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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by MKB on October 20, 2004, at 2:58:30
Does anyone know where I can purchase L-Tryptophan? It's my understanding that it cannot be sold in the U.S. and has not been sold here for many years. I tried it over 20 years ago and it helped me a lot. I've been quite unhappy that it was outlawed here just because of one bad batch. The tryptophan I took was a lot more helpful than all the different antidepressants I've tried.
Posted by Larry Hoover on October 20, 2004, at 8:13:52
In reply to L-Tryptophan, posted by MKB on October 20, 2004, at 2:58:30
> Does anyone know where I can purchase L-Tryptophan? It's my understanding that it cannot be sold in the U.S. and has not been sold here for many years. I tried it over 20 years ago and it helped me a lot. I've been quite unhappy that it was outlawed here just because of one bad batch. The tryptophan I took was a lot more helpful than all the different antidepressants I've tried.
It has not been illegal to purchase tryptophan for human consumption since 1994. That comes as a surprise to many people. There was an extremely high publicity level when it was banned (because of one contaminated batch from Japan), but it was very very quietly re-approved.
When the ban was lifted, it became the vendor/manufacturer's responsibility to prove that it was safe, rather than the FDA's. Believe me, the novel process that led to the contamination in the first place is no longer used, anywhere. There is no chance that contamination can happen again.
I use veterinary tryptophan. Same stuff, but about 1/10 the price. Nobody is going to give a million dollar horse a poisonous supplement, believe me.
More in these two posts/threads.
Lar
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20030903/msgs/263575.html
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20031003/msgs/271979.html
Posted by Dick Hunt on October 20, 2004, at 9:01:36
In reply to L-Tryptophan, posted by MKB on October 20, 2004, at 2:58:30
> Does anyone know where I can purchase L-Tryptophan? It's my understanding that it cannot be sold in the U.S. and has not been sold here for many years. I tried it over 20 years ago and it helped me a lot. I've been quite unhappy that it was outlawed here just because of one bad batch. The tryptophan I took was a lot more helpful than all the different antidepressants I've tried.
Have you tried 5-HTP? I think it's the next step to becoming serotonin (from tryptophan) works for me... Just don't eat anything within an hour of taking it... blecchh!!
Posted by MKB on October 20, 2004, at 10:37:59
In reply to Re: L-Tryptophan » MKB, posted by Larry Hoover on October 20, 2004, at 8:13:52
Thank you so much!
Posted by mmb on October 20, 2004, at 13:36:07
In reply to Re: L-Tryptophan » MKB, posted by Larry Hoover on October 20, 2004, at 8:13:52
> I use veterinary tryptophan. Same stuff, but about 1/10 the price. Nobody is going to give a million dollar horse a poisonous supplement, believe me.
>
Larry,
since you are using veterinary tryptophan (you are very creative I must say) is there any difference in regard to "human" tryptophan? Do they have the same effect? Is it good for anxiety? Any side effects?
best
mmb
Posted by JLx on October 20, 2004, at 15:29:51
In reply to to Larry..., posted by mmb on October 20, 2004, at 13:36:07
> > I use veterinary tryptophan. Same stuff, but about 1/10 the price. Nobody is going to give a million dollar horse a poisonous supplement, believe me.
> >
> Larry,
> since you are using veterinary tryptophan (you are very creative I must say) is there any difference in regard to "human" tryptophan? Do they have the same effect? Is it good for anxiety? Any side effects?
> best
> mmbI use tryptophan from here: http://www.buygpdirect.com/gpefeed.htm after other people on this site had tried it. It's amazingly cheap compared to other sources. I wonder what is in the other 10 percent of the product? You can get human version from Joan Mathews Larson's ("Depression Free Naturally")60, 500 mg caps for $25.00. http://www.healthrecovery.com/
Here's what she says about it here: http://204.147.80.67/~brecovery/PageMill_Product_Files/Tryptophan.html
"Guidelines For Taking Tryptophan while working with a physician
Like all natural substances, tryptophan needs help to convert to serotonin. These co-enzymes are B6 and Vitamin C. See formulas from Seven Week to Sobriety or Depression Free, Naturally.
Tryptophan converts to niacin before finally becoming serotonin. If your body is deficient in niacin, the tryptophan you take will supply you with niacin, not serotonin. For this reason, it is a good idea to take a B-complex vitamin daily. It will give you both B6 and niacin and allow your tryptophan to make more serotonin.
The B vitamin, INOSITOL changes into a substance that regulates serotonin's effectiveness within nerve cells. A recent double blind study confirms inositol's effectiveness with depression. Inositol powder is sweet and good tasting. One and 1/2 teaspoonful three times daily is the researched dosage. American Journal of Psychiatry, 1995
Of all the amino acids, tryptophan is least able to cross the blood-brain barrier. It must pass this biological hurdle in order to be converted to serotonin. You can give it the right "nudge" by taking it with fruit juice. The carbohydrate will trigger insulin release, which will assist the tryptophan across the blood-brain barrier. Always take tryptophan on an empty stomach.
Is It Safe?
Tryptophan has been widely used by orthomolecular physicians, clinics like Health Recovery Center and the general population, in doses of one to four grams daily. Since you can't store it in your body, you cannot accumulate toxic levels. However, taking high amounts of tryptophan can produce some side effects:
Feeling drowsy the next morning
Bizarre or strange dreams (rare)
increased blood pressure in persons over sixty who already have high blood pressure.
