Topic Title: 5-htp B6 : time between taking B6 & 5- htp
| |  "5-htp B6 : time between taking B6 & 5- htp"
, Sat 11 Sep 05:49
I have read in a medical article that when you take 50mg of 5-htp you should also 50mg of both B6 and Niacinimide to help it cross the membrane into the brain. I have read on this forum that you should not take the B vitimins at the same time as the 5-htp? I take 5-htp before bedtime with a snack, to counteract my insomnia. How long before, or after takeing the 5-htp should I take the the B6 and Niacinimide? Has anyone found an ideal formula for this, or does anyone have some advice for me on this matter. Any advice would be greatfully appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Leonard :-)
Posts: 0 | | Registered: Sat 11 Sep 2004 5:19 |
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| | "Re(1):5-htp B6 : time between taking B6 & 5- " , Thu 16 Sep 20:41
The general consensus is 6 hours before or after taking the 5htp.But I'm personally skeptical about this whole 5htp "being converted in the blood stream before the brain" thing.This is one doctor's opinion and not agreed upon by most other physicians.Yes they do prescribe carbidopa in some cases,mostly in europe,but most, if not all the studies, never used carbidopa,even when patients were being prescribed up to 900mg a day.
Posts: 51 | | Registered: Tue 27 May 2003 9:43 |
| | | "Re(2):5-htp B6 : time between taking B6 & 5-" , Sat 18 Sep 08:42
Excuse me, Lotus, but could you clarify? Does this one physician say that 5htp is converted in the blood stream before the brain by ADDING B6 or by NOT adding B6? And what is carbidopa? Thanks.
Posts: 73 | | Registered: Wed 6 Nov 2002 1:4 |
| | | "Re(3):5-htp B6 : time between taking B6 & 5-" , Mon 20 Sep 13:07
Yeah,he says ADDING B6 causes the conversion in the blood before reaching the brain.
As far as carbidopa is concerned,here is a little article that will explain why it's used sometimes and it's mechanism of action.
"The enzyme L-aromatic amino acid decarboxylase (L-AAD) is found outside the brain, and its activity is especially high in liver, kidney and intestinal lining. L-AAD can convert 5-HTP into serotonin, which cannot cross the blood-brain barrier. Thus, only 5-HTP which actually makes it into the brain intact is usable to increase brain serotonin supplies. For this reason some studies using 5-HTP have also employed compounds called 'peripheral decarboxylase inhibitors' (PDI's)-usually carbidopa or benserazide. PDI's prevent L-AAD from converting 5-HTP to serotonin outside the brain. Yet many studies have successfully used 5-HTP without PDI's, (1,2,4,6,11) which are prescription drugs and may cause negative side effects.(1) Thus, Takahashi et al reported favorable response in 8 of 24 depressive patients treated with 300 mg 5-HTP daily without a PDI. (6)
A placebo-controlled, double-blind study reported in 1992 found excellent results treating obesity using 900 mg 5-HTP daily without a PDI, with minimal side effects! (11) Zmilacher et al treated an equal number of patients for depression using 5-HTP both with and without a PDI. The study showed no difference in efficacy between the two treatments. However, the 5-HTP + PDI group had over twice the side effects of the 5-HTP-only group, including various emotional and bodily side-effects that showed up in none of the 5-HTP-only subjects. Zmilacher et al concluded: '... there was no evidence that the administration of benserazide [a PDI] intensified the efficacy of L-5-HTP [in their clinical trial]. A review of the literature on this subject revealed that L-5-HTP given alone was more effective (249 out of 389 patients, 64%) than the combination of L-5-HTP with a peripheral decarboxylase inhibitor (93 out of 176 patients, 52.9%).' (1)
Posts: 52 | | Registered: Tue 27 May 2003 9:43 |
| | | "Re(4):5-htp B6 : time between taking B6 & 5-" , Tue 21 Sep 17:12
Thanks, Lotus, for all the information. Very helpful.
Posts: 75 | | Registered: Wed 6 Nov 2002 1:4 |
| | | "Re(2):5-htp B6 : time between taking B6 & 5-" , Sat 18 Sep 07:01
Thanks for the informed advice, it's much appreciated. I'll give the 5 hour spread a try, and make a post in case it's helpful to any insomniacs out there.
Do you (or anyone else) know anything about Tryptophan (L-Tryptophan), My doctor has perscribed me 500mg tabs to be taken 2hrs before bedtime, when I take it I have restless dreams all night, and very light sleep, I wake up feeling exhausted and groggy, and feel tired all day? Defenately not the result I was hopeing for. It was explained to me that Tryptophan is a derivitive of 5-HTP and crosses the brain barrier more directly.
Again I would be most appreciative of any advice, or to hear about anyones experiences with this substance.
Thanks in advance for your advice / opinion.
leonard
Posts: 1 | | Registered: Sat 11 Sep 2004 5:19 |
| | | "Re(3):5-htp B6 : time between taking B6 & 5-" , Wed 12 Oct 06:20
Leonard,
This article has a very detailed description of the affects of L-Tryptophan.
http://smart-drugs.net/ias-tryptophan-article.htm
It is a online pharmacy so it shouldn't be taken as gospel as they are trying to sell but well worth a look.
Personally I am thinking of trying tryptohpan instead of 5-htp as from this article it looks like more should reach the brain and should affect the stomach less.
Posts: 3 | | Registered: Fri 26 Aug 2005 22:8 |
| | | "Re(3):5-htp B6 : time between taking B6 & 5-" , Tue 19 Oct 07:20:
As I understand it, L-Tryptophan is two (biological) steps before serotonin, while 5-HTP is one step.
In other words, L-Tryptophan is converted into 5-HTP in the body, which is then converted to serotonin. 5-HTP is converted directly to serotonin (thus is more potent and (supposedly) effective than L-Tryptophan).
What you say about Tryptophan crossing the blood-brain barrier more easily than 5-HTP may be correct, so who knows which is more effective. I'd say try both and see which you get the best results from.
[this message was edited by fewtchure on Tue 19 Oct 07:23]
Posts: 62 | | Registered: Wed 28 Jan 2004 12:39 |
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