Has anyone tried 5-HTP for their fibromyalgia, if so did it work? any side effects? Any other supplements i should try?

[fanakerpan24]

[weetam]

Not tried it but be careful with 5-HTP as it can interact with prescription medication.

[jillylin]

Hi,

I totally recommend checking with your GP or pharmacist first as it can be a bad mix with prescribed medication..benn there :-(. A friend is just trying 5-HTP herself and has been on it a week. She feels a little better but very headachy.

Hugs

Jillyxx

[Mdaisy]

Hello Fanakerpan24,

I personally tried 5HTP in 2006 and it didn't help whatsoever but everyone is different so what suits one doesn't suit another.

Please note (not with FibroAction hat on)there has been some discussion I have read around the safety of 5HTP & l-tryptophan with sometimes conflicting comments over the internet. Here is a passage from patient.co.uk;

'The Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT) is an independent committee providing advice to the Food Standards Agency. They issued a statement in 2004 concerning tryptophan and eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome (EMS]

*The COT banned tryptophan in foods (including supplements) in 1990 - except in some foods for specific nutritional purposes, such as infant formulas, where natural protein sources of tryptophan must be used.

*The 2004 COT statement concluded that tryptophan as a prescription medicine has not resulted in a detectable increase in EMS, and that 220 mg tryptophan per day as a dietary supplement would not present an appreciable risk to health, providing it meets the purity criteria specified in the European Pharmacopoeia.

*L-tryptophan is available on prescription in the UK for treatment-resistant depression. It should only be initiated by specialists. If any EMS-type symptoms or a raised eosinophil count develop, treatment should be stopped and the symptoms investigated.

A Cochrane review on the effectiveness of L-tryptophan and 5-HTP for depression found that, from limited data (two small trials only) they are more effective than placebo. However, their use was not recommended because of the possible link with EMS (Dr Naomi Hartree 2010)

patient.co.uk/doctor/Eosino...

I would consider checking the product you intend to use has been manufactured in the correct way as per the recommended processes and I would stick to the recommended dose above. Also if you discuss with your GP about adding this supplement, (as is always recommended) you could check their opinion on 5HTP, interactions with medications etc.

Research continues.................

Emma

FibroAction Administrator

[Jjudith]

Hi I did try it because I have paradoxical effects to almost all most medication that is meant to help to improve sleep quality, but I found I had paradoxical effects to 5-HTP as well, it affects seratonin levels and it seems that all drugs that work on seratonin levels are particularly troublesome for me; they stop me sleeping altogether and make me feel really ill. But I have heard that 5-HTP has been useful for some people with fibro so maybe I'm just unlucky.

[Kirby]

I tried it once before being put on antidepressants as the available information described it as having similar results to Seroxat but I'm afraid it did nothing for me. Maybe I didn't stick with it but in one book I had it did mention that some people don't respond.

[fanakerpan24]

Thank you all for responding. I think I will wait til i get to see a pain consultant and see what they have to say as I am on a lot of prescription medications