Aggressiveness (this rare side effect can occur in the absence of sufficient co-nutrients needed for the normal conversion of tryptophan to serotonin)Warnings:
Do not use tryptophan if taking MAO inhibitors.
Do not use tryptophan if you have liver damage, or you are restricted from taking phenylalanine, tyrosine, or histadine.
Tryptophan cannot break down into serotonin without B6. Without adequate serotonin there will be erratic sleep and ongoing irritability."Interesting that she says, "Aggressiveness (this rare side effect can occur in the absence of sufficient co-nutrients needed for the normal conversion of tryptophan to serotonin)" I wonder if this is what's going on when people get aggressive on SSRIs? Insufficient co-nutrients?
I take it at night. The one time I tried it during the day I got too sleepy, but I didn't try it at a lower dose.
JL
Posted by mmb on October 20, 2004, at 16:10:27
In reply to Re: Tryptophan » mmb, posted by JLx on October 20, 2004, at 15:29:51
> > > I use veterinary tryptophan. Same stuff, but about 1/10 the price. Nobody is going to give a million dollar horse a poisonous supplement, believe me.
> > >
> > Larry,
> > since you are using veterinary tryptophan (you are very creative I must say) is there any difference in regard to "human" tryptophan? Do they have the same effect? Is it good for anxiety? Any side effects?
> > best
> > mmb
>
> I use tryptophan from here: http://www.buygpdirect.com/gpefeed.htm after other people on this site had tried it. It's amazingly cheap compared to other sources. I wonder what is in the other 10 percent of the product? You can get human version from Joan Mathews Larson's ("Depression Free Naturally")60, 500 mg caps for $25.00. http://www.healthrecovery.com/
>
> Here's what she says about it here: http://204.147.80.67/~brecovery/PageMill_Product_Files/Tryptophan.html
>
> "Guidelines For Taking Tryptophan while working with a physician
>
> Like all natural substances, tryptophan needs help to convert to serotonin. These co-enzymes are B6 and Vitamin C. See formulas from Seven Week to Sobriety or Depression Free, Naturally.
>
> Tryptophan converts to niacin before finally becoming serotonin. If your body is deficient in niacin, the tryptophan you take will supply you with niacin, not serotonin. For this reason, it is a good idea to take a B-complex vitamin daily. It will give you both B6 and niacin and allow your tryptophan to make more serotonin.
>
> The B vitamin, INOSITOL changes into a substance that regulates serotonin's effectiveness within nerve cells. A recent double blind study confirms inositol's effectiveness with depression. Inositol powder is sweet and good tasting. One and 1/2 teaspoonful three times daily is the researched dosage. American Journal of Psychiatry, 1995
>
> Of all the amino acids, tryptophan is least able to cross the blood-brain barrier. It must pass this biological hurdle in order to be converted to serotonin. You can give it the right "nudge" by taking it with fruit juice. The carbohydrate will trigger insulin release, which will assist the tryptophan across the blood-brain barrier. Always take tryptophan on an empty stomach.
>
> Is It Safe?
>
> Tryptophan has been widely used by orthomolecular physicians, clinics like Health Recovery Center and the general population, in doses of one to four grams daily. Since you can't store it in your body, you cannot accumulate toxic levels. However, taking high amounts of tryptophan can produce some side effects:
>
> Feeling drowsy the next morning
> Bizarre or strange dreams (rare)
> increased blood pressure in persons over sixty who already have high blood pressure.
> Aggressiveness (this rare side effect can occur in the absence of sufficient co-nutrients needed for the normal conversion of tryptophan to serotonin)
>
> Warnings:
>
> Do not use tryptophan if taking MAO inhibitors.
> Do not use tryptophan if you have liver damage, or you are restricted from taking phenylalanine, tyrosine, or histadine.
> Tryptophan cannot break down into serotonin without B6. Without adequate serotonin there will be erratic sleep and ongoing irritability."
>
> Interesting that she says, "Aggressiveness (this rare side effect can occur in the absence of sufficient co-nutrients needed for the normal conversion of tryptophan to serotonin)" I wonder if this is what's going on when people get aggressive on SSRIs? Insufficient co-nutrients?
>
> I take it at night. The one time I tried it during the day I got too sleepy, but I didn't try it at a lower dose.
>
> JL
>
>
> Thanks for great links!
> mmb
>
Posted by Larry Hoover on October 30, 2004, at 13:44:58
In reply to to Larry..., posted by mmb on October 20, 2004, at 13:36:07
> > I use veterinary tryptophan. Same stuff, but about 1/10 the price. Nobody is going to give a million dollar horse a poisonous supplement, believe me.
> >
> Larry,
> since you are using veterinary tryptophan (you are very creative I must say) is there any difference in regard to "human" tryptophan? Do they have the same effect? Is it good for anxiety? Any side effects?
> best
> mmbI don't have any problems, other than a desire to try and run 11 furlongs when I hear a bell ring.
I really think the veterinary tryptophan is the same quality of product as that used for human consumption.
http://www.buygpdirect.com/gpefeed.htm
Near the bottom of the page.
Lar
This is the end of the thread.
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