How do you do with using the amino acid 5-HTP for supporting your low serotonin symptoms of anxiety, worry, ruminating, fears, depression and insomnia? Does it help or does it cause nightmares? On a recent Facebook thread someone shared that 5-HTP causes really bad nightmares, so she had to stop using it. A few others posted saying 5-HTP also caused them nightmares. I’ve not had any clients report nightmares, so I was surprised to hear this feedback. However, most folks on the same Facebook thread shared that 5-HTP works very well for them and does not cause nightmares. There is also research that supports the use of 5-HTP for night terrors. I suspect it may have to do with low vitamin B6 and share more on that below.
Here is her experience with 5-HTP and nightmares and some of my feedback:
I don’t know how anyone takes 5-HTP. The horrific nightmares I got from taking it made me stop 50 mg. I tried 3 times thinking it was a fluke and it happened every time. Too scary for me.
My first try was suggested from my Naturopath, Metagenics SeroSyn. 200 mg. First morning waking up I had a nightmare so bad I can’t even share it. I also woke up feeling unable to wake up, drugged almost. So I waited, did more research and googled 5-HTP and nightmares just to see if there was a connection. I found it. I read to lower the dosage. So I went to Pure Encapsulations 50 mg. Same thing happened. I tried 2 more times, same thing happened. When I researched, I found so many people talking about “vivid dreams” and after my last attempt the dream was so real I thought my son was in my home when I woke up and had to process reality from my dream. That did it for me. Now I’m terrified of it. Just my own experience. I did get help from depression though! But I cannot go through one evil for another. Now I’m stuck looking for help and answers.
I thanked her for sharing and agreed it does help to do a few experiments to be sure it was the 5-HTP. I also shared that I would not consider the Metagenics SeroSyn a good 5-HTP to test because of all the other ingredients. But it also happened with Pure Encapsulations 50 mg 5-HTP – that was a good test to confirm.
I also shared that some folks do better on 5-HTP and some on tryptophan so if 5-HTP did help with low serotonin symptoms then I’d consider a trial of tryptophan especially since she did say using the 5-HTP helped with her depression.
We would also look for other ways to support serotonin – saffron, turmeric, St. John’s Wort, theanine (it supports GABA, serotonin and dopamine) and of course diet (real whole food, quality animal protein, no gluten/sugar/caffeine, fermented foods, organic vegetables and fruit, healthy fats etc), gut health and more.
I’d also look into and address low zinc and low vitamin B6 as both are needed to make serotonin and the other neurotransmitters. More on low vitamin B6, pyroluria and nightmares below.
Here is some of the feedback from other folks who also had issues with 5-HTP:
- 5-HTP didn’t mix well with my body either. Taken at night, horrible dreams, and 50mg Pure Encapsulations formula in the morning made me feel so dark, spaced out and terrible nausea.
- I appreciate this post. I had nightmares from a magnesium supplement that included 5-HTP! Now I know I’m not alone.
And here is some of the feedback from folks who do well with 5-HTP (the majority of those who responded):
- I take 100 mg of 5-HTP in the morning (Natural Factors) and about 350 mg of tryptophan before bed (Lidtke). It works well for me. No nightmares although I do dream a lot. Mostly noticed improvement in mood and ruminating thoughts. Also taking Sam-e which also helps.
- I take chewable natural factors Tranquil Sleep. It contains other ingredients (like theanine) as well but it’s really easy to dose. If I take 2 it’s too much. I get weird dreams and a headache. So 1 1/2 it is.
- 5-htp helped me so much! But I had to take it in the morning. 250mg was perfect for me. I was using this for my debilitating anxiety which would keep me in flight or fight all day and I would ruminate. Really helped me along with therapy. I no longer need it.
- I’ve just started taking 50mg 5-HTP at night. It’s a micronized version I buy from a compounding chemist in Australia. No negative side effects so far.
- Grateful for the reminder … I did great on 5-htp myself. Have had all dose amounts, given at different times too. I deal with chronic pain and trauma/stress.
