5-HTP

Lose_It_Leo

I was wondering if anyone had heard anything about this supplement? Apparantly it is supposed to help with loads of things: anxiety, depression, obesity, insomnia. I think it has been dubbed the new "happy pill" that you can get over the counter. From what I can tell it works as the bodies natural pre-cursor to seratonin.. or something like that?

Anyway, has anywone taken this or heard more about it? How was it for you? Did it work?

taso42

For the types of issues you mention, I would consult with a counselor or therapist rather than an internet forum.

MissFit0101

There was only one reason I took 5-HTP back in the days and it had nothing to do with depression... LOL

I agree with above poster about consulting a therapist if you are experiencing any of those issues.

_SusieQ_

The pharmacist I have worked for for 10 years actually says good things about this one. In the same way melatonin can help with sleep, since it is something naturally occurring in the body, the 5-HTP is supposed to work as a kind of "booster".

I am no expert on it, just sharing what I have heard from someone I trust.

JDMPWR

I was wondering if anyone had heard anything about this supplement? Apparantly it is supposed to help with loads of things: anxiety, depression, obesity, insomnia. I think it has been dubbed the new "happy pill" that you can get over the counter. From what I can tell it works as the bodies natural pre-cursor to seratonin.. or something like that?

Anyway, has anywone taken this or heard more about it? How was it for you? Did it work?

Ummmm yeah. I used to take 5-HTP to up my seratonin from a hard night of rollin. Otherwise I felt it was pointless in fiixing the other issues you speak of.

MissFit0101

I was wondering if anyone had heard anything about this supplement? Apparantly it is supposed to help with loads of things: anxiety, depression, obesity, insomnia. I think it has been dubbed the new "happy pill" that you can get over the counter. From what I can tell it works as the bodies natural pre-cursor to seratonin.. or something like that?

Anyway, has anywone taken this or heard more about it? How was it for you? Did it work?

Ummmm yeah. I used to take 5-HTP to up my seratonin from a hard night of rollin. Otherwise I felt it was pointless in fiixing the other issues you speak of.

lmao.. this is what I thought 5-HTP was made for!

fteale

I have been taking it in various doses for 18 months and swear by it.

MB_Positif

I was wondering if anyone had heard anything about this supplement? Apparantly it is supposed to help with loads of things: anxiety, depression, obesity, insomnia. I think it has been dubbed the new "happy pill" that you can get over the counter. From what I can tell it works as the bodies natural pre-cursor to seratonin.. or something like that?

Anyway, has anywone taken this or heard more about it? How was it for you? Did it work?

Ummmm yeah. I used to take 5-HTP to up my seratonin from a hard night of rollin. Otherwise I felt it was pointless in fiixing the other issues you speak of.

Wish I had known about this glorious supplement when I used to partake in other illicit substances.

shellicious777

The pharmacist I have worked for for 10 years actually says good things about this one. In the same way melatonin can help with sleep, since it is something naturally occurring in the body, the 5-HTP is supposed to work as a kind of "booster".

I am no expert on it, just sharing what I have heard from someone I trust.

MJ7910

you may want to get all your vitamin levels checked first to make sure you don't have a deficiency. i just went to the dr and he tested my vit d and it was very low. i have been taking a vit D3 supplement now for a short while and it's helped a lot with my mood already. Also women are usually low on B vitamins and calcium. I would do that before 5HTP. I've tried it and not seen much effect, but everyone's different. vitamin B8 (inositol) is supposed to really help mood to. also L-Theanine which is an amino acid is another good one. but i'd talk to your doctor first. make sure you don't have any deficiencies.

plushkitten

I was wondering if anyone had heard anything about this supplement? Apparantly it is supposed to help with loads of things: anxiety, depression, obesity, insomnia. I think it has been dubbed the new "happy pill" that you can get over the counter. From what I can tell it works as the bodies natural pre-cursor to seratonin.. or something like that?

Anyway, has anywone taken this or heard more about it? How was it for you? Did it work?

Ummmm yeah. I used to take 5-HTP to up my seratonin from a hard night of rollin. Otherwise I felt it was pointless in fiixing the other issues you speak of.

Bahahahha, same >.< I won't elaborate anymore

shellicious777

There are NO "magic" pills for anything and just about everything you take has some kind of side affects. The pill for helping sleep, melatonin, my daughter took that and it made her very irritable. You should consult a doctor for sure. Sorry I couldn't be more help. Good luck!

Troy67

I have had a seretonin deficiency for years that I take Nefazodone for. But with all the weight loss, and the low carbs/cals I was doing for several months I started taking 5-HTP to help with insomnia and the irritability, etc. Since I have upped my cals, carbs, etc and am now maintaining it probably isn't needed anymore, but I do like the balance I feel.

57rainbows

I can help explain a little bit hopefully.


What would happen naturally is that you eat protein which contains tryptophan - I'm not sure of the spelling but I'm sure you've heard of this. A lot of people talk about how turkey has tryptophan in it and athat's what makes you feel all happy and sleepy after Thanksgiving dinner. Well, tryptophan is converted to 5-HTP in your body, and after that it's converted to serotonin! Serotonin helps us feel happy, relaxed, and regulates our sleep. If you aren't getting the right amino acids in the right amounts from proteins in your diet, you can have deficiencies in serotonin among others. Some people choose to use 5-HTP as a supplement to boost serotonin levels; it just skips a step and makes it easier for your body to take in and process the amino acids it needs. Rather than having to find and use enough tryptophan, it's easier for it to just use the serotonin you take in pill form.

So, 5-HTP helps with whatever serotonin does in your body. That includes happy feelings (less depression), relaxation, sleep regulation.

I hope that helps a little bit!

Lose_It_Leo

Thanks everyone. I only really wanted to know if it helped insomnia... apparantly the drugs doctors give you - if they work - induce the wrong sort of sleep. Or put another way, don't encourage the "right" sort of sleep, so it doesn't do much help in the end.

I had actually heard that people used it to enchance the effects of *ahem* certain substances. That's not why I was interested though.

raevynn

Besides the 5-HTP, which is reported to work on reducing anxiety, I also take Valerian (an herb) to assist in relaxing enough to sleep... I usually chase it down with a cup of chamomile tea.

This is just what I do... I'm not prescribing. If a person is generally healthy and not on any sort of medication -- particularly mood altering meds -- trying a vitamin (5-HTP) or herb from a bottle isn't usually a problem. Use good sense, and see your doctor if anything seems to be wrong.

bookyeti

After a bit of research, I asked my doctor if I could try using 5-HTP to help me with mild depression (my Mom passed away in Dec, and I'm still in quite a funk). I wanted to avoid going on a SSRI, and 5-HTP was touted as a milder alternative, with less side effects. I had hoped it would help with my low energy levels and low moods.

I have been on it for well over a month now (100mg x 2/day), and I have found that it has actually *increased* my appetite by two-fold. While I have always had a healthy appetite, I don't seem satiated after eating like I normally do, since taking the 5-HTP. Not good! :-/

In the meantime, I've read a lot of contradictory information about how 5-HTP can affect appetite... some references refer to it as an appetite supressant, while others say it can increase appetite. ???

I guess it all comes down to how each individual reacts to it. I haven't really noticed a lot of lift in my mood or energy, personally. It's pricey, and with such a lack of results, I've decided to stop taking it.