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Re: Is it ok to just take 5 htp once daily?

Posted by bleauberry on April 2, 2009, at 16:57:10

In reply to Is it ok to just take 5 htp once daily?, posted by qbsbrown on April 1, 2009, at 14:20:39

I don't think 5htp is a very good supplement. I've tried it several times over 15 years. Good for vivid dream-filled sleep, some daytime anti-anxiety, but not much else. It also gave me more sexual dysfunction than SSRIs did.

I think internet-hyped doses are way too high. I feel 25mg is a healthy dose, 50mg per day as an upper ceiling.

At one time I took 50mg doses three times per day. It worked maybe a little bit during the first two weeks but that's it. Another time I took just 12.5mg to 25mg in the evening for sleep. That worked good for sleep. Still though, that extra serotonin was hanging around most of the next day and had me lethargic and more depressed.

The only forum I am aware of where people discuss their experiences with 5htp is sjwinfo.org. It works real well for a few, not very well for many, and seems to have a high poopout rate within 3 months.

I suspect it would perform better when combined with dl-phenylalanine for an equal balance across all neurotransmitters.

Just some opinions though. I've tried it and studied it. I think the faith people have in it and the sales are unjustified based on the lack of good anecdotal evidence and on the lack of clinical evidence. One clinical study tested it and not a single patient in the whole study responded to it.

Probably the best natural antidepressant I am aware of that does have good anecdotal and clinical backing is SAMe. Coming in second place would be Kira or Perika brands of St Johns Wort. And an angle almost entirely missed is adrenal cortex extract, as I believe most psych conditions have adrenal/cortisol dysfunction as a cause or syndrome of the complex.


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