Guest guest Posted April 3, 2004 Report Share Posted April 3, 2004 Hi group! Room for another health nut? I was wondering if there's anyone else with experience with 5-htp (or l-tryptophan too)? It really seems to help my anxiety and depression and also helps me sleep more soundly. But it gives me diarrhea. I' just started using it again and am experimenting with lower doses but I'm wondering if there's maybe a better way to take it (sublingually? snorting?). I understand it has to do with serotonin being created in places in the body where you don't want it ( " serotonin syndrome " )- which is not a good thing. I'm thinking that I may have to try tryptophan, but it's so expensive. Thanks! michael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 4, 2004 Report Share Posted April 4, 2004 , yoonit wrote: > Hi group! > > Room for another health nut? > > I was wondering if there's anyone else with experience with 5-htp (or > l-tryptophan too)? It really seems to help my anxiety and depression > and also helps me sleep more soundly. But it gives me diarrhea. I' > just started using it again and am experimenting with lower doses but > I'm wondering if there's maybe a better way to take it (sublingually? > snorting?). I understand it has to do with serotonin being created in > places in the body where you don't want it ( " serotonin syndrome " )- > which is not a good thing. I'm thinking that I may have to try > tryptophan, but it's so expensive. > Thanks! > michael Hi Michael. I have a suggestion. Although I do not know how much you are taking at the moment, I am aware that the body can only utilize 35 mgs at a time (with meals). Perhaps your dosages are excessive. Anything over and above the 35 mgs is excreted so it is wise to limit our intake of this nutrient to smaller dosages. There are other nutrients which need to be present in order to metabolize 5- htp. Perhaps you have a deficiency of another essential vitamin. vitamin B6 and zinc. These two nutrients prevent the conversion of 5-HTP into serotonin while in the intestinal tract. Without these nutrients, 5-HTP would be converted to serotonin before it reached the brain, resulting in no benefit to the brain. You may need to evaluate your overall supplement regime, as the seratonin in this particular supplement is best absorbed when there is optimal dosages of B-6 and zinc present. The adaptogenic herbs assist the body as well. " 5-HTP (precursor to serotonin), balances levels responsible for mood, hunger pangs, and restless sleep. Adaptogenic herbs enhance these beneficial effects. " Cheers, JoAnn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 4, 2004 Report Share Posted April 4, 2004 , yoonit wrote: > Hi group! > I'm wondering if there's maybe a better way to take it (sublingually? > snorting?). I understand it has to do with serotonin being created in places in the body where you don't want it ( " serotonin syndrome " )- > which is not a good thing. I'm thinking that I may have to try > tryptophan, but it's so expensive. > Thanks! michael http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/19990601/msgs/5950.html Re: Seratonin Syndrome? Posted by Elizabeth on May 11, 1999, at 15:26:15 In reply to Seratonin Syndrome?, posted by Judy on May 10, 1999, at 17:55:04 Yeah. It's a toxic reaction that is usually only seen when serotonergic/serotomimetic drugs are combined. The most dangerous combination is an SSRI (or Effexor, possibly a couple other drugs like Demerol) mixed with an MAOI. More rarely it has been reported with various other combinations (e.g. two SSRIs used together). If you're on an SSRI, you should not use an MAOI, and you probably ought to avoid certain other drugs such as dextromethorphan as well. The symptoms are rather varied, making it hard to identify the central serotonin syndrome if you don't already know what somebody has ingested. Some of the symptoms: sweating (very heavy - clothes soaked thorough) dilated pupilsfever, may progress to malignant hyperthermia fluctuating vital signs (sometimes hypertension followed by a " crash " leading to shock) nausea/vomiting diarrhea shivering tremor muscular rigidity myoclonus hyperreflexia confusion disorientation agitation delirium seizures Note that there is a spectrum of serotonin-mediated symptoms, so if you have, say, excessive sweating and dilated pupils, but none of the more severe symptoms, that's not " serotonin syndrome. " Again, it's just a difference of degree; you can have some of these symptoms and it's just a nuisance, but full-blown serotonin syndrome is a medical emergency. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 4, 2004 Report Share Posted April 4, 2004 Dear Michael, If you will search the archives you will find hundreds of articles about serotonin. By the way, about 90% of the serotonin recepters in the body are located in the intestines. This is to all members. If you really want to learn about something, I suggest that you search the many articles in our archives. Then search the sites on our links page. Then search our message boards. etc. You cannot expect to receive any indepth answers to a resonse to a question posted to the group. Most people are well meaning but their information is usualy quite limited and the responses that you will receive will usually have as much misinformation as valid information. To all who really want to learn, you are going to have to READ. To really use alternative medicine requires more than just giving a symptom and take a prescribed natural medicine. The people who know very little will keep trying to bring it to that level, but it definately doesn't work that way. Since you cannot rely on responses for accurate information what is a person to do? The answer is you are either going to have to educate yourself or you are going to have to place your trust in an alternative health professional. It is not a simple system of " I have a symptom and this pill will relieve that symptom " . That is the allopathic way and it doesn't work either. The purpose to alternative medicine is to find the root cause and correct it. The same symptoms in a person can be caused by multiple different causes. It might be a nutritional defeciency, it might be caused by toxic substance, it may be caused by an invading organism. You have to find out what is going on before you can CORRECT IT. Most people do not get that or they don't want to get that so they just keep on thinking and trying to use orthomolecular substances in an allopathic way. Frank , yoonit wrote: > Hi group! > > Room for another health nut? > > I was wondering if there's anyone else with experience with 5-htp (or > l-tryptophan too)? It really seems to help my anxiety and depression > and also helps me sleep more soundly. But it gives me diarrhea. I' > just started using it again and am experimenting with lower doses but > I'm wondering if there's maybe a better way to take it (sublingually? > snorting?). I understand it has to do with serotonin being created in > places in the body where you don't want it ( " serotonin syndrome " )- > which is not a good thing. I'm thinking that I may have to try > tryptophan, but it's so expensive. > > Thanks! > > michael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 5, 2004 Report Share Posted April 5, 2004 Hi JoAnn: Thanks for the response. I cut my dosage way back the last few days (to maybe 20-30 mg -under the tongue) before bed. It still seems to really be helping my mood and sleep, but I also still have a little " looseness " -if you get my drift. But it's much better than when I was taking 200-300 mg. I wish I knew why it causes diarrhea for me, while (supposedly) other people can take the larger doses (see, for instance, the book " the Mood Cure " ). As for the B6 etc, I just read a post claiming that it actually is bad to take it with the 5-htp, that it will cause conversion in the intestines etc. So now I'm confused (what else is new?. I think I'll try some tryptophan -if I can find some at a reasonable price. > > Hi Michael. > I have a suggestion. Although I do not know how much you are > taking at the moment, I am aware that the body can only utilize 35 > mgs at a time (with meals). Perhaps your dosages are excessive. > Anything over and above the 35 mgs is excreted so it is wise to > limit our intake of this nutrient to smaller dosages. There are > other nutrients which need to be present in order to metabolize 5- > htp. Perhaps you have a deficiency of another essential vitamin. > > vitamin B6 and zinc. > These two nutrients prevent the conversion of 5-HTP into serotonin > while in the intestinal tract. Without these nutrients, 5-HTP would > be converted to serotonin before it reached the brain, resulting in > no benefit to the brain. > > You may need to evaluate your overall supplement regime, as the > seratonin in this particular supplement is best absorbed when there > is optimal dosages of B-6 and zinc present. > > The adaptogenic herbs assist the body as well. > " 5-HTP (precursor to serotonin), balances levels responsible for > mood, hunger pangs, and restless sleep. > Adaptogenic herbs enhance these beneficial effects. " > > > Cheers, JoAnn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.