St John's Wort and 5-HTP together ?

[djm]

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

[djm]

So many readers but no replies ? Anyone ?

[Wannabeloved85]

i have read your post before, but never answered as i really do not know! have you tried he search bar? or contacted one of the suppliars? better still, contact your local chemist they should tell you over the phone aswell.
Becci x

[magicsheep]

Hi Dave,

I looked into it myself and although some said it was ok, some also said it wasn't. I wasn't happy about the conflicting info so I stopped both and now have starting taking relora.

There has been blind studies done of Relora and other comprehensive tests along side, which is more reassuring.

Hope you find the information you're looking for.

TC x

[Karen]

You could also have a look at the SJW Info Pages (http://www.sjwinfo.org/) which has information about both St John's Wort and 5HTP.

Karen

[lass]

I asked the same question in my local health food shop and they said not to use the 2 together, but to use one or other.

I have also read a book by Patrick Holford about Optimum Nutrition for the Mind (I think that's what it was called) and he seemed to insinuate however that you could use both. He has a website that you might find of interest (just do a search on Patrick Holford and you'll find it!) - and they answer questions if you contact them, so you may find a definite answer from them.

Meanwhile, I decided to stick to SJW as I wasn't convinced of the safety or benefits of using both.

[strim]

I use both together...works for me.

see: www.doctormurray.com/articles/worteditorial.htm

[nickieb]

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

[naturalhealth]

I would probably think it would not be good idea to take 5 HTP (http://www.seacoastvitamins.com/topic.php?health=5+hydroxytryptophan) and St. John's Wart together, at the same time. I've found a list (http://www.seacoastvitamins.com/health_library.php?article=3118005)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.

[joyce1980]

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

[Sellen]

Hi,

I have just joined after stumbling across this post.

I recently found a product called Seritol. It claims to be herbal.

I found the ingredients and YES....5-HTP and St.Johns Wort, which I previously thought a big no no.

http://www.seritol.com/seritol-proprietary-blend.html

Has anything changed since the beginning of this post/thread?

Has some groundbreaking research been done?

If not, how can they market such a product?

I have also found this, though I don't know who posted the reply.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Can_you_take_St_Johns_Wort_and_5-HTP_at_the_same_time

It's hard to tell what is real and what is not.

Any feedback would be welcome.

[NoPoet]

I have read that 5-HTP may increase the risk of serotonin syndrome when combined with SSRIs but this is not conclusively proven as not enough high-quality research has been done into the antidepressant effects of 5-HTP.

Data in this table indicates that taking 5-HTP and St John's Wort together will also increase the risk of serotonin syndrome: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Johns_Wort#Pharmacodynamic_interactions

Personally I would avoid taking both these substances together. Speak to a doctor or a pharmacist.

[Freakie42]

I use a medicine called Brainmood, which has the following ingredients:

5-HTP (from 714 mg Griffonia simplicifolia):100 mgSt Johns Worth (0,3% hypericine):200 mgRhodiola rosea (1% salidroside en 2% rosavin):100 mg

[anto]

I would surely think twice before taking an SSRI with 5htp, certainly not at once and in high doses. However I think 5HTP and st johns wort can be taken together just fine. I have taken those two sups together in considerable doses and its just not that heavy. But of course every body is different, and when taken for weeks and weeks in a row things might turn different. I believe st johns's wort is quite a weak monoamine oxidase inhibitor, just as rhodiola, mentioned on another place in this forum. And indeed sometimes they are all put together in one supplement, and this is not forbidden. SSRIs are simply far more selective and effective, and those can be considered far more dangerous. Serotonine syndrome is not something that falls out of the sky like that, or you should be really sensitive for this. In comparison, some people use serotonin stimulating party drugs (xtc for example) and add 5 htp just for fun. Now that can be considered dangerous and insane, and still nothing happens in most cases (apparently). But I would strongely advise you not to do this of course.

Fact is, each supplement that contains serotonin stimulating properties, should have a warning about serotonine syndrome. Otherwise, one could accidentely use them all together and die. This does not mean however that 5 htp and st johns wort cannot be used together, and it could be considered one of the weakest combinations imagenable. Nonetheless I would certainly advice to listen to your body, and go gentle on the doses when you first try this. In addition I would not take an advice from a doctor who says that it is better to take only one of the two. The thing is, there is no decent information available to give anyone a serious advice without having information about his/hers chemical balance, or heart condition or whatever. Always ask for arguments. For example a research paper or personal experience with patients. If the doctor however says that both supplements act on the same system or something alike, and cannot argument this any further, the advice is quite useless, and you earn a better advice. Of course it is the safest way to go, but perhaps also the way that does not work.

Wishing you all the best

[KK77]

I think this combination could at worst cause some unpleasant side effects but not dangerous serotonin syndrome (ie fits, coma, death). SJW is nowhere near as selective or powerful as SSRI drugs. SSRI drugs increase serotonin levels to absurdly high levels. However, SJW is not only an MAOI but also acts on gaba and glutamate receptors in the brain. In fact its preferential target receptor in the brain is said to be dopamine, not serotonin. 5-HTP from natural sources is also nowhere near as potent as SSRIs. Furthermore, the interaction with SJW and SSRIs and other drugs is more likely to do with inhibition of metabolism through cytochrome P450, causing an accumulation of the drug and therefore serotonin levels. Also, scientists have trouble working out the mechanism of action of mono-molecular compounds, let alone a multi-molecular compound like SJW.