# L-Tyrosine and 5-HTP



## radiohead

Hey everbody,

After reading around these threads, wikipedia, and the general internet I decided to try some supplements for my GAD/SAD before seeing a doctor about prescription meds(which I probably will still do as my disorder is pretty severe).

Anyway, yesterday I took:

L-Tyrosine: 500mg
5HTP(I-5-hydroxytryptophan): 50mg


The 5HTP pill also had some B6/C vitamins in it as well(must help to convert/create the serotonin?). Anyway, I could actually feel a difference in my overall mood/anxiety yesterday, and I slept better as well. I did feel a slight edginess for a while, and I am not sure which pill could be the one attributing to the edginess. Overall though I must say that I felt quite good, and plan on learning more about these supplements. 

Certain people like Beggigota and other great posters with immense knowledge on supplements and their science really helped me out


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## Beggiatoa

Glad to hear you felt better yesterday and I'm happy to know people are reading these posts. For a while there, I thought it was just proximo20 and I talking back to each other.

Did you take both aminos together? It's probably best to take tyrosine early in the day, fasted and 5 HTP at night, preferably with food. Some people find 5 HTP gives them stomach discomfort if taken on an empty stomach.

5 HTP can converted to serotonin in the stomach with the help of B6. This is taken up by gastric cells causing a release of acetylcholine and an increase in acid production. If you have low acidity, this is good. Otherwise, you're set for some discomfort. So based on either conditions, it's best to take it with or without B6.

Keep up posted on progress!


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## jamie4418

I will also be trying 5htp and tyrosine. Similar ones that I'm on are tryptophan and St John's wort. I'll look into SAMe too.


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## radiohead

Today I've felt even better, and have really no side effects at all.

This morning I woke up and took the L-Tyrosine with a cup of Orange Juice(i read juice/carbs helps) before eating anything. That seemed to jump start my mood for the day.

Then at lunch time I took my 5-HTP about half-way through my meal, and feel the positive effects from it(mood/calm), and zero side effects.

I'm amazed at how these supplements are able to actually be more effective than some prescriptions I tried in the past(mostly the SSRI's like Zoloft and Lexapro). My brother has been a supplement fanatic for so many years and I have always been so skeptical of it all, but now I understand what it's all about. Beggiatoa and everyone thanks for the great advice, and I will definitely be sticking around these forums and trying to work through things more naturally right now. Hopefully supplements and an exercise regime can get me started. Great information here, you guys are a big help!

To Jamie4418 and anyone else starting 5-HTP or L-Tyrosine, I would really recommend you follow the advice Beggiatoa has said, as well as following instructions on the bottles. It will really help to get the full effects and eliminate the side effects.

*L-Tyrosine*: Take when you wake up before eating with a cup of juice

*5-HTP:* Take during/after a good sized meal. Also, start off at 50mg like it says. After every 3-5 days you can raise the dose(as the bottle recommends), but it's ideal to start off at 50mg.

Amazing, these natural chemicals.


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## FairleighCalm

L tyrosine is the cause of the jitteriness IMO. You may want to try L tryptophan if the 5htp doesn't do the trick.


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## heymikey

I'm thinking of switching to 5HTP from SJW. Should I take 5htp in the morning or at night? If I take it at night, will I feel the effect the next day?


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## xboxfreak

If you want some insight as to other people's experiences with these supplements check out http://www.erowid.org

I think I need to stay away from most of these as they play with Serotonin and I am already taking Celexa (which happens to be working quite well).


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## NR.

I've been taking these (5-htp & tyrosine "now" brand) and on day 5, no effect. :roll
I'll give an update. 

What brand do you guys recommend? 
Hopefully bumping up from 50 to 100mg of 5-htp would work. 

What do you take for gaba? 
I avoided straight gaba because it's useless (bb barrier).


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## radiohead

I don't know now. Maybe I had a placebo effect....or maybe it just lasted for a week and changed? But I quit the L-tyrosine first.....and after about 10 days of the 5-HTP at 100mg/150mg a day I started to feel even more numb/apathetic......bleh. I found myself just weeping one night out of nowhere. I am one that rarely, if ever, cries. Maybe it was something esle, or maybe I just have too much seretonin.....who knows. But it made me numb, even more tired and demotivated.....and since I stopped I have been feeling a little better.

It annoys me though because after a few days on it I felt like it was helping, and I was isolating myself less. Then out of nowhere it got worse than before.


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## NR.

You might be right on the too much serotonin. I've cried before too after a few days on 5-HTP. After that It hasn't happen again. But I only have moderately low serotonin levels (according to that questionnaire test). 

What made you decide to stop the tyrosine?

I'm on day 7, and I've bumped up from 50 to 100mg of 5-HTP per day. I'm still on tyrosine 3-500mg capsules in the morning fasted. 
I'm getting a low to moderate effect. 
I still walk with my head down whenever I pass someone and don't want anything to do with socializing. 
But when I do, I studder less?? hmm.. 
What I really noticed about the 5-HTP (along w/ a meal) is that I tend to sleep longer ..like longer than 8 hrs; even @ 50mg/day.


