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not just another 5-htp thread

Baker

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Apr 20, 2004
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We all know the main uses of 5-htp as post loading after ecstasy use, however I want to find out the effects of 5-htp unrelated to ecstasy use..

For people who use it everyday, do you notice a posotive improvement on your life. Is it bad to take excessive amounts of 5-htp, eg having too much serotonin and what other interactions does it have with other drugs. I don't know if this is associated but it seems when I've been having 5-htp consecutively my head starts to feel a bit wierd, not the normal euphoria but sort of like my brain has too much serotonin up there and it just creates short sensations of confusion that last maybe a couple of seconds. I took this as a warning to take a break.

I am basically asking the question: Is it bad to take 5-htp are there negative reactions to taking 5-htp when it is not needed? It does help with my insonia, anxiety and makes me quite euphoric at the same time. Does anyone know if it could be harmful to my brain? Is there anything else I should be concerned about, eg combinations with other drugs and does it synergise or increase the dangers of other drugs?

I just want to know other peoples experiences with 5-htp (not as a pre or post load for ecstasy)
 
I have used it on a daily basis for the last week or so but this is the first time so i don't know about long term use I read an article somewhere that mentioned its use as a therapeutic aid I'll see if i can find it
 
Thanks for that, it did have some interesting information relating to other herbs, but it didn't exactly answer my question. Thanks anyway it was helpful
 
I dont know if its bad or not, can only give my experiences.

Ive used it pre & post pills, and everyday normally. Ive found that pre loading can diminish the pill effects, even if ive taken it that morning. Post loading is great but too much and I can feel really sick and out of it the next day (may not only be from htp hehe).

For everyday use I mainly use it as a sleeping aid, it knocks me out if i cant get to sleep. I use to take it every night before bed but now only when i cant get to sleep. I found it gives a very deep sleep and i wake up feeling really groggy. I also dont dream as much when i take it to sleep, which is the total opposite to what ive heard most people experience.

I do use it during the day, for a while it was everyday, if i started feeling edgy, pissed off or depressed. It definately lifts my mood, but now I only use it when i need it. No short sensations of confusion for me (other than normal ;) )

Amounts that i would take:

Pre - 300-600mg
Post 500-1000mg (over a couple of days)
Sleeping aid - 200-300mg (up to 600 if im really wired)
Day use - 200mg

Hope some of that helps...
 
hmmm, your dosage is a lot higher then mine, I take about
50-100mg before bed
maybe 50mg as pre-load
and 200mg as post-load

I find it can wake me up a bit if I take it before bed, or it can make me a bit more tired however I usually have better quality sleep without dreams.
If your doses are that high, and you don't notice any negative side effects, then it makes me wonder if it is at all related, but everyone reacts differently...

Btw how often do you take ecstasy?
 
Minerva said:
I dont know if its bad or not, can only give my experiences.

Ive used it pre & post pills, and everyday normally. Ive found that pre loading can diminish the pill effects, even if ive taken it that morning. Post loading is great but too much and I can feel really sick and out of it the next day (may not only be from htp hehe).

For everyday use I mainly use it as a sleeping aid, it knocks me out if i cant get to sleep. I use to take it every night before bed but now only when i cant get to sleep. I found it gives a very deep sleep and i wake up feeling really groggy. I also dont dream as much when i take it to sleep, which is the total opposite to what ive heard most people experience.

I do use it during the day, for a while it was everyday, if i started feeling edgy, pissed off or depressed. It definately lifts my mood, but now I only use it when i need it. No short sensations of confusion for me (other than normal ;) )

Amounts that i would take:

Pre - 300-600mg
Post 500-1000mg (over a couple of days)
Sleeping aid - 200-300mg (up to 600 if im really wired)
Day use - 200mg

Hope some of that helps...

wow dude.. that is taking a LOT of 5-htp! what gave you the idea to take so much? most 5-htp capsules i have seen on the market are 50-100mg max and the highest i have found was 200mg. do you think maybe they have these recommended doses for a reason? :p


hmmm, your dosage is a lot higher then mine, I take about
50-100mg before bed
maybe 50mg as pre-load
and 200mg as post-load

this sounds like a sensible dosage. you shouldnt have any health issues with this dose range how ever you might want to change the times in which you have take these doses...

200-400mg pre load
200mg post load
100mg daily around 6pm (few hrs b4 bed time)

also if you happen to have any speed while you are out.. about 30mins after its in full affects have 400mg 5-htp. doesnt work for everyone but i have blown a few minds away with the kapow affects this gave me =)

paty safe! :D
 
drugfuked said:
also if you happen to have any speed while you are out.. about 30mins after its in full affects have 400mg 5-htp. doesnt work for everyone but i have blown a few minds away with the kapow affects this gave me =)

Thanks I think i'll try that, of course with a low dose at first, I always like a test before I dive right in :)
 
wow dude.. that is taking a LOT of 5-htp! what gave you the idea to take so much? most 5-htp capsules i have seen on the market are 50-100mg max and the highest i have found was 200mg. do you think maybe they have these recommended doses for a reason? :p

I guess its on the high side, I've just been going on what the mdma faq recommends for pre/post:

5HTP – Although not proven to be effective, 5HTP is a precursor to serotonin. 5HTP is available OTC at pharmacies and health stores. Pre/postloading doses usually vary from 100-500mg.

