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Is it safe to take 5-htp every day?

B

Big)Sky

Bluelighter
Joined
Aug 18, 2010
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We all know when it comes to winter time, we get alot less vitamin d, and less serotonin production from lack of sunlight exposure.

For those of you that dont know about this wonderful suplement, you should go do some research.

For those of you who do know what this is, can you tell me if there is any risk for nero- toxicity with daily use during the winter.

Im also worried, if i take this for a period of time, is my natural production of serotonin going to be damaged due to a outside factor producing serotonin?

This seems like too good of a chemical for there not to be a side effect or risk of dependency.

Someone please enlighten me with the true facts about this.
 
I used to take a LOT of 5-HTP daily. If the dose is low, and if you avoid taking B vitamins around the same time, then it should be fine. Personally I found that I built a tolerance to it, was eventually taking a stupid dose of it, and wound up stopping. I actually felt better afterwards; I was still depressed, but I was a bit less moody, and less anxious. Personally, I'd keep a bit around if I was planning on taking MDxx, but otherwise I'd find another way to deal with SAD. Full-spectrum lights are good, as is spending as much time outside as you can, and getting lots of exercise. Winter isn't so bad as long as you dress appropriately for the weather.

I didn't notice any crash effect from stopping 5-htp, but I was already pretty depressed so that may have been masking it. If you're worried, then taper off.
 
5-HTP doesn't just go to your head, it increases serotonin everywhere. This can lead to cardiac fibrosis (scarring of the heart) in the long term. You don't want that.
 
i checked out these two articles to see if i could answer your questions better and, perhaps, improve upon my initial reply. these are the articles that i read:

(PMID: 16023217) Serotonin a la carte: supplementation with the serotonin precursor 5-hydroxytryptophan.
(PMID: 15068828) Safety of 5-hydroxy-l-tryptophan

from article #2 "In summary, there is no evidence to implement 5-HTP intake as a cause of any illness." nonetheless, PwnX's statement about cardiac fibrosis is true in theory. 5-HTP increases blood serotonin levels much more than L-Typtophan and SSRIs. although no case of cardiac fibrosis has been directly linked to 5-HTP use, extended use of 5-HTP makes it more probable.

Im also worried, if i take this for a period of time, is my natural production of serotonin going to be damaged due to a outside factor producing serotonin?
Click to expand...

from what i read, there's no indication of this being a problem.

This seems like too good of a chemical for there not to be a side effect or risk of dependency.
Click to expand...

no long term side effects. it can cause GI problems (nausea, vomiting, etc.) your biggest worry is easily serotonin syndrome so read up on that. hope this helps.
 
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It's an amino acid, you should cycle it otherwise it stops working because your body becomes used to it.

There was a gold thread in xtc discussions where someone took it daily for 5 months straight which is incredibly stupid discussing the negative effects it had.
 
take the 5htp with grean tea so that it affects your brain more efficientley and not ur gut. the only problem that you would experience with prolonged 5-htp usage would be a deffieciency in dopamine levels. i cant remember where i saw this so sorry that i cant cite my info.
 
here's a write-up, albeit formatted a bit ugly, that explains what pLur4eVer<33 is talking about. also, since it's an amino acid, an empty stomach is ideal. lastly, do not take any other amino acids with the 5-HTP as they will compete for absorption.
 
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Lately i have been taking 5-htp about 3-4 times a week.

I seem to only take it when i feel very anxious, as it seems to calm me.

My theory on tollerance, is that its not the 5-htp thats you be come tollerant to, its the Valerian Root that is in the pill.

Also i was thinking that the relaxation comes from the Valerian Root, which would mean that im wasting my time with 5-htp and should go directly to the Valerian root.
 
in theory it could be dangerous, because 5htp may be converted in serotonin by the liver, before entering the brain, thus sending serotonin in the blood stream.

in fact, before 5htp became avaible as natural supplement, it was prescribed for depression, in combination with carbidopa(prescription drug for parkinson), which blocks the conversion of 5htp to serotonin in the liver, but not in the brain, making all the 5htp to be converted in the brain

the problem is that high levels of serotonin in the blood, in the long term, may cause cardiac valve fibrosis, as is the case of tumors that produce serotonin and of a tribe in africa that eats a fruit containing high serotonin levels.
on the short term you may have palpitations and agitation

BUT, this is in theory, because there are no research papers documenting a link between 5htp and cardiac valve fibrosis
 
If taking this only when you feel up tight once a week maby, is this going to help my serotonin levels at all, or do you need to take it over a period of time to have the effects.
 
yes its works immediately, don't need to wait days for it:
its proven that a dose of 5htp boosts serotonin levels, even after a single day, single dose, it is quite immediate.
5htp life in the body is about six hours.
after that all 5htp is converted in serotonin
the serotonin is in the body(that has not reached the brain) it is cleared in few minutes(is quite toxic in there)
in the bran if you have your reserves empty, this boost of replenishes them
instead, if your reserves are full, the serotonin excess is released in the synapsis or degraded: this effect obviously will last as long there is the excess of serotonin, so you can feel a mood lift, decreased appetite etc

so if your depression is not linked to a serotonin depletion, these effects may be temporary, as long as you take 5htp supplement
 
try L-Tryptophan

it converts to 5-HTP in the body, but is safer because you aren't overriding your body's natural way of regulating serotonin
 
Every time I took 5HTP, I felt like shit afterwards. Combined with the fact that it can be deadly when taken with alcohol, I stopped taking the stuff soon after I started.

Regular exercise and a healthy diet are my winter-time ways of avoiding depression.
 
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