coming off citalopram onto 5-htp?

[lewist6683]

Hi there was wondering if anyone had any advise as Ive stopped taking citalopram cold turkey just over a week ago had some mild side effects so far. I was thinking about taking 5htp as citalopram didn't seem to work for me. Is there a time period you should allow between moving from one to the other, as i know they should not be mixed together? Thanks in advance for any useful knowledge on this.

[erin31]

Hi. I have just seen your post and wonder how you are getting on with the 5 htp?

[robinbrum]

I tried 5-htp on the highest dose possible for about 2 months or more. They had no affect whatsoever except to give me slight headaches and nosebleeds. I then tried l-phenylalanine for a couple of months but they were equally ineffective.
Can't advise you on the time period but if you try them I hope you have better luck thanI did.

[erin31]

Hi Robinbrum. Can you tell me what the dose of 5 htp that you were on was?

[robinbrum]

I'm rubbish at remembering dosage but I have a pretty thick head(!) and tend to be on the maximum dose of everything. I would recommend you start on the lowest dose to begin with then up it if you don't feel it's having any benefit. It will be clearly stated on the label how much you're supposed to take(well form HandB anyway). I wouldn't worry about ODing on it if you take one too many so you can safely increase it, within the recommended guidelines of course.
Hopefully you'll find it of greater benefit than I did.

---------- Post added at 11:07 ---------- Previous post was at 11:03 ----------

http://www.5-htp.org.uk/5-htp-dosage.php
That is a pretty cautious dose guideline, I think I was on 200mg a day. I would go and see your GP if you are still unsure.

[erin31]

Hi thank you for your reply.
200mg is not really a huge dose depending on why you are taking it. I am on 300mg at the moment and find this relieves my Fibromyalgia and chronic migraines from which I have suffered from years. I take this spread out in doses of 100mg throughout the day. I did miss a couple of doses one day earlier this week due to feeling well and my fibromyalgia came back with a vengence. I then upped to 400mg the next couple of days which brought it back under control.

I tried 5 htp a couple of years ago and it did nothing for me but I then realised that the dose I was taking (which was written on the bottle) was far less than medical trials had used. I am now following the dose guidelines in Dr Michael Murrey's book, Boost Your Serotonin levels plus fibromyalgia site's and this time around I am finding it much more effective although it is still early days with regards to anxiety.

[robinbrum]

That's interesting and I'm really pleased it's working for you. Come to think of it I think I was on 300mg, it may even have been more.
Has it had a positive effect on your mood? I mean, apart from the fact that it controls the fibromyalgia and migraines? It must be better than taking SSRIs and the like.
I will check out the book you mentioned.

[erin31]

I feel it is helping my mood but it really is to early to say for definite. I was on effexor for years and came off that 2 wks ago in order to take 5 htp for my fibromyalgia and migraines which were very servere. The panic attacks and anxiety only started when I stopped taking effexor and I have read that it can take up to four weeks at the correct dose for 5 htp to stabilise depression and anxiety. I find that although the anxiety is still awful (when is it not)it is slightly better than it was 2 wks ago.

I did find the 5 htp stopped the brain zaps that come when withdrawing from effexor and in the past I have had bad zaps simply by missing one dose. I had some zaps this time but they have been very mild.

I will keep the forum update as to how helpful or not I find 5 htp over the next few wks. Like everything tho what works for some sadly doesn't work for others.