GABA & 5HTP for anxiety

[rustyempire]

I’ve got my trigger finger ready to order GABA and 5 HTP online to help with anxiety & sleep…But a Reddit forum warns of heart risks with 5HTP and suggest L-tryptophan is safer. So I thought I’d consult the hive first for feedback. Has any of these helped anyone here? What was your dosage if so? Any other input/advice appreciated of course. Many thanks in advance!

[humanbean]

I take 5-HTP, and have done for over 10 years. I take a very low dose and in recent years have cut down to only take 5-HTP about 3 or 4 days a week.

I wrote a post about 5-HTP a few years ago :

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

also read this reply on the same thread :

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

I have always found 5-HTP very helpful.

...

I have tried GABA too, but got no benefit from it at all.

[SarahJane1471 in reply to humanbean]

I take prescription PreGABAlin for PTSD . At first it used to make me very sleepy 2/3 hrs after each dose. Particularly on an empty stomach. But over the years that ( beneficial) side effect subsided. I cannot take 5-HTP as I take an SSRI and Zimovane.

I believe you should check other meds you are on to see if there is a clash (can’t think of the right word 🤪)

Contraindications ( that’s the word 😂)

[rustyempire in reply to SarahJane1471]

thanks so much for your reply! I also have PTSD so that very interesting you are taking GABA for that. I am taking an antidepressant but unsure if it’s an SSRI to be honest…I will check on that immediately! Cheers

[humanbean in reply to SarahJane1471]

I believe you should check other meds you are on to see if there is a clash (can’t think of the right word 🤪)

Yes, there are things to be aware of.

5-HTP (and every other SSRI I've ever heard of) increases serotonin levels. Too much serotonin can lead to serotonin syndrome which can be fatal if left unrecognised and untreated.

A lot of prescribed drugs, and some supplements, can raise serotonin. Personally I take 5-HTP (which is bought over-the-counter), but I also take a very low dose of tramadol (which is prescribed) which also raises serotonin. See the list of types of drugs which can cause problems under the heading "Cause" in this link:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serot...

You can guarantee that if anyone taking 5-HTP develops serotonin syndrome plus other drugs that raise serotonin, the 5-HTP will get the blame. There has been a lot of propaganda about 5-HTP and L-Tryptophan over the years I've been reading about them. Big pharma doesn't like it because they want people to take Big Pharma prescribed drugs. They've hyped up the dangers, which also apply to so many other drugs (prescribed, unprescribed, legal and illegal) such as SSRIs, SNRIs, Opiates, Tricyclic Anti-depressants, and many others. But 5-HTP is the one that is held up as being dangerous.

It probably helps me that I've never taken a high dose. Some people take huge doses and I do wonder what their long-term risks are.

And if I do develop a heart problem while taking 5-HTP I have a dozen other factors in my life that could explain that that are much more likely than me taking 50mg of 5_HTP.

But everyone has to decide for themselves what risks they are prepared to take after researching a subject.

[rustyempire in reply to humanbean]

Thanks for the quick reply! I’m feeling a bit worried about it after reading a few posts on Reddit. It links 5HTP to heart risks and it was suggested that L-tryptophan is safer. What is your current dosage may I ask? I’ve read 50-100 mg to start with is recommended.

[humanbean in reply to rustyempire]

At the start I took 50mg, every evening before bed. I did try 100 mg a couple of times in the early days but I couldn't tolerate it. This is probably because it raises cortisol and mine was already high.

But I coped with 50mg, and took it every evening for 7 or 8 years. Then I started reducing my dose very, very slowly (by reducing the number of nights a week I took it). I currently take it 3 or 4 nights a week (when I remember).

I've never heard of the supposed heart risks before. It's odd that people should claim that L-Tryptophan was safer than 5-HTP, since L-Tryptophan was banned by several countries for a few years and 5-HTP was it's replacement. Nowadays both 5-HTP and L-Tryptophan are available over the counter in the UK, as far as I know.

[rustyempire in reply to humanbean]

thanks so much again. I really appreciate the thorough response humanbean.

[Imaaan]

I couldn't tolerate 5 htp at all. It made my heart race wildly and it kept me from sleeping and having good night's rest. A member on here mentioned that it affects cortisol and maybe that was my issue. I took 50 mg and it was still too much so I stopped. For sleep I use magnesium glycinate and valerian root.

[rustyempire in reply to Imaaan]

Thanks for the reply. Yes I’m def concerned about the racing heart issue. It’s something to consider for sure especially as you were only taking 50 mg!

[humanbean]

If you're interested, you can see the relationship between L-Tryptophan and 5-HTP on this picture :

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trypt...

Tryptophan is top left, 5-HTP is the substance in the left hand column directly below tryptophan.

Serotonin is mentioned below the 5-HTP, and melatonin is mentioned at the bottom of the left-hand column.

[snow22]

I can recommend melatonin for sleep 5 mg under the tongue. Don’t know if you can get it in Canada if not online. I have read it is used in Australia for ADHD and I find I feel more relaxed in the day too.

[1eskimo]

5http was perfectly ok, but Ltryptophane gave me heart racing when I took it at night. It is a question of pathway and very individual I guess

[Litatamon]

Hi,

Have you had your vitamin b12 & vitamin d levels tested ? I had a deficiency in both, and once I got my b12 shots and aggressively supplemented to get my vitamin d up from the basement, I started sleeping like a baby. After years of very poor sleep

Also a bit off topic & only to do with sleep. Although I am pretty sure the first one would be beneficial for anxiety. I learned these three methods from an osteopath. I only had to do the first one as it was effective, even during those days when I was deficient.

1) One nostril breathing. Not to be confused with yogic breathing. On this you pick one nostril to close. You do not change sides at all. Does not matter which one side you choose. In and out 10 times +

Apparently one reason people do not sleep is because their brain is not balanced for sleep, and this balances both sides.

2) Pressure point on middle of inside of wrist. Press on it for extended period or she said some literally tape a coin on that spot for weight/pressure.

3) Fake yawns. Ten wide fake yawns.

Good luck with whatever you choose to take, just leaving these suggestions in case they give you some relief as well.

All the best

[rustyempire]

thanks I’ll give all these a try! (Although nose completely blocked with sinus infection - so one nostril breathing is out of the question atm lol).

[DiNL]

Hi there, was wondering if you ordered the 5HTP and if u have tried it? How are u getting on with it?

[rustyempire in reply to DiNL]

I would suggest going back up this thread and reading the linked posts that humanbean added to their replies. I opted not to order as I didn’t want to risk having more issues with a racing heart.

[TiggerMe]

We were recommending HRT a few months back, as this really helped with anxiety and sleepless nights, no good?

[rustyempire in reply to TiggerMe]

HRT confuses me. Don’t we need to know if we are hi/low in either testosterone or progesterone? What is in HRT exactly? I thought there was an elevated risk of breast cancer with its use? Thanks in advance Eeyore100

[TiggerMe in reply to rustyempire]

Hi, here's a good place to start to find answers to those questions, you don't need to download the App necessarily but there is loads of up to date information.

The body identical ones are made from yams and offer the same makeup of oestrogen or progesterone that we produce...

You can get bloods done, easier post menopause when things aren't still cycling around, but I think most of the clinics work on symptoms

balance-menopause.com/menop...