Both 5-HTP and tryptophan are amino acid supplements that are known to help to boost serotonin levels so you can feel happy, calm, sleep well and not crave carbs in the afternoon/evening. They also help with panic attacks and phobias, lack of confidence, depression, negativity, imposter syndrome, PMS, irritability, anger issues, pain/fibromyalgia, TMJ and anger. I typically have my clients with low serotonin symptoms start with a trial of tryptophan because I see such excellent results with this amino acid. That being said, some people simply do better on one versus the other and you may do better with 5-HTP.
There is one big caveat with 5-HTP. I don’t recommend 5-HTP when a client has elevated cortisol levels because we know that it can raise cortisol levels in certain individuals. This can leave you feeling agitated, cranky, as well as “wired and tired” at the same time. You may be able to relate to this if you’ve ever used 5-HTP to help with anxiety and insomnia and ended up feeling more anxious and more wide-awake despite your exhaustion and need for sleep.
Today you’ll hear actual feedback from members of my community who responded to a past blog post: 5-HTP can raise salivary cortisol: does this cause a “wired-tired” feeling?.
Read on to hear how one woman found that 5-HTP did lead to her feeling wired and tired and how 5-HTP made sleep worse and worse in another; how one woman wasn’t sure if 5-HTP caused her disturbed sleep and waking in the night; and how one man found that 5-HTP was miraculous for his wife. In each instance I offer input and next steps if necessary. As you can see their responses were very different and my hope is that you may see yourself in some of these “cases” and learn more about using the amino acids.
And be sure to read the original blog post if you’d like to check out the study and some of my feedback on it and using 5-HTP.
5-HTP did lead to feeling wired and tired and made sleep worse and worse
Gloria shared how 5-HTP did not help her sleep and made her feel wired and tired. She figured out the tryptophan did work for her:
I so appreciate your blog and have learned so much that is helpful. I tried 5-HTP and it did not help me sleep. I do much better on Lidtke tryptophan. The 5-HTP did make me feel wired and tired. I also have that reaction to GABA Calm because of the taurine and do much better on GABA-T SAP. Thank you for all your research.
I appreciate her sharing and am so pleased she has good results with tryptophan. The Lidtke brand is the one I have the most success with. The GABA-T SAP is a combination of GABA and theanine and is another product I recommend and see good results with.
Alexandra knew she had high night time cortisol and yet has been taking 5-HTP at the recommendation of her psychiatrist and her sleep was getting worse and worse. She shared this on the above blog post:
Your posts do not stop amazing me! I have been diagnosed with HPA axis dysfunction with high cortisol at night, my psychiatrist had me on 200 mg of 5-HTP and my sleep was getting worse and worse! I had to stop taking it because I was going to get the DUTCH test done by Geneva and noticed I slept much better without it…. I am so grateful for your posts!
I appreciate her for sharing and glad she made the connection. Hopefully she shared this information with her doctor too.
The 200mg 5-HTP dose is considered relatively high, certainly as a starting dose. I start clients on 50mg and increase based on symptoms so I assume she worked up to taking 200mg.
When 5-HTP is making things worse we switch to tryptophan, also starting low and increasing based on need. Keep in mind that 50mg 5-HTP is equivalent to 500mg tryptophan but I like to have clients start low when making a switch and increase based on results.
It’s always important to address the high cortisol levels (with Seriphos and other adrenal support). And to consider checking for parasites, changes in sex hormones, SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth), gluten issues and other food intolerances, toxin exposure, new EMF exposure, medication side-effects, mold toxicity and infections – all of which can affect sleep and may impact cortisol levels.
Not sure if 5-HTP caused disturbed sleep and waking in the night
Merrily experienced some really good results using 5-HTP, starting low and working up to her ideal dose of 200mg. And then she started experiencing disturbed sleep and wasn’t sure if it was the 5-HTP:
Because of mood issues – dysthymia [low mood], irritability, negative thoughts, and low energy, my doctor recommended 5-HTP. I started on 50mg 5-HTP and have worked up to 200mg daily (which I’ve been taking at bedtime for over 2 years now). On the occasions when I cut back, mood issues returned which does suggest to me it’s working.
