User Reviews for 5-htp

I have taken 5-HTP for a while to help with my ADHD. Completely gone! You have to take really small amounts, like 30mg (max) of 5-HTP, then take it with 50mg of venlafaxine, which is an snri. So as the 5htp increases seratonin (in small doses), the venlafaxine prevents some seratonin from reabsorption, allowing seratonin to build up in the brain. Most effective treatment yet!

I took these vitamins to help with ADHD. Worst mistake! I have been nauseous to the point where I can’t even drink water without it upsetting my stomach. This is my third time taking them, I wanted to give them a chance and I can’t anymore. I immediately started shaking and sweating after taking them this last time. It felt like I was going to pass out. 5-htp makes your drowsy and does have negative side affects. Please do research before taking them. Serotonin is good for your body but too much of it can lead to medical health problems. Read More Read Less

The overall effect for me was a lifted spirit. I was more motivated, also more positive minded

I took my first 2 pills last night to help me deal with stressful life events. I have had the side effects of nausea and drowsiness and still feel them 17 hours later. I did feel the serotonin increase as relaxed muscles and that relaxed feeling i have at night just before sleep, but I overslept by 2 hours and still got mildly stressed and burst into tears in a confrontation this morning. Since I am in good health and still find moments of happiness each day, I'm thinking of waiting a dsy or two and then trying one more pill to see what happens. After reading about side effects and contamination, I'm not sure the risks are worth it for me. I already slept well anyway. Read More Read Less

Was given 5htp for sleep by my doctor who told me it increases melatonin. Insomnia was causing anxiety & I had a severe adverse reaction for 2 months on it. I should have researched prior as I can't tolerate serotonin increases and my doctor knew my history with ssri's. The worst mental side effects & withdrawals and I continue to experience numbness in body parts and now depression 2 months after. There should be warning labels on these supplements esp since they aren't fda approved. I wish I never touched this garbage.Read More Read Less

I have dealt with mild OCD for over 50 years, and believed that the side effects from the pharma "cures" were worse that the problem. This lead me to try 5-HTP. Overall, I will say that dosing at 100 mg daily reduces stress levels, which stops me from starting the patterns that lead to the OCD "continuous loop." I have also had better, more refreshing sleep. If I take the capsules on an empty stomach, then I have horrible gastric distress; taking it with a fairly large meal OR one that contains a lot of fiber helps considerably. This is worth a try if you have ingrained, stress induced habits that you want to break.Read More Read Less

Took for about 2 weeks and it did help with anxiety and ability to sleep. Then started to experience some fatigue, muscle spasms in legs and palpitations and irregular heart beat. Stopped taking and symptoms resolved.

I took this product to help me sleep. It backfired and energized me. I sat up in bed like a lightening bolt. Nine months later, my sleep is impaired from it. 5HTP interacted badly with the serotonin in the anti-depressant I was on. It should not be sold over the counter. Drug interactions are problematic. I hate 5 HTP as it caused so much harm.

I take 5HTP to help me sleep. I have always had difficulty maintaining a normal sleep pattern, ever since my early teens, which is when I first also had the depression that has affected me from time to time ever since. After having a form of MS some forty years ago (undiagnosed at the time, but a symptom pattern which exactly matches current diagnostic criteria) I now have fibromyalgia which severely affects my sleep,’pattern’ leaving my often unable to sleep for as much as 28 hours at a time. Even then when I do eventually manage to sleep, I may wake again after only 3 or 4 hours before another long period of wakefulness. At other times I may crash out and sleep for 14-16 hours at a stretch. It’s not the pain of fibromyalgia which presents sleep, though that doesn’t help. It’s just that I seem to have a completely muddled sleep ‘pattern’. I also have very frequent migraines, often daily for periods of up to several weeks. Though, fortunately, the symptoms are largely controlled by preventative treatment and tablets taken at the onset, I find the only way to recover is to sleep,for a few ours, thus further disrupting me sleep. I therefore take 3 x 50mg capsules of 5HTP each night which has allowed me to cut my prescribed sleeping tablet in half. I can’t say it always works, but it has still made a huge difference. When it does work I can feel it. I gradually become noticeably drowsy and — providing I do nothing to over-ride it like moving around too much or reading/playing Patience (U.S. ‘Solitairr’ I think) on my iPad for too long and then take my sleeping tablet I usually have no trouble falling asleep. It sounds very ‘belt-and-braces’ to need both the 5HTP and the prescribed sleeping tablet, but, mostly, without both sleep is very elusive and I’m awake for my usual 26 or so hours again. 5HTP at least gives me some measure of control, allowing me to at least be awake during the day, such natural pattern as I have tending to sleep from 4 or 5am to afternoon.Read More Read Less

been on antidepressants for 6 years. replaced them with 5HTP and immediate results better than prescription drugs in managing depression, anxiety, insomnia, temperament, mood, I am no longer the mean girl. i get mean with stress and this has changed my life

I am weanig myself off of antideptessants and find 5-htp is better. Antidepressants helped with my sleep but i was still always irritable, mean and stressed at work. Now with 5htp once at night an donce in the morning. I am in a good mood, not angry and annoyed all the time, and i am functioning better at work which no antidepressant has been successful at doing

Ive been taking 200 mg of 5-HTP at night for about a month and have found that i no longer struggle with falling asleep every night. I also have noticed a change in my mood during the day, im less likely to get angry and am generally happy. It has also decreased my appetite by a small amount, but no weight loss.

