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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 10 of 10. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Emme on January 12, 2004, at 22:23:32
Hi. I took my first dose of 5HTP this evening. 50 mg. It's supposed to be good for anxiety as well as depression, right? I was hoping it might be calming. It seems to have given me a "whoosh". Not a huge whoosh, but a little activating. Can anyone tell me what it feels like for them when they take 5HTP? Does your initial reponse upon taking it have anything to do with how you feel after being on it for several days?
Thanks,
Emme
Posted by LynneDa on January 22, 2004, at 11:46:15
In reply to first dose 5HTP - questions, posted by Emme on January 12, 2004, at 22:23:32
>Hi Emme - I haven't been in this section of the board before but thought I'd give it a try. I took 5htp last year, before starting on Lexapro. It took about 2 days for me to feel very up and good. I did have some stomach s/e's and it didn't really get through the depression I had the week before my period. I didn't need to take it every day - took it every other. It definitely gave me an up at other times of the month! I stopped after a month when my therapist convinced me to try Lexapro.
Good luck to you!
~ Lynne
Hi. I took my first dose of 5HTP this evening. 50 mg. It's supposed to be good for anxiety as well as depression, right? I was hoping it might be calming. It seems to have given me a "whoosh". Not a huge whoosh, but a little activating. Can anyone tell me what it feels like for them when they take 5HTP? Does your initial reponse upon taking it have anything to do with how you feel after being on it for several days?
>
> Thanks,
> Emme
Posted by TeeJay on January 22, 2004, at 17:57:56
In reply to Re: first dose 5HTP - questions » Emme, posted by LynneDa on January 22, 2004, at 11:46:15
I'm confused, why exactly did your therapist recommend you to stop taking something which was working in favour of an unknown?
TJ
Posted by Emme on January 23, 2004, at 8:46:43
In reply to Re: first dose 5HTP - questions » LynneDa, posted by TeeJay on January 22, 2004, at 17:57:56
> I'm confused, why exactly did your therapist recommend you to stop taking something which was working in favour of an unknown?
>
> TJWanted something that would be more calming *and* provide AD effect so I wouldn't have to have add something to counteract the stimulating effects of the selegiline. Minimal drugs = better in my mind. She didn't recommened it per se, but I brought it up and after some discussion we agreed to give it a whirl. But with supplements as with prescription drugs, not everything pans out. A week seemed a fair trial and after being *very* sure in my mind it was not good, I dropped it. I freaked when I suspecteed it was bad news, but then I was afraid I wasn't giving it a fair trial... anyway, I think things that act on serotonin are out of the picture for now.
Posted by LynneDa on January 23, 2004, at 8:55:45
In reply to Re: first dose 5HTP - questions » LynneDa, posted by TeeJay on January 22, 2004, at 17:57:56
>TJ - is this directed to me or Emme???
If it's to me, I don't really know and/or remember. I think I was just going with the flow at that point, reaching out for anything that might alleviate my awful feelings!On 5htp, I was not feeling a good lift of my obsessive thinking and weepiness, although I wasn't feeling suicidal and angry anymore. The week before my period was still pretty bad, but I was only on it one cycle plus another week or so.
My therapist & I had been talking about meds for a long time and I was trying to get up my courage. SSRIs seemed like a more tried and true method! Now that it's working, I'm afraid to go off of it and try something else. It's only been 3 months and I decided to give it a 6-month trial.
Take care!
~ Lynne
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>I'm confused, why exactly did your therapist recommend you to stop taking something which was working in favour of an unknown?
>
> TJ
Posted by Psychopoppy on January 23, 2004, at 11:16:56
In reply to Re: first dose 5HTP - questions » TeeJay, posted by LynneDa on January 23, 2004, at 8:55:45
Hi there
I was interested in this discussion for 5-htp info (mainly to see if it could help with effexor withdrawal, i've another thread going for that) and found that LynnDa's was the first post I've read so far that mentioned "the tough depression in the week before the period". I've had to deal with that too for years now. I never heard anyone else mention it heere before. Normally, its pretty rough going but that particular week is usually pure and simple hell for me...my husband dreads it too. Its not just PMS; there's full-blown depression and crying and all kinds of other negative emotions to go along plus the complete lack of energy. Its wierd but when I was on effexor (which was until only a week ago) and when it actually worked (which was only the first month on it) I found that it couldnt get through to my period-depression.
I found that Fish oil, Evening primrose Oil and this PMS-cocktail (which has a bunch of things like black cohosh, chasteberry and gingko to name a few) helped a lot with that. It reduced it considerably. I dont know which one of those thigns did the trick since I took them all together. The EPO helped with the bloating and sore-boobs and perhaps also skin abberations that come that week. And i'm sure this alone helped my mood.
Anyway, coming back to the point I was trying to make, which was the commonality with LynneDA....another thing you mentioned also rang a huge gong in my head...ie. "obsessive thinking". I never characterized myself as having OCD or anythin like that but the phrase you used seem to hit the description bang-on. I have that pattern with my depression too.Anyway, just wanted to say that I could relate to some of your comments.
Posted by LynneDa on January 23, 2004, at 11:33:59
In reply to Re: things in common with LynneDa, posted by Psychopoppy on January 23, 2004, at 11:16:56
Hi Psychopoppy - My diagnosis is Pre-Menstrual Dysphoric Disorder, or PMDD, with dysthymia (mild depression - I never become unable to function, but I sure don't function like I should!). My symptoms are awful that fateful week. The Lex makes me feel like Pollyanna for 2 weeks of the month and then I start to slide a bit. I'm hoping when I upped to 20mg that it will take care of that week. I'm almost looking forward to menopause!
