Hi Cotcha, thanks for the useful information. You guys are indispensable.
Yes, just a few days ago I read in that article that 5-HTP increases serotonin at the expense of other neurotransmitters and is bad to use long term. That's why I wanna get off it and move on to L-Tryptophan. But I'm confused because if serotonin is converted from 5-htp and 5-htp is converted from tryptophan, then why would there be a difference?
I've never had mood swings until I started using molly (or buspirone, i'm not sure which caused it), the only schizo-related issues I dealt with throughout my life have been aloofness, anxiety and paranoia. But it's interesting that 5-htp as a dopamine-agonist might be balancing my mood. The reason I stick with a supplement is because I don't wanna tinker with my brain in the more complex ways that all those psychotropics and SSRIs do. The fact that it's sold OTC comforted me, because every single prescription medication I took fucked me up and made me worse, the Buspar being the latest. I tell the doc I'm anxious and he prescribes me something that has "anxiety" on the side effects. You can't get more useless than that.
I don't wanna take anything daily for life but the downswings I experience are really bad and I'm unable to function properly at work during them. I haven't self-harmed or attempted suicide so call me a pussy for not being able to handle them but I just can't. Having a wide emotional range is a very new thing to me and it isn't as great as I thought it would be.