2 weeks 100mg in the evening -> 3. week 200 mg, 100mg Morning and evening -> 5. week 300mg, 100mg Morning, mid-day and evening. I'm using a Product not listed. 100mg + Vitamin B6 I have very serious Depression amd Anxiety, I'm not able to work, I can't do my housework and literaly every little thing requires me to fight for it. Including my Hygene, I rarely leave my apartment. A few days into 200mg my mood is noticeably better. I started with 300mg today. It's very subtile so far, things are still hard for me and I still have to fight. But I have the energy to do little things step by step. I'm able to leave the bed and clean up. I'm hoping for another noticeable improovement in a few days at 300mg (Might be more satisfied than 3 Stars after that). I'm sleeping a little bit better and feel better in the morning. If I feel like I need more medication I will start with a low dose St John's-wort. I read through the studys and the mechanisms and consider the risk for Serotonin syndrome very, very low. Side Effects: Slight Diarrhea and movement in my stomach from time to time. But nothing too bad. Vivid dreams (A plus for me) Slight drowsiness, I might change to 100 mg Early and 200 mg in the evening.Read More Read Less

I experience occasional bouts of panic attacks and depression relating to childhood trauma. Am basically a positive person but when it hits, it hits hard. Recently, I tried 5-HTP and within a day the symptoms were essentially gone - the difference was as evident as night and day. One note: I learned only to take it in the early evening with dinner. I get a decent night's sleep (if I wake up I just go right back to sleep). I stopped taking it in the morning because I found I wasn't getting much done, although my mood felt normal and good I just didn't have much energy. But, even taking it at night I still feel a decent amount of calm during the day. It did bother my stomach a bit so I take it with food and usually empty a small amount from the capsule for a slightly lower dose. Still works great and I am so grateful for it!Read More Read Less

helps lower pain and helps me sleep.

I have been taking 100mg of 5HTP for about 2 months now. It helps with anxiety which in turn helped with depression. The best part about this is once you take it after a meal at night, its much easier for me to fall asleep. I used go to sleep at 3 or 4AM due to anxiety keeping me up, but after taking 5HTP i go to sleep around 10 and wake up at 6 or 7 EASILY. Then I wake up feeling happy and refreshed. The only negative about this is I get a headache sometimes, but this is quickly counter acted by taking a couple advils. Read More Read Less

Started taking 5-htp for general anxiety based on web info gushing about its effectiveness, bought NOW brand 100 mg. Label said take 3x per day with food, which I did. After 48 hrs, started getting bad diarrhea, along with a dizzy/weak feeling much like the bout of anemia I used to have. Another 24 hours and the problems persisted, stopped taking the 5-htp and they resolved within a day. There were no warnings on the label about these possible side effects, but a quick google search showed that these were the most common side effects of this product... why would the producer of this product fail to put these common side effects on the back of the label??? Are they that greedy that they can't give informed full disclosure? Pretty much cost me 2 days of sickness to try their product.Read More Read Less

Started taking 5-htp for general anxiety based on web info gushing about its effectiveness, bought NOW brand 100 mg. Label said take 3x per day with food, which I did. After 48 hrs, started getting bad diarrhea, along with a dizzy/weak feeling much like the bout of anemia I used to have. Another 24 hours and the problems persisted, stopped taking the 5-htp and they resolved within a day. There were no warnings on the label about these possible side effects, but a quick google search showed that these were the most common side effects of this product... why would the producer of this product fail to put these common side effects on the back of the label??? Are they that greedy that they can't give informed full disclosure? Pretty much cost me 2 days of sickness to try their product.Read More Read Less

Gave me horrible headaches and cause me to have serious irregular vaginal bleeding for SEVERAL weeks at a time. After reading all of these reviews I only found a few who said they experienced abnormal spotting from this medicine. I will not be taking this medication anymore to see if this resolves the bleeding issue as it’s a nuisance and I notice absolutely no difference in my mood if anything it made me more anxious trying to find a reason for the constant spotting.

I take this product 5 bro, it helps to put me to sleep at night. That is what the description i read would do for people, is sleep