5-hydroxytryptophan for Anxiety User Reviews (Page 2)

• Hot...
• April 7, 2017

"I've usually been able to pull myself out of episodes of anxiety/depression through CBT and other non-drug strategies but this was becoming harder and harder to do, especially after the death of my dad. Long story short - I looked into non-pharmaceutical supplements because I'd sooner be sad and anxious than foggy and addicted. 5-HTP helped me and I have experienced no side effects. I take it at night, am able to sleep well with no residual grogginess in the morning. Am I a happy person now? No, but I'm not miserable and my interest in life is increasing. I'm more optimistic which in itself is a big deal and I'm finding that I'm not going down the 'dark path' of negative thoughts as often or for as long."

• Red...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 24, 2017

"5-HTP has changed my life! After trying tons of antidepressant medications, none of them are working, so I decided to try something natural. 5-HTP is amazing and helps with sleep, stress, and just makes you feel like a wonderful version of yourself. It gives a good feeling all the time. I love it and I recommend it to everybody."

• T G...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 1, 2019

"33-year-old male. Started having nocturnal anxiety attacks. Happened for a couple of weeks. Would wake up after falling asleep (usually with a late meal) not being able to breathe, chest pain, feeling heavy, and weak. I actually went to the ER the first night it happened because I thought I was dying. Doctor originally thought the issue was caused by stomach acid getting into lungs but antacids did nothing. Doctor then suggested 5-HTP a week later. No more attacks (other than the one night I forgot to take the pill) after I started taking 100mg before bed. If you plan on taking 5-HTP, get quality product (don’t go cheap trying to save a dollar). Some of the lower quality stuff can have its own side effects. Good luck."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 13, 2012

"Switched from Seroquel 50mg/Prozac 20mg to just 50mg of 5-HTP at night. Works okay, no side effects, improves my concentration, mood has improved, unlike the effects of mood-blunting SSRIs, appetite decreased, have lost 6 kgs since starting treatment. Anxiety generally at bay, still need to take a morning dose of propranolol (20mg), works well for insomnia (especially rebound insomnia associated with antipsychotic withdrawal), am usually asleep within an hour/hour and a half of dosing, no withdrawal symptoms on cessation. Haven't felt this good in years!"

• Car...
• November 6, 2017

"I have been on anxiolytics and antidepressants for 15 years. I wanted to give them up and go natural. I must say, I cannot believe it has not been recommended to me before! I guess it's because it takes away from their business. My first 200 mg dose, I became a little nauseous but I hadn't eaten before taking it. I am amazed at how my mood has improved. I also used to smoke marijuana and when I stopped, I missed the way it gave me patience with my children. I would smoke and all of a sudden, the messes and yelling didn't bother me. Unfortunately, it's not legal in Texas so I needed to stop. After two months of irritability, I have now found something natural and legal that gave me my patience back and my children their loving mother back!"

• Sol...
• February 2, 2017

"I am 24 and have suffered from depression and severe anxiety since I was a young teenager. I've attempted suicide and been on tons of antidepressants which didn't help. My brother researched natural medicine and found this to treat his depression plus St. John's wort in the mornings, and I decided to try it per his recommendation. So glad I found this. I finally feel like life is worth living and have hope in the future again. I take the 5-HTP at night because it knocks me out and gives me vivid dreams. I only take 100mg daily."

• Anonymous
• August 24, 2018

"5-HTP has helped me manage my anxiety, and after years of PTSD-related nightmares, I'm finally sleeping properly. It's helped massively with suicidal ideation. Even during better times, the intrusive thoughts were always lurking. For the first 7-10 days, I did have quite noticeable side effects: headaches, feeling nauseous, and shaking a little. But I continued to take it because, to be honest, it was better than the side effects of prescribed antidepressants I've experienced in the past. Which is probably not the most sensible, but now I'm happy I did. I take this with a combination of L-tyrosine, B vitamins, and magnesium. Probably also worth mentioning is the ease with which I've managed to sort out my binge eating. I've lost 13kg in the last 4 months, which has been a fantastic thing for me, and now my BMI is back in the healthy range."

