Starting 5htp course

[peacefuldreamer09]

I would appreciate any advice on how you think 5htp should be taken, bluelighters. I typically experience moodiness and extreme emotional sensitivity for 5-7 after mdma use. I just bought a bottle of 5 htp last night (sadly Sunflower Market did not have piracetam) Should I still include piracetam with the 5htp, and in your experience how many times a day should it be taken? I have 50 mg tablets.

 

[seemoresky]

2 on your comedown and one each day for a week after you roll, helps alot.

 

[AylaV]

I would appreciate any advice on how you think 5htp should be taken, bluelighters. I typically experience moodiness and extreme emotional sensitivity for 5-7 after mdma use. I just bought a bottle of 5 htp last night (sadly Sunflower Market did not have piracetam) Should I still include piracetam with the 5htp, and in your experience how many times a day should it be taken? I have 50 mg tablets.

First of all, piracetam is only available online. It is not sold in stores. 5-HTP, imo, has no quantitative studies that show it helps at all with MDMA hangovers. The most you'll probably get is a placebo effect.

If you still want to go through with it, though, go ahead and take 150mgs twice a day of 5-htp. I feel that taking it before the roll dampens the roll hardcore. I find myself floored in a corner being pissed I can't run around and do anything. =P

I recommend l-tryptophan in place of 5-htp as a supplement as l-tryptophan has a quantitative study that shows it enhances MDMA and can possibly have neuroprotectant effects. L-tryptophan CAN be found at sunflower market (at least the sunflower I go to) =)

 

[Legerity]

First of all, piracetam is only available online. It is not sold in stores. 5-HTP, imo, has no quantitative studies that show it helps at all with MDMA hangovers. The most you'll probably get is a placebo effect.

If you still want to go through with it, though, go ahead and take 150mgs twice a day of 5-htp. I feel that taking it before the roll dampens the roll hardcore. I find myself floored in a corner being pissed I can't run around and do anything. =P

I recommend l-tryptophan in place of 5-htp as a supplement as l-tryptophan has a quantitative study that shows it enhances MDMA and can possibly have neuroprotectant effects. L-tryptophan CAN be found at sunflower market (at least the sunflower I go to) =)

Ayla, I'm curious about why you would think any benefit from 5-HTP is a placebo? My understanding is that l-tryptophan is a precursor to 5-HTP, so that taking 5-HTP would simply be a more efficient route to increasing serotonin levels....

 

[C8H10N4O2]

Ayla, I'm curious about why you would think any benefit from 5-HTP is a placebo? My understanding is that l-tryptophan is a precursor to 5-HTP, so that taking 5-HTP would simply be a more efficient route to increasing serotonin levels....

There have been no scientifically sound studies proving the effectiveness of 5-HTP supplementation to treat serotonin deficiency. 5-HTP is a naturally occuring amino acid, which means the body makes it through the metabolism of l-tryptophan. It is not known if 5-HTP that is ingested will be absorbed properly and metabolized the same as naturally-occuring 5-HTP. It would make more sense to assume that an l-tryptophan supplement will be effective, since it is an essential amino acid that must be found in the diet, so there is a metabolic pathway for the body to turn into serotonin.

I prefer boosting my serotonin levels by eating foods that are complete sources of protein. Beans, chicken, and eggs are cheaper than supplements, and more filling.

 

[roganmaster]

Chicken and Turkey FTW. Also, green tea for antioxidants and of course, never forget your multivitamin!

Although, 5-HTP has always helped post roll on a rough MDMA night out for me!

 

[Legerity]

There have been no scientifically sound studies proving the effectiveness of 5-HTP supplementation to treat serotonin deficiency. 5-HTP is a naturally occuring amino acid, which means the body makes it through the metabolism of l-tryptophan. It is not known if 5-HTP that is ingested will be absorbed properly and metabolized the same as naturally-occuring 5-HTP. It would make more sense to assume that an l-tryptophan supplement will be effective, since it is an essential amino acid that must be found in the diet, so there is a metabolic pathway for the body to turn into serotonin.

I prefer boosting my serotonin levels by eating foods that are complete sources of protein. Beans, chicken, and eggs are cheaper than supplements, and more filling.

I'm not familiar with the entire literature on 5-HTP/l-tryptophan. If conversion of l-trytophan to 5-HTP by trytophan hydroxylase is the rate-limiting step in the synthesis of serotonin, I would think that bypassing this could be more effective. And according to a review that I'm looking at right now, 70% of an oral dose is absorbed in the blood and it is able to cross the blood-brain barrier without a transport molecule.

This is the review I just found: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9727088

Like I said I don't know much about this, although I have not really questioned 5-HTP's efficacy. If another supplement is more effective I'm happy to change my mind, I don't feel like digging through the research though

 

[C8H10N4O2]

I'm not familiar with the entire literature on 5-HTP/l-tryptophan. If conversion of l-trytophan to 5-HTP by trytophan hydroxylase is the rate-limiting step in the synthesis of serotonin, I would think that bypassing this could be more effective. And according to a review that I'm looking at right now, 70% of an oral dose is absorbed in the blood and it is able to cross the blood-brain barrier without a transport molecule.

This is the review I just found: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9727088

Like I said I don't know much about this, although I have not really questioned 5-HTP's efficacy. If another supplement is more effective I'm happy to change my mind, I don't feel like digging through the research though

You probably know about as much as I do. I have no insider information on this stuff--the internet and a few knowledgeable people are my sources. Since scientists haven't given us a concrete answer, a lot of this is all speculation drawn from a few facts that are just puzzle pieces to the big picture. Unfortunately, this is the case with so many supplements.

I try not to tell anyone not to take 5-HTP, but instead encourage them to do what I know will give our bodies the resources needed to make serotonin. If 5-HTP works for you, I see no reason for you to stop using it.