5HTP Supplement - 5HTP dosage 5HTP serotonin

5HTP is a natural supplement that converts in the brain into serotonin. Serotonin is an important brain chemical involved in mood, behavior, appetite, and sleep. 5HTP supplement is from Griffonia simplicifolia seed. Griffonia simplicifolia is an African plant which is extracted to produce 5-HTP, the intermediary metabolite between the amino acid L- tryptophan and serotonin.
   A combination of hoodia, ginger, cinnamon, green tea extract, spirulina, acetylcarnitine, choline, guggul, 5htp, and several other herbs and nutrients, as found in Diet Rx, a very effective herbal diet pill for weight loss. Users of Diet Rx have lost several pounds within a week or two.

5HTP supplement 50 mg
Formulated by a medical doctor
FREE Diet Rx Bottle
Click here to purchase 5HTP supplement, FREE Diet Rx with 5HTP for appetite suppression, Good Night Rx with 5HTP for better sleep, Mind Power Rx for better mood and focus, or to subscribe to a FREE newsletter

5HTP Dosage
The dosage of 5HTP supplement varies among different people. Some individuals may do fine with taking a portion of a 50 mg 5HTP supplement capsule at about a quarter or a third or half a capsule. Other people may need a higher 5HTP dosage such as 50 to 200 mg a day.

5HTP Supplement by Physician Formulas
Suggested Use:  As a dietary supplement, take one 5HTP supplement daily, preferably a few hours before bedtime.

High Quality products formulated by a medical doctor
Mind Power Rx for better mental focus, concentration, and mood; Diet Rx which helps you eat less. It really does curb appetite; Good Night Rx for better sleep; Eyesight Rx for better vision, often within days; MultiVit Rx a daily comprehensive multivitamin for more energy and vitality; Joint Power Rx for healthy joints; Prostate Power Rx for a healthy prostate gland; and Passion Rx for sexual enhancement, better libido, and improved performance and stamina in men and women. See also Aloe-Vera.

5HTP supplement and Serotonin
When you take a 5HTP supplement capsule, it is absorbed into the blood stream from the intestinal tract and converted into serotonin. 5HTP is able to cross the blood brain barrier and convert into serotonin in the brain thus directly influencing brain cells. The absorption and conversion of 5htp to serotonin occurs quite rapidly, often within minutes. If you ingest a 5HTP capsule, the conversion to serotonin must occur quickly since many people notice yawning (if the 5HTP is taken at night) within 10 to 20 minutes after ingestion.

5HTP and anxiety
Q. Do you think 5HTP will help with anxiety. I take Paxil but don’t want to take a prescription medication.
   A. 5HTP has helped many people with anxiety but it is difficult to predict in any one individual whether 5HTP would be effective or not for the treatment of anxiety. There is no blood test or other test that can be done to predict which supplement, combination of supplements, or combination of supplements and medications will help.

5HTP Serotonin emails
Q. What is the ideal 5htp supplement dosage to convert to serotonin?
   A. Since each person has a unique requirement, it's impossible to say what the ideal 5HTP dosage would be. The 5htp dosage could range from 20 mg for one person to 50 mg three times a day for another, while someone else may temporarily benefit from even higher 5HTP dosage.

Q. I have been on the SSRI bandwagon for about 4 years, first with Paxil and then with Prozac for generalized anxiety disorder. At present, I am taking 150 mg Wellbutrin and 50 mg of Prozac daily. I have met with my doctor and discussed the fact that it doesn't seem like the Prozac is working like it used to, so we decided to wean me completely off of the Prozac and continue with the Wellbutrin. I read about a 5HTP product. I am very interested in the 5HTP product; however I don't know how long I need to have been off Prozac completely before trying it. Also, is it advisable to take it with Wellbutrin? Also, I am interested in the healthy way of providing my needs with the right foods that help with serotonin production. Do you have reading materials so I can rid my life totally of prescription drugs?
   A. We suggest you read more about depression and anxiety natural treatment. 5HTP is one possibility, but there are many factors that influence mood and anxiety and it is best to have a comprehensive approach.

