Posted by SLS on June 4, 2001, at 21:03:55
In reply to Re: tryptophan depletion challenge » Lorraine, posted by Elizabeth on June 4, 2001, at 16:29:01
Hi Elizabeth.
> I wouldn't expect 5-HTP to help anyway, certainly not immediately. Tryptophan is probably an effective AD in some depressions, apparently the same types that are affected by TDC, although it's highly debatable whether it acts more rapidly than TCAs. (Catecholamine precursors, such as tyrosine, may have more rapid effects.) Addition of another drug to reduce peripheral metabolism may increase the effect of tryptophan.
Is it your belief that 5-HTP is less likely to produce a benefit than is tryptophan?I don't know how often either of these substances, when used alone, act well as antidepressants. However, when I was growing up ;-), 5-HTP was considered to be the more potent of the two as an adjunct to antidepressants and as a biological probe to assess serotonergic function and HPA reactivity. There was generally more concern regarding the precipitation of serotonin syndrome with the use of 5-HTP than there was with tryptophan. In reviewing the literature, I was able to find some studies that demonstrate that the use of a peripheral decarboxylase inhibitor significantly enhances some of the effects of 5-HTP. I don't know about tryptophan.
van Praag was a smart son-of-a-gun.
Oh, check this out. The Discovery Channel is having a show about body-dysmorphic disorder. It looks interesting.
10:02 PM
Bye...
- Scott
poster:SLS
thread:59082
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010530/msgs/65408.html