- My sister gets anxiety on 5-HTP but it helps me so much! I have not tracked regular consumption compared to my sleep (I get too much REM without it and wake up exhausted). I also no longer need it as a daily and can take it as needed. I take 200mg, forget the brand but it’s a single ingredient.
- I take 50 mg of 5-HTP from Seeking Health and do very well on it. It has helped me with depression, worry, fear, more energy and motivation and no nightmares.
- I take the Now brand, 100mg at bedtime along with the same brand of L theanine. No nightmares and I’ve been doing this for about 5 years.
- I use 50mg Seeking Health 5-HTP and I love it. It gives me energy and motivation, helps with intrusive thoughts and anxiety. I’ve used the Jarrow brand in the past without results. No nightmares. P5P, on the other hand, I cannot take. It gives me such clear, vivid nightmares I would wake up crying. Never again.
We are all unique and there is clearly no one-size fits all.
Low vitamin B6 can cause nightmares or poor dream recall
It’s well recognized that low vitamin B6 can cause nightmares or poor dream recall. In this study, Effects of Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) and a B Complex Preparation on Dreaming and Sleep (which was randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled), 100 participants from across Australia were given 240 mg vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride) before bed for five consecutive days. Other study participants were given a B complex. This is the outcome of the study:
- vitamin B6 significantly increased the amount of dream content participants recalled but did not significantly affect dream vividness, bizarreness, or color, nor did it significantly affect other sleep-related variables
- participants in the B complex group showed significantly lower self-rated sleep quality and significantly higher tiredness on waking
This vitamin B6/dream recall research is of particular interest to me because of my work with pyroluria, a social anxiety condition which responds really well to supplementation with zinc, vitamin B6 or P5P (pyridoxal-5-phosphate) or a combination of both, and a few other key nutrients. Here is the pyroluria questionnaire.
One of the classic signs of pyroluria is poor dream recall, stressful or bizarre dreams, or nightmares, signs which the late Carl Pfeiffer, MD attributed to low vitamin B6 status. He suggested that your dreams and dream recall serve as a good indicator of your need for vitamin B6. You should dream every night and you should remember your dreams. They should be pleasant – the kind of dreams where you wake up and want to close your eyes and continue dreaming.
Could it be that folks who get nightmares with 5-HTP, happen to also have pyroluria? Or perhaps they simply have low vitamin B6 status? I have all my anxious clients supplement with vitamin B6 and/or P5P and this may be why nightmares with 5-HTP was news to me.
5-HTP can increase cortisol – does this affect nightmares?
There is research and clinical evidence supporting that, for some individuals, 5-HTP can raise cortisol. I’ve blogged about this here:
This is not always the case. Someone in the same Facebook thread shared this: “My cortisol measured above the reference range, but 5-HTP is the only thing I’ve found that’s helping me sleep recently.”
I’m not aware of a high cortisol-nightmare connection but it’s possible. In one study, nightmares triggered high cortisol the next morning, but I donut this has relevance in this situation.
5-HTP induces long-term improvement of sleep terrors in children
There clearly is a subset of folks who don’t do well with 5-HTP and yet there is evidence that it can actually improve sleep terrors. In a small open label clinical trial of 45 children, it was found that 5-HTP was able to “modulate the arousal level in children and to induce a long-term improvement of sleep terrors” (in the majority of children in the trial). There were 34 male and 11 female children ranging in age from 3.2-10.6 years.
After the first visit, L -5-HTP was administered (2 mg/kg per day) at bedtime to 31 randomly selected patients for a single period of 20 consecutive days. After 1 month of treatment, 29/31 (93.5%) of patients showed a positive response. In the comparison group without drug therapy, after 1 month, the episodes disappeared only in four children (28.6%) while ten children (71.4%) showed the persistence of episodes with the same frequency as before. After 6 months, 26/31 (83.9%) of children treated with L -5HTP were sleep terror-free, while in five children (16.1%) sleep terror episodes persisted. Of the children in the comparison group, ten (71.4%) continued to show sleep terrors at 6-month follow-up.
