I Believe I Have Beaten The Monster

[Philippa]

That's awesome. Glad it's working so well for you, and interesting that a doctor would guide you towards an illegal product? I had no idea that herbal products were illegal over there.

Your thread reminded me I have L-Tryptophan in my cupboard, so I went and started taking it again, as I was feeling down about it being my mothers birthday and having no contact with her. I feel a bit better now, but still kinda terrible about it...not depressed though, just bad I guess.

Rock on!!

 

[CrazyHorse]

The doctor did not guide me regarding 5htp :) The herbal pharmcist lady did. I just went in and asked if they had something that might help with PTSD. Not all herbal products are illegal in Denmark, but 5htp are :) She told me it was because of the competition with the drug compagnies.

I am sorry you are feeling a down philippa. I hope that will pass soon :hug:

 

[Philippa]

Yes, it's a very interesting story actually.

Because these herbal supplements cannot be patented by pharmaceutical companies, and governments cannot make any money by taxing them, they make them illegal or ban them all together.

In America, L-Tryptophan was banned by the FDA, after a japanese company who produced it, were adding extra things to the batches to experiment, and it contaminated the batches, rendering them dangerous for human consumption.

It got a bad reputation from that, even though it was nothing to do with the product itself, but the negligence of the company who was adding the extra things to it that made it dangerous. Prozac hit the shelves a week after this was banned in the States! Pretty interesting. The ban was lifted ten years later.

If they cannot make money from it, they do not want it competing with the brands they can make money from...which just goes to show where their priorities lie.