# 5-htp



## PlayCrackTheSky

Does 5-htp make anyone elses DP worse here? I started taking 50mg at night, last night was my 3rd time taking it and today I had anxiety all day and then went out and got a huge DP hit, that "I'm so not here right now, this is just a dream, I'm gonna wake up any minute" But I'm depressed, I started taking this stuff to kill my depression and anxiety! I need to take something, I can't be depressed anymore, I just can't. Anyone experience this with 5htp? If so, how long does it take to get out of the system? The last time I took it was last night and I'm still buggin out. Or do I just need to stick this out (continue taking the 5-htp) and it will get better? Oh, the 5-htp seems to be helping with the depression too,it's just giving me more panic and that disconnected feeling to the 10th power.


----------



## scienceguy

PlayCrackTheSky said:


> Does 5-htp make anyone elses DP worse here? I started taking 50mg at night, last night was my 3rd time taking it and today I had anxiety all day and then went out and got a huge DP hit, that "I'm so not here right now, this is just a dream, I'm gonna wake up any minute" But I'm depressed, I started taking this stuff to kill my depression and anxiety! I need to take something, I can't be depressed anymore, I just can't. Anyone experience this with 5htp? If so, how long does it take to get out of the system? The last time I took it was last night and I'm still buggin out. Or do I just need to stick this out (continue taking the 5-htp) and it will get better? Oh, the 5-htp seems to be helping with the depression too,it's just giving me more panic and that disconnected feeling to the 10th power.


many people have got your reaction to 5htp and ssri's to DP/DR in general anything that raises seritonin is not good for DP/DR contrary to what some "experts" might want you to believe. Please review my tread titaled determined to find that magic pill and you'll see more disscussion about this. As for the best thing to combat depression or those intrusive thoughts from DP I would highly suggest inositol.


----------



## staples

PlayCrackTheSky said:


> Does 5-htp make anyone elses DP worse here? I started taking 50mg at night, last night was my 3rd time taking it and today I had anxiety all day and then went out and got a huge DP hit, that "I'm so not here right now, this is just a dream, I'm gonna wake up any minute" But I'm depressed, I started taking this stuff to kill my depression and anxiety! I need to take something, I can't be depressed anymore, I just can't. Anyone experience this with 5htp? If so, how long does it take to get out of the system? The last time I took it was last night and I'm still buggin out. Or do I just need to stick this out (continue taking the 5-htp) and it will get better? Oh, the 5-htp seems to be helping with the depression too,it's just giving me more panic and that disconnected feeling to the 10th power.


Stick it out for another 2 - 3 weeks. Anytime there's change in neurotransmitters there's a reaction to most people, whether it's positive or negative. After your body adjusts to the supplement it will start giving off positive effects. It's just like taking SSRI medications, they're 5htp based too.


----------



## resinoptes

Although 5 htp might not be too good for you physically, cos it converts to serotonin peripherally. Which may be bad for your heart in the long run


----------



## PlayCrackTheSky

scienceguy said:


> many people have got your reaction to 5htp and ssri's to DP/DR in general anything that raises seritonin is not good for DP/DR contrary to what some "experts" might want you to believe. Please review my tread titaled determined to find that magic pill and you'll see more disscussion about this. As for the best thing to combat depression or those intrusive thoughts from DP I would highly suggest inositol.


inositol will help with depression? Does it rise serotonin? If so, wont it have the same affect as the 5htp, because the 5htp also raises serotonin? I use to work out every day and would endorphins releases then and didn't feel like this,even with the dp so whats the difference now?


----------



## PlayCrackTheSky

staples said:


> Stick it out for another 2 - 3 weeks. Anytime there's change in neurotransmitters there's a reaction to most people, whether it's positive or negative. After your body adjusts to the supplement it will start giving off positive effects. It's just like taking SSRI medications, they're 5htp based too.


If this stuff does cause worse DP, i want to stop it ASAP, so the DP doesn't get any worse for a longer period of time. So it's kind of a catch 22.


----------



## Visual

PlayCrackTheSky said:


> If this stuff does cause worse DP, i want to stop it ASAP, so the DP doesn't get any worse for a longer period of time. So it's kind of a catch 22.


Have you tried any other medications?


----------



## PlayCrackTheSky

Visual Dude said:


> Have you tried any other medications?


well i was taking this stuff called deprex which actually has 5htp in it, with other stuff and I was fine on that, which is strange, no? I stopped taking it because it was pricey. But I started taking it again today. Along with some Dmae, fish oil, magnesium/zinc and Phosphatidylserine and a b complex.. And stopped taking the 5htp. So we will see. It makes me sick seeing all of the different vitamins that I have and it's super pricey for a gal like me.