Q. After reading 5HTP book called Nature's Serotonin Solution, and now taking a 5HTP dosage of 50 mg product in capsule form for years, 5HTP supplement has truly helped give me a fresh positive outlook on my life. Will 5HTP do the same for my cats? With the introduction to a new cat, my two felines just don't seem to be very positive towards each other. And now my older cat no longer is as friendly and affectionate towards me. Since most vets probably don't know what 5htp is or how it works, (tho, they DO know how effective Prozac is on pets!) my simple question: Could 5HTP supplement be properly given to my cats with potential beneficial effects, and more importantly, would 5HTP item do harm? What is the right 5HTP dosage for a cat?
   A. We have no idea if a 5HTP supplement will provide the same benefit to a cat as it did to you, but it is worth trying, at first at a quarter of the 5HTP dosage used in adults. Keep us updated.

Q. I am currently in India to get away from the London's rat race that was getting me down so much, for which i did use 5HTP on a regular basis. I have had a couple of instances where i felt this could be of help with certain days and since recently i have run out of what i had carried with me. I enquired the other day in a chemist for 5HTP, and said it was a natural product. The closest the chemist could come was a product called 5HT, is this the same? (i was unsure) and he told me it was 'chemical'? If this is not the right/same replacement for 5HTP would you possibly know what i may be able to obtain as equivalent?
   A. 5HT is serotonin while 5-HTP is the precursor to it which easily crosses into the brain whereas 5HT does not cross easily.

Q. I'm desperately trying to get off of trazodone.. I've taken it for sleep for many years.. I'm on an extremely low dose 12mg. and the doctor said I could just stop it at 25mg..but he was wrong.. The first symptom I get when I try to cut it down just a tiny bit is insomnia.. then that will linger the entire 2 months.. so there really is no getting off this stuff without insomnia, then the panic attack symptoms. I only took this stuff for broken sleep. I have no other issues.. Will 5Htp supplement help me with smoothly transitioning from withdrawal..? What would the 5htp dosage be? I understand 5htp converts into serotonin.
   A. Each person is different in how they respond to natural supplements. We suggest you review the information on sleep and discuss with your doctor the best options. We can't predict which option will work best for you.

Q. Hi, I'm just writing to let you guys know that I've taken on an empty stomach over a gram of 5-HTP (at least 1.4 grams) over the course of 4 hours. I noticed a more sensitive tactile response (a bit like MDMA) and my thoughts have been more serious and easily guided. Just thought I'd let you know. I am a 19-year old male and I weigh 160 lbs.

Q. For over a year I was taking 100mg of 5hpt supplement each night to help with chronic poor sleep and menstrual migraine. I was also taking less than a milligram of melatonin, 250 mg of niacin, and chelated calcium and magnesium with the 5htp.
Before that I had been on 1mg of Ativan for almost a year when I decided to quit that. The withdrawal from Ativan was horrendous even with "proper" titrating, but I got through it. I was not taking 5htp or any of the other nutritional supplements I mentioned during the time I was on the Ativan, but they seemed to help me get through the Ativan withdrawal. Anyway, the 5htp and the other remedies together seemed to be the answer to my sleep problems. My migraine was still an issue, though. I decided to review what I had already read on your site about 5htp and realized that I should probably take a break from using it for awhile. I cut back to 50mg for a few weeks, and then stopped it completely. The quality of my sleep immediately deteriorated and I had very severe brain fog most of the next day each day. I also noticed a sudden dramatic increase in the flipflop symptom I've had from mitral valve prolapse for years. I used to just notice the symptom a few times a month, but all of a sudden it was every hour or so all day long. And, the scalp twitching and spasming I usually experience prior to a migraine began affecting me night and day, although the headache would only manifest during hormonal fluctuations. It has been two weeks now and I have not gone back to taking the 5htp because I want to see if these new symptoms will fade, which will be an indication to me of 5htp withdrawal. I am curious if you have received any other emails mentioning problems when ceasing a 5htp routine.
I would not be at all surprised if my symptoms are merely coincidental with the 5htp cessation and are more likely caused by new more severe hormonal fluctuations as I make my way through perimenopause. But perhaps it is the combination of the two.
   A. Unpredictable effects can happen when 5htp is used for prolonged periods and then stopped. We have had one or two people with similar symptoms after stopping 5htp. Please keep us updated.

