Posted by KaraS on February 16, 2005, at 12:24:22
In reply to Re: 5-htp, posted by LOOPS on February 16, 2005, at 8:41:44
> > Hi Loops,
> > How is the Source Naturals brand working out? I noticed that Natural Factors brand is enteric coated so less likely to produce stomach problems or nausea. That Italian pharmaceutical grade stuff you mentioned is also enteric coated. Wonder if that has made a difference for you.
> >
> > I also meant to ask you if you take breaks from 5-htp. Everything I've read says that you need to take breaks from it or it stops working. Have you found that to be the case? I really need to get on something that I can take consistantly (or else have something else that I can substitute quickly).
> >
> > Take care,
> > Kara
>
> Hi Kara -
>
> yep the Source Naturals stuff seems to be working. I took 200mg before bed last night, and another 100mg at 6am (my usual early morning wakening and not getting back to sleep is a problem right now).
>
> Sounds like a lot, but these pills are less strong than the biosynergy ones. Take 200mg of those and I'd get nightmares/waking hallucinations which isn't very conducive to restful sleep.
>
> Side-effects: well, I'm pretty monged this morning, but I don't care much about that - I don't have to get up for an early start job luckily. Sometimes it's actually nice to feel a bit monged instead of hyper anxious as well.
>
> The point about taking the larger dose is to avoid taking my Somno (zolpidem), or, worse still, I have a stash of Midazolam, which is a pretty heavy-duty benzo which was first prescribed to me a couple of years ago, ironically due to the acute insomnia brought on by starting the Wort. I don't take this very often - I am scared of benzos as I have a very addictive personality, and feel relying on this stuff will only make the problem worse in the long run.
>
> However, compromise is the key with many things, so the 5htp I will continue.
>
> A few things I have learnt with 5htp, as it is tricky to use for me is to vary dose and timing according to how I 'feel' my serotonin is. In other words, sometimes I may take 50mg (I have the Nature's Way brand for this) in the morning if I'm feeling anxious. That seems to be enough for the rest of the day. Then, early in the evening I try to assess how 'sleepy relaxed' I am. If I am feeling very awake and driven, I will take another 50-100mg with some carbohydrate. Then before bed I take a varied dose again, depending on how sleepy I am. I also take some other herb like valerian to help initiate sleep, although I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about this stuff's effects and whether I actually need it all the time.
>
> The point is with the 5htp, the dose is never the same, but it does always have an effect. What doesn't last for me with 5htp, is the antidepressant effect. This seems to wear off with continued use. I would say that for sleep and anxiety, 5htp always works. However, the trick is not to take so much I am plunged into deeper depression or apathy. I am assuming this is not due to tolerance and therefore less of an effect on serotonin, but that levels of dopamine go down.
>
> I couldn't do without the 5htp for sleep. I mean I could, and I have come off it a few times, but I just revert back to difficult sleeping patterns and insomnia, even when depression isn't present (I am very sensitive to light and noise). The only time I sleep well without extra help is when I am truly knackered - but then I feel awful all day being tired all the time - so sleep deprivation is not an answer.
>
> As my doc says, I am just one of those people who doesn't sleep well. Personally I have had this problem on and off since about the age of 10 when I started having panic attacks at night. So it's probably just an anxiety-related disorder.
>
> Hope that helps. I haven't gotten round to trying the Italian brand 5htp - I'm sure it's very good. I have some success with diet issues as well - no large protein meals before bed and I make sure to eat some carbs with the 5htp seems to double its effectiveness.
>
> Loops
Thanks for all of the info. Just one more question: if the 5-htp loses its antidepressant effect for you then do you take breaks from it? It sounds like you can't without losing sleep. Therefore, I would assume that you don't take breaks and that the 5-htp is no longer an antidepressant for you (only helps you with sleep and anxiety at this point).K
poster:KaraS
thread:445077
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20050131/msgs/458758.html