If we assume a 10-year-old weighs, 70lb or close to 32kg, they would have been given 60mg 5-HTP (i.e. 2 mg/kg).
Typical adult dosing of 5-HTP is 50mg twice a day, mid-afternoon and evening. For a 10-year-old we may start with a quarter of this dose i.e. 12.5mg or 25mg 5-HTP twice a day, for a total of 25mg or 50mg a day – which is close to what was used in this study.
You can read more about this in the paper here: L -5-Hydroxytryptophan treatment of sleep terrors in children
Resources if you are new to using 5-HTP and other amino acids as supplements
If you are new to using any of the amino acids as supplements, here is the Amino Acids Mood Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution (you can see all the symptoms of neurotransmitter imbalances, including low serotonin and low GABA).
If you suspect low levels of any of the neurotransmitters and do not yet have my book, The Antianxiety Food Solution – How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood, and End Cravings, I highly recommend getting it and reading it before jumping in and using amino acids on your own so you are knowledgeable. And be sure to share it with the practitioner/health team you or your loved one is working with.
There is an entire chapter on the amino acids and they are discussed throughout the book in the sections on gut health, gluten, blood sugar control, sugar cravings, self-medicating with alcohol and more.
The book doesn’t include product names (per the publisher’s request) so this blog, The Antianxiety Food Solution Amino Acid and Pyroluria Supplements, lists the amino acids that I use with my individual clients and those in my group programs. You can find them all in my online store.
If, after reading this blog and my book, you don’t feel comfortable figuring things out on your own (i.e. doing the symptoms questionnaire and respective amino acids trials), a good place to get help is the GABA QuickStart Program (if you have low GABA symptoms). This is a paid online/virtual group program where you get my guidance and community support.
If you are a practitioner, join us in The Balancing Neurotransmitters: the Fundamentals program. This is also a paid online/virtual program with an opportunity to interact with me and other practitioners who are also using the amino acids.
How do you do with 5-HTP for low mood, worry-type of low serotonin anxiety, cravings, PMS, negative self-talk, anger/rage/irritability, insomnia, ruminating thoughts, winter blues etc? Does it help?
Or does it give you nightmares that are bad enough that you have had to stop?
Please share how much you used? And if tryptophan or other serotonin support helped instead?
Did the addition of vitamin B6 or P5P help prevent the nightmares when using 5-HTP?
And do you have pyroluria or suspect you may have it? Do you have high cortisol?
If you’re a practitioner I’d love to hear your experiences with 5-HTP and nightmares.
If you have questions please share them here too.
I started taking 5HTP a couple of months ago when my functional medicine Dr suggested it because I am weaning off of Cymbalta. So far I’ve had no nightmares at all.
Pam
Good to hear – how much are you using and how is it helping?
Did this woman who had such a horrendous nightmare experience with 5 HTP have any dreams or dream recall before she started 5-HTP? Few dreams or no dreams? Stressful dreams, anxiety provoking?
I have found that with a very few individuals, having bad dreams after starting 5-HTP comes from a significant vitamin B6 deficiency. I have them back off the amino acid and work on getting their B vitamins straightened out first. Then they can reintroduce the amino acid and so far no one has had an issue.
That also speaks to 5HTP not being the right amino for everyone. Some people, as Trudy said, do much better on tryptophan, some don’t do well on amino’s at all. I’m one of those. And as she said there are herbal alternatives such as saffron, St John’s Wort and others.
It’s also worth exploring methylation as many under-methylators do best on SAMe.
I recently had a hormone panel done. As usual, I had high cortisol levels at bedtime (midnight). I take 5- HTP (100mg), Clonazepam (1 mg), 1/2 tsp GABA, 1/2 tsp Choline, 1/4 tsp Inositol at night. BTW, I am going to be 80 in a couple of weeks. I am a retired nutritionist and believe totally in natural treatments. I have CIRS,, MCS, Mast Cell, chronic Lyme, MARCONS estrogen dominance, VERY labile hypertension. (On Mother’s Day, I got dizzy and when my son took me to the ER, my bp was 292/113.)