My post loading amount (Post 500-1000mg) is spread over 2 or so days.

I have 100mg caps, on the bottle it recommends 1-2 tablets for daily use.
 
Originally I use to take 5-htp before I would go to bed to help me get to sleep. Only problem was that more often than not it would keep me up. But it did sometimes put me out like a light, and also guaranteed me super crazy fucked up dreams. The worst part about taking it before you go to bed though was definitely waking up feeling like absolute shite.
So after reading a few threads on this forum, I started to take in the morning, on an empty stomach. Combined with 1g of L-Phenylalanine it makes u feel so much happier and relaxed throughout the whole day, and when it comes time to sleep im out like a light.
Yeh so night + 5-htp = good but morning + 5htp = better.
 
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hrmmm i looked in2 this one yesterday at work (i work in a pharmacy).... apparently this serotonin supplement is pretty much a rip off as taken in the form it is in this 5htp u have a minimal chance of actually absorbing it as it is easily metabolised by you body so before it gets a chance to start working its gone...there are some prescription meds used to replace serotonin in obsesive compulsive sufferers that are much more effective...yet gettin your hands on a script would be hard unless u can find a gullable psychiatrist ;)
 
Or a friendly pharmacist ;) ;)

Can I ask where you found this information? And the names of the script meds?
 
Minerva said:
Or a friendly pharmacist ;) ;)

Can I ask where you found this information? And the names of the script meds?
got my info by havin a chat with my boss who just got his Pharmacist degree so he knows about all these new drugs (and who likes the odd ekky and speed kik now and again).....prescription serotonin reuptake inhibitors are: Zoloft (sertraline hydrochloride), Luvox (fluvoxamine maleate), Paxil (paroxetine hydrochloride) and Prozac (fluoxetine hydrochloride)....is I helpin??? :)
 
My understanding was that SSRI's work by inhibiting the reuptake of serotonin, not by creating it (which is what 5-htp is thought to do).

Also dont SSRI's take some time to start working? And once they do you cant roll anyway?
 
5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) is the intermediate metabolite of the essential amino acid L-tryptophan (LT) in the biosynthesis of serotonin. Intestinal absorption of 5-HTP does not require the presence of a transport molecule, and is not affected by the presence of other amino acids; therefore it may be taken with meals without reducing its effectiveness. Unlike LT, 5-HTP cannot be shunted into niacin or protein production. Therapeutic use of 5-HTP bypasses the conversion of LT into 5-HTP by the enzyme tryptophan hydroxylase, which is the rate-limiting step in the synthesis of serotonin. 5-HTP is well absorbed from an oral dose, with about 70 percent ending up in the bloodstream. It easily crosses the blood-brain barrier and effectively increases central nervous system (CNS) synthesis of serotonin. In the CNS, serotonin levels have been implicated in the regulation of sleep, depression, anxiety, aggression, appetite, temperature, sexual behaviour, and pain sensation. Therapeutic administration of 5-HTP has been shown to be effective in treating a wide variety of conditions, including depression, fibromyalgia, binge eating associated with obesity, chronic headaches, and insomnia.

Birdsall TC. 5-Hydroxytryptophan: a clinically-effective serotonin precursor. Altern Med Rev. 1998 Aug;3(4):271-80

This is quite a good review and confirms 5-HTP is an effective serotonin precursor. Do you have anytihng to back up your theory Andr33a.

P.s Never take MDMA while taking SSRI's
 
as I said it's all hearsay as I was told all this by a Pharmacist but what your saying makes much more sence pill_jockey :)
 
Bt; Phase_dancer; or someone please explain.
all this 5-htp crap is confusing me.
whether to take it or not.
whether it works or is a rip off
whether its bad for you or not.
so many conflicting stories and reports

:\
 
5-HTP FAQ

Have a read, also put 5-htp into google and you'll find plenty of information to make your own mind up :)

Personally I think it works wonders after a weekend on the flips, especially mid-week.
 
I used 5htp for a little while as a mood elevator taking 100mg every day. It helps you sleep too. 5htp definately works wonders but I found using it regularly can sometimes lead to a little bit of unwanted gas if you get my meaning ;)

I wouldn't have a pill these days without at least post loading with 5htp and usually pre loading too. 200mg the morning after and then 100mg everyday for the next few days and I'd be convinced I didnt have a pill on the weekend my head feels so tip top =D
 
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