# Question about 5-HTP (1st doses)



## kintrovert (Oct 28, 2005)

I probably picked a bad time to do this (with the stressful Christmas holidays and all) - but over the past few weeks I've been tapering off of Effexor with the intent of replacing it with 5-HTP. Well last night, I took my first 5-HTP capsules - and I don't think I experienced any benefit (no lift in mood, no easing of anxiety, etc.). I took the first capsules as a favorite book of mine instructed: I took 1 capsule on an empty stomach, then, since I didn't feel any significant effects of the 1st capsule within an hour - I took a 2nd capsule an hour later. (The book further instructs taking a 3rd capsule if the first 2 don't boost mood - but since it was my first day, I didn't want to abruptly introduce that high of a dose of 5-HTP into my system.) I didn't really feel any difference in mood/thinking with the 2nd capsule, either.

Now I'm worried. From the book that I've read (that seems very credible/accurrate) - 5-HTP is "supposed" to work relatively instantly...I was counting on taking my first 5-HTPs a couple of days before Christmas to establish my dose...and then benefitting from a boost in mood by Christmas Day (when relatives will be over to my home). I'm worried that, since I didn't feel any boost in mood with these first doses - 5-HTP just won't ever work for me, period. But maybe (hopefully) I'm jumping the gun with my worry? What has been your experience with 5-HTP? Did you feel any difference with the first doses, or did it take a few days (or weeks) for you to start feeling improvements?

It's just that, from reading a particular book (among other things), I was fairly optimistic that I would get some benefit from 5-HTP. But since nothing happened with these first 2 capsules - do I have reason to think that 5-HTP won't work for me?

If 5-HTP isn't the answer for me, I'd better think of something fast because - with my blood-levels of Effexor decreasing with each day...it's going to get really ugly and miserable for me in a few weeks if 5-HTP doesn't save the day.


----------



## kintrovert (Oct 28, 2005)

Oh - and I should mention that each capsule of my 5-HTP is 50mg - so I took a total of 100mg last night. I plan to take 200mg later on tonight (2 capsules for the first dose - and then 2 more capsules a few hours later). If this 200mg dose doesn't work within a week (I need it to work by Christmas - so hopefully at least some of it will kick in by then), I will increase to 600mg per day - which is about the maximum recommended dose, I believe (although the "expert" Julia Ross says that larger or extremely "serotonin depleted" people may need more than 600mg/day - but I don't know how comfortable I am with taking much more than 600mg/day).


----------



## quiet_one (Jun 14, 2006)

I've taken it, and it seemed to help for the first week or so, then it seemed to stop working; but I don't know, maybe my depression was too severe to be helped by supplements alone; and I only took 50 mg a day. :stu


----------



## jc/sc/anxiety22 (Dec 11, 2005)

5HTP alone won't help, it needs to be supplemented with a Vitamin B-complex. Take a 5htp with b-comples at lunch time and the same combo right b4 bedtime. Preferably, Twinlab B-50mg. I took it along with "SAN"S triple fish fats" which contain a high level of EPA and DHA. Alot more confidence and your mood is elevated. And that's that i recieve no CBT or counseling other than SAS. :boogie


----------



## kintrovert (Oct 28, 2005)

*Re: re: Question about 5-HTP (1st doses)*



quiet_one said:


> I've taken it, and it seemed to help for the first week or so, then it seemed to stop working; but I don't know, maybe my depression was too severe to be helped by supplements alone; and I only took 50 mg a day. :stu


From what I've read - 50mg can be far too small of a dose for a lot of people. It is not uncommon for people to take 200mg - 400mg per day - and some people might benefit from taking 600mg per day (at least for awhile - people may likely be able to reduce the dose after awhile).

You can read Julia Ross's book "The Mood Cure" for more info (this is my main source).


