I discovered this in a magazine here on vacation. Looks like l-tryptophan has
become available again. The brands are quite expensive, but I looked on
iherb.com and found Source Naturals and Doctor's best reasonably priced.

This amino acid has been available as vet product and some at compounding pharmacies in the past two years, but it appears that it is now easily over the counter again. I will be trying it myself when I get back...combined with my light visor treatments.
This is the product I found in a magazine this week... it appears more
expensive but the site is interesting to read at least:
http://getcyence.com/products_ltryptophan.html

Mrsd

What is it good for?

Oops just checked the link and I see what to use it for.

Thanks

NOW brand very reasonably priced. (I really like NOW brand).

I will keep you all informed as to how it works.

I tried 5-HTP and it did not work well for me. Don't know why.

As fall and shorter days approach now, I will be firing up my light visor. ( I have not used it since June with vacation and the longer days of summer).
I was forced into using one last winter, when a huge physiological slow down (SAD) hit me. L-tryptophan is a serotonin precursor, and combined with my
B vits, I expect it will be helpful. I am going to start slowly, like I usually do.

There was a flurry of speculation that Lilly was instrumental in suppressing OTC tryptophan when the peak X toxicity accident occurred in Japan. This was a manufacturing error, that was corrected. But since Prozac was introduced at the same time, it was rumored that the major drug company Lilly wanted ALL competition for its Prozac removed. Now that SSRIs are firmly established, perhaps that motive is over?

Now we have the patent holder for methylfolate Merck, withholding its valuable product from us OTC to fuel higher RX prices for it. The same sort of greedy manipulation that seems common these days. The FDA is NOT involved in this action...only the company who supplies methylfolate --Merck.

what is ur light visor thing? how much did it cost? I also deal with depression especially during the wintertime. I thought trytophan was always available but not necessarily easily accessible.

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...highlight=saga

Tryptophan was taken off the market in the early 90's due to contamination during manufacturing by an unknown substance then called Peak X--which showed up on gas chromatography during analysis.

There was a brief rash of EMS syndrome with a few deaths, that was linked to high dose tryptophan. Now this connection is less believed. And tryptophan has been trickling back. There were some vet products for animals on iherb a couple of years ago, and then compounding pharmacies started selling it online, and now it is back in proprietary products for humans.

The general feeling in the alternative community was that Lilly was behind its withdrawal, since Prozac had been just launched, and people were using tryptophan instead of the more expensive Prozac. This was during the senior Bush administration, and the Bushes have $$ ties to Lilly.
and here is another spin:
http://psrast.org/demsd.htm

I don't know why all of a sudden it is back. The bottle I received is sparkling NEW ...I've never seen such a thing! You almost need sunglasses to handle it LOL. It does not look like it has been on a warehouse shelf at all! it has a 2009 exp date.

A few months ago I received a huge catalog of products with an order by NOW. Tryptophan wasn't in it. So the big push has just started for it again.
My product is NOW brand. Magazines are advertising it as well, this summer.
GNC has it, but it is much more expensive than the one I purchased.

I would only suggest anyone who plans on trying this to go slowly.
I have only taken one...since you need an empty stomach for best results.
And I did not wake up during the night like I typically do.
But since I didn't like 5-HTP... I am going slowly until I start using my visor again. That will probably be in Oct, since I feel pretty good this summer without it. I'll keep you all posted on it.

I am doing L-tryptophan twice a week. I find it very powerful, at least for me.

It lengthens my sleep time by about 2 hours. And that at 500mg/at bedtime only.

So if you decide to try it, I suggest to go slowly.

It is best taken on an empty stomach with some carbohydrate, say a juice.
This pushes the tryptophan past the blood brain barrier most effectively.

that link no longer works I think i just tried it. maybe ill jsut go with doctor's best.

I just posted about Bluebonnet Pharaceutical Grade L-Tryptophan 500 mg.
I usually pick it up at Whole Foods.
Fairly sure it is available at www.iherb.com.
DH and I think it is very good for occasional insomnia.

def a little bit on the expensive side, 38 dollars for 100 caps, I think I may go with doctor's best for now.