5-htp?
 

Do any of you know anything about 5-HTP? I've searched the web, but warnings exist about it because of the withdrawal years ago. Anyone have more upt to date info about it?

Billye

NO personal but I beleive it is a decent sleep aid ...

Hi Billye

my son used 5HTP very successfully thru a rough patch with his OCD/Tourette

it also really helped him with sleep.
it is linked in the melotonin and serotonin pathways

my husband could not handle it tho (also has TS) but seems to do better on the pure tryptophan. I have not personally tried either.

hope that helps a bit

are you considering it?

oh yes, the warnings are old and related to contamination of a batch of tryptophan, because of the source. Itwas withdrawn by the FDA at one time but is now approved again, as it was the source and not the substance that was at fault I believe.
5HTP has always been available tho

Cheri

l-tryptophan is now available..
 

There is no need to use 5-htp now since l-tryptophan is now available.

I did not like 5-htp for myself. I tried it a while ago when I was having insomnia.
After about a week, it made me irritable.

I do use the l-tryptophan but not every day. I find it sedating. I am using it inconjunction with my light visor.
I find l-tryptophan sedating at only 500mg/night.

In order for tryptophan to get past the blood brain barrier, one needs to do
a bit of sugar. Amino acids compete with each other and tryptophan gets blocked from absorption. What really works for me for improving sleep etc, is to have about 100 cal of candy (I do gummi LiveSavers) just before bed.
This shuts off the amino competition for serotonin synthesis.
Taking the tryptophan at night, with the candy, really helps me fall asleep and it blocks hunger during the night too.
http://www.mcmanweb.com/article-152.htm

Having a good protein dinner, followed with a little (and I mean little) sweet,
can boost serotonin synthesis.
This site is also interesting...

http://www.pdsa.org/itp-information/...p-effects.html

Thanks Mrs. D
 

My new doctor wants me to start this supplement to cut down on the amount of Ambien I'm having to take in order to sleep thru the pain. I'm willing to try it. She's also stepping up the amount of fish oil I use. She's got me taking one gram three-four times a day. And supplementing that with fish three times a week. She is trying to cut down on the inflammation.

We've also got a place close by that sells grass-fed beef, chicken and turkey. I don't eat lamb but they have it too. I like all of her ideas, but I'm checking everything out first.

Thanks for the info and the websites.
Billye

Cool!
 

A progressive doctor...I love it.

This is a good form of tryptophan to try:
This is the one I got:
http://www.iherb.com/ProductDetails....66008506395828

High quality, reasonable price.

Tryptophan is high in most meats, and by manipulating sugar consumption carefully you can drive it into the brain more successfully.
So if you take the tryptophan at night, and have a 100 cal sugar treat, then you may utilize it better.

B6 is also needed to synthesize serotonin. By increasing serotonin levels naturally, you reduce pain perception.

I noticed a big drop in pain levels when I started the light visor. It was a major effect. Light also stimulates serotonin synthesis.

But the last two days of this horrible weather, my feet woke up and really started the old routine (I am spoiled lately that I don't have that anymore!)
So I had to do lidoderms last night, and today I have my big magnets on.
I swear the barometric pressure changes do something to pain levels!
This wasn't just burning...it was a hot nerve from my ankle down thru my arch and big toe.... GAD!! So that is just to show that we remain flexible to the environment and vulnerable to changes!

I hope this new routine helps.

Ouch! Mrs. D
 

Thanks for the source. I was looking for a good one and just don't trust all the imported stuff anymore. I'll try her plan. Thanks again for all the help.

Billye

Is drinking warm milk before bed a wives tale? Maybe try that. I have a horrible time sleeping as well. In the hospital they always said to eat a protein and carb or fat and carb together to help because it keeps blood sugar stable I think. The issue too is the pain at night wakes me as well. Mrs D I see a connection often with bad weather or severe changes and my pain.When I see rain in the forcast I dread it and why I moved from MI cold and snow. I wouldn't be able to handle it.Silverlady and you have many issues so of course check but I just started a natural pain supplement called Kaprex. Shelly on here is doing it too. I have found little research on this though but you may want to look into it. Hang in there

Mrs D, dosing schedule?
 

Hi Mrs D,
Made any more beautiful things again? I love your crystal balls. Back to the subject....I got the l-tryptophan today. I ordered the brand you suggested. Now..I am to take this at bedtime with something sweet, right? I usually take Ambien at bedtime, then 1/2 an Ambien about 2-3 a.m. Can I substitute the l-tryptophan for the 2-3 a.m. dose? I'm hoping to be able to cut my Ambien down. I'm taking entirely too much. And B-6? I'm so afraid of it. I take a multivitamin. Is that enough extra B-6 or do I need more?

I appreciate having you so much. I know I can always turn here if I don't find it out for myself. We are so lucky.

Billye

not yet...
 

take the tryptophan with your regular meds at first. See what happens.

I don't take drugs (except for blood pressure and Singulair for asthma sometimes) so I could really feel the difference.

Take it for a few days in a row, and see if you get morning hangover.

Ambien is habit forming I have found in my practice, with people having trouble getting off of it. It has some obscure actions in the brain (you know they are using it to wake up coma people) that are not understood fully. But it works on some neurotransmitters, and as such these drugs change you somewhat and are hard to taper off.

http://insomnia.emedtv.com/ambien/am...ithdrawal.html

The tryptophan MAY help you with the early morning wakening dose however.
But see what happens first and don't change anything. If in the future you go off of it...that needs doctor supervision.

You pick the sweet you want... just avoid protein containing things.
Just a little is all that is needed.

Keep me in the loop... I am curious how it goes for you. You need some help with pain...and maybe this is it?

Use the B6 if you don't get any response from the tryptophan. There may be enough in the multi.
You do not need to be afraid of B6... as P5P it does not have the same potential. I see that iherb just
lowered its shipping! I only paid 2.90 yesterday for my refills! Remember too low B6 also leads to neuropathies.
It does that on both ends of the spectrum of dosing.

I'd start with 500mg at bedtime. If after a week you see no response increase to 1000mg at bedtime.
It takes time to wake up enzyme systems to start rolling again. So the effects are not sudden like drugs
are.

Yes, I am working on a styrofoam cube, the top is amethyst crystals with clear Arkansas quartz. I am waiting
for some raw material from Ebay (I bought some amethyst tumbled small stones) I keep getting outbid by aggressive people. I think I will do the sides in agate this time, since I have alot of agate
to work with. It is very dramatic so far..I'll post it when finished, which may be as long as a month the
way I am going. I bought 30lbs of discarded quartz scrap on Ebay, which was filled with small crystals, just
the size I needed. It has taken about 2 weeks to clean them up and sort into Ziplocs. Beautiful things, they are.