----------



## kintrovert (Oct 28, 2005)

*Re: re: Question about 5-HTP (1st doses)*



jc/sc/anxiety22 said:


> 5HTP alone won't help, it needs to be supplemented with a Vitamin B-complex. Take a 5htp with b-comples at lunch time and the same combo right b4 bedtime. Preferably, Twinlab B-50mg. I took it along with "SAN"S triple fish fats" which contain a high level of EPA and DHA. Alot more confidence and your mood is elevated. And that's that i recieve no CBT or counseling other than SAS. :boogie


I've been taking B-Complex daily for a year and a half - my "baseline" dose is 1 B-50mg-Complex in addition to all of the extra B-vitamins I get in my multivitamin (which is a lot - most of the B vitamin doses in my multi are well over the RDA - many are at least 8 or 10 times the RDA). I've experimented with taking a B-50-Complex 3 or 4 times a day...I'm not sure if I've received any extra benefit from that or not (I guess not, since I'm not sure).

But anyway, I've been taking my "baseline" dose of B-Complex these past couple of days. I haven't been taking the B-Complex together with 5-HTP, though. I don't want to overdo it on the B-Complex - I just Googled some info, and there is some conflicting info out there about B-6 and 5-HTP. Here is an "alarmist" page:

http://yarchive.net/med/5-htp.html

It can get really confusing - some "experts" tell us one thing, while other experts tell us the opposite.

Another thing I've been wondering is if I'm absorbing my B-vitamins well, or at all. There is a good possibility that I have some kind of "glitch" that prevents my body from absorbing/utilizing certain vitamins well. There is evidence that I might not be absorbing zinc as I should: even though I've been supplementing 30mg to 50mg zinc (in addition to the zinc in my multi) for several months, I still experience little to no taste when I do the "Zinc Status" liquid zinc taste test. If my body is not absorbing nutrients like B6 and zinc, that could explain my emotional problems right there. Like you said, B6 is crucial in converting tryptophan (or 5-HTP) to serotonin - if my body is not absorbing B6, then I guess the "good mood" neurotransmiters aren't getting made. There is this condition called "pyroluria", where the body excretes too much zinc and B6 instead of absorbing and utilizing it. This condition can be the root of some major emotional troubles (according to "Depression Free Naturally" by Joan Matthews-Larson and the "Mood Cure" book by Julia Ross). I want to get tested to see if I have this.

Oh, and several hours ago, I took my 200mg 5-HTP - and I still didn't feel anything significant. :sigh


----------



## Panic Prone (Mar 5, 2006)

5-htp helped me get back to "normal" to where a level I can deal. Now I take it sparringly. I was taking 100mg twice daily with b-complex on a empty stomach. It really doesn't work if you don't take it on a empty stomach.


----------



## kintrovert (Oct 28, 2005)

*Re: re: Question about 5-HTP (1st doses)*



Panic Prone said:


> 5-htp helped me get back to "normal" to where a level I can deal. Now I take it sparringly. I was taking 100mg twice daily with b-complex on a empty stomach. It really doesn't work if you don't take it on a empty stomach.


That's great that it's worked for you.  So far, I'm just not experiencing this "mood/thought improvement" that is supposed to kick in relatively quickly. I have been taking it on an empty stomach, too - although I can never be sure how "empty" my stomach is (I try to wait at least an hour and a half since my last food intake before I pop 5-HTP). And I do take B-Complex vitamins twice during the day - although I don't take it with 5-HTP. As I posted above, there is conflicting info on whether it's helpful/wise to do that...I'm basically being cautious (for now at least). But I guess every individual is different - and has to find out what works for them as far as how to take this stuff.

I'm hesitant to go up to 300mg - again, I'm trying to be cautious. I figure if I have to go up to the upper doses, then I might be safer switching to tryptophan. Heck, tryptophan might work better for me anyway. I just ordered some tryptophan and will probably try that out (I'm so thankful that my dad is "funding" my supplement adventures - otherwise there would be no way that I could afford this) - especially if I don't feel any differently on 5-HTP in a few days.

And something else to consider is that I'm in withdrawal from the Effexor as I'm trying out this stuff - I'm sure that is a factor regarding my mood states.


----------