• rob...
• October 19, 2016

"For those who may not be aware, Could a gene mutation be causing your depression or bipolar? I highly recommend researching this. With the MTHFR gene mutation, you may not be able to make enough of the active form of the vitamin folate/vitamin B9 needed to make the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine, causing mental health problems. Google: balancingbrainchemistry. The treatment for this gene mutation is taking methylated B12 and methyl folate/B9."

• Nut...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• April 9, 2020

"5-HTP, in my experience of taking it (10 years+), has absolutely been down to dosage. I have had terrible side effects with the lowest recommended dosages: sweats, shakes, anxiety through the roof, nightmares, and insomnia. Until I started at the lowest dose I could buy, 50 mg slow/timed release type in the morning, I had no unwanted side effects. I have increased my dosage to 100 mg daily if having a bad episode, and usually after say 6 weeks to 3 months, I have gradually reduced back down to 50 mg over 2-3 weeks. For example, I take 100 mg on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday, and 50 mg on the other days. Then I take 50 mg for 2 days and 100 mg on the 3rd day, and so on. Obviously, I am not a medical professional, I am just sharing my experience here. I suffer from PTSD, depression, and anxiety, and 2 out of my 3 pregnancies ended in serious episodes of PND (suicidal psychosis). I self-medicated for many years and have been prescribed many anti-depressants and anti-psychotics, all of which have given me the worst side effects listed."

• Hug...
• June 21, 2015

"Supplements vary wildly in potency and quality from brand to brand. The way this stuff works for me is to put 50 mg of powder into a quart of water and drink it throughout the day. You do not want to get a huge spike of this stuff into your bloodstream that later shoots down. I have great results for several months this way."

• w1l...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 17, 2019

"Was diagnosed with anxiety and depression about 4 years ago, went down the SSRI route on and off. With SSRI, you felt like I was just going with the motions, like being on autopilot with no real get up and go. I switched to 5-HTP at 50mg for a few weeks and noticed a difference. No side effects, eating healthy, getting up early, getting out and about, and just feeling better about myself, mistakes that I used to think about are now in the past. Only negative I noticed was that the effects seem to differ from different brands of 5-HTP. I don’t go for a cheaper option that offered twice the strength, go for a smaller quantity and try different brands until you find the most effective."

• Dav...
• February 2, 2015

"I took 5-HTP for depression, anxiety, and insomnia, and it worked like a charm for the first night. I took another one the next morning, and I felt really weird and worsened my symptoms. I took another one the same night and ended up with serotonin syndrome. Be careful while taking this. Make sure you space out your intake as it's terrifying if it goes wrong. I didn't have to go to a hospital, however, I had mood changes every 5 mins, heavy brain fog, heavy depression, and suicidal thoughts. It took me around a week to clear up again. I'm scared to take another one fearing the outcome."

• nic...
• July 26, 2017

"I started to feel its effects fully after about a week. At first, I didn't think it helped with my mood much, that my mood had improved on its own. However, when I stopped taking it, my mood dropped to how it had been before. I take 400mg in the evenings and feel calmer and sleepier. Haven't noticed any side effects. Give 5-HTP some time to work, at least a few days or maybe a week. It is a great alternative medicine, in my opinion."

• Hil...
• August 1, 2015

"5-HTP has really helped me after being unable to tolerate side effects from Zoloft. I tapered off Zoloft and once I stopped, I switched directly to 50 mg of 5-HTP in the morning and 50 at night. I have had little to no side effects switching to the supplement. Very thankful to find 5-HTP."

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 3, 2018

"I switched to this from Zoloft. I am doing so much better. The Zoloft caused pretty severe side effects, but this has no side effects for me. My mood is better, my sleep is better. I am under the careful watch of a naturopath. This, in combination with a B-complex (to help natural serotonin production), has made me a completely different person. Hallelujah!"

• Cas...
• April 24, 2018

"Took 100mg about an hour and a half ago and I feel so comfortable, like the air is giving me a hug, almost like I am lightly stoned. This could be a total placebo effect, as it’s the first time taking it, but I hope not. I’m also very content, nice long deep breaths, extremely calm. I look forward to the next couple of days/weeks taking this and will keep you posted. I usually have social anxiety but couldn’t tell you if it has any effect on the severity of my anxiety as of yet, as I’m in my home (I never get anxiety in my home), will go to work and see... :)"

• blu...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 25, 2020

"Took a 50 mg pill for the 2nd time. (1st time I took it, I felt weird but wasn't sure.) This medicine actually increases my anxiety a lot, and I feel very anxious and nervous. It also feels like my heart is racing. I do feel like I have a ton of energy, but I didn't need energy, I needed to be less anxious. I will never take this again."