Lately I am experiencing problems with disturbed sleep, waking during the night which I had not associated with the 5-HTP. Shall I switch to tryptophan?
Thank you so much for your blogs, your book and lectures. You really make a difference Trudy!
She has a few options. One is to cut back the 5-HTP again and see if her mood issues return. If they don’t return and sleep improves she can stay on the lower dose but may need to increase it temporarily during the winter time
Another option is to space out her dosing and take less at night and some mid-afternoon.
Finally she could switch to tryptophan. As I mentioned above, 50mg 5-HTP is equivalent to 500mg tryptophan but I like to have clients start low when making a switch and increase based on results.
If these approaches don’t work it would be useful to test salivary cortisol levels to see if her cortisol levels are now high and if yes, address this with Seriphos and other adrenal support as I mentioned for Alexandra above. And to consider checking the same root causes that can affect sleep and cause high cortisol levels.
No, 5-HTP was miraculous for his wife!
When serotonin levels are low and cortisol is not high, results with 5-HTP can be miraculous for some individuals. Russell shared how much his wife benefitted from just 50mg 5-HTP twice a day:
I treated my wife with 5-HTP when she suffered from work burn out, depression and menopause. This all hit at once.
I spent hours researching what I could to relieve the night sweats, mood swings etc. and came upon 5-HTP. I used 50 mg 5-HTP, one before bedtime and the other on waking up and it basically fixed everything that was associated with the problems mentioned above.It was miraculous to say the least and my wife was also very happy.
I’m thrilled for his wife and thanked him for sharing the wonderful results she has experienced with 5-HTP.
If her results were not sustained, I’d suggest taking her doses mid-afternoon and before bed as this is when serotonin is lowest. Otherwise, I’d say continue as above.
Keep in mind that 50mg 5-HTP twice a day is a typical starting dose and we increase from there. In her case, this was sufficient and she did not need to increase her dose or take additional doses during the day.
Positive research and positive case studies
My intention is not to scare you away from doing a trial of 5-HTP if you have low serotonin symptoms, but rather to educate. As with all nutritional approaches, there is no one-size-fits-all so we just need to be smart with using amino acids.
There are also many studies supporting the serotonin-boosting effects of 5-HTP:
- Sleep promoting effects of combined GABA and 5-HTP: new research
- Fibromyalgia: tryptophan or 5-HTP for anxiety, depression, pain and insomnia
- 5-HTP in Parkinson’s disease: benefits for depression, levodopa-induced motor complications, anxiety and sleep issues
- Pharmacotherapeutic management of sleep disorders in children with neurodevelopmental disorders
These blog posts illustrate other positive case studies where 5-HTP was extremely beneficial:
- 5-HTP benefits both adopted daughters who had prenatal exposure to alcohol: they are happier, more focused and can stay on task
- ADHD: 5-HTP melts have been a miracle for one of my adopted kids
I see wonderful results like this all the time, but always keep the high cortisol and “wired and tired” potential issues in the back of my mind.
Unfortunately many practitioners only ever recommend 5-HTP due to their concerns about tryptophan.
Resources if you are new to using 5-HTP (or tryptophan) as a supplement
If you are new to using the the amino acid 5-HTP (or tryptophan) as a supplements, here is the Amino Acids Mood Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution (you can see the low serotonin and other low neurotransmitter symptoms) and a brief overview here: Anxiety and targeted individual amino acid supplements: a summary.
If you suspect low levels of serotonin 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 so you are knowledgeable. And be sure to share it with the team you or your loved one is working with.
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 5-HTP and tryptophan products that I use with my individual clients and those in my group programs.
Have you used 5-HTP with success? Or have you used it and felt “wired-tired” with an impact on your sleep? Have you correlated the success or failure of your 5-HTP use with your salivary cortisol levels?
What approaches have you used to lower your cortisol levels?
