New to forum trying 5HTP

[grimesfrank]

I'm glad to have found this forum, I've been looking for a non-commercial type information site to hear regular people's experiences on amino acids and herbs for depression.

I've had medium depression for the last 15 years with other symptoms like mild social phobia, fatigue, unrefreshing sleep 3 or 4 days a week. I think I've gotten so used to the way I feel that I think it's normal most days. Only when I get around a lot of people and see how happy and outgoing everyone is do I realize that I have a problem

I've tried 6 or 7 antidepressants over the years with no effect, only side effects. I've tried meditation, giving up tobacco, caffeine, sugar, over the years. Nothing seems to help.

I've tried SJW and 5HTP in the past with no luck but may have not gone about it right. I've recently done a lot of research on the subject and realized that there is a lot of new information around now. In the next year I'm going to try just about everything known to man to try and help myself out of this depression and I thought this forum would be a perfect place to be during that time.

Hopefully I can learn from others experiences and if anything has an effect on me I can pass it on to someone else.

At this point I've been on 5HTP 300mg a day and GABA for a week. I haven't noticed anything yet other than my sleep has changed a little. I sleep a little deeper and have a harder time waking up, feeling drugged in the morning. I feel a little more rested but my mood hasn't improved at all, maybe has even gotten slightly worse. I don't know how long to stick to this plan before trying something else, maybe a month. I have ordered some tryptophan and will give that a try also.

[joanie d]

Hi

5HTP works for me but only when I'm following a diet aimed at helping mood/sleep/phobia issues and taking other supplements to work synergystically to help the anxiety/depression.

[grimesfrank]

I've been feeling slighty more depressed lately on the 5HTP and am considering stopping it for now. Normally my depression is bearable but anythng extra is too much for me and I tend to go back to my normal routine. It almost makes me want to give up anything that increases serotonin production since nothing I've ever tried over the years has helped any. Any type of serotonin type anti-depressant or natural remedy.

The only drug that has ever had an effect on me and actually made me non-depressed was Klonopin but it's relief was only temporary. I built up a tolerance to it and needed more and eventually had to stop taking it which was hell to withdrawal from even while tapering. I know that Klonopin effects the GABA receptors in the brain and thats what made me try the GABA supplements thinking that that was the area of my brain chemisty that needed help.

It's really frustrating to play doctor on yourself but I feel like I'm on my own since I've never gotten any good help from doctors.

There are still a lot of things to try out, maybe something that effects dopamine would be better for me

[grimesfrank]

I picked up some tryptophan last night before going out and took 1500mg. While driving down the interstate I noticed a slight feeling of relaxation but wasn't completely sure if what I was feeling was from the tryptophan.
I had a few drinks later in the night so any effects I was feeling were not noticed.
I'm not a big drinker and on the rare occasions that I do drink I get awful hangovers like the one I had this morning.
A surprising thing happened though, after laying around feeling miserable all morning I took 2 more of the tryptophans capsules and within 10 minutes I started to feel different. Just really relaxed and clear headed. I don't feel fantastic or anything but something is definitely different from how I was earlier. May be my imagination but I don't think so.

[Yorkshire Lass]

Hi

5HTP works for me but only when I'm following a diet aimed at helping mood/sleep/phobia issues and taking other supplements to work synergystically to help the anxiety/depression.

I have a husband and two sons who all suffer with anxiety and depression, panic attacks etc. This we feel may be genetic as their symptoms are similar. The thing is that my younger son Mark found out that he has food intollerances, dairy, wheat and gluten. He cut these out of his diet completely and although it took a while to make a difference he now no longer suffers with eczema or asthma but what was more amazing he no longer suffers from depression or anxiety but any lapse in his diet even the smallest amount and he has a "bad" reaction. My older son David decided it might work for him, he has been ill for longer and been hospitalised quite a few times. He finds the diet improves his mental health although he still struggles occasionally. My husband is now following the no dairy no wheat or gluten diet and has managed to come off his antidepressants gradually under the doctors supervision. His depression has left him and although he still gets anxious he can cope much better. His blood pressure is also down for the first time in years. Hope this might help others to see that changes in diet can effect the mind as well as the body, well it is all to do with chemicals and what we take into our bodies.