5-HTP for Anxiety and Mild Depression

I have taken 5 htp for anxiety and didn't like the side effects, it tended to make my hair fall out at a higher pace than normal. I didn't see any lasting impacts. I prefer valerian for anxiety.

http://anp.sagepub.com/content/36/4/488.short

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD003198/abstract

Good luck.

My doctor had me take that for a while. Long time ago. If I remember right, the theory is that your body may convert it into serotonin. Most modern prescription drugs for depression increase the availability of serotonin and/or dopamine is some way or another.

There is a little bit of evidence that suggests 5-HTP *could* be effective, however, the risks might outweight the benefits.

Here is a link to the University of Maryland Medical Center page regarding 5-HTP:

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/5-hydroxytryptophan-000283.htm

Another option is mediating by way of diaphragmatic breathing:

my.clevelandclinic.org/.../hic_diaphragmatic_breathing.aspx

Many mental health professionals promote breathing because of the positive effect on the parasympathetic nervous system (calms us down).

If your anxiety is mild, your Dr. might prescribe something like Buspar because of the mild side effect profile.

@TheDevastator Do you know if soy-based skin products are problematic as well? I'm googling this now but just curious if you knew. I used Aveeno face wash and face lotions, and their big thing is that they use a Soy complex and are "natural"...whatever that means anymore.

Yes they are as far as I know. If your skin absorbs it, it can do damage to your hormone levels.

My doctor told me to take them for my migraines. I went from about 2 a month to about 2 a year! I love them. No side effects for me.

Is this the 5-HTP you are taking for migraines? or something else?

i love htp and melatonin 1 hr before bed. I sleep like a baby. I feel like I am floating on clouds as I drift off to sleep. I used to have anxiety attacks and this has helped alot.

Not sure what your diet is like, but I had issues with depression and anxiety when I wasn't eating enough saturated fats.

5-htp works well for my husband for sleep and seems to help level his moods. He's take it for a couple of years now without issue. For me, it helped some things but I had some side effects that included sinus aggravation that disturbed my sleep, so I stopped taking it. We were taking it at the dose intended for insomnia.

I've become a cheerleader for magnesium lately. The US guidelines, which changed to a lower magnesium requirement sometime in the 50s or 60s, are probably too low, and 2 out of 3 Americans aren't getting enough even by those likely-low standards. Although this is a serious problem for many, many reasons and conditions, I mention it here because anytime you are talking about serotonin, you should be checking magnesium first. This is because magnesium is absolutely necessary for the body's manufacture and management of serotonin.

The long list of complaints doctors now dish out antidepressants for like candy overlap very well with the list of symptoms caused by low magnesium levels, including anxiety, depression, insomnia, chronic pain, etc. ad infinitum. Some antidepressants actually artificially raise the level of available magnesium in the body, which may explain some improvement of symptoms, but obviously if that is the reason for the improvement (and I'm not saying it ALWAYS is, just that it may be one reason), there are better ways to raise magnesium levels, like.... taking magnesium. Unlike calcium supplementation, it is very low risk even at high doses for anyone with normal kidney function.

Based on my own experience, I agree with the theory held by many nutritionists that starting with magnesium supplementation can either eliminate the need for antidepressants, anxiolytics, or sleep aids, or reduce the dosage requirement for more severe cases. When I started supplementing magnesium I was able in less than two weeks to stop taking the prescription sleep aid I've been on for over two years, which is a low-dose antidepressant frequently used for insomnia. Before I eliminated it altogether, the magnesium helped right away with the worst side effect which was leg cramps.

Off my soapbox now, but if you would like more information feel free to contact me directly. The magnesium issue is broad and there are different kinds of supplements out there, and I may be able to help summarize the avalanche of information.

Good luck!

Before I took any supplement not prescribed by my doctor to treat a deficiency measured in my bloodwork, I would ALWAYS try to make the changes to my diet and routine that are shown to help.

Just a note--my doctor has ordered several "complete" blood panels over the years, which I am able to review online. The panel her office uses, which I assume is probably pretty standard, does not include a test for magnesium, and a separate test for magnesium was never once ordered.

This is a case, I believe, where a lot of mainstream and naturopathic practitioners are missing something very important.

This is a case, I believe, where a lot of mainstream and naturopathic practitioners are missing something very important.

I didn't mean my comments as a contra to yours. A lot of people need more magnesium. I don't disagree. However, as to the OP, if I was considering taking 5-HTP to treat mild anxiety or depression, I personally would first try adding whole foods to my diet to treat my symptoms. For instance, foods that are rich in magnesium are bran, wheat, gourd seeds, flax and some others. I _PERSONALLY_ would try adding those whole foods on a regular basis before taking a supplement to treat an undiagnosed deficiency that my doctor has not recommended to me. But that's me _PERSONALLY_, since that's how I've found success. If you find success in other ways, then please share your experiences with others! There's no one way to health

Right, I didn't think it was a slight. Your comment just reminded me about the kind of magnesium-blindness I noticed on my own test panels; anyone who wants their doc to do some tests for problems like we're talking about here may need to specifically ask for magnesium tests to be added (there are two types of tests and both should be ordered for a clear picture). And again, if the standard recommendations are too low as some suspect, the mag results may still show in the normal range and not give the doctor cause to recommend supplementing if they aren't well acquainted with the calcium/magnesium balance and even nutrition in general--and you'd be surprised how many doctors assume that if you're taking a multivitamin and don't live on fast food, all is well on the vitamin front.

For my own bod; I actually do get a lot of magnesium in my diet because I'm naturally attracted to foods that have high magnesium and eat one or more of spinach, seeds/nuts, beans & legumes, rye and wheat breads, etc. every single day. Nevertheless, I find I still need to supplement to keep the symptoms I was having from recurring. Luckily for me, my digestion seems to be the reliable indicator of whether I'm getting enough, which is good because unlike calcium there is no easy way to track how much magnesium you're getting since it's not required to be on food labeling in the US. Some people, particularly those under a lot of stress, may need more than the diet can conveniently provide.

My doctor told me to take them for my migraines. I went from about 2 a month to about 2 a year! I love them. No side effects for me.

Is this the 5-HTP you are taking for migraines? or something else?

I take 100 mg a day, and it has helped me so much. I also think I sleep much better and it does have a calming effect.

Thanks a bunch for answering. I have constant migraines.

I absoluetly love 5-htp, it helps me sleep better and makes me feel less jittery and more energetic. Give it a try for about 3 weeks and see if it helps

I take rhodiola rosea and swear by it. Your body does tend to build up an immunity to it after a month or so...so I alternate days taking it and it really helps with my depression which is pretty severe.

A couple people have suggested checking Vitamin D levels....I failed to mention that I am taking a prescription strength (50,000 iu per week for 3 months, then decreasing to OTC) Vitamin D supplement. The same hormonal blood test that helped me determine that I am estrogen dominant told me I was D deficient. Granted I live in Wisconsin and haven't seen sunshine since September sooooooo not surprised

@TheDevastator Do you know if soy-based skin products are problematic as well? I'm googling this now but just curious if you knew. I used Aveeno face wash and face lotions, and their big thing is that they use a Soy complex and are "natural"...whatever that means anymore.

anything you put on your skin absorbs in the body...(think nicotine patch, estrogen patch, etc) I avoid soy at all costs, and it has helped me immensely. I've tried 5-HTP. I think if you cycle it you'll be fine - something like 9-12 weeks then take a break. I get S.A.D. so I usually take it when winter hits. Then I go off it by spring.