If you switched from 5-HTP to tryptophan did you have success with that?
If you’re a practitioner is this something you see with your clients/patients and take into consideration?
Feel free to ask your questions here too.
I read the blog which was very informative. Thank you. I have very bad anxiety and want to try Tryptophan. What dose would you recommend to start taking and what is a good brand? There are so many brands out there you don’t know which one is good or not?
Sara
As mentioned in the blog I recommend the Lidtke brand of tryptophan. More on the supplements blog about purchasing from my online store https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/amino-acids-pyroluria-supplements/
For tryptophan, 500mg is a typical starting dose and we go up from there based on symptoms. The best way to determine if someone may have low serotonin is to look at the low serotonin symptoms, rate them on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being worst, do a trial of tryptophan (or 5-HTP) and rate the symptoms again right afterwards (in the next 2 to 30 minutes). Here are the symptoms https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/amino-acids-mood-questionnaire-from-the-antianxiety-food-solution/
When you are new to the amino acids (and other anxiety nutrition solutions like gluten/sugar/caffeine removal, blood sugar control, gut health, pyroluria etc) my book “The Antianxiety Food Solution” is a great place to start. More here https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/the-antianxiety-food-solution-by-trudy-scott/
Years ago I had trouble feeling wired and tired and woke up between 2-3 AM everynight and couldn’t go back to sleep. I did a test for cortisol and had super high night time cortisol. I took 2 Seriphos an hour before bed and in a few weeks I started sleeping mostly through the night again.
Bob
Thanks for sharing and great to hear about your great results with Seriphos. I have found it to be the most effective way to lower high cortisol.
We also address why the cortisol is high – parasites, SIBO, gluten issues and other food intolerances, toxin exposure, EMF exposure, medication side-effects, mold toxicity and infections.
Yes I can’t do 5-htp. I’m post menopausal and I don’t notice a thing while taking tryptophan. So I’m depressed about it. I don’t sleep well at all. Should I take the tryptophan in the am instead of the pm?
Maybe they would help.
Melatonin works better but not for a long sleep yet it helps me go to sleep quicker.
Any suggestions to help?
Linda
Sorry you’re struggling with sleep. I’m curious which tryptophan product you trialed and how high did you go when trialing? Also which low serotonin symptoms do you have?
Afternoon and evening is ideal timing for tryptophan but a trial earlier is worthwhile.
Since melatonin works to some extent that’s a clue serotonin is a factor. Timed-release melatonin may be an option too.
It’s always important to assess for and address high cortisol levels. And to consider checking for parasites, changes in sex hormones, SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth), gluten issues and other food intolerances, toxin exposure, new EMF exposure, medication side-effects, mold toxicity and infections – all of which can affect sleep.
We also look into dietary oxalate issues if there are any pain issues too. Personally this is a big trigger for me. I’ll be doing a new blog post on this in the near future since sleep questions are #2 after anxiety questions.
When you are new to the amino acids (and other anxiety nutrition solutions like real whole food, quality animal protein, fermented foods, organic produce, health fats, gluten/sugar/caffeine removal, blood sugar control, gut health, pyroluria etc) my book “The Antianxiety Food Solution” is a great place to start. Much of this applies to sleep issues too. More here https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/the-antianxiety-food-solution-by-trudy-scott/
Despite regular meditation and gentle yoga, I have difficulty calming my brain outside of those practices. I tried one 5-htp and woke up in the middle of the night with an intense headache and nauseousness. I spent about three hours throwing up and icing my head. It passed, but I was shaky for another 8 hours. Any other suggestions for what might work better. I’m menopausal.
Nancy
Gosh sorry to hear. Nausea is a common initial side-effect of 5-HTP and headaches sometimes occur but are less common. For this reason I recommend a one-off trial during the day and vitamin C on hand as the antidote. I’m curious how much you used? 50mg is a typical starting dose and we use less for sensitive folks.
