5HTP - how long before I can see full benefits?

[Josx]

Hi gang,
Been taking 5HTP since Sunday and must say i think it does work a little. already. Can I just say that my pills knowledge is not huge as this is the first and only pill I have tried so far.
I've been waking up much less anxious and feeling like i have been in deep sleep - not feeling drained all the time and muscles less weak. I however do feel a little hangover every day which i read these tablets can make one feel. But that can also be anxiety symptom.
What I'm interested to know from fellow 5htp users is, how long after first starting these did you feel like you reached the maximum benefit, and how did you know when to start taking more - I'm currently only taking 1 tablet a day, and the dosage instructions are up to 2 a day.
Thanks heaps!
Jos

[Josx]

Sorry for bumping the post, but does anyone have experience with 5htp?
Thanks heaps!!

[mtatum4496]

I decided to try 5-HTP yesterday, a single 100 mg dose that I took with a snack mid-afternoon.

On the plus side, it did seem to even out my mood quite successfully. Within a half hour of taking 100 mg, I felt very sleepy but that passed within another half hour, leaving me feeling pretty balanced. It did not seem to lower my energy at all, and may even have helped it a bit.

One the minus side, my sleep was not very deep or consistent at all last night. At best I cat-napped, which probably was a good thing since it also gave me diarrhea - and I don't mean the "I should probably hie to the bathroom in the next few minutes" kind, it was more along the lines of "yipes, get outta the way or else!" kind.

Even now I don't feel as tired as I normally would, and my nerves aren't somewhat jumpy like they usually are after so little sleep. I'm sure that as the morning progresses I may begin to experience a bit of a letdown. If the diarrhea will subside enough to allow me to stop worshiping at the altar of the porcelain throne, I may take a stab at getting to church this morning. If not I suppose I'll have to make do with church on television.

I wonder if I should find the 50mg size and give it a go instead of the 100mg? Perhaps it would be possible to enjoy the benefit of the even mood and not have to deal with the sleeplessness and the diarrhea? Honestly, I am so comfortable with the level of my mood that it may be worth trying the smaller dose.

[Josx]

thanks for replying mtatum!
After being on 10mg for a week, I upped the dose yesterday by 50mg and i think it made a difference. I shall wait and see. I'm still not feeling amazing improvements, but am feeling bit calmer. I will be playing with dosing for a while and if that doesn't do much more than now I'm thinking of adding Inositol to my morning routine.

[mtatum4496]

Let me know how it goes, Josx. I ordered some 50mg capsules yesterday and they should be here by the end of the week. Once I give them a try, I'll post the results.

[over_analyser]

I've been taking 100mg a day (sometimes 200mg) for about a year now. I can tell you I wouldn't be without it. It's really helped me. Although I have been under more stress recently and not felt so good, I think I would have been much worse without it. I can't really remember how long it took to make a difference but it's usually about 4-6 weeks. I just hope that this new EU directive on supplements doesn't include 5HTP because then I'd be in a mess!
Hope this helps.

[mtatum4496]

My 50mg caplets showed up yesterday and I popped one after supper. While it did seem to help level me out, this smaller dose still kept me awake. No diarrhea this time but I had some unusual cramping and muscle contractions in the stomach. Guess this one is not for me. Oh well...