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## radiohead

Well I stopped taking the L-Tyrosine currently because I have been tapering off of suboxone(partial opiate agonist) and the L-Tyrosine seems to make my blood-pressure/pulse/anxiety worse.....but this is most likely because my endorphins are going crazy coming off of this damn partial opiate. I am about completely off of it though, thank god(some serious withdrawals from it), and I might be trying L-Tyrosine again when the time is right and my body is back to neutral. I'm also thinking about going on Lamictal when I get neutral as well......I have had positive results with it. It all depends on how bad my SA/GA gets after I am completley off the suboxone.

So you take the L-Tyrosine fasted? And 1500mg? I was taking it after breakfast....with acidic juice....maybe that had something to do with it. It kind of gave me heart-burn....it's just hard to tell what supplements do what for me right now as I am going through these weird withdrawals from suboxone......don't go on opiates or partial opiates ever.....unless you stay on them forever! haha


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## NR.

Yah, 1500mg fasted with either water or orange juice (haven't noticed a difference between the two). I haven't tried it after eating breakfast yet. I think it's time to increase dosage since some articles say (up to 2000-3000mg per day) until a response if felt. Lamictal?..a large dose of tyrosine can do the same, but you're right about the blood pressure thing. 
Thats gotta be tough having withdraws from a med for another.


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## NR.

Well, its been almost 4 weeks. 
I had to stop taking the full dose of 5-HTP, which I normally took at night. 
It was causing a fever that felt like it was on the front of my brain :roll 
and that's all it was really doing. I'm pretty sure I'm ok on my serotonin. 
Sometimes I take one 50mg capsule if I can't sleep, and it usually works within 20 mins.

What to do if the tyrosine hasn't really helped? 
Because I've been taking 2000mg/day with vitamin C & B6 and 
Only thing I noticed it helped was controlling some of the studdering. 

Best thing is.. NO side effects!!! No erectile disfunction, and 
it doesn't affect physical performance such as when I am working out.

Anyone else trying these supplements?


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## proximo20

radiohead said:


> So you take the L-Tyrosine fasted? And 1500mg? I was taking it after breakfast....with acidic juice....maybe that had something to do with it. It kind of gave me heart-burn....it's just hard to tell what supplements do what for me right now as I am going through these weird withdrawals from suboxone......don't go on opiates or partial opiates ever.....unless you stay on them forever! haha


Tyrosine is an amino "acid" taking it with acidic juice gives you too much acid.


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## euphoria

radiohead said:


> Hey everbody,
> 
> After reading around these threads, wikipedia, and the general internet I decided to try some supplements for my GAD/SAD before seeing a doctor about prescription meds(which I probably will still do as my disorder is pretty severe).
> 
> Anyway, yesterday I took:
> 
> L-Tyrosine: 500mg
> 5HTP(I-5-hydroxytryptophan): 50mg
> 
> The 5HTP pill also had some B6/C vitamins in it as well(must help to convert/create the serotonin?). Anyway, I could actually feel a difference in my overall mood/anxiety yesterday, and I slept better as well. I did feel a slight edginess for a while, and I am not sure which pill could be the one attributing to the edginess. Overall though I must say that I felt quite good, and plan on learning more about these supplements.
> 
> Certain people like Beggigota and other great posters with immense knowledge on supplements and their science really helped me out


It'd be the tyrosine that's causing the edginess. It converts to dopamine and noradrenaline, among others.

I think l-tryptophan is better than 5-HTP, but when I took 5-HTP I found taking it with food *greatly* reduced nausea. Without food it was too uncomfortable to enjoy.

If I were you I'd cut down the tyrosine so the calming effects of serotonin become more pronounced.


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## Beggiatoa

Always take tyrosine on an empty stomach so there will be less competition with other amino acids to cross the BBB. I'm still using it with good results but I don't get the "WOW" effect I did when I was very deficient in dopamine. Think about it. Now you're just maintaining a healthy level of it in circulation.


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## euphoria

I've been thinking about whether aminos cause tolerance or not. Surely if people have "up" and "down" moods and periods of depression/hypomania, this could be tracked back to things such as dietary intake of amino acids? Also, if tolerance did exist to these, wouldn't we all be in a neutral mood as homeostasis acts to adjust to our environment?


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## NR.

update from my previous posts (week 5):
I'm almost finished with my "NOW brand" L-tyrosine, and there is no sense in ordering it again if the 2000mg/day hasn't helped me. I'm looking to try something different..


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## euphoria

proximo20 said:


> Tyrosine is an amino "acid" taking it with acidic juice gives you too much acid.


Nope. The stomach is mostly hydrochloric acid, and the amounts of either really wouldn't be enough to alter pH significantly (as far as I know). In fact, average stomach pH is 1-2, and orange juice is 3-4, so it would actually raise the pH (make it less acidic).


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## radiohead

Well I want to give L-Tyrosine another shot......