I assume you tried 5-HTP because you suspect low serotonin. Not being able to calm the brain is a classic low serotonin symptoms. As a reminder, the best way to determine if someone may have low serotonin is to look at the low serotonin symptoms, rate them on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being worst, do a one-off trial of tryptophan during the day and rate the symptoms again right afterwards (in the next 2 to 30 minutes). Here are the symptoms https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/amino-acids-mood-questionnaire-from-the-antianxiety-food-solution/
And we increase from there based on results. Low GABA may also need to be addressed in a similar way.
When you are new to the amino acids (and other anxiety nutrition solutions like gluten/sugar/caffeine removal, blood sugar control, gut health, pyroluria etc) my book “The Antianxiety Food Solution” is a great place to start. Much of this also helps sleep and hormonal imbalances too. More here https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/the-antianxiety-food-solution-by-trudy-scott/
Once again Trudy you expose subtleties about these supplements that I don’t see elsewhere, so much gratitude to you.
I recently had this negative reaction from 5-HTP before bed because I normally use tryptophan along with tyrosine and gaba but the store was out of it so I went on 5-HTP. Then for weeks I noticed that a half hour later when I got in bed that my heart was pounding and rapid and I felt hyper. I kept wondering why I was feeling so anxious suddenly and now I understand. That stopped as soon as I went off the 5-HTP and back on tryptophan 500 mg 30 minutes before bed. I am going through a period of high cortisol also.
Sophia
Thanks for the kind words and so glad to hear this blog helped you figure out why 5-HTP likely impacted you. And thanks for sharing that you also have high cortisol right now. It would be interesting to see how you’d do with 5-HTP when cortisol is back to normal.
I’m sure I’ve mentioned this to you before but I’ll share again in case other practitioners read this …I do offer practitioner training on the amino acids. As well as the valuable content, it’s an opportunity to interact with me and other practitioners who are also using the amino acids. More here https://www.anxietynutritioninstitute.com/balancingneurotransmitters/
Hi Trudy, I love reading all your deep info. I’ve been taking 5-HTP and L-theanine now for exactly a month and it’s really helped my perimenopausal sleep issues. It’s not perfect, but much better. I have no trouble falling asleep, but used to wake up after 5-6h all tired and wired with no way of going back to sleep. Now I more often get 7-8h, which is much better, but I still feel I need more sleep, preferably 8-9h.
My question is: I’m training to be a functional medicine health coach and I’m just about to do the tests SIBO, CSAP, Comprehensive Food Panel and Organic Acid. I wonder if I should stop taking these supplements before, i.e. if they affect the results? I’m not very keen to try without because I’m scared I’ll go back to 5h/night…
Best regards Sara Lövenhill
Sara
Thanks for your kind words. Wonderful to hear about your benefits with perimenopausal sleep issues with 5-HTP and theanine. If we were working together, I’d consider increasing dosing if this hasn’t been done and even consider a switch to tryptophan and/or GABA (one at a time). Timed-release melatonin may be an option and looking at all the other factors that can affect sleep (per the blog)
I don’t know what CSAP is but the aminos don’t need to be stopped for any of the other testing.
All the best with your coaching training! When you’re ready keep in mind that I do offer practitioner training on the amino acids. As well as the valuable content, it’s an opportunity to interact with me and other practitioners who are also using the amino acids. More here https://www.anxietynutritioninstitute.com/balancingneurotransmitters/
Thanks for your quick reply Trudy. I’ve already thought about adding your training eventually 🙂
The CSAP is a stool test, much like GI-map.
Best wishes Sara
Mine’s a bit different, Trudy. By reference range, lowest waking cortisol & 24 hour urinary cortisol. High serum adrenaline. Saliva tests not available here in Thailand.
Frequent wakings resulting in daytime fatigue. Tried 5-HTP, GABA, d-Phenylalanine, n-acetyl l-Cysteine, Glycine & tri-methyl Glycine, TMZ. Avoided all the herbals which lower cortisol.
3½ years of this! Sure could use a good night’s sleep… Thanks, Trudy.
