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Topic Title: side effects
| |  "side effects"
, Wed 5 Sep 17:37
hello! i am a sad person. i suffer from
depression, anxiety, insomnia. my doc has
me on ativan for anxiety (which works very
well) and wants me to go on paxil. i'm
afraid of the paxil.
i don't think the side-effect profile of
today's pharmaceutical antidepressants make
them worth it unless you are on the verge of
suicide.
so i tried st. john's wort and it didn't do
much of anything. i think i should try 5htp.
my doc says that 5htp, wort, paxil (ssri's)
pretty much do the same thing. the final
outcome they achieve is the same--more
serotonin available at the receptors.
so he argues the side effects will be similar,
since they are caused by that mechanism. this
seems to make sense.
does anyone have any comments on that?
particularly to the people that have tried
ssri's and then later 5htp--what differences
were there in the side-effects? the main
side-effect that i cannot cope with is loss
of libido, which it seems almost everyone
on ssri's gets this to some extent. also ssri's
propensity to make people insane is not particularly
attractive either.
Posts: 0 | | Registered: Wed 5 Sep 2001 17:11 |
| |
| | "Re(1):side effects" , Thu 7 Nov 19:10
Try Wellbutrin. Unlike just about every other anti-depressant it has no effect on sex drive or performance. Wellbutrin is in a separate class from the SSRI antidepressants.
Posts: 1 | | Registered: Thu 7 Nov 2002 19:4 |
| | "Re(1):side effects" , Thu 7 Nov 19:10
Try Wellbutrin. Unlike just about every other anti-depressant it has no effect on sex drive or performance. Wellbutrin is in a separate class from the SSRI antidepressants.
Posts: 0 | | Registered: Thu 7 Nov 2002 19:4 |
| | "Re(1):side effects" , Thu 6 Sep 12:09
Thanks for your comments, dupont.
I've taken two doses of 5htp now. My last dose was
last night, 8pm, 50mg. I'm not sure if it's for me
or not. I have depression and generalized anxiety.
Here were the effects:
a) made insomnia worse (hard to tell really because
my insomnia is always really bad)
b) I felt generally happy and non-depressed, but
quite hyper and anxious.
c) I experienced a lot of body sensations like
chills running down my spine, pins&needles, etc.
d) masturbation was a bit different. erection much harder
and more persistent than usual. took more stimulation
than usual to reach orgasm, orgasm weaker than usual.
d) I was easily startled by sights & sounds (people
shouting outside, even got freaked out by my own
shadow).
e) Ended up having to take Ativan 1mg to chill and
get some sleep.
f) Less depressed than usual next day.
Given this, should I continue 5-htp? Should I increase
or decrease dosage? Maybe take it in the morning due
to the anxiety it causes?
Posts: 1 | | Registered: Wed 5 Sep 2001 17:11 |
| | | "Re(2):side effects" , Thu 6 Sep 18:42
I have experienced some of the side effects that you point out.
1. Have had some tingling like body sensations.Some flushing and tingling in leg and head.
2. Sex was okay but ejaculation was definitely weaker.
3. Stomach pain is the worst side effect for me. I have been taking it on an empty stomach as I was told.
4. Noticed a few times , that I thought I could see something out of the corner of my eye , only to realize nothing was there.
5.My mood has improved and I seem to be feeling better each day.
Take care !!
Posts: 1 | | Registered: Thu 6 Sep 2001 17:48 |
| | |  "Re(2):side effects"
, Thu 6 Sep 18:15
You should read this section on the effect of 5htp on anxiety, the book says initially the 5htp could make the anxiety worse until your brain becomes use to it.
http://www.smart-publications.com/books/5htp/chap-04.htm
P.S. don't try the wild yam cream it's just for women. 
Posts: 56 | | Registered: Wed 20 Jun 2001 6:19 |
| |  "Re(1):side effects"
, Thu 6 Sep 11:34
This is from another message at this site:
"5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan) works by increasing the cell’s output of serotonin. 5HTP is a precursor to serotonin so when the brain is given this, it knows exactly what to do with it; it turns it into serotonin."
"SJW minimizes the breakdown of various neurotransmitters, including serotonin. Hypericin, the active ingredient, causes an inhibition of serotonin re-uptake."
Therefore 5-HTP helps you produce serotonin and SJW and hypericin prevent serotonin breakdown and inhibit serotonin re-uptake.