I remember I had many positive effects from it(and some negative), but now I believe my digestive system is working much more efficiently(enzyme therapy) and my bodies ability to absorb amino acids, as well as nutrients/vitamins/minerals is much more efficient(a subjective statement but I feel I can objectively state this as my body feels it). I've also gotten stable on Lamictal(a pharmaceutical med for mood that has helped me), so I think it's time to attack my lack of dopamine again. My doctor has suggested I go on either Wellbutrin or Cymbalta(both I am now considering), but I want to give higher doses of Tyrosine a try first.

Anyway, I got some Source Naturals(had good results with this brand)L-Tyrosine powder off of iherb.com, where I always get my stuff. I wanted to add, I've been taking a potassium chloride powder supplement(a little in mornings, other times when I have high salt intake), but wanted to mention the bottle of the potassium says:

*"for more benefits take this with l-tyrosine and taurine"*

I have read quite a bit on supplements/tyrosine and haven't come across anything suggesting this. Most of what I have read suggest to take tyrosine separate from other amino's, take it with vitamin B's(maybe C's), and to take it on an empty stomach(many say with orange juice).

*So what's the best way to take the l-tyrosine powder? *

Should I mix it with some potassium powder in some OJ? Or in an energy drink(containing B-vitamins); or with my liquid multi-vitamin(C's and B's); or with regular old orange juice?

 sorry for all the questions; I just want to effectively give tyrosine a shot and I know a big part of supplementing is getting the dosage right; but also giving it the best chance to be absorbed and cross the BBB. Thanks for any input/feedback.


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## radiohead

Would still appreciate feedback from my last post......(where Beggiota and Euphoria at? )

Anyway, I got the powdered L-Tyrosine and tried it out yesterday. It is approximately 650mg of L-Tyrosine per serving(1/4 tsp). I made my morning cocktail: mix half apple juice/half orange juice in a bottle, add an ounce of my liquid muilti-vitamin, and add a little bit of my potassium powder(this has been my morning cocktail for awhile); I decided to add the L-Tyrosine powder to the mix today, and boy am I glad I tried this stuff again. 

I probably added about 1500mg to 2000mg(hard to know exactly), and downed the drink. Within an hour or so(maybe less) I could tell I felt some effects from it......got this "great" feeling in my head/body.....not really euphoric per say but I could definitely tell it helped. I was talking a bit more, but more importantly had some more energy(I actually went and hit some golf balls real quick, something I rarely do). I wouldn't say it had "huge" effects on my SA necessarily, but it definitely affected my mood/anxiety to some degree, giving me a boost in energy and mood for about 6 or 8 hours.

I am curious if the supplement could be like other "drugs" in that it slowly loses effect over time.....or is this just a result of developing normal levels of dopamine? I'm also curious if this means Wellbutrin might benefit me as well? Or an SNRI? I think my Lamictal helps balance my mood/anxiety a bit so drugs that I used to take(including L-Tyrosine) that use to induce an uncomfortable edginess or anxiety no longer do.


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## Beggiatoa

Radiohead,

why do you take potassium? Was this recommended by a doctor? Also, can you post a link to that K product that says best taken with tyrosine and taurine? Also, the sugar in juice helps aminos absorb better from the gut and it also helps mask the taste. I feel the effects faster when I do this.

I'm stuck with a possibly bad batch of tyrosine I got from a bulk site. I'm going to dump it in the plants and buy a well recognized brand again. More Tyrosine please!

This product seems to have all the ingredients in your cocktail.

http://www.iherb.com/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=842&at=1


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## radiohead

Thanks for the reply Beggiatoa(i recall you've done some serious testing with L-Tyrosine, among other things, and respect your input.

Thanks for the link as well, that mix looks interesting and helpful(funny because it has added potassium, coQ10, among other things that I already have to add myself in my mixes, hah).

Currently I am taking "Source Naturals L-Tyrosine" as I have had success with Source NAturals and their affordable products(though I might get some expensive stuff next time). Here's the link(i get everything I have off Iherb.com basically:
http://www.iherb.com/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=1418&at=0

I have relatively high blood pressure so my doctor said to try and at least get my potassium intake to be a 1:1 ratio with my salt intake(he said a 2:1 potassium:salt ratio is actually the is fully recommended in health.....and my diet isn't necessarily "good" so realized my salt intake was huge and my potassium intake was tiny or non-existent; so i ordered some "NOW Foods" Potassium Chloride Powder(mainly because NOW is always the cheapest product available:
http://www.iherb.com/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=777&at=0

Anyway, I have felt benefits from both....but problem is I really started them both at the same time a little less than a week ago. As for the Tyrosine....I have really benefited from it that I can tell......my energy/mood is definitely higher than it was for sure; the first day I was almost euphoric from it. I'm taking about 2,000mg of the L-Tyrosine in my orange-juice/apple juice/liquid vitamin mix and I also add about 1,000mg of potassium to the mix as well. This 16oz mix really gets me ready for the day. From adding the Tyrosine+Potassium the last week:

-Better overall mood
-More talkative, less anxious in talking
-More energy
-Better physical performance
-I am up for 16+hours each day(I usually have fatigue and take a 1-2hour nap)
-Overall just feel more "normal"

Anyway, I really am liking the results I have got from it this time around. Maybe it's the powder; maybe it's because I am on Lamictal and my mood/anxiety is more stable or something, because I can say for a fact this is helping my Dopamine 100% and I definitely had a dopamine deficiency.

