I was in the fight for my life...because anxiety, depression and a form of PTSD were breathing down my neck, my constant companions. I had become debilitated with these diseases. The thought of driving caused high anxiety. Going down the cereal aisle brought on panic attacks like I'd never seen-so much so, that grocery shopping was ruled out. Going to a restaurant with loved ones became a chess match of finding the perfect seat. Being around other people was draining beyond words, and putting together words to even talk to people was a TASK. My life was on hold because my mind was caving in on me.
I started taking Min-Chex to calm my adrenals. It helped a bit. But I wanted to see what life would be like without this monkey on my back. Saw a pharmacist who's also a clinical nutritionist. He suggested the 50mg size of 5-HTP. I bought Pure Encapsulations brand. I started taking it twice a day, 2 capsules at a time. Slept better.
Increased my dosage. By week two, I was blown away by it: IT WAS WORKING.
For example, during one particular week, I joined a gym (yes, surrounded by people!), saw an attorney and did about two other moveforwardwithlife things. That same week, I noticed that colors looked brighter, music sounded richer. It brought me to tears. Visited the pharmacist just to thank him. 'The fog is lifting, isn't it?' (More tears.)
I came back from the dark side of the moon.
And I have not been without my 5-HTP since.
PS
The people closest to me, including my therapist, noticed the difference in me. It's not that HTP suddenly made my life magically improved. But what it DID do was clean off the windshield so I could see clearly. I thought the filthy windshield I was gazing through was real. It wasn't.
The pharmacist told me the 5-HTP worked faster than St. John's Wort, so I was glad he put me in this direction. He said I'd need to take a strong, potent B vitamin with it for it to synthesize correctly. (Not pregnant, but I started taking Rainbow Light Pre-natal Vitamins. Of all the multi's I've tried, I like Rainbow Light the best. They work great & give me energy. Good price on Amazon, too. I've even gotten other family members on RL vitamins-senior, men's and women's regular versions.)
Anyway, I found the Jarrow brand when I was trying to find a cheaper but still effective brand compared to Pure. Amazon has the best price I have found. I buy in 3s-1 bottle open, 2 on the shelf.
I currently take 3-5 dosages a day, of two 50mg capsules. The dosages change based on stressful or hormonal times (yes, ladies, I've found that it's great to take during the 2 weeks before your cycle, helps with the mood changes).
I once bought the 100mg capsule, thinking I was saving money, but the capsule size was too strong and I slept too much.
SIDE EFFECTS
-it makes me slightly drowsy. Since I take it throughout the day, I have become used to it-it lasts about an hour. And honestly? I can live with an hour of feeling a little sleepy if it gives me my life back!! No brainer. (Lol)
-appetite reduced
-brighty colored, movie-like dreams
NOTE: if you believe you have bipolar symptoms, you may want to look into lithium orotate. I do not have BPD but have investigated it for others in my life.
Like most people I started out with the best (Jarrow) when experimenting with 5-HTP but for some reason got curious and began to experiment with cheaper (and lesser quality brands).
I am relatively a newbie to the supplement industry (only about 2 years in) so I figured I should try other products to get my feet wet so to speak.
After experimenting with Natrol (which is good for some herbs but not 5-HTP particularly) and other brands it turns out that Jarrow is indeed the best.
Taking it right before bed is optimal. You feel somewhat groggy in the morning but this is the type that is a peaceful groggy resulting from a good quality sleep. Since 5-HTP is a precursor to Seratonin and Melatonin your body will take the 5-HTP and process either/or depending on the time of day it is taken, environmental stimuli and your personal needs. This is a great option for me because my body generally doesn't like melatonin supplements.
Anyone with sleep problems or depression should check it out. Watch out if you have anxiety or panic attacks though as this could mean that you have too much seratonin? The first time I took this (about 2 years ago) it actually made me feel very relaxed in public settings. However, when I take it now for some reason I become somewhat "edgy" if I'm around too many people. I guess that's just my body changing it's chemistry over the years.
Some may recommend 5-HTP for stress but I would say that the action of 5-HTP does not really affect stress hormones directly enough to prove useful in that department. However, I have found if you are exhausted or burned out and are taking the herb for the first time, it can truly be a miracle worker. Experiment at home first in a comfortable setting before you use it outdoors.
Either way, overall great supplement if you have experience, eat it with the right things (or nothing at all for a more pronounced effect) and don't take too much as you can get Seratonin sickness which is not a pleasant experience as I've heard. I would recommend 2 of these per day max (or one of the 100mg).
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I found that this product helps tremendously with anxiety. After a few weeks I noticed a big difference. I highly recommend 5HTP.
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So I know this product is used to "up" Seratonin but I honestly haven't noticed any effects in using it for that purpose. I used to take Paxil so maybe it's just hard for anything to stack up against that. Anyhow, I do use this as a sleep aid. If you take it on an empty stomach, or without any protein in your gut at least, this will knock you out. I wake up feeling pretty refreshed and have noticed that I can even go on about 5-6 hrs of sleep and still feel rested.
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I don't understand the science behind why 5-HTP works. I do know that since taking this product I have seen a marked drop in the anxiety I feel in my day to day life. I feel like I'm sleeping better and I have more patience when dealing with others.
I tried the Natrol brand and felt that it worked well. I went on Amazon and did some research and decided to try the Jarrow brand. I can feel a difference when taking the Jarrow brand. The most obvious difference is that it makes me feel tired within about an hour of taking it. I have an extremely active brain, so being able to 'get down' around bedtime is a huge blessing. Since I am getting more sleep, my morning routine has become much more pleasant. I can finally get up early enough to enjoy a breakfast and prepare for the day, instead of rushing out the door.
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My Mother and I both have trouble sleeping and so we decided to give these a try. My Mother has trouble swallowing pills so I thought that this being a chewable would be good. These "Warm Milk" pills not only taste wonderful, but, they gently keep you sleeping. Both of us noticed that they helped us to relax and we slept better. No drugged up feeling in the morning either! Since both of us are on different medications were were happy to find something that doesn't interact with them. A gentle sleep aid that doesn't konk you out, like a drug, but, does seem to help one sleep deeper.