CJ
Gosh that’s a long time with poor sleep. I don’t see tryptophan on the list and would want to make sure 5-HTP and the other amino acids have been titrated up to find ideal dose, taken away from protein and used sublingually.
Other things I’d consider: melatonin (both types), parasites, changes in sex hormones, SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth), gluten issues and other food intolerances, toxin exposure, new EMF exposure, medication side-effects, mold toxicity, infections, dietary oxalate issues if there are any pain issues too. Personally this is a big trigger for me. I’ll be doing a new blog post on this in the near future since sleep questions are #2 after anxiety questions.
When you are new to the amino acids (and other anxiety nutrition solutions like real whole food, quality animal protein, fermented foods, organic produce, health fats, gluten/sugar/caffeine removal, blood sugar control, gut health, pyroluria etc) my book “The Antianxiety Food Solution” is a great place to start. Much of this applies to sleep issues too. More here https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/the-antianxiety-food-solution-by-trudy-scott/
thank you for this analysis. Very interesting.
Trudy I’m one with high cortisol at night. History of Adrenal Fatigue. Tried 5 htp in the past it raised nighttime cortisol more. Then I tried tryptophan and it raised my blood pressure. I have your book on anxiety solutions. Did the test and tried your different suggestions. Once again the amino acids raised my blood pressure. Do you know why I might have that response to amino acids ? Thx.
Claudine
The only amino acid documented to raise blood pressure is tyrosine and I’ve not had this feedback about tryptophan before. There is also research showing tryptophan lowers blood pressure https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6521359/
I wonder if it’s an allergic reaction to tryptophan or ingredient/s in the product?
Can you share brands and dosing, and low serotonin symptoms? And the change in blood pressure? How quickly does it go up and then go back to normal? When it does go up have you seen it to go back to normal quickly and right after using the vitamin C antidote? (I assume you’re using a home BP monitor)
Do you have normal blood pressure or is it high? And are you taking medications for it? And taking any other medications? I
5-HTP worked ok for me for about 6 months or so, I was already taking B vitamins at the time. But, when I started taking lots of magnesium – wow! I am on cloud 9 and having so much fun! I have been running around and playing with my kids and actually blissfully enjoying it – rather than it all feeling like a chore.
Maybe all these people who are having side effects of 5-htp are so deficient in the other minerals/vitamins from all their “STRESS” that the 5-HTP isn’t able to do what it is meant to in their bodies? What about other supportive amino acids too? If you are low in the aminos to make up some brain chemicals – it is likely you’ll also be low in the others. I also take an amino acid blend for this reason.
It seems unwise to me for people to take 1 subtance and expect it to “cure” them – when the body is so complicated and uses many substances in combination to create our amazing bodies.
Natalie
Wonderful to hear and thanks for sharing.
And yes it’s seldom one thing but a combination. We typically start with one of the amino acids so we can provide some quick relief and then start looking for and addressing other underlying causes like low magnesium (which is really common and needed to make serotonin)
Interesting!
Seven or so years ago I tried 5-HTP to help me sleep. It didn’t seem to have any effect, so I quit using it after maybe two weeks. Sounds like no effect, right? But, no! I started having “brain zaps” while trying to fall asleep at night. I would have them most nights, sometimes multiple times. Over time they became less and less frequent, but seven years(!!!) later I still have one maybe every few months. I ended up with a long-term withdrawal effect from a supplement sold over the counter that I didn’t think twice about trying.
Katherine
This is the first I’ve heard of this kind of adverse effect with 5-HTP and while I would never say it’s impossible, I’d suspect the possibility of adverse effects from an SSRI or benzodiazepine (or other psychiatric medication) or from tapering i.e discontinuation syndrome.
This article contains information on brain zaps – Brain Zaps: An Underappreciated Symptom of Antidepressant Discontinuation https://www.psychiatrist.com/pcc/depression/brain-zaps/
If you have no history of psychiatric or other medications I would like to learn more and would appreciate you sharing how much you used and what product? And your description of the brain zaps.