When I took it 6 months ago it made me sort of edgy/anxious, but this time around it's really just a good, energetic, focused feeling. Hell, I even went and played tennis the past few days and it was weird(me and my bro just play to play, he is pretty good and I am garbage); but because I felt good and had more energy/focus we actually had a great match full of rallies, etc. Maybe it's coincidence....but my physical performance was better than it has been in years it seems.

My worry is it will wear out like reports have suggested. I am curious if this is true; or if it's just your dopamine levels reaching "normal" territory so you are constantly feeling "normal", thus not feeling the "rush" or whatever from the L-Tyrosine? If it does wear off, what's the most effective way to cycle with the L-Tyrosine? Every few weeks, months, every other days? Any input from would be much appreciated....I just have experienced great effects so far and want to continue to make this progress each day.


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## Redefine

Interesting. So you're saying the l-tyrosine makes you feel more energetic/social? I'm definitely giving it a try because I've been thinking my dopamine levels have been a real problem. 

Thanks for sharing this with us. I'm gonna try to pick some up at gnc.


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## Beggiatoa

IF you have high blood pressure, Tyrosine can make it worse. Make sure you get it checked often.


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## n1kkuh

has anyone tried taking 5-htp along with an ssri? From my experience 5-htp just makes me sleepy, much like what melatonin does for me and does nothing for my depression.


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## radiohead

hey n1kuh, 5-Htp always made me tired and just gave me a "bleh" feeling, hard to describe(i have gotten that from all seratonin related meds; ssri's, 5htp, tryptophan). So you're not alone. But it depends.....maybe if you increased dopamine then you'd feel even better while taking 5htp....hard to tell though.


Begiatoa: I remember reading a great post by you I think about "cycling" with L-Tyrosine. Correct me if I am wrong(and if it's someone else) please;

But if so, what was your method in cycling the L-Tyrosine to keep it very effective? I remember it was something like every 3 weeks with a week of or something similar.....who knows I may be way off. I did a quick forum search and haven't come up on it yet, so I am just curious as to how you cycled with it or if you continue to tkae it daily, and how it's working. Thanx


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## LALoner

radiohead said:


> Hey everbody,
> 
> After reading around these threads, wikipedia, and the general internet I decided to try some supplements for my GAD/SAD before seeing a doctor about prescription meds(which I probably will still do as my disorder is pretty severe).
> 
> Anyway, yesterday I took:
> 
> L-Tyrosine: 500mg
> 5HTP(I-5-hydroxytryptophan): 50mg
> 
> The 5HTP pill also had some B6/C vitamins in it as well(must help to convert/create the serotonin?). Anyway, I could actually feel a difference in my overall mood/anxiety yesterday, and I slept better as well. I did feel a slight edginess for a while, and I am not sure which pill could be the one attributing to the edginess. Overall though I must say that I felt quite good, and plan on learning more about these supplements.
> 
> Certain people like Beggigota and other great posters with immense knowledge on supplements and their science really helped me out


Tyrosine is always effective at lifting my mood, maybe better than anything over the counter I've tried, but it seems to do something to my immune system and I always come down with something around halfway through a bottle.

The B6 is there to convert the 5-htp to serotonin, but not everyone thinks this helps. Serotonin does not cross the blood-brain barrier and so any 5-htp which is converted too soon is useless. And the digestive system is highly sensitive to serotonin, having more of it convert early on will only increase the negative affects on the digestive system. Most people report diarhea from taking too much of the stuff, I get constipated. Less embarrassing, but still not pleasant.

My advice is to stick to one 50mg 5-htp pill every other day. I seem to be the only one who has any negative reaction to tyrosine at all, so I guess you can take a lot of that.


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## radiohead

LALoner said:


> Tyrosine is always effective at lifting my mood, maybe better than anything over the counter I've tried, but it seems to do something to my immune system and I always come down with something around halfway through a bottle.
> 
> The B6 is there to convert the 5-htp to serotonin, but not everyone thinks this helps. Serotonin does not cross the blood-brain barrier and so any 5-htp which is converted too soon is useless. And the digestive system is highly sensitive to serotonin, having more of it convert early on will only increase the negative affects on the digestive system. Most people report diarhea from taking too much of the stuff, I get constipated. Less embarrassing, but still not pleasant.
> 
> My advice is to stick to one 50mg 5-htp pill every other day. I seem to be the only one who has any negative reaction to tyrosine at all, so I guess you can take a lot of that.


Sorry.....I should removed those older posts(the one you quoted was from a couple months ago).

I'm not taking 5htp anymore.....didn't really have good results with it. I think my seratonin is relatively normal......or the 5htp just doesn't do it for me. But please feel free to discuss both 5htp and L-Tyrosine in detail here if you want.

I am taking L-Tyrosine powder though, daily, 2,000mg-3,000mg a day.