Q. Please advise me regarding taking 5HTP during pregnancy. My daughter was taking Zoloft for 6 years. She has recently found out that she is pregnant and not wishing to harm the baby, has decided to go off Zoloft completely.
She is really suffering and I need to find something natural to help her.
   A. We can only suggest she and her doctor read the page on depression and decide what options are best.

Q. Does 5htp cause Impotence?
   A. Yes, it is possible that regular use of 5HTP in high doses could cause impotence in some men. Erections are often returned to normal after a week or two of stopping the 5HTP.

Q. My weight was 290 lbs, and I am diabetic. But starting with GI-Diet and Psyllium I got my weight slowly down to 275lbs. Now I am thinking to use eventually 5HTP as additional help. Do you see any danger in using 5HTP?
   A. Congratulations on the weight drop. We can't advise whether you should or should not take 5HTP, all we can do is refer you to this weight loss page that you may find helpful.

Q. I'm a doctor. Any data on 5HTP and pregnancy? I have a low serotonin patient and she's off meds because she's pregnant but could use some boosting. Someone else sent me a query on 5 HTP and liver-- I'll forward it to you. I use higher doses all the time and no liver issues. Is there date on it?
   A. As of October 2007, the role of 5htp supplements in pregnancy to our knowledge has not been studied, so we really don't know the safety of 5htp in women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. We think it would be best not to use 5htp during pregnancy unless a woman's doctor approves and thinks other alternatives are not safe. We have not seen any studies on the role of 5htp and liver, and thus far, after several years on the market, we have not had any reports from any users of liver harm from the use of a 5htp supplement.

Q. I understand 5htp converts to serotonin in the gut, I have had low platelets for a couple of years apparently caused by a combo of long-term ITP and a stupid cardiologist who didn't listen when I said the Lisinopril had made my platelets drop overnight - and kept me on it for months - my platelets seem to be in the 50-90K range for the last 6 months. 100K is as good as it gets for me in the last 25 years.
   A. When 5HTP supplements are taken, there is an increase in serotonin in platelets. Drugs with the highest degree of serotonin reuptake inhibition -- fluoxetine, paroxetine, and sertraline -- are more frequently associated with abnormal bleeding. SSRI use leads to decreased platelet aggregation and activity, and prolongation of bleeding time. Patients with a history of coagulation disorders, especially suspected or documented thrombocytopenia or platelet disorder, should be cautious in using SSRI drugs, and perhaps also 5HTP.

Q. I have been using 5HTP for over 2 years now. I was taking 150 mg. before bed but then I took a break and have started back with 50 mg before bed. 5HTP gave me my life back basically. I had post partum depression and anxiety, my baby who is now 3 has special needs and I have an extreme amount of stress. I also have very bad PMS and 5HTP is an incredible product. Paxil did not work as well for me as does 5HTP.

