St John's Wort and 5-HTP together ?
Hi
Has anyone taken St John's Wort and 5-HTP together ?
SJW acts like an SSRI, slowing re-uptake of Seratonin.
5-HTP encourages production of Seratonin.
I have just started (5 days ago) taking St John's Wort. I have 5-HTP also, but have not started taking them yet, as I have found so much conflicting information on the internet as to whether they are safe to take together.
Some people swear by taking them together they each enhance each others effectiveness.
Others warn that the combination can contribute toward 'Seratonin Syndrome', which is none to pleasant.
Just interested to hear if anyone has any experience of combining these two, or any thoughts in general ?
Many thanks
Dave
Re: St John's Wort and 5-HTP together ?
I use both together...works for me.
see: www.doctormurray.com/articles/worteditorial.htm
Re: St John's Wort and 5-HTP together ?
Hey djm,
I take 300mg or 5-htp daily & rant on about it all the time....it has worked wonders for me. However my knowledge is that it should not be taken with St Johns wort as they both contain the same ingredients practically and increase serotonin levels. I have done a lot of personal research on this remedy and i have interpreted that it should not be taken with St johns wort as it can lead to Serotonin syndome in some cases. This is basically an overload of serotonin levels which can heighten many anxiety symptoms and can also be very dangerous.
I personally was unfortunate in experiencing this myself having been prescribed sertraline back in march. It did not agree with my body & i ended up in hospital for 24 hours as i had awful problems. Hence the research on a natural remedy for myself to take instead of the synthetic meds on the market.
However i suggest that if you are in doubt & would like to try combining the 2 i would maybe get the advice of an alternative medicine dr...or another health professional to clarify your concerns.
Best Wishes
Nicola
Re: St John's Wort and 5-HTP together ?
I would probably think it would not be good idea to take 5 HTP and St. John's Wart together, at the same time. I've found a list of other drugs not to take in conjunction with 5 HTP, and although SJW isn't on there, it's generally agreed upon that it shouldn't be taken with any other meds that affect serotonin levels. One thing you could do if you want to be sure is to have your serotonin levels measured before and after going on 5 HTP. If they don't change, then maybe talk to a doctor or holistic doctor about taking both, or other options.
Re: St John's Wort and 5-HTP together ?
Please know that just because you can get it over the counter and it appears to be a herb does not mean it should be taken lightly. be careful about self medicating.
The only person I would ask this kind of advice would be a psychiatrist, they were Dr first then went on another few years to become psychiatrists.
Wher in the world can you talk to a Dr and get answers for over an hour!!
they are helpful and know what meds do what even herbal