I am curious if you take the Tyrosine daily and never really take "breaks" from using it? Does it continue eto stay effective in helping you? I know I've read methods where people sort of cycle the Tyrosine, and take a week or two off of it and then take Theanine+Taurine or something else(just off my head) during their 2-week break to counter.........they said this kept their system "fresh and the Tyrosone more effective".

Is their any truth to that about cycling? And how do you do it? Thanks beggiatoa


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## avrgbee

Hi everyone, 
I joined this forum specifically to share my knowledge about amino acids therapy. Any amino acid supplementation should be closely monitored and cycled. Think about how synergistically our bodies function. All amino acids are linked. An imbalance can be too little or too much! So when you suspect there are low amounts of serotonin production, you _can_ supplement with 5htp. BUT once you are at balance, putting more wood on the fire can create an entire different imbalance with other neurotransmitters, amino acid excess (=symptoms!) So, we recommend those who want to supplement with amino acids do so in cycles. Usually this is 3 weeks on, one week off. This give your body a chance to bring things back to balance and essentially, do its job. In the meantime, you can up your protein intake!  And if you're having adverse reactions to an amino acid supplement, my guess is, your body probably doesn't need it! Good luck!


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## FairleighCalm

I took l tyrosine but i took too much and became ill. Use it intelligently.


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## FairleighCalm

I took l tyrosine but i took too much and became ill. Use it intelligently.


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## PickleNose

LALoner said:


> The B6 is there to convert the 5-htp to serotonin, but not everyone thinks this helps. Serotonin does not cross the blood-brain barrier and so any 5-htp which is converted too soon is useless. And the digestive system is highly sensitive to serotonin, having more of it convert early on will only increase the negative affects on the digestive system.


 This is what I've heard. I purposely bought the kind without B6.


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## robertz

5-HTP worked for me the first 2-3 weeks, then it started to make feel like a zombie (but still not depressed). 

Nowadays, If if take a pill of 5-HTP it sends me into suicidal/hostile depression. I can partially reverse the effect by taking one capsule of L-Tyrosine along with some vitamins. 

L-Tyrosine still works, but I need to take breaks. It also helps my thyroid (as seen on my latest TSH/T4 blood test). I think we don't really need any serotonin, but more dopamine and maybe norepinephrine.


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## paulds

*Personal account of l-tyrosine and dealing with SAD and anxiety*

Hello everybody,
I have been dealing with severe anxiety, panic attacks and SAD throughout my entire life. I just wanted to say that l-tyrosine, 1000mg twice a day has help enormously with my anxiety and my mood stability in general - this supplement is generally safe, over the counter and can be used theraputically if your problem isn't an everyday struggle. The main thing to remember is that is should not be used for more than four weeks, but at that point you can switch to 5-htp - use that for four weeks and then switch back to l-tyrosine. The reason being that your body can build up a tollence to it - switching keep your body on it's feet.
I use an SAD lamp ($350) 20 mins a day in the morning which works wonders - it makes it feel like a sunny day in my head all day long, especially during the winter. Before I was able to afford the lamp, as it is very expensive (more than 350 without perscription), I found that using "D-drops" to get my vitamin d in the morning had a comparable effect. The main thing that causes SAD is a deficiency in vitamin D, which you get from the sun - so taking a supplement for this can help enormously. Try it, one or two drops a day will really start helping after about a week. As far as I know this supplement is water soluble, indicating that it is very safe and cannot be "overdosed" on. Also, try a vitamin B complex to get energy, but most importantly - you must eat breakfast first thing - this is something I find far too many people with SAD and anxiety don't do - and it really really makes the difference.

I hope this information will help someone.
Thanks for reading,
Polly

PS - Make sure that you chew the l-tyrosine pills that have shallac in them because that type of coating will NOT dissolve in your stomach acid. They taste kind of weird when you do this, but it washes away with warm water. Good luck.


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## josie8888

radiohead said:


> thanks for the reply beggiatoa(i recall you've done some serious testing with l-tyrosine, among other things, and respect your input.
> 
> Thanks for the link as well, that mix looks interesting and helpful(funny because it has added potassium, coq10, among other things that i already have to add myself in my mixes, hah).
> 
> Currently i am taking "source naturals l-tyrosine" as i have had success with source naturals and their affordable products(though i might get some expensive stuff next time). Here's the link(i get everything i have off iherb.com basically:
> http://www.iherb.com/productdetails.aspx?pid=1418&at=0
> 
> i have relatively high blood pressure so my doctor said to try and at least get my potassium intake to be a 1:1 ratio with my salt intake(he said a 2:1 potassium:salt ratio is actually the is fully recommended in health.....and my diet isn't necessarily "good" so realized my salt intake was huge and my potassium intake was tiny or non-existent; so i ordered some "now foods" potassium chloride powder(mainly because now is always the cheapest product available:
> http://www.iherb.com/productdetails.aspx?pid=777&at=0
> 
> anyway, i have felt benefits from both....but problem is i really started them both at the same time a little less than a week ago. As for the tyrosine....i have really benefited from it that i can tell......my energy/mood is definitely higher than it was for sure; the first day i was almost euphoric from it. I'm taking about 2,000mg of the l-tyrosine in my orange-juice/apple juice/liquid vitamin mix and i also add about 1,000mg of potassium to the mix as well. This 16oz mix really gets me ready for the day. From adding the tyrosine+potassium the last week:
> 
> -better overall mood
> -more talkative, less anxious in talking
> -more energy
> -better physical performance
> -i am up for 16+hours each day(i usually have fatigue and take a 1-2hour nap)
> -overall just feel more "normal"
> 
> anyway, i really am liking the results i have got from it this time around. Maybe it's the powder; maybe it's because i am on lamictal and my mood/anxiety is more stable or something, because i can say for a fact this is helping my dopamine 100% and i definitely had a dopamine deficiency.
> 
> When i took it 6 months ago it made me sort of edgy/anxious, but this time around it's really just a good, energetic, focused feeling. Hell, i even went and played tennis the past few days and it was weird(me and my bro just play to play, he is pretty good and i am garbage); but because i felt good and had more energy/focus we actually had a great match full of rallies, etc. Maybe it's coincidence....but my physical performance was better than it has been in years it seems.
> 
> My worry is it will wear out like reports have suggested. I am curious if this is true; or if it's just your dopamine levels reaching "normal" territory so you are constantly feeling "normal", thus not feeling the "rush" or whatever from the l-tyrosine? If it does wear off, what's the most effective way to cycle with the l-tyrosine? Every few weeks, months, every other days? Any input from would be much appreciated....i just have experienced great effects so far and want to continue to make this progress each day.


 hey the 5htp can make you more anxious ( thats what i found with me ) most people have it in there body you only need l-tyrosine 500mg to help converting it !!!! Ive read loys of people say its made me more irritated... Well thats a side effect of haveing to much 5htp!!! I take l-tyrosine and b vitamins( exellent for treating all mental /nervous problems as the calm and repair cells!!! I noticed positive effects right away!!! And an awakening of the brain at first which is a very good sign... :d x


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## James Lang

*Hope you're still on- just noticed this post was a little while ago.*



radiohead said:


> I don't know now. Maybe I had a placebo effect....or maybe it just lasted for a week and changed? But I quit the L-tyrosine first.....and after about 10 days of the 5-HTP at 100mg/150mg a day I started to feel even more numb/apathetic......bleh. I found myself just weeping one night out of nowhere. I am one that rarely, if ever, cries. Maybe it was something esle, or maybe I just have too much seretonin.....who knows. But it made me numb, even more tired and demotivated.....and since I stopped I have been feeling a little better.
> 
> It annoys me though because after a few days on it I felt like it was helping, and I was isolating myself less. Then out of nowhere it got worse than before.


I think the big problem you were having is lack of sleep. You can't enjoy the benifits of these substances without having a massively good sleep. I also think moving away from sugar (find a good non-better stevia- preferably from online/amazon but should be pure stevia). Also try to cut back or wipe out other bad things and get some good exercise. You don't need to take 5-htp to start with- only take that when you are having more of a problem with nervousness- if you are getting almost catatonic you need to cut it off and use just L-Tyrosine with b-6 there is also a cheap form of tyrosine that doesn't work I think it's tyrosine d or something. Start with about 500 mg 1 to 3 times daily but no later than 3pm then maybe take just one 5 htp in the night and about an hour before bed take from 3 to 8 - 3mg melatonin pills(they are really good for health over and above helping with sleep). Don't forget that you will be making up for not getting enough sleep for about 3- 4 weeks or more. when you wake up feeling like you slept really really good- just like a rock people say-- you may need to increase you mg. As time goes on you may need to increase you melatonin up to the 8 pills a night is very popular or decrease it if you think you can do with less. Try to just go up or down one pill at a time as you find your dosage- which can change over time. You may find you need to bump it up if you had a good sleep the night before- but generally will keep about the same number of pills more or less. With melatonin you can stop if you find you are getting a good quality sleep without it but on the other hand it doesn't hurt to take it as it is a good anti-oxidant and very good for fighting cancer and heart problems plus it is completely non-addictive. It also doesn't carry with you the next day- just make sure you relax and get some sleep. Also try adding a meditation sound from a tablet or android phone or Iphone- they have these even free apps that have simple repetitive sounds that allow you meditate. You can even just lay there and visualize walking some place like a beach or go check out school or some other place in space or time that you want to go. The sound helps the medication process. Just play with it to see where it takes you. Any little meditation can help. Calling friends to talk is good too, just before bed. Try to talk about positive things. Try to keep a journal, that helps to review and focus on things that need to be done in your life. Keep a schedule but be flexible and not always try to work to avoid stressing yourself out at all.