E. Annette
Thanks for sharing. If someone is taking 100mg 5-HTP and not noticing any benefits we increase until we do see benefits or switch to tryptophan
I forgot to say, I’ve never noticed any effect in taking 5-HTP, nor have I had any nightmares from it.
I can’t see any place to comment apart from posting as a reply. Sorry if this is the wrong place.
I started taking 5HTP about 2 years ago to help with sleep problems. Just 50mg. It helped with getting to sleep but I was still waking up in early hours and unable to get back to sleep. After reading Julia Ross’s book The Mood Cure I slowly upped to 200mg taken mid pm and before bed. Over time, that made a significant difference. However, I began to see anxiety symptoms so severe I couldn’t think my way through everyday chores and everything became very difficult. I added in 2000mg of Glycine before breakfast. That has made a huge difference. My head is much clearer and I can do meetings with less stress build-up. On occasion I still need a boost partway through the day and use L-Thinine 200mg. I’m a bit concerned about doing that as I don’t know if I could be taking too much.
I only once had a nightmare. That was very recently. It felt very different from any previous experience of bad dreams. Almost foreign in origin and I woke thinking ‘Where did that come from?’
I tried taking 50 mg of 5 htp in the morning on an empty stomach… it helped my sleep at night but my stomach started hurting. I was wondering if it would be helpful to take the 5 htp with food, but a nutritionist suggested I take the 5 htp with a digestive enzyme so it would not upset my stomach and it has worked! My mood is better too. (The nutritionist said the 5 htp works best if you take it without food). •No nightmares.
Rachel
5-HTP can cause nausea in some folks but it’s typically only for a few days. Interesting about taking it with a digestive enzyme – can you share which one and when you take it? Glad to hear it helps with sleep and mood
5-HTP can actually be taken with food (it differs from other amino acids in this way) and this helps prevent the nausea.
For me, I felt an acidic stomach from the 5 htp that seemed to be getting worse after several days. I could try taking it with food and see. *For now, I’ve been taking it with a digestive enzyme (just one tablet) Ultrazyme by Douglas laboratories. I take it on an empty stomach at 10:00 a.m.
*Trudy, wishing you and your family well. Thank you for your work. I really appreciate you!
5 htp is the only thing I can take for sleep that doesn’t cause me night terrors! My theory has been that it doesn’t make me drowsy like everything else does (meletonin included). One night I took 5-htp and a relative unexpectedly showed up. They didn’t leave for several hours, it was 1 or 2 am till I could go to bed, and never did I feel drowsy. I tell people it’s like it just shuts my brain off so I’m not thinking about everything and staying awake. I took it for 3-4 months to get my body into a regular sleep cycle and the only issue I had was finally getting sleep Once I got back into good sleep habits I didn’t need to take it any more.
Elizabeth
Thanks for your feedback and so glad to hear it worked so well for you. And yes it’s wonderful to switch off that busy mind!
2 x 5HTTP tablets (=400mg) gets me to sleep,keeps me asleep …until the wee hours( yes sometimes for the toilet
, or light,or birds ).. when another 2oomg will keep me asleep till l wanted to wake.
TKU so much Trudy .I’ve been searching for years for my 8 hours sleep!!!!!
Kaye
Wonderful feedback – so pleased for you. I often have clients take more at bedtime or take it midafternoon (when serotonin starts to dip) and at bedtime to prevent the early morning waking
So I have mthfr and 5htp causes vivid unpleasant dreams. I believe it is due to my slow detox pathways…the 5htp stays in my system longer . So there is definitely a link. Mthfr also contributes to low levels of b6. I believe mthfr affects 45% of population. I believe this the reason why some people do well, and others not so much. Would love to hear more about mthfr, when you have time!
ALOOHAAA!
Melika
Thanks for sharing. I’d love to hear your feedback on these questions
– how much 5-HTP causes you vivid unpleasant dreams and how do you do with a lower dose?
– does 5-HTP offer relief of other low serotonin symptoms?
– have you trialed tryptophan with good results?