I have never taken a psychiatric medication. It was so many years ago that I don’t know what specific product I took, other than that I purchased it at Whole Foods.
It’s hard to describe what it feels like, but brain zap is the perfect name for it. The best I can do is to say that it starts on one side of my head near my ear and travels toward the center of my brain. It is always sudden and shocking when it happens, and it is often triggered by a sound nearby while I am trying to fall asleep.
Katherine
Thanks for responding. I’m going to look into this further
I see Whole Foods carries these brands of 5-HTP: Now, Natrol, Jarrow and Bluebonnet. If you recall if it was any of these please let me know as this always helps.
Could you also share which other low serotonin symptoms you had other than insomnia? https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/amino-acids-mood-questionnaire-from-the-antianxiety-food-solution/
And if you were on any medications at the time, including the birth control pill or other hormone support, or ADHD meds? Or if you’ve ever been prescribed fluoroquinolone antibiotics: ciprofloxacin (Cipro), gemifloxacin (Factive), levofloxacin (Levaquin), moxifloxacin (Avelox), and ofloxacin (Floxin)?
Anything else you can share would be helpful too: like excessive exposure to EMFs (like a new cell tower nearby or just started using WiFi or got Alexa or another smart device in the home) or exposure to toxins (like mold, pesticides, metals etc)?
Hello Trudy , can you recommend a nutritionist in Ottawa , Ontario, Canada who has taken your course s or a naturopath . Thank you , my daughter is Bipolar and the regular medical route is not helping .
Hi! Thank you so much for this article!
I was diagnosed with depression/ anxiety and Pure OCD. I started taking 5HTP at night.
Saffron in the morning with L-Theanine, GABA & Ashwaganda.
I then stopped taking 5HTP for about 3-4 weeks. My mood was fine but then I started feeling a little low again so I started taking it again and now I have really bad nights, nightmares and I wake up like 4x at night and it’s so hard to go back to sleep. I feel restless the entire night. Should I stop the 5HTP again? maybe I don’t need it anymore? It’s 100MG I take at night.
Thank you!!
Andrea
I can’t offer specific feedback via the blog but can share I have clients make sure only one thing was changed and all track their cycles, stress levels, dietary factors to make sure that isn’t affecting things. And /or reduce the dose. Looking back on the food mood logs helps us figure it out.
If we don’t have answers we would consider the impacts of 5-HTP on cortisol levels as shared in this blog.
Thank you for such an informative blog! I just ordered your book and am excited to learn more. I have a question regarding Vitamin C and amino acids, like 5-htp. You state that Vitamin C is an antidote. Does this effect happen only if the 2 are taken together? My practioner has me taking various supplements for high nighttime cortisol, mood, and adrenal function.
I take 2,000mg of Vitamin C throughout the day in addition to other supplements (aDrenal, B vitamins, tumeric, organ complex, vitamin D, fish oil). At night, I take Seriphos, FemRebalance, and magnesium glycinate. I just added 5-htp 100 mg AM/PM. Does the Vitamin C I take throughout the day negate, or antidote, the 5-htp and seriphos?
Suki
Vitamin C is only an antidote for the amino acids when taken at the same time or right afterwards.
I hope you get a ton out of my book – do keep us posted
Hi Trudy,
Thank you so much for detail and useful information. Your blog rocks!! It really guides who are in need.
My case, I have anxiety for a long time. Sleep is not well. All of a sudden, I wake up and hard to sleep again. 2-3 times in a week. Every morning, I am anxious and tired. Self-confidence is also suffering so I have to put a lot of efforts to accomplish a simple task at work or in a relationship.
3 years ago my doctor prescribed a drug in SSRI group. I used if for 6-7 months . Almost a year, my anxiety was low I could handle the things which seemed obstacles. I felt really better during that period. Later, anxiety problem showed up again. I didn’t want to use any drug so I give it a chance by using 5-HTP. I took it before sleep with 150mg -capsule. I slept deeply but my dreams were stressful. In the morning I felt exhausted and really hard to concentrate on anything. During the day I felt sleepy like a cat. I stopped taking it for a couple days. Then I took it again but saw the same bad side effects. Then, I decided to lower the dose to 75 mg-(half-capsule) and took it every other day for a week. However, I couldn’t see the results that I wanted. Lastly, I tried green tea(**)during the day and with 5-htp as well. Things changed suddenly. After using of this combination for a week, I have started to sleep well and have felt better during the day. ..I am not sure to continue with this doze or do I need to increase the dose again.
**Green tea is a source of l-theanine. And theanine also helps GABA receptors in a good way.
Murad
I have not heard feedback like this – green tea to help with 5-HTP use – so can’t offer any input other than what I usually say which stick with whats working and if it sin’t working well do a trial to figure it out.
Usually when i take any supplements (zma, gaba, 5htp, etc) regarding my sleep they usually just work for 2-3 weeks and then i go back to having issues with my sleep (diagnosed with insomina). I noticed that was this case for me regarding 5htp, my sleep got worse during the night and i was def wired. However if i take them in the morning I get so tired, almost if I had been druged, I cant barely keep my eyes open. I thought if I took them in the morning instead it would help with my anxiety. Could this be a sign that my cortisol secretion is disturbed? Why do I get wired at night, but sleepy if I take them in the morning?
Yasmin
It may depend on when cortisol is high
Hi Trudy, thanks for such an informative site. I stopped taking anti-depressants about 2 months ago. They worked but I wanted to find more natural solutions to help depression and anxiety. I first tried 5htp (50g) which made me feel better but then me not sleep very well and left me really tired the following day. I then tried Tryptophan (500g) and I did sleep well but then the next morning I felt really weird and like I was hungover with heart palpitations. I took both supplements in the middle of the day with food. I don’t feel like either is right for me because without these supplements I tend to sleep well. However I would like something to help with depression and anxiety. Should I persevere or try something else?
Lyndsey
You don’t mention which low serotonin symptoms you have. If it is low serotonin we do trials until we find the ideal dose. Dosing for tryptophan is MA and evening and away from food.
With anxiety we also look into low GABA and low blood sugar. And with depression we also consider low dopamine and using tyrosine.
You don’t mention diet but there is much that can be addressed – all covered in my book “The Antianxiety Food Solution” https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/the-antianxiety-food-solution-by-trudy-scott/ I also cover the amino acids and blood sugar balance in detail.
Unfortunately recent use of antidepressants can muddy the waters so it’s challenging to find a good balance of anything initially
Thank you for this article.
I have a 5-month stress looking for a new job. Month over month I started to wake up earlier and earlier and also sweaty. So I started to wake up at 3am without a hope to get back to sleep. I was recommended to try GABA, and it helped in a way that I did not feel anxiety during the day. But on the second take of GABA I simply could not get aspleep all night. So, I stopped it, and tried 5-HTM. I had 2 awesome nights of sleep, but 3rd and 4th I was awake all night long. However the positive side is that I started to feel more positive during the day, less ruminations, etc.
I realized that I have high cortizol during the nigh. I will try to take Phosphatidylserine now to lower cortizol.
What do you think, if I will take 5-HTM say in the morning and Phosphatidylserine before bad, will that work for better mood during the day and better sleep in the night? Or they are not comparable? Or I should substitute 5-HTM with L-Triptophan?
Ilia
I can’t offer specific feedback via the blog but can share that I have success with Seriphos when cortisol is high (more so than Phosphatidylserine) – more on that here https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/seriphos-lowers-high-cortisol-prevent-waking-in-the-night-and-nighttime-anxiety/ (be sure to search “seriphos” on the blog as I have many related articles)
Some folks do better with tryptophan and some with 5-HTP so it’s a matter of doing a trial. Also with 5-HTP I find tryptophan is often better tolerated. And serotonin support in the day is best in the afternoon. If you have my book, “The Antianxiety Food Solution”, the amino acids chapter reviews all this (if not here is a link with info about my book https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/the-antianxiety-food-solution-by-trudy-scott/)