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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by catmint on December 13, 2004, at 22:56:52
Is it ok for bipolars?
Posted by LOOPS on December 15, 2004, at 14:23:45
In reply to 5-HTP users- What does it do for you?, posted by catmint on December 13, 2004, at 22:56:52
Hi -
I take 200-300mg at night to get to sleep and make sure I can get back to sleep if I wake up. I have chronic long-term insomnia.
I used to take it for depression, but found that the only thing it really works for long-term is helping sleep patterns. It makes me tired and irritable if I take it during the day.
Loops
Posted by catmint on December 15, 2004, at 14:48:35
In reply to 5htp - for sleep, posted by LOOPS on December 15, 2004, at 14:23:45
Hello Loops,
How long have you taken it?
I have insomnia as well, which makes me manic the next day.
Do you wake up more refreshed now?Thanks for your post.
Posted by LOOPS on December 16, 2004, at 8:05:50
In reply to Re: 5htp - for sleep » LOOPS, posted by catmint on December 15, 2004, at 14:48:35
Hi Catmint -
I've taken it for a fair few months now at night. I take sjw in the day. Sometimes I wake up a bit groggy but that soon clears once I'm out of bed. Believe me, when I wake up too relaxed to get out of bed, it is a GOOD THING!! It makes me feel NORMAL. For years I've struggled with no sleep/little sleep, waking up too early, not getting to sleep etc. etc. As long as I'm not reaching for the bottle of Ambien, I'm happy.
One thing though - the 5htp does make me talk in my sleep a bit, and sometimes I get mild hallucinations (at night), but they don't bother me and I go back to sleep (elevated serotonin often produces this type of thing). I make sure I take a good B complex in the day which helps the 5htp work at night.
A lot of people find less 5htp is useful, and at one point when I started taking it for sleep, 50mg was all I needed. However I did have to up my dose after awhile, and now I've remained steady.
Another way of using 5htp for sleep, is to actually take it during the day spread out, which for some reason still helps with sleep (building up serotonin levels I guess). YMMV.
Loops
Posted by retrojen on December 26, 2004, at 21:29:08
In reply to 5-HTP users- What does it do for you?, posted by catmint on December 13, 2004, at 22:56:52
> Is it ok for bipolars?
>Start out on a small dose. It's mild and it has a wide margin of clinical efficacy. Monitor how you feel. My SO is most likely bipolar and commented on having extreme irritability with a low dose.
I take 100-200 mgs for sleep and it works great.
People who've taken it for depression usually take a much higher daily dose. With bipolar, I would tread cautiously, because for some folks, substances affecting serotonin can switch people with bipolar into a manic phase. Taking a mood stabilizer for bipolar is a good thing....
Posted by LOOPS on December 27, 2004, at 5:45:32
In reply to Re: 5-HTP users- What does it do for you?, posted by retrojen on December 26, 2004, at 21:29:08
By the way, a higher dose during the day actually made me more depressed and withdrawn after a few weeks. I also became very antisocial.
YMMV as usual.
Loops
Posted by laurie_lu on December 30, 2004, at 21:53:07
In reply to Re: 5-HTP users- What does it do for you?, posted by LOOPS on December 27, 2004, at 5:45:32
I'm on my second day of taking 100mg in the evening and 100mg at breakfast. I use to take SJW soon after stopping Effexor. The SJW didn't do anything for me except make me very tired. I'm trying to be optimistic about the 5-HTP for my depression. This supplement also claims to help with weight loss and the chronic pain of fibromyalgia. Not only am I depressed but I am about 20 pounds over weight and also have fibromyalgia. There's gotta be something good that comes out of taking this stuff.
This is the end of the thread.
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