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## James Lang

radiohead said:


> Would still appreciate feedback from my last post......(where Beggiota and Euphoria at? )
> 
> Anyway, I got the powdered L-Tyrosine and tried it out yesterday. It is approximately 650mg of L-Tyrosine per serving(1/4 tsp). I made my morning cocktail: mix half apple juice/half orange juice in a bottle, add an ounce of my liquid muilti-vitamin, and add a little bit of my potassium powder(this has been my morning cocktail for awhile); I decided to add the L-Tyrosine powder to the mix today, and boy am I glad I tried this stuff again.
> 
> I probably added about 1500mg to 2000mg(hard to know exactly), and downed the drink. Within an hour or so(maybe less) I could tell I felt some effects from it......got this "great" feeling in my head/body.....not really euphoric per say but I could definitely tell it helped. I was talking a bit more, but more importantly had some more energy(I actually went and hit some golf balls real quick, something I rarely do). I wouldn't say it had "huge" effects on my SA necessarily, but it definitely affected my mood/anxiety to some degree, giving me a boost in energy and mood for about 6 or 8 hours.
> 
> I am curious if the supplement could be like other "drugs" in that it slowly loses effect over time.....or is this just a result of developing normal levels of dopamine? I'm also curious if this means Wellbutrin might benefit me as well? Or an SNRI? I think my Lamictal helps balance my mood/anxiety a bit so drugs that I used to take(including L-Tyrosine) that use to induce an uncomfortable edginess or anxiety no longer do.


It is also a matter of how things work in the rest of your life. How much physical exercise and how healthy is your diet- are you getting a good amount of vitamins also making sure you supplement a good array of vitamins. Add a good 2-3 super b-complex a day with meals. D3 you want a good 15,000 or more IU per day. D3 is the sunlight vitamin and also fights cancer and the flu- reduces you risk of ending up with the flu too.

Once you get your dopa levels up you can go without tyro for until you feel you need them again. So, in other words, you should always feel that happy feeling either because of tyro supplementation or you don't need it. There should be no down side- if you are having a down side something else is causing it. Don't forget to take an extra boost of b6- 200mg or so in the b6 (all by itself). Make sure you get your other vitamins and herbals too. Also a good amount of exercise and get rid of all of those compact florescents from your hom- use only the incandescents. The radiation compact florescents put off is massively bad for your body, cancer causing, and really messes up the mind tremendously.
--James


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## James Lang

*when to add b6 - if ever*



LALoner said:


> Tyrosine is always effective at lifting my mood, maybe better than anything over the counter I've tried, but it seems to do something to my immune system and I always come down with something around halfway through a bottle.
> 
> The B6 is there to convert the 5-htp to serotonin, but not everyone thinks this helps. Serotonin does not cross the blood-brain barrier and so any 5-htp which is converted too soon is useless. And the digestive system is highly sensitive to serotonin, having more of it convert early on will only increase the negative affects on the digestive system. Most people report diarhea from taking too much of the stuff, I get constipated. Less embarrassing, but still not pleasant.
> 
> My advice is to stick to one 50mg 5-htp pill every other day. I seem to be the only one who has any negative reaction to tyrosine at all, so I guess you can take a lot of that.


So is it true that you should not add the B6 to 5-HTP? And that you should just take 5-HTP at night to wind down and relax? But that you should take B6 with Tyrosine? The thing is when you buy b6 separate it is about 100 times as much as you get of the same nutrient in something like super b complex. This is all extremely interesting.

So you are saying that we should just not take b6 at the same time that we take 5-htp?


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## James Lang

James Lang said:


> So is it true that you should not add the B6 to 5-HTP? And that you should just take 5-HTP at night to wind down and relax? But that you should take B6 with Tyrosine? The thing is when you buy b6 separate it is about 100 times as much as you get of the same nutrient in something like super b complex. Isn't the benefit 5-HTP it's resultant serotonin?
> 
> How about trying L-Theanine? For levels beneficial in focus try 100mg and for anxiety try 200mg... It's a much safer way to go and doesn't have any known excessive use issues. It leads to the creation of GABA in the brain. GABA doesn't go past the blood brain barrier so L-Theanine is the best way to go- one relatively abundant source is green tea which contains about 20mg per cup. Some research shows that taking a bit of caffeine with L-theanine may help with the increased focus- perhaps taking it with a cup of tea or coffee-- keep in mind too much caffeine can increase anxiety.
> 
> 
> 
> radiohead said:
> 
> 
> 
> hey n1kuh, 5-Htp always made me tired and just gave me a "bleh" feeling, hard to describe(i have gotten that from all seratonin related meds; ssri's, 5htp, tryptophan). So you're not alone. But it depends.....maybe if you increased dopamine then you'd feel even better while taking 5htp....hard to tell though.
> 
> Begiatoa: I remember reading a great post by you I think about "cycling" with L-Tyrosine. Correct me if I am wrong(and if it's someone else) please;
> 
> But if so, what was your method in cycling the L-Tyrosine to keep it very effective? I remember it was something like every 3 weeks with a week of or something similar.....who knows I may be way off. I did a quick forum search and haven't come up on it yet, so I am just curious as to how you cycled with it or if you continue to tkae it daily, and how it's working. Thanx
Click to expand...


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## ddbear

*N-acetyl-L-tyrosine*

N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine is much stronger than L-Tyrosine. In fact it may act entirely differently. It can be used up to 400 mg per day or so depending on body weight. Be careful it has a strong dose dependent response. I use it as a good get up and go stimulant instead of coffee. It reduces anxiety as well. It has a strong peak and will return cognitive, social and sensory levels to normal very gently. If you take much more it can cause hyperactivity or it will cause sleep. Frankly 5-HTP and L-Tyrosine did nothing for me even at several times the recommended doses.

