading about it in a magazine. I was reluctant to go to the doctor and be stuck with a diagnosis which could affect my career. I found it was helpful and eased depressive symptoms like anxiety, insomnia and allowed me to stay more positive. whether this was a placebo effect or not i couldnt say. but its definately worth a try and give it at least 8 weeks. good luck.