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View Full Version : my experiences with 5HTP and other supplements


OffTheRadar
9th March, 2007, 12:18 PM
Hello All,

Around Oct last year i decided to try some supplements to help with my low mood. Untill Christmas i took Flaxseed 11g per day, B1 and 100mg Schizandra. At this time I was also excercising regularly and studying for an exam (being mentally stimulated has a significant effect on bringing my mood up). I felt all of this was helping and felt pretty good.

I am not in a location where i can get supplements easily, mail order companies do not deliver and i need to rely on friends to redirect packages to me, so I would typically have a lead time of 6-8 weeks to restock. This pretty much sucks, as i am very much in the trial and error stage.

After christmas I was having a lot of vivid dreams and waking up unrefreshed and finding simple things difficult. I had run out of Schizandra and B1. I wasnt feeling very well, although nothing could particularly be said to have caused this, so i decided to try 50mgs of 5HTP every evening.

About 3 weeks ago (6 weeks into starting 5HTP) I started to feel down and generally negative.This was aggravted by external factors - frustrations/boredom with job and the breakdown of an important relationship. I went into a full blown depression, failing to go to work a lot and feeling very disparing, hopeless and suicidal. Even when i wasnt in the back hole, I felt like i was in a mental fog. Plus my appetite went away entirely.Things were extremely bleak for a while but im feeling a little better now and have great support from friends - ive moved in with two friends and being around people has helped lift me out of my head.

I did not notice any side effects from the 5HTP and its hard to judge if it has helped given the personal problems mixed up with taking it. As I wasnt sure if it was helping and since i had read its not a good idea to stop abruptly, about a week ago I changed to taking 50mgs once every two days. Im getting some dizziness and feeling a bit "vague" or "odd" while still being very much alert. I also have noticed occasional bouts of rapid pulse usually not lasting for more than 20 mins.

It must be noted that i take a moderate ammt of alcohol most evenings - occasionally on the high side. And yes, I have read that 5HTP shouldnt be mixed with alchol but after extensive research I have failed to find out WHY this is not advised. WIll be interested to hear if someone knows more on this.

OTR

artur
9th March, 2007, 11:49 PM
yea i do know what happens to you. alcohol kills your seratonin. 5htp as you probably know produces it. so you are constantly producing and killing your serotonin. this means that you have alot of dead or poisioned seratonin floating in your central nervous system. no wonder you are depressed.

OffTheRadar
7th August, 2007, 12:14 PM
Hi all,

Just an update to mention that the dizziness i experienced probably had nothing to do with 5-HTP, as I later developed an ear infection which may have affected my balance.

I'm now in a much better position in terms of life and future plans - many things were up in the air when i last posted - I should feel great but i still feel a tendancy towards depression and negative thoughts fairly frequently and generally feel emotionally "wobbly"...like the slightest little bump is a mountain. This makes me suspect that at least part of my depression may be chronic stress related.

Also I've begun to have problems with vivid dreams again so I'm giving 5-HTP another go. Note: I haven't been on any supplements for the past 3 months and my alcohol intake has reduced. Will let you know how i gets on.

OTR

celexa4aweek
17th August, 2007, 02:23 PM
Is there any medical proof anywhere that alcohol kills your seratonin?



yea i do know what happens to you. alcohol kills your seratonin. 5htp as you probably know produces it. so you are constantly producing and killing your serotonin. this means that you have alot of dead or poisioned seratonin floating in your central nervous system. no wonder you are depressed.