5 HTP and L-Tyrosine

[2quilt]

Have any of you taken these supplements instead of pharmaseuticals to treat PTSD and depression? I saw something interesting about these supplements on the net and thought I would ask you all. Maybe some people have used these instead of medications.

 

[tmunk]

PTSD and 5HTP & Tyrosine

I have PTSD AND A TBI. I take 450 mg of 5htp and around 8000mg of tyrosine a day. This is under my doctors guidance. I am not saying you take that much, but I will say it does help with said conditions. Tyrosine helps with mood and balancing your brain chemicals. I would get with your doctor and take a urine test to check your amino acids levels. Use these results to decide what you need regarding tyrosine and other amino acids. I hope this helps.

 

[Deleted member 541]

HI 2quilt,

I took both of them for a period during the winter months.(late winter early spring) I also took L-Phenylalanine along with them. I plan on starting these soon and in addition I will be adding Melatonin to the mix.....

I didn't see much of a difference in my depression, but that could have been because I wasn't on them long enough or at a high enough dose. 5-HTP IMO is expensive. It runs about $17 for a bottle of 30 pills, and they are 50mgs each..I was on 100 mgs so it cost around $34 a month. Plus the others aren't cheap either. They run around $20 a bottle and are 500 mgs.

I need something for the depression, but I refuse to go on AD's as the side effects and withdrawals are hell!!!!!

 

[Dylan]

Hi 2Quilt,

I've taken amino acids with some success, but it depends on how symptomatic I am. If I'm in a "spin" they don't have enough of an impact to help me ramp back down. But on a more normal stress level, they helped a great deal.

I took Tyrosine, L-Tryptophan, L-Glutamine and L-Phenylalanine.
I got information from health recovery dot com. That website actually has formulas - with the helpful aminos for differing conditions put together in one dose, so you don't have to buy a bunch of different things.

The book I read was "Depression Free - Naturally" and the woman talks about 5HTP not being safe if it's not taken with another substance (it's in the book...can't remember the name) due to dangers of too much serotonin affecting the heart (I think...I read it awhile ago). I do remember that it's sold in Europe with the other substance.

-Dylan

 

[2quilt]

Thank you all!

 

[Moonshadow]

I've taken 5-HTP, and noticed a definite difference in the way I felt, and how well I could sleep. I stopped using it, when I started having a vision anomoly, that neither the optomestrist, nor the opthamologist could diagnose. I later found that my vision problem was due to the need for a prism in my glasses.

I have recently started taking 5-HTP again, about an hour before bed. I seems to make a difference in how quickly I fall asleep, and how well I stay asleep. My problem is remembering to take it. As far as price is concerned, I found good prices and reasonable shipping costs, at iherb.com.

 

[tmunk]

Yes, I do take only the amino acids and not any RX-Med's.

 

[synisthesia]

Both are great for PTSD, I use both daily.

I also recommend SAM-e, I know it's expensive, but Walgreen often sells 2 for 1. That is as good as an antidepressant and has stabilized my mood more than anything else

Also fatty oils like Omega 3 & 6 and Lecithin too.