5-HTP is No Joke!

[Lumberg]

I just started taking it and man has my outlook changed! I feel myself looking at people on the street and seeing the good in them rather than trying to ignore them and get on with my life. I occasionally get this sense that is both exhilaration and peacefulness combined when I realize this truly is the time of my life. I laugh, talk, and can enjoy myself a lot more.

This stuff really works.

It's like watered-down ecstacy when you take 50 mgs and drink a cup of coffee.

JC

 

[fr34kn1k]

Sounds interesting. Are you typically kinda negative? Are you just taking one 50mg dose per day?

 

[anthrax]

Does it help ypu get asleep ?

BTW 5-HTP is pricey

 

[Lumberg]

It kinda does help me sleep a little bit. But it actually helps me not mind as much when I DON'T get enough sleep, if that makes any sense.

I bought it at Giant but you can get it pretty cheap online.

I have taken doses of 50-100 mg sporadically. It's the kind of thing that has an effect for the next few hours. Not like other antidepressants that have a longer onset and duration. You can literally time it, like, I will take this now and starting in one hour I will be in a good mood for about three hours, like that. Pretty cool for when you know you will be around people or need a pick-me up or whatever.

I forgot to mention it also severly curbs my appetite. I have lost weight even though I don't mean to. Tough to do in the 5-day span around Xmas!!!! I am actually not eating enough!

JC

 

[anthrax]

If you can find L-Tryptophan it is even more efficient

 

[PhillyB-chargeback]

best to be taken on a completely empty stomach....if you take over 50-100mgs at a time it will make you tired...50mg's a couple of times a day seems to work good for most people...it will help you sleep also, but be prepared for some crazy ass dreams...

 

[karsun]

http://www.raysahelian.com/5-htp.html

 

[Geoff]

I was offered free MRM 5-HTP! I should of took it, but I sleep ok so did'nt really think it would be of any use!

 

[yosh]

effect seemed to wear off for me after a couple of weeks.

 

[Thaibox]

5-htp only made me want to sleep, all the time. I was taking 100mg/day with 8g inositol/day. It was horrible, I could fall asleep anywhere doing anything. My girl was starting to get pissed off because when we went to bed, I went to sleep and didn't want to do anything but that. I dropped it to 50mg/day but it didn't help. It was pretty damn annoying.

I suppose I'm one of the unlucky ones

 

[Lumberg]

effect seemed to wear off for me after a couple of weeks.

It's starting to happen to me too.....the honeymoon is over!

JC

 

[Millie]

try cycling it. something like 5 days on 2 days off. that's what i do when i get the "blah's". what i like about 5-htp is that i can feel the effects almost immediately.

 

[michaelt]

jon: where did you buy yours and what brand is it? iusually take 300mg of it at night and i dont think it does crap, but it might be the brand.

 

[Lumberg]

jon: where did you buy yours and what brand is it? iusually take 300mg of it at night and i dont think it does crap, but it might be the brand.

I started out with Natrol from a super market. THen I bought NOW brand from Vitaglo, 100mg and they are really good.

Last night I woke up in the middle of the night so I took 200 mg and went back to bed. Wow, Almost immediately I was in some weird fuckin' dreams. It was like tripping. Crazy.

I'm not sure it was entirely restful--I think I may confine my usage to waking hours from now on.

JC

 

[jenny27]

i've had the same problem...i can only take it at night when i know i'm not going anywhere; otherwise i'd probably fall asleep on my friends. it does give some pretty great dreams though...and helps me fall asleep quick. i just wish i could take it during the day.

 

[augastes_stiranko]

I sometimes take 5-htp at night. When I take 5-htp during the daytime, I tend to get lazy and sleepy and feel very emotional with people. I don't like that feeling. I also think that 5-htp decreases testosterone slightly. When I take 5-htp during the daytime, my intensity at the gym diminishes and don't have that aggressive rush. It's good for sleep, but I would stay away from it during the daytime. I found that inositol works better for the daytime. It does not get you all emotional with people like 5-htp does and still decreases anxiety just as well.

 

[ryce]

try cycling it. something like 5 days on 2 days off. that's what i do when i get the "blah's". what i like about 5-htp is that i can feel the effects almost immediately.

I heard from a doctor that Floxetine (prozac) and 5htp do wonders but I did dome web research and mostly it was advised as something with potential side effects. Any Xperiences?

http://home.caregroup.org/clinical/altmed/interactions/Nutrients/5-HTP.htm

nutrient affecting drug performance and toxicity: Fluoxetine (Prozac®)

• mechanism: While fluoxetine works to increase the functional level of serotonin by inhibiting its reuptake, 5-HTP is converted into serotonin in the brain. Simultaneously taking fluoxetine and 5-HTP could result in excessive levels of serotonin. Such a combination could produce an adverse reaction in the form of serotonin syndrome; it could also alter the levels of other related hormones..

• research: Meltzer et al have found that fluoxetine potentiates the 5-hydroxytryptophan-mediated increase in plasma cortisol and prolactin secretion in subjects with major depression or with obsessive compulsive disorder.
(Meltzer H, et al. Neuropsychopharmacology. 1997 Jul;17(1):1-11.)

• nutritional concerns: Even though a potentially valuable synergy might conceivably develop from the careful combining of fluoxetine and 5-hydroxytryptophan, such experimentation would be premature until more thorough research has been conducted. Individuals taking fluoxetine should avoid using 5-HTP as a supplement if they are taking fluoxetine or any other SSRI drug.

 

[anthrax]

I have always heard never to take 5-HTP with any SSRI

 

[Millie]

I have always heard never to take 5-HTP with any SSRI

i have heard the same thing. one of the reasons is that the 5-HTP and SSRI combo could lead to serotonin syndrom.

 

[PsychoSkitz]

The first time I took it I took 50mg, about an hour later I got a weird feeling like I was happy for no reason. That lasted about 5 minutes and I haven't felt jack from this stuff (varied doses too) since

To me, it's a waste of money.

 

[Lumberg]

I sometimes take 5-htp at night. When I take 5-htp during the daytime, I tend to get lazy and sleepy and feel very emotional with people. I don't like that feeling. I also think that 5-htp decreases testosterone slightly. When I take 5-htp during the daytime, my intensity at the gym diminishes and don't have that aggressive rush. It's good for sleep, but I would stay away from it during the daytime. I found that inositol works better for the daytime. It does not get you all emotional with people like 5-htp does and still decreases anxiety just as well.

Here's my theory on that:

My drive to work hard in the gym comes from a dissatisfaction with my life, and a belief that workign hard in the gym will satisfy me.

Well with 5-HTP the worls becomes a rosy place and well, if you think about it I am not all that dissatisfied with my life. SO I don't have thje motivation to work as hard in the gym.

It's a catch-22. What do you TRULY want? I lift weights as a way to make myself happy. Well now there are other things that make me happy. I might try to find a balance now, where I can get happiness from things other than lifting weights. But I will never quit.

JC