A lot of the aminos and derivatives work better with a on/off period of supplementation. I would recommend excercise, sunlight, a good diet and removing foods that promote immune reactions and swelling in the gut. 70% of the serotonin in your body is produced in the gut - not the brain! Disbiosis and bad gut immune reactions (cheese, milk, wheat products) can keep a good person feeling miserable.


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## MiYayJ

I'm wanting to wean from Cymbalta to this combo. I have depression, anxiety & Fibromyalgia. Anyone had experience with it helping with the Fibromyalgia? Wondering if should also wean from Clonazepam as well?

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## SFC01

MiYayJ said:


> I'm wanting to wean from Cymbalta to this combo. I have depression, anxiety & Fibromyalgia. Anyone had experience with it helping with the Fibromyalgia? Wondering if should also wean from Clonazepam as well?
> 
> Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk


Why do you want to come off cymbalta and clonazepam? Is it not working ? or rather go the natural route?


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## MiYayJ

SFC01 said:


> Why do you want to come off cymbalta and clonazepam? Is it not working ? or rather go the natural route?


Wanting to try the natural route

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## SFC01

MiYayJ said:


> Wanting to try the natural route
> 
> Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk


Ok, well 5htp and tyrosine did absolutely nothing for me for anxiety or depression and I have read many similar reports over the years.

The evidence for tyrosine is not good and for 5htp its inconclusive at best. It may help you but just be aware that it may set you back with regards to depression/anxiety if you drop the cymbalta and benzo, especially if its working for you right now.

I have tried almost every natural supplement under the sun, and every single one ended up in the bin.


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## MiYayJ

SFC01 said:


> Ok, well 5htp and tyrosine did absolutely nothing for me for anxiety or depression and I have read many similar reports over the years.
> 
> The evidence for tyrosine is not good and for 5htp its inconclusive at best. It may help you but just be aware that it may set you back with regards to depression/anxiety if you drop the cymbalta and benzo, especially if its working for you right now.
> 
> I have tried almost every natural supplement under the sun, and every single one ended up in the bin.


Thank you for your response. Certainly don't want to go backwards! I'm doing well with my meds but when saw a post on Facebook about this combo thought worth researching. Thanks again!

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## SFC01

MiYayJ said:


> Thank you for your response. Certainly don't want to go backwards! I'm doing well with my meds but when saw a post on Facebook about this combo thought worth researching. Thanks again!
> 
> Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk


No problem, dont want to dissuade you from trying just pointing out from my experience and what I found when I researched it a bit. You could maybe try some tyrosine and some 5htp whilst on your medication to see if it has any impact or not. If you do, just go a little easy and on the low side of 5htp as I`m not sure how strong the reaction would be with cymbalta - tyrosine should be fine with the meds you are on.


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## SFC01

MiYayJ said:


> Thank you for your response. Certainly don't want to go backwards! I'm doing well with my meds but when saw a post on Facebook about this combo thought worth researching. Thanks again!
> 
> Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk


oh was going to ask, have you ever tried amitriptyline for the fibromyalgia ? If so, how does it compare with cymbalta ?

I currently take 50mg amitriptyline for chronic pain after an elbow injury and it does a really good job for it.


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## MiYayJ

SFC01 said:


> No problem, dont want to dissuade you from trying just pointing out from my experience and what I found when I researched it a bit. You could maybe try some tyrosine and some 5htp whilst on your medication to see if it has any impact or not. If you do, just go a little easy and on the low side of 5htp as I`m note how strong the reaction would be with cymbalta - tyrosine should be fine with the meds you are on.


I will try that. Much appreciate the info!

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## MiYayJ

SFC01 said:


> oh was going to ask, have you ever tried amitriptyline for the fibromyalgia ? If so, how does it compare with cymbalta ?
> 
> I currently take 50mg amitriptyline for chronic pain after an elbow injury and it does a really good job for it.


I took amitriptyline many years ago. It was my first . It kept me very drowsy. Didn't have a fibro dx then but it did wonders for muscular pain in my shoulders and neck. I did ask doc about taking it, before Cymbalta's generic but was told wasn't great for fibro. Cymbalta works great for fibro. Haven't taken the last two nights (so much for weaning off) and the pain has reared it's ugly head. If I take one tonight, the pain will be a lot less if not gone tomorrow. Works that fast. I'm not ot making a good case for going natural!

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## SFC01

MiYayJ said:


> Works that fast. I'm not ot making a good case for going natural!


:grin2:

sometimes natural just doesnt cut the mustard as they say.

I like amitriptyline, also does a good job for my mood and, believe it or not, energy levels !


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## MiYayJ

SFC01 said:


> :grin2:
> 
> sometimes natural just doesnt cut the mustard as they say.
> 
> I like amitriptyline, also does a good job for my mood and, believe it or not, energy levels !


Crazy how meds work for different people. Being 27 years since I've taken it , it might work the opposite now.

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