5-HTP alternative to zoloft

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-18-2003
5-HTP alternative to zoloft
11
Thu, 04-22-2004 - 12:24am
I never liked the idea of being on Zoloft (tried it twice) due to side effects and bizarre, nasty withdrawal symptoms. It took a whole 6 weeks of me ever-so-gradually decreasing the dosage from 50 mg. daily to 0 before I stopped feeling dizzy spells and head zaps. I never want to go back on it! So I've been taking 5-HTP, a natural herb, in hopes of helping with my depression. So far I've been taking 100 mg. before bed each night.

Does anyone have any experiences with 5-HTP?

Pages

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-22-2003
Thu, 04-22-2004 - 10:52am

Hi there!


Sorry to hear about the Zoloft but glad you found something that works!

*hugs             

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-26-2004
Thu, 04-22-2004 - 11:42am

Welcome, Jthede, I'm glad you found our board!

AcornLeaves
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-18-2003
Thu, 04-22-2004 - 10:48pm
Thanks for your replies. I didn't have that many bad side effects while taking Zoloft, but I just don't know about long-term use. When I decided to stop using it because I suspected I no longer needed it, the withdrawal symptoms were hell (I know this is common for many people) and I felt worse than ever. Why don't doctors tell us about the difficulty of discontinuing the use of SSRIs? I was assured it was not physically addictive, by the advertisements and by my doctor. But there are hundreds of reports from people online who say otherwise.

So I tried 5-HPT as a more natural option. So far I think it's working, but it's only been about a month. I'm not sure about dosage or building up tolerance or anything with 5-HTP, so I was seeking others who might have tried it as an alternative remedy.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Thu, 04-22-2004 - 11:06pm
Hi, I may be the person Barb is talking about...I also take 100 mg of 5-HTP nightly, along with very low doses of prescription antidepressants (I had too many side effects from regular doses of them). Personally, I have been really pleasantly surprised by the benefits of 5-HTP for me...it got rid of my migraines almost completely, and it also took away much of the inexplicable "empty," depressed feeling I used to have.

I still really struggle with feeling down, but I do feel like the supplement may have corrected some of the biological factors that contributed to my depression. I hesitate to recommend it too strongly because I know that each person is different, and what works for me may not do much for someone else. But in my case, it has been very helpful...I have tried almost every prescription antidepressant out there without too much luck, but after starting the 5-HTP, I do function and feel much better than before (although I still definitely have my moments of hopelessness, I have to admit).

I hope you find this supplement helpful as well,

Rose


Edited 4/22/2004 11:07 pm ET ET by rosa444

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-18-2003
Thu, 04-22-2004 - 11:16pm
I feel a similar effect--the downward slope of depressive feelings has become less steep by taking 5-HTP. Still, I'm capable of having the unexplained blues at times. I tried taking 50 mg. during the day, but I became quite tired at work. Taking it at night seems to help me get a very restful night's sleep, too.

Have you taken it under the advisement of a dr. or a naturopath? I'm thinking about going to a naturopath soon.

Thanks for the reply!
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-17-2003
Sat, 04-24-2004 - 12:10am

IVHealth Ruth Ann
Community Leader/Ask the Health Librarian

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-19-2004
Sat, 04-24-2004 - 11:17am
Good Morning Everyone,

I personally, highly recommend 5-HTP, at least for helping decrease your dosage or for helping you to quit meds. I started taking it at 50 mg 3x daily. While the midday dose, at times, makes me sleepy, I find the overall effect to be worth it. And, for me at least, that effect seems to have lessened with time. I'm now taking 100 mg 3x daily, along with a handfull of other supplements, and they really seem to help.



The one that I've found to really boost my mood and keep it there is Omega 3 fatty acids. I take 2000 mg in the morning and at noon. I was very surprised when I started taking it. The results were immediate and quite noticeable. It was a definite upswing. Now that I've been taking it a while, I don't notice any changes, but it has defintely kept me feeling much brighter.

I talked with my doc about the 5-HTP and he said that it being a naturally occuring substance, in your body, as well as in the griffonia plant (where it's derived from), that I should be safe experimenting with it.

One day I was filling up my weekly meds, and I came out to the kitchen and got the 5-HTP for bedtime, and I had 6 100 mg in my hand. The phone rang, and I got distracted. I walked in the bedroom, and took all 6! My first reaction was panic, and to try and make myself throw up. That didn't work, so I just 'rode it out'. Basically, all that happened, was I slept all day. I didn't have any side effects other than sleeping that I could feel.

I wish you the best of luck with it! I've had great results so far.

peace, love & hugs

damarisanne

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-26-2004
Sat, 04-24-2004 - 11:53am
Your experience is so interesting to read about!
AcornLeaves
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-19-2004
Sat, 04-24-2004 - 12:07pm
Good Morning ((((Barbara)))),


That is a good point, about the SSRI's. I read a lot of different articles, before I started taking the 5-HTP, and from what I could gather, no one really seems to agree about it's effects or dosage. I have been very careful to watch for signs of too much serotonin, but have witnessed none so far.

Thanks for bringing that up!

peace, love and hugs

damarisanne

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Sat, 04-24-2004 - 11:30pm
Hi, sorry it's taken me a while to get back to you...my internet went down for a little bit. To answer your question, the person who recommended the 5-HTP to me has an interesting background...he is an M.D. and practiced psychiatry for years, but then decided to focus more on naturopathic-type medicine. He now heads up a new alternative medicine center at the local hospital, and I'd heard great things about him...he's been the only M.D. so far that I've seen to know anything about 5-HTP. I think naturopathic doctors might be more likely to know about it, though.

With regards to the best time of day to take the supplement, my doctor told me to take it at night as well, and everything I have heard and read supports that. It has basically the same ingredient (in a higher dose) that is in milk and turkey, the one that makes you sleepy after a Thanksgiving dinner! I've found that it has helped my sleep as well.

Hope this helps a little, good luck with everything, and feel free to post whenever you like,

Rose

Pages