7 replies to this topic

[Absent]

This stuff definitely has it's ups and downs. For those of you who don't know, 5-htp is a serotonin pre-cursor.

It has worked wonders as a sleep aid, and worked well for decreasing cravings, whether it be for sugary food, or porn. 5-HTP is also a melatonin pre-cursor, and seems to be more effective to me than taking plain melatonin.

Downsides: My sleep is so deep that I oversleep, and I also have began to feel very drained of energy. I have read 5-htp can deplete dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine.

Mental/Physical Energy Motivation:
I didn't think it would be that bad honestly, but since I weight lift multiple times a weak, this supplement is doing me more harm than good. On a typical weight lifting day my workout is split into 5 sections. After taking 5-htp the night before I barely have enough energy to get through 1 section, and that is a serious problem, because of this I am quitting 5-htp all together.

Appetite/Metabolism:
5-htp is known to decrease hunger and cravings for food. Since I weight lift I try to eat a set number of calories every day, regardless of how hungry I am. Right now I have it set up so I loose weight and my muscles become more defined, which has been showing results for the past weeks in that I can maintain very defined muscles. The past 2 days since taking 5-HTP it appears as though I have become bloated almost, or just put on more weight in general, as I can no longer see my abs. Since I have not eaten anything extra, I can assume this is because 5-HTP slowed my metabolism down, which would also explain the depletion of appetite and energy.

Kind of pissed my workouts for the week were ruined, but oh well, I'll recover. 5-HTP does seem to be a good mood lifter and relaxer, for those who suffer with depression.... though that is if you don't care about being low on energy as long as you're happy, relaxed, and in a good mood.

[cuprous]

Dosage, dosage... Pills are not a one-size fits all. I found this to be very true with melatonin. 3mg and I feel groggy the next day. 1mg and I do fine.

I hate to slough it on you but do some research on 5-HTP. I recall some comment around here recently about it not being great for longevity.

Also consider trying Ashwagandha for sleep. And/or glycine can help.

Thanks for sharing your experience though.

[BioFreak]

After taking 5-htp the night before I barely have enough energy to get through 1 section, and that is a serious problem, because of this I am quitting 5-htp all together.

this is most certainly the symptom of low catecholamines, esp. dopamine. I had this for years, and it got even worse when I was on 5-htp, until I found out i could counter it with l-dopa right before training and while training. I don't do that anymore cause l-dopa is no good long term but I am correcting my catecholamine deficiency with mucuna pruriens seed powder (no extract...!! its way more potent then pure l-dopa):

Edited by BioFreak, 26 April 2013 - 04:50 PM.

[Absent]

I was trying out 5-htp for things other than sleep. 5-htp is no more dangerous than the natural serotonin precursors you would get in food.... besides being able to control the dosage with accuracy. Too much or too little of any neurotransmitter will be unhealthy for longevity.

[ramon123456789]

try using St Johns wart if you want to rise your serotin levels. it will also rise Noradrenaline and Dopamine. But if you are suffering from depression or anxiety or low cateholamines try andidepressants, because supplements probably won't work!

[BioFreak]

I was trying out 5-htp for things other than sleep. 5-htp is no more dangerous than the natural serotonin precursors you would get in food.... besides being able to control the dosage with accuracy. Too much or too little of any neurotransmitter will be unhealthy for longevity.

I need to address that.

5-htp is further down the line in metabolism then tryptophan (the only serotonin precursor found in food.). The body has less ability to regulate serotonin, because 5-htp is only one step away in metabolism from serotonin, and it is practically unregulated. This means more 5-htp equals to more serotonin without the brain being able to interfere in a half decent way in the production process (other then vitamin b6 deficiency, which would not be a regulatory mechanism by the brain anyways).

So yes, 5-htp is more dangerous then tryptophan - in higher dosages one can expect ssri like side effects.
In combination with ssris there is the very real risk of serotonin syndrome.

[gail2]

Just curious if you've heard of Marty Hinz's approach and what you think of it. He sells a line of supplements that combine 5HTP along with tyrosine and co-factors in order to avoid depletion of dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine. He also has a lab that does urine testing to customize dosing. He claims a very high success rate in treating depression with this approach and he also has a protocol for Parkinson's. Of course, it's expensive and you can only buy the stuff through a participating practitioner. I've only seen a few reports online from people who've tried his approach so it's hard to get information.

He does have published studies but I don't really understand them so I can't tell if they're good. Since 5HTP and melatonin didn't help me much, I bought the individual amino acids and co-factors he uses and have been trying them for about 3 weeks. They seem to be helping my horrible sleeping problems and it's costing me about half the price of his products.

5-HTP efficacy and contraindications
http://neurosupport.com/

[jamesgreen]

Dosage, dosage... Pills are not a one-size fits all. I found this to be very true with melatonin. 3mg and I feel groggy the next day. 1mg and I do fine.

I hate to slough it on you but do some research on 5-HTP. I recall some comment around here recently about it not being great for longevity.

Also consider trying Ashwagandha for sleep. And/or glycine can help.

Thanks for sharing your experience though.

 

I have definitely found that different people find different doses are most effective for them. I had been taking 50mg daily tablets of 5-HTP and found it was great for a few months, but the effect wore off. However 100mg tablets make me feel sick. I have recently switched over to the patches, which regulate my mood much better, I think because they are slow release, and the dose on those is much lower.

Edited by jamesgreen, 24 June 2014 - 12:58 PM.