• zed...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 28, 2015

"Just want to add this has been great. I was on citalopram but it became too much of a problem for me, having to go to the doctors every month and work. Getting this delivered to my door was so much easier. Been taking 100mg every night before bed, it has reduced my anxiety quite a bit. I'm still on a benzo for the time being, but what people need to understand is that this drug works with chemicals in your brain. This is the reason you might experience increased anxiety. When I started citalopram, my anxiety skyrocketed before starting to improve my condition after about 8 weeks. Let it ride through and take it at night at first. It might increase your anxiety initially and may increase your depression in some people at first, but afterwards it works wonders."

• Ton...
• March 31, 2015

"I took this to try to counteract depression & anxiety. After the first dose, I slept well and felt really good the next morning; I thought that, at long last, I had found an answer to my prayers. After the second dose, my symptoms came back and were magnified many times. I felt so bad, I worried I was going to need hospitalization. It clearly works for some people, but for a few, it produces extremely rapid and horrible effects."

• Sum...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 10, 2020

"I have had great results using 5-HTP for anxiety and panic. I have a couple of different blends with the 5-HTP, B6, L-Theanine, and one for night with melatonin, they are both 50 mg, and I usually only take 1/2. It tends to make me calm and tired, so I prefer the night dose, but that night dose seems to keep me calm and in a much better mood all of the next day. I have had no side effects other than needing a nap after taking 100 mg. It starts working quickly, like 1/2 hour. I do find that after 2-3 weeks, it tends to quit working, so I take a week off, then start again. I definitely recommend trying it. I have had a few bad experiences trying SSRIs, and I believe 5-HTP actually works to increase serotonin."

• Ald...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 1, 2017

"This stuff works great! For people that get sick or anything, I'm just going to tell you, most likely you got serotonin syndrome from it because of too much of the chemical in your system, and that is dangerous so be careful. I do note that it makes me sleep super well, but the grogginess tends to linger around, and I need a couple of cups of coffee to cut through it. That being said, I have that nirvana feeling of calmness and clarity. My mood and motivation are improved massively as well. I had especially hard times waking up and getting started in anything that includes things I love doing and finishing things, after taking this, it right away really sparked up my missing link. I will probably get St. John's Wort for tolerance breaks."

• 5ht...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 27, 2017

"It has been the only thing that has relieved my symptoms of depression and anxiety, and possibly my pain. The only downside is that it makes me vomit, make sure you eat BEFORE taking it. It can also make my stomach hurt and feel nauseous. That's the only reason I didn't give it a 10."

• ano...
• May 14, 2015

"This supplement has really worked for me! The only problem is after about a month of taking it, I have started experiencing ringing in my ears and pressure headaches. But it does boost my mood, and I haven't had mood swings or anxiety like before I started taking this. Also, I find I haven't been as hungry and eating as much. This supplement would be perfect if I hadn't started having the problems with my ears and the headaches."

• Sno...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 1, 2015

"I'm taking 5-HTP with quite a few other supplements (all prescribed by a naturopathic doctor) so it's hard to say what is doing what, but I added the 5-HTP after a week on the other supplements, and it seemed to make a noticeable difference in my feeling of calm. I have been on every pharmaceutical AD out there, plus benzodiazepines, and I will tell you 5-HTP is different in a good way. If you have reached the end of the line with pharmaceuticals like I did, it's worth giving supplements a try, but I would recommend approaching it with a naturopathic doctor."

• Rem...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 6, 2025

"I have struggled with anxiety, depression, and racing thoughts for more than two decades. I’ve been on a few different antidepressants over the years, which have helped me some, but not as much as with 5-HTP. I started about six months ago, after tapering off my prescription drug. What a difference! I take 100 mg in the morning and another in the afternoon if I feel I need it. I just order them from Amazon. Cheap and easy. And no side effects at all. Maybe a bit of appetite control, which is never a bad thing. They don’t work for everyone, but I imagine most. Life-changing for me."