– do you have pyroluria or suspect you may (MTHFR is common with pyroluria and yes low B6 is common with both too)
– as using vitamin B6 with 5-HTP made it worth continuing?
– do you have high cortisol?
I do agree on the MTHFR detox aspect but am not sure if this is the mechanism as to why 5-HTP causes nightmares
Here are some blogs on MTHFR
https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/mthfr-b12-genes-and-anxiety-with-carolyn-ledowsky-on-the-anxiety-summit-5/
https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/mthfr-and-methylation/
https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/anxiety-summit-mthfr-and-your-mood/
https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/anxiety-summit-methylfolate-anxiety/
I have a high cortisol, estrogen dominance for years now. most likely PCOS too. Of course terrible trobles sleeping. my brother recconenden L-tryphtophan it did help a lot! then I read about 5HTP, horrible, really horrible nightmares happened and had to stop taking it. I’m okay on tryptophan or GABA ,cannot take 5HTP…
Edyta
Thanks for sharing – glad the other amino acids are ok for you
In regards to nightmares with 5-HTP, I definitely seem to experience disturbing dreams when I take it within 4 hours of bedtime. Therefore, I normally don’t take any after 7pm but do take it periodically throughout the day. I also suggested it to a friend who tried and likes it very much, however, he experienced excessive dreaming which he said interferred with him sleeping soundly, so I suggested the same protocal to him. When I was in college, I am now a senior, I tried taking regular trytophan and soon started having nightmares and hallucinations as I began seeing faces on the wall when I was trying to fall asleep. I only take 5-HTP now, in extended release 200mg tablets from the Natrol company. Thank you, Trudy, for bringing this subject up.
Scott M.
Scott
Thanks for sharing this interesting nuance of nightmares with 5-HTP and using it in the day instead. Glad you figured this out and it helps. And yet tryptophan does cause you nightmares. We are all so different
I have read that taking 5-HTP to help raise serotonin can also cause a lowering of dopamine, and it’s suggested to take something like L-tyrosine to offset this. At the same time some references caution that the two would need to be taken in optimal balance, to prevent other issues from arising. I would love to know your experience with this, and if you’ve seen low dopamine symptoms appear with 5-HTP supplementation in any of your patient trials? Thank you so much for your insight and all the wonderful information you provide!
Sandy
I believe this “theory” comes from Dr. Marty Hinz and it’s not something I have found to be supported by research or clinically. I’ve had many folks in community share that they were advised to do this and yet they could either not tolerate any tyrosine or the 1:10 ratio was way too much. There is no one-size fits all with the amino acids in the same way there is no one-size fits all with other nutrients and dietary approaches.
I’m curious to hear your personal experience when using 5-HTP? Did you take it with tyrosine in the 1:10 ratio? And how did you do?
Please do share where you read this?
Thanks for your reply, Trudy. I’ve read about this in several places…
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3415362
and also here:
https://www.verywellmind.com/5-htp-for-depression-1066521
https://nootropicsexpert.com/5-htp/
I’m always researching natural ways to reduce depression/anxiety, and hoped that L-tryptophan would help one of my children feel better, but unfortunately it did not. They have almost all of the symptoms of low serotonin, GABA and a few in the low cats category, and also the majority of pyroluria symptoms. We also just did the zinc test, and realized we are all low in zinc (no detection of flavor/taste). We have also discovered a cyclical pattern of worsening symptoms and believe there is PMDD. Supplements currently taking are zinc, GABA, p5p, D3, evening primrose, cod liver oil, magnesium glycinate, L-theanine and Ashwagandha as needed, and just started Sam-e along with PureGenomics b-complex for the MTHFR mutation. We’ve run the gamut on various therapies through the years. We did try SeroPlus, which has 5-htp (100mg), but did not see much difference in symptoms.
Hope this helps, and thank you!
Sandy
I don’t see this clinically (thanks for sharing these)
I do use individual amino acids and don’t use 5-HTP in a combo product – and we increase until we see results.
I have a few blogs on on PMDD and PMS so feel free to search the blog