Q. I am the mother of a 21-year old student at a college in the Philly area who has been taking 5HTP for 3 years, having been weaned off of Paxil in high school after taking that for six months for generalized anxiety disorder. She has been managing quite well until recently and is now considering resuming medication. I read the excellent book 5HTP: Nature's Serotonin Solution. My daughter originally was treated at age 17 by a psychiatrist in our area who put her on Paxil -- the side effects led to additional drugs [trazodone] and behaviors that were worse we thought, as her parents, than her original symptoms. The Paxil made her manic, predominantly euphoric, and sleepless. Despite our concerns [we were opposed to putting her on meds but her therapist and pediatrician both concurred that she needed it], the psychiatrist treating her kept increasing the dosage, using an unrealistic criterion of feelings of good mood 24 X 7, a criterion with which we disagreed, leading to a parting of the ways. We were fortunate to find an "alternative MD" who had been treating me for a form of chronic fatigue and who agreed to take her case, easing ed her off Paxil and onto 5HTP over a period of 6 months during her senior year in high school, and as mentioned, she has been taking 5HTP with great success until recently. Her anxiety increased while abroad in London and it has not settled down. While she can continue to be treated by this MD [and will be seeing him for neurotransmitter balancing], she really needs to work with a psychiatrist who isn't "trigger happy" [pardon my expression] with traditional meds and who is open-minded about alternatives, particularly 5HTP.

Q. I am asking about 5HTP. It says pure 5HTP, but is it peak X free? I was told that it should be peak X free and that good 5HTP , when you take it , should give you a slight feeling of euphoria. I tried Natrol from a GNC store and it did not have peak X free on and I did not feel anything. I believe it did have some fillers like rice flour? I was told not all 5HTP is the same. Some have added things like valerian root and magnesium , and B-6. I had no luck with GABA. I hope they can somehow get it cross the blood barrier. I am currently taking Effexor XR, I have been on it a long time and it just is not working anymore. I have anxiety related depression and I also take tranquilizers which are not working anymore. I have had a couple of rough years. I am told that 5HTP works well in this kind of depression. Sometimes I think it's the Effexor XR that is making me more nervous. I did read everything the was on the your site regarding 5HTP. I do know that Effexor can rise the blood pressure it's classed as an SRI. I do know it's one of the hardest antidepressants to come off of and it should be done over a considerable amount of time. I understand you can break open the capsule and just try a small amt in water and I will slowly decrease the Effexor over time. I am familiar with serotonin syndrome it happened on a different antidepressant.
   A. Sometimes it may be difficult to notice the effect of 5HTP when taken the same day as Effexor and tranqulizers. The 5HTP is peak X free. There are many natural supplements that influence depression and anxiety, and you may ask your doctor to review the pages on the web site about depression and anxiety to see if there are natural supplements that may help you.

Q.  I am just wondering which is the book that talks about 5HTP. Please let me know the title and how to obtain it. I just bought 5HTP pills and have no idea on how to start taking it for Generalized Anxiety Disorder.
   A. The book is called 5HTP Nature's Serotonin Solution, but it is not updated, this web page on 5HTP gives you the needed information on how to take 5HTP supplements.

Q. I have been struggling with insomnia for several months. I sleep well for several weeks then for a few weeks I have trouble staying asleep. i have been taking 50 mg of 5HTP on these occasions but would like to know if adding L theanine with the 5HTP is ok? I  don't always get results from just the 5HTP.
   A. Sometimes adding theanine to 5HTP helps, but it is not consistent. Good Night Rx provides more consistent results than other natural supplements for sleep.

Q. I have been taking 100mg 5htp at night before bed to help with depression and insomnia. That dose causes me to have inorgasmia, but does seem to help with my sleeping and mood. The 50mg 5HTP dose did not seem to help nearly as much with the sleeping and mood and did not cause inorgasmia. Are there any natural serotonin enhancers that do not cause sexual dysfunction? I’ve considered St. John’s Wort, but thought I’d email first.
   A. Serotonin is know to blunt sexuality. There are several natural supplements that help with mood that do not directly act on the serotonin system in the brain. St. John's wort, SAM-e, and others listed on the depression page are worthwhile to explore.

Q. Is there a difference between 5HTP, 5-HTP and 5 HTP?
   A. They are all abbreviations for the same supplement
 

Home - Tribulus Terrestris Extract

For more 5HTP study information by Ray Sahelian, M.D.