I've been taking 250 mg 2x/day of 5htp for the past 2 years with great results. The dr. had me on Prozac, paxil and remeron, but I could not stand the side effects, and my marriage suffered due to the lack of sex. I think it was the combination of the depression and the medication that caused this. I tapered off the medication and started 5htp with immediate results. I felt like my "normal" self and was better able to deal with the day to day drama. Sex drive increased gradually as I was overcoming the depression. I added wild yam cream and sex drive is better than normal. The cream is readily available at most health food stores, and you apply it to your skin (arms and chest) a couple times a day, it's easy and it works. I use Jason brand 10% wild yam cream.
Now that I'm back to normal, I'm thinking about tapering off some of this stuff... 
Posts: 54 | | Registered: Wed 20 Jun 2001 6:19 |
| | |  "Highly recoommend not taking Paxil!"
, Fri 7 Sep 10:49
It took me two months just to get off of it! The withdrawal was unbelieveable -- real nightmare. Please read about Paxil withdrawal before making it your choice -- Tons of stuff on the Internet. All of the SSRI's are supposed to have bad withdrawal but Paxil is the worst! There is a class action lawsuit going on right now because of it.
I started out on 100mg of 5-HTP. I noticed the difference the first day. I think it was actually too much for me. I am going to try to cut down to 50 mg.
I know this isn't the right place, but I'm looking for discussion on Kava Kava. I have read some really good stuff about it -- even a University Study.
Posts: 4 | | Registered: Sat 11 Aug 2001 13:27 |
| | |  "Re(1):Highly recoommend not taking Paxil!"
, Fri 7 Sep 13:42
It took me about a month to get off paxil myself. What bothered me the most was that the dr. told me it was NOT addictive, and I should NOT experience any withdrawal symptoms. BULL....
5htp has worked wonders for me, after 2 years I am back to "normal". I've tried to cut down on the amount I take but I always end up going back to 250 mg 2x/day to feel my best.
Kava Kava is great for anxiety. I was experiencing some heart palpitations and Kava Kava helped to keep me relaxed. But. I don't know if it is the combination of the 5htp and kava kava but It's hard to stay awake when taking them both. So I only take them when I'm staying home unless extreme anxiety occurs.
Also the Dr. gave me a tiazac and the palpitations have stopped.
Posts: 59 | | Registered: Wed 20 Jun 2001 6:19 |
| | | "Re(2):Highly recoommend not taking Paxil!" , Sat 8 Sep 17:17
i think i will stay away from paxil. i'm going
to stay on 5htp even though it is causing
me increased anxiety. i'm hoping that will
go away. it definitely has cut down the
depression. another side effect i've
noticed from 5htp is that i have no appetite.
i never feel like eating. i'm already too
skinny, so that effect is kinda scary. but
overall i like the stuff--it has had profound
effects on my mood. it blows st. john's wort
away. that stuff is weak.
kava kava is an excellent herb. i also use
that for anxiety/tension/stress, and it works
wonders, but it does not put me to sleep.
i've found that benzodiazepines work better
for anxiety/sleep--and the side
effects are minimal (except of course sedation,
if you consider that a side-effect). however,
the benzos are much more habit-forming than
kava in my opinion. you have to be more careful
with them.
Posts: 2 | | Registered: Wed 5 Sep 2001 17:11 |
| | | "Re(3):Highly recoommend not taking Paxil!" , Sun 9 Sep 11:32
Yes, I agree, stay away from paxil. That stuff made me worse. And the stories about paxil are not encouraging. For example:
http://www.drwhitaker.com/nc/news_paxil8_01.php
I've been on 900mg of standardized SJW from GNC with good effects for about a week now, and I do feel better. I can get up in the morning and face my life. I took a week off work to get my head together, but I imagine going back next week will be ok.
As far as the 5-htp goes, I've been on 50mg a day, taken about an hour before bed. I'm also kind of underweight, so here's what I found helps:
- Try to take it with a meal, not before. If you take it before a meal it will kill your appetite.
- Exercise. This definitely helps. I found that if I work out in the morning, my appetite is good right away. I am NEVER hungry right oyut of bed, but 20-30 min of working out gets be ready to eat a big meal. I just do stretching, pushups, situps, and then some martial arts practice, all of which I can do in my bedroom.
- TRY to get into a regular sleeping and eating pattern, then your body will start to become hungry at certain times. Eat good meals. I would also try to stay away from meat, since it slows your digestion and makes you lethargic. And if you really don't feel hungry, but you know you're due for a meal, try a meal replacement shake, like Met-RX.
hope that helps
Posts: 3 | | Registered: Mon 3 Sep 2001 23:52 |
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