anyone tried 5HTP..?

j.e.j.

I'm curious about this herbal supplement, and I wondered if anyone has taken it for anxiety disorder, or if it's mainly meant for depression and insomnia? Is it meant to lift your mood or does it just have a calming or sedative effect?

http://www.highernature.co.uk/Products/5HTP?AgentID=422276&gclid=CPPWh4Hxy7ACFUdlfAod-EuSYg

Some of the brands I know contain valerian (the above one doesn't) which I'm guessing could make you a bit tired and groggy?

Not looking for medical advice (obviously), just wondered if anyone has tried this herbal supplement and if it worked for you?

lisssa

Hi , I do occasionally, for insomnia. I get mine from H&B. In all honesty, sometimes they work other times they dont seem to help. I do feel a little light headed / dizzy about an hour after taking them, and a bit groggy when i initially wake up. I find I get the best results if I take them on an empty stomach.
Im sure when i did some 'research' I read alot of good things in regards to them lifting your 'mood'.
HTH

Maz

A friend of mine who has suffered from depression/anxiety/insomnia on and off for years takes 5HTP and swears by it.

Her experience is that she doesn't have the 'deadened' feeling that prescribed medication gives her (a chemical cosh she calls it!) so she feels alert and sharp mentally.

I suppose people's reactions to 5HTP will have variances. Give it a go, see how you get on!

heartbreak_star

Try going to the doctors and checking there's nothing physically wrong before trying to self-medicate. Also please remember that 5HTP has not been fully tested in a clinical setting so research first

HBS x

j.e.j.

Maz wrote: »

I suppose people's reactions to 5HTP will have variances. Give it a go, see how you get on!

Yes, I think this is it. Online reviews seem to vary, - some people say it helps them and some say it makes them feel zonked. Others say it has no effect at all, lol!

HBS yes it's ok, I am seeing a doctor, it's just that sometimes certain things do help (like, for example omega capsules) but the doctor doesn't really attach much importance to 'alternative' or herbal remedies so you have to do a bit of research on your own, iyswim.

heartbreak_star

ISWYM, but there's a reason for that...they haven't been put through the rigorous purification and testing that real medicine has.

Don't even get me STARTED on homeopash!t...sorry, homeopathy...

HBS x

j.e.j.

I see it as a supplement rather than a medicine.

Anyway, you're entitled to your views. I won't get you started, lol!!

heartbreak_star

Yeah basically I don't mind anything that markets itself as complementary and is willing to be examined...it's things that brand themselves "alternative" that rile me haha

HBS x

patchwork_cat

5HTP is not in the same as homeopathic medicine wherby they take a minute solution and that is supposed to help. St Johns Wort has been clincally proven to help in mild depression, so supplements should not be ruled out.

However and this is VERY big- do not take 5 HTP with any SSRI. There is the potential for serotonin syndrome when you mix the 2, this can be fatal.

5HTP is a precussor to serotonin, I suppose it depends how bad your depression/anxiety is, whether you think it might be worth trying.

j.e.j.

yes it does say on the label:
Not advisable if pregnant or taking fenfluramine. Care should also be taken if being prescribed SSRIs.

And of course just because something is herbal (as opposed to pharmaceutical) doesn't mean it has no side effects or that it is not harmful. I am put off St John's Wort, for example, because a possible side-effect is excessive photosensitivity. But that's just me personally, - others have taken it and found it helps them.

I haven't tried 5HTP yet, don't know if I will, but I won't rule it out. Each to their own, - it is down to the individual to decide.

Starting

it makes me go right mental it does! It has the effect of taking about 5 Es