----------



## Visual

PlayCrackTheSky said:


> well i was taking this stuff called deprex which actually has 5htp in it, with other stuff and I was fine on that, which is strange, no? I stopped taking it because it was pricey. But I started taking it again today. Along with some Dmae, fish oil, magnesium/zinc and Phosphatidylserine and a b complex.. And stopped taking the 5htp. So we will see. It makes me sick seeing all of the different vitamins that I have and it's super pricey for a gal like me.


Yea, it is frustrating how pricey supplements are. And then see people get sick on cheap ones - unfortunately just as with food, the junk doesn't help.

Goggled deprex and it has all sorts of stuff that affects the brain: lithium, GABA, L-theonine, etc. I was surprised to see Ignatia Amara which is great for calming the brain (epilepsy) but is banned by the FDA because it contains strychnine (and that is the part that works). It is probably good in low doses but still a surprise.

I'm one of those non-serotonin persons but know that some people like it. So you haven't actually tried prescription mediations. Have your doctors suggested anything?


----------



## scienceguy

PlayCrackTheSky said:


> inositol will help with depression? Does it rise serotonin? If so, wont it have the same affect as the 5htp, because the 5htp also raises serotonin? I use to work out every day and would endorphins releases then and didn't feel like this,even with the dp so whats the difference now?


Inositol is believed to work by making seritonin more efficent at certain receptor sites. these are more likly the sites that are good for regulating OCD and depression and it leaves the bad seriton sites alone. you see anytime when you take something that raises seritonin universaly accross the whole spectrum of receptors it gives you alot of bad effects along with the good. just think of inositol as being more specificaly targeted at your problem. 
inositol may also convert in small quantities to inositol triphosphate which helps in nerve signal tranduction which may also lead to a decrease in depression and possibly even DP this is something I'm exploring further in my own trials.

If you do try inositol just remember the dose for depression is kind of high about 6 to 10 grams, but it's very safe and vertialy side effect free you just have to take alot for the effect.

Best of luck and if you would like to partipate in a more specific inositol trial for DP let me know.


----------



## PlayCrackTheSky

scienceguy said:


> Inositol is believed to work by making seritonin more efficent at certain receptor sites. these are more likly the sites that are good for regulating OCD and depression and it leaves the bad seriton sites alone. you see anytime when you take something that raises seritonin universaly accross the whole spectrum of receptors it gives you alot of bad effects along with the good. just think of inositol as being more specificaly targeted at your problem.
> inositol may also convert in small quantities to inositol triphosphate which helps in nerve signal tranduction which may also lead to a decrease in depression and possibly even DP this is something I'm exploring further in my own trials.
> 
> If you do try inositol just remember the dose for depression is kind of high about 6 to 10 grams, but it's very safe and vertialy side effect free you just have to take alot for the effect.
> 
> Best of luck and if you would like to partipate in a more specific inositol trial for DP let me know.


Thanks, Ill look into buying some, so unlike the 5htp, there aren't side effects and it wont make me feel out of it? This is a good thing haha, I wonder how long it would take to actually help with the depression


----------



## PlayCrackTheSky

Visual Dude said:


> Yea, it is frustrating how pricey supplements are. And then see people get sick on cheap ones - unfortunately just as with food, the junk doesn't help.
> 
> Goggled deprex and it has all sorts of stuff that affects the brain: lithium, GABA, L-theonine, etc. I was surprised to see Ignatia Amara which is great for calming the brain (epilepsy) but is banned by the FDA because it contains strychnine (and that is the part that works). It is probably good in low doses but still a surprise.
> 
> I'm one of those non-serotonin persons but know that some people like it. So you haven't actually tried prescription mediations. Have your doctors suggested anything?


I actually don't have a doctor right now, I don't have insurance and can't really afford to go see anyone right now. The only thing that I've tried a couple of times is the lowest amount of xanax, but it just made me fall asleep. It did calm me down, but I don't think it made the DP or depression any less worse. I'm really not sure, because it knocked me out even on a tiny tiny dose. I'm totally afraid to take scrips. I don't even drink or smoke because I'm afraid of how doing those things will make me feel.


----------



## Visual

PlayCrackTheSky said:


> I actually don't have a doctor right now, I don't have insurance and can't really afford to go see anyone right now. The only thing that I've tried a couple of times is the lowest amount of xanax, but it just made me fall asleep. It did calm me down, but I don't think it made the DP or depression any less worse. I'm really not sure, because it knocked me out even on a tiny tiny dose. I'm totally afraid to take scrips. I don't even drink or smoke because I'm afraid of how doing those things will make me feel.


*I actually don't have a doctor right now, I don't have insurance and can't really afford to go see anyone right now.*

This is rough. Especially since some people respond rather well and quickly to various treatments. I find this sad and common. It sounds like you try to take good care of yourself too.

*The only thing that I've tried a couple of times is the lowest amount of xanax, but it just made me fall asleep. It did calm me down, but I don't think it made the DP or depression any less worse. I'm really not sure, because it knocked me out even on a tiny tiny dose.*

Xanax is for anxiety. Suppose being knocked out is one way to deal with it all









I hope you are able to find something that helps you feel better. Do you think you know what caused your DP?


----------



## PlayCrackTheSky

Visual Dude said:


> *I actually don't have a doctor right now, I don't have insurance and can't really afford to go see anyone right now.*
> 
> This is rough. Especially since some people respond rather well and quickly to various treatments. I find this sad and common. It sounds like you try to take good care of yourself too.
> 
> *The only thing that I've tried a couple of times is the lowest amount of xanax, but it just made me fall asleep. It did calm me down, but I don't think it made the DP or depression any less worse. I'm really not sure, because it knocked me out even on a tiny tiny dose.*
> 
> Xanax is for anxiety. Suppose being knocked out is one way to deal with it all
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I hope you are able to find something that helps you feel better. Do you think you know what caused your DP?


Well I've had it for years. I first got it in middle school, but it wasn't bad at all.

But I don't know if it's because of all of the things that happened this past year. I saw my father and pretty much half of my family for the first time in 10 years and went back home for the first time in about 10 years and when I was back home I got into a mopet accident that landed me in the hospital, and concussion, if I didn't have a helmet on, I'd be dead and that happened around May. Right after that, I was totally unaffected, besides looking like I was just barely beat to death, I didn't feel any different, the accident hadn't affected me. Then around October, this kid I knew from middle school/high school commited suicide and I sank into this deep depression, that whole "well,how is my life any different from his" and "what could I have done to have helped him". I don't know if I sank into the depression because of the delayed response to the near death accident I had or the reality of people I grew up with killing themselves or the visit back home, the reality of missing a decade of time with my family. But I started getting depressed and then starting getting hit with hardcore anxiety attacks, where I couldn't even leave the house. I stopped going out and doing things with my friends, stopped going out alone at all. Stopped going to the gym everyday, because I'm afraid to be out alone. That's when the hardcore DP came on. I've lived with DP since middle school and it has never affected my life really, I still loved going out, going to shows, hanging with my friends, I was super happy all the time. I loved working out everyday, being around people. The thought of being able to drive to the gym alone right now is like solving world hunger to me right now. It seems impossible. I just don't know what happened and I don't know how to fix it.


----------



## scienceguy

PlayCrackTheSky said:


> Thanks, Ill look into buying some, so unlike the 5htp, there aren't side effects and it wont make me feel out of it? This is a good thing haha, I wonder how long it would take to actually help with the depression


Most studys suggest about 4 to 5 weeks not much different then the time it would take for a typical anti depresant. It should also help with anxiety to a certain extent. If you like going the natural rout something els you could add for anxiety is valerian root, I havn't tried it my self but I heard it's good, very mild and safe.


----------



## staples

There's a catch-22. Dopamine helps with fatigue / focus, but too much causes adverse effects which in turns fuels the anxiety and the depersonalization even further. I think 5htp is good for depression / anxiety, but it can also give off a numbing side-effect if taken in too high of doses. Every person's chemistry is different, so what one can manage the other may night.

I really wish they would create a medication that would attack all 3 important neurotransmitters besides the older Tricyclic Antidepressants that come with a dictionary of side-effects.


----------



## scienceguy

staples said:


> There's a catch-22. Dopamine helps with fatigue / focus, but too much causes adverse effects which in turns fuels the anxiety and the depersonalization even further. I think 5htp is good for depression / anxiety, but it can also give off a numbing side-effect if taken in too high of doses. Every person's chemistry is different, so what one can manage the other may night.
> 
> I really wish they would create a medication that would attack all 3 important neurotransmitters besides the older Tricyclic Antidepressants that come with a dictionary of side-effects.


It's a common missconception that dopamine can cause anxiety, this stems from the fact that stimulents can cause anxiety in susceptible users, but really it is the norepinephrine effect of the stimulent that does this not the dopamine.


----------



## Visual

scienceguy said:


> It's a common missconception that dopamine can cause anxiety, this stems from the fact that stimulents can cause anxiety in susceptible users, but really it is the norepinephrine effect of the stimulent that does this not the dopamine.


I have to agree in part with this. When I started Sinemet (levodopa) it relaxed me - which is contrary to what I expected. I've heard Parkinson's people say it is a little agitating - perhaps it is the dose needed to restore muscle control.

One relevant experience - Wellbutrin SR (which raises both dopamine and norepinephrine). If I take 75mg it is wonderful. But if I take 200mg, by the third day my head hurts and must stop it, increase Gabapentin and take Hydrocodone for a couple of days. Clearly the 200 mg is over stimulating to the point of being harmful to me. However, I can rev up Sinemet without this effect (it only increases dopamine).


----------



## Visual

PlayCrackTheSky said:


> Well I've had it for years. I first got it in middle school, but it wasn't bad at all.
> 
> But I don't know if it's because of all of the things that happened this past year. I saw my father and pretty much half of my family for the first time in 10 years and went back home for the first time in about 10 years and when I was back home I got into a mopet accident that landed me in the hospital, and concussion, if I didn't have a helmet on, I'd be dead and that happened around May. Right after that, I was totally unaffected, besides looking like I was just barely beat to death, I didn't feel any different, the accident hadn't affected me. Then around October, this kid I knew from middle school/high school commited suicide and I sank into this deep depression, that whole "well,how is my life any different from his" and "what could I have done to have helped him". I don't know if I sank into the depression because of the delayed response to the near death accident I had or the reality of people I grew up with killing themselves or the visit back home, the reality of missing a decade of time with my family. But I started getting depressed and then starting getting hit with hardcore anxiety attacks, where I couldn't even leave the house. I stopped going out and doing things with my friends, stopped going out alone at all. Stopped going to the gym everyday, because I'm afraid to be out alone. That's when the hardcore DP came on. I've lived with DP since middle school and it has never affected my life really, I still loved going out, going to shows, hanging with my friends, I was super happy all the time. I loved working out everyday, being around people. The thought of being able to drive to the gym alone right now is like solving world hunger to me right now. It seems impossible. I just don't know what happened and I don't know how to fix it.


Wow, a lot has happened.

*I saw my father and pretty much half of my family for the first time in 10 years and went back home for the first time in about 10 years*

If you knew my family - this would be enough to trigger DP.







Where were you for 10 years?

*mopet accident that landed me in the hospital, and concussion*

This could have cause some 'progressive secondary injury' that created a weakness - but it is really hard to know.

*kid I knew from middle school/high school commited suicide*

Suicide is always hard on the survivors.

So now you have depression, bad anxiety attacks, afraid to be out alone, and hardcore DP. But you used to have mild DP in middle school?

You have a lot on your plate and it is difficult to know what to do beyond the standard things - have friends, be active, eat well. We will have to think of more things to help.


----------



## PlayCrackTheSky

Yea, thank you!


----------



## Kitr

Every since i had panic attack and took 1 benzo pill which was too high dose for me and antibitotic i get bouts of fear and saddne thru day in waves for no trigger or reason it just comes and both then affect my thinking.

I'm taking John wort low dose which helps a little bit and i'm thinking putting 50mg of 5htp. I heard this combination works well.


----------



## Sleepwalker

PlayCrackTheSky said:


> Does 5-htp make anyone elses DP worse here? I started taking 50mg at night, last night was my 3rd time taking it and today I had anxiety all day and then went out and got a huge DP hit, that "I'm so not here right now, this is just a dream, I'm gonna wake up any minute" But I'm depressed, I started taking this stuff to kill my depression and anxiety! I need to take something, I can't be depressed anymore, I just can't. Anyone experience this with 5htp? If so, how long does it take to get out of the system? The last time I took it was last night and I'm still buggin out. Or do I just need to stick this out (continue taking the 5-htp) and it will get better? Oh, the 5-htp seems to be helping with the depression too,it's just giving me more panic and that disconnected feeling to the 10th power.


I am depressive and have significant anxiety.
I found that 5-HTP did not do much for me at the box-recommend dose.
At a much higher dose, ohhhhh it relaxed me. It was such a pleasant experience for me.
Please, when you try a new med., try to stick it out for several days unless there is some, worse, unbearable effect-to reiterate.
Usually, a medication needs several days to work as the body begins to adjust to it; also you need to ride out any possible psychological reaction to it ("placebo effect)"; usually this effect cannot sustain itself much longer than a few days.


----------



## Guest

can I ask is this safe? it is linked with serotonin syndrome which is life threatening


----------



## kate_edwin

Ok somwhere in there you said you were taking two things with serotonin suppliments. You need to choose one of the other. Since you don't have a dr, you really should run these things by the pharmacist. You can't double up on serotonin, it's dangerous


----------



## branl

research confirms that increasing serotonin does increase depersonalization.

But not from things like exercise, or eating food.

but 5htp and ssri increase serotonin which can cause dp.

thats why people who take ssri, cipralex feel more relief from tension, anxiety, but there dp can worsen, so to counter that you take lamictal.


----------