My obsessive thoughts have never been diagnosed as OCD because they don't interfere with functioning, but they are irrational & do interfere with my relationship with my hubby, since they center around him. I think they are more dealing with insecurity and lack of confidence - something I swear I never had a problem with until I started feeling depressed and uncontrollably irrational. Not sure if it's the chicken and the egg thing with that? But, after being on Lex, those thoughts are practically gone and I am left with the basic issues that caused the thoughts - issues I think I now can resolve through therapy.
One of the problems I had with EPO was something to do with my thyroid. It went hyper on me and that was the only thing I'd been doing differently so my dr. told me not to take it anymore! I tried a few different PMS "cocktails", but certain ingredients make my heart pound, so I stopped those.
Sorry this is such a long post, but it is nice to find someone with a similar diagnosis! Good luck to you!
~ Lynne
Posted by Tinkerbell29 on January 26, 2004, at 19:44:05
In reply to Re: things in common with LynneDa, posted by LynneDa on January 23, 2004, at 11:33:59
Hi, I'm new here. I would have sworn that I wrote that last post. I hate to say it-but I such a complete psycho the week-or two- before my period. I am pretty ok the other two weeks.
But during PMS I am extremely irrational. I feel so mad and irritated and mean. I almost rather be sad and depressed than like I get. I feel like I could really hurt someone. I have gone off on strangers in restaurants, and my poor husband and kids get it on a daily, hourly basis. I have felt like I need to be locked away for those PMS days. I have been really working at trying to treat what I believe is PMDD naturally. I tired Progesterone cream and it hasn't really done much. Tried the B-vitamin thing, not much help. I have played around with 5-HTP and find if I increase the dose as it gets worse I do better. I am also trying Chaste Tree Berry extract, but from what I understand it takes a few months to get your hormones balanced. This (according to my husband and my agreements) will be the last month I try to "fix myself" naturally. Then I will try medication. Only because my husband can't take any more of this. Anyway, glad to see I'm not going through this alone. -Tink
Hi Psychopoppy - My diagnosis is Pre-Menstrual Dysphoric Disorder, or PMDD, with dysthymia (mild depression - I never become unable to function, but I sure don't function like I should!). My symptoms are awful that fateful week. The Lex makes me feel like Pollyanna for 2 weeks of the month and then I start to slide a bit. I'm hoping when I upped to 20mg that it will take care of that week. I'm almost looking forward to menopause!
>
> My obsessive thoughts have never been diagnosed as OCD because they don't interfere with functioning, but they are irrational & do interfere with my relationship with my hubby, since they center around him. I think they are more dealing with insecurity and lack of confidence - something I swear I never had a problem with until I started feeling depressed and uncontrollably irrational. Not sure if it's the chicken and the egg thing with that? But, after being on Lex, those thoughts are practically gone and I am left with the basic issues that caused the thoughts - issues I think I now can resolve through therapy.
>
> One of the problems I had with EPO was something to do with my thyroid. It went hyper on me and that was the only thing I'd been doing differently so my dr. told me not to take it anymore! I tried a few different PMS "cocktails", but certain ingredients make my heart pound, so I stopped those.
>
>Sorry this is such a long post, but it is nice to find someone with a similar diagnosis! Good luck to you!
> ~ Lynne
Posted by john constantine on February 17, 2004, at 13:37:10
In reply to first dose 5HTP - questions, posted by Emme on January 12, 2004, at 22:23:32
> Hi. I took my first dose of 5HTP this evening. 50 mg. It's supposed to be good for anxiety as well as depression, right? I was hoping it might be calming. It seems to have given me a "whoosh". how you feel after being on it for several days?
> Thanks,
> EmmeI took some the first time about a week ago. I'm also on lexapro, dexedrine, and methadone -- so my experience I'm sure was due to interaction to a great degree.
Anyway, what a hell of a rush! My whole body lit up the way it used to an hour after dropping a tab of LSD. Colors became highly saturated. Made me randy like a goat too. I took it again the next day and got the same result. (50-150mg each time). Last night I took it again -- this time with no Lexapro the past 36 hours or so and no recent dexedrine and got the same type of effect though somewhat diminished. This was the biggest dose for me (150mg. three tabs) and I feel real good depression-wise but I'm really bummed out about one thing --- It seems to have aggravated my visual convergence disorder and thats causing a mild eyestrain headache to develop. Maybe lowering the dose might help.
I read somewhere that 5-htp not only is a serotonin precursor but also triggers some dopamine and norepinephrine release. This true?
This isn't something I'd ever take to help me sleep. In fact, every time I've taken it before bed I've been up nearly all night.
Stay Noble,
John Constantine
mdholman69@yahoo.com
Posted by LynneDa on February 17, 2004, at 13:42:26
In reply to Re: things in common with LynneDa, posted by Tinkerbell29 on January 26, 2004, at 19:44:05
Hi Tinkerbelle -
Just checking in with you to see if any of your natural remedies worked or if you are deciding to try medication? I'm still okay with my 20 mg of Lexapro, but my insomnia is pretty bad. I awaken during the night for 60 to 90 minutes of wide awake/wired feelings. Then I fall back to sleep. I've tried melatonin, but it's not strong enough to overcome the Lex stimulation I guess. I did start taking Vit. B and Omega3 to see if it helps at all. Nothing so far, but it's just been a week.
Hope